Jokes Made On Social Media About The Lost ‘Titanic Submersible’

You must have heard about Ocean Gate’s Titan submersible. Chances are if you’ve been on social media at all this week you’ve seen at least a few jokes that are in very bad taste—none of which are truly worth repeating.

Likewise, comments made by people continue to go lower than ever—such as those who thought it was funny to suggest pop singer Bebe Rexha was hit by an “eye phone” during her performance in New York City on Sunday after a fan through his mobile device at her.

The comment sections of news websites were hardly an amusing matter. However, many people felt that this was the best place to test out material for future comedic careers.

It’s sad that so many people still think jokes like these “landed.”

In the past, humor was subjective. This is especially true after a tragic event. But in today’s social media age, jokes that are ill-timed can not only be in poor taste but also hurtful.

“Humor that has been in questionable taste has been around forever—and today many may cringe at the jokes made by the comedians in the 50’s and early 60’s. The Borscht Belt comics were crude and they made fun of their family, neighbors, and friends. Or the old TV comedy that today would appear to be racist,” says Susan Schreiner.

“Despite the crudeness of the joke—there was still a kindness of spirit,” Schreiner continued.

This is not the case anymore. Most of what you see on social media today is meant to be funny at people, but never with them.

Schreiner warned that “the advent of social media has certainly been a catalyst” for the offensive use of words. Online bullying and malicious postings affect the self-images of girls. The anonymity of the internet allows people to say whatever they want with a simple click. No direct human interaction is required—and there’s no sense of responsibility or fear of accountability.”

Lon Safko is a technology entrepreneur and author who added that social media lacks accountability. Social Media Bible

Even with normal YouTube videos, comments get more and more offensive. Safko stated that it’s reached a point where many YouTubers just shut off comments.

Haters Still Gonna Hate?

Even though just a few short years ago such comments would have resulted in boos from the audience, today, they are greeted with ‘Likes.’ The problem is not limited to jokes or nasty memes. Social media users are more than ever feeling the urge to attack those they don’t agree with.

Instead of civil dialogue, the response is often an all-out verbal assault.

It’s about narcissism too, “Oh, look! 79 people like my snarky blog!” It is an attempt to attract attention. Safko suggested that the bigger the news story is, the easier it will be to divert attention from the actual story and onto the individual. Social media is a sad example of how we have become a self-centered society. The only way to calm down most hecklers is to ignore and not feed their negativity.

The level of this discourse also shows the deep divisions in our country.

Schreiner said that the discourse in society has shifted to a more coarse tone over the last seven years. In the past, we could agree to disagree without a problem and then move on. There were legendary stories about former President Reagan and then-Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal. The two men could have argued on opposite sides, but would always meet up for a drink at the end.

The problem is not limited to the political realm, and that’s certainly no reason for it to be any less serious. Social media has made feuds public, with people posting things they would never say in polite company.

“People no longer know how to speak with others if they’re on the ‘other side. Kindness and thoughtfulness are slipping away—as slurs, invectives, insults and unbecoming behavior are increasingly evident not just online—but also by politicians and celebrities on the evening news,” warned Schreiner. “Jokes represent the times—so it’s disappointing but no surprise when abrasive, foulmouthed or tasteless jokes are made at a time of tragedy given where we are as a society in 2023.”

This is made worse by the fact that platforms don’t do much to discourage this negativity, even though it may not be openly promoted. It’s good for their bottom lines, but it’s bad for the society.

Safko explained that twenty years ago we wanted only to be loved. Today, all we want is to be liked.