Making Fun of Death

I make fun of death. A lot. Tell jokes about it. Make fun of people who died. Shit, I’m part of a band that makes fun of dying. Or at least I think I still am.

Sarah’s Mom really hates our band. She wants Sarah to stop making our music. I understand why. Our lyrics are… ummm, how do I say this… over the top. But that’s the point really. Shock value for laughs. We’re not seriously going to chop off someone’s head, or stalk them and put on their underwear.

When Sarah told me her mom felt that she should stop singing these parodies and funny songs, I was hurt at first. Didn’t she understand that we weren’t serious? Didn’t she see the humor in making fun of the tragedy of death and killing?

Sarah’s mom said that she now knows what Alice Cooper’s mother must have felt like. Isn’t that a great example of why our making fun of death should work? Alice is a huge Christian, helps the community, loves puppies, kids and bunnies. If he can sing about all the same crazy shit as us, is it any different? You can sing about death and still be a good person.

And while Alice’s music is very aggressive, ours is fun and dare I say… pop music.

Our music is the same as acting really. Did Robert Englund go on a killing spree with knife hands after doing “The Nightmare on Elm Street”? Did Kevin Spacey become a serial killer after he did Seven? Did Al Pacino want to shoot people with a M16 after he did Scarface? NO, NO and NO.

Maybe she’s right though. Maybe we should stop it before it begins. After all, death is a serious subject, especially if you’ve just lost a loved one. I can understand the pain. I don’t think that’s the reason why she hates it thought. More so, I think her mom and people in general are afraid of dying and talking about death in general. It’s easier to bury your head in the sand.

Am I afraid of dying? Yes, but only a little. To quote RZA from the Gravediggers album, “There’s no need to cry, because we all die.” The way I look at it, I’m going to die some day, maybe tomorrow, maybe in 70 years. But it will happen.

Does dying suck? Yes, it does. But it’s the only constant in our world, the great equalizer. Every one of us will die, whether we like it or not.

So should we be afraid of death, dying and killing or should we embrace the fact that it’s going to happen? I think only when you do realize that death is part of life, that you can live your life to the fullest. I know I have.

But is it insensitive to make fun of killing and death? Maybe… but I think the best way to cope with any problems is to be able to make fun of it. I don’t know if that’s a poor defense mechanism for coping, nor do I care. All I know is that it helps me and that’s all that matters.

I’m going to keep making fun of death and killing, even if I don’t have a musical avenue to express it.