For example, think about some of the jokes that are considered crass and offensive in American culture: bits about black people being poor; women being treated as housewives.

While the stereotypes are false, they relate to deep-rooted societal problems. Income inequality is still associated with racial inequality. Women are still underpaid and underrepresented in some industries.

Political correctness is not noble. It's a form of cowardice, a band-aid that prevents us from using humor as a vehicle for thinking about uncomfortable problems.

The harder an issue is to joke about, the more it requires jokes.

[cultures which have gone through the worst seem to have the blackest jokes. Israel and Bosnia leap to mind, though much of eastern Europe has something similar going on]

> “Comedy is a space that has its own set of rules,” said McGraw. “Then it gets posted on the Internet and broadcast to people sitting at their desks— people who weren’t intended to hear it and aren’t in the mindset to appreciate it.”

I've noticed this lately with people taking comedian set jokes out of context via a recording or second-hand party blowing them out of proportion. It's a real shame. If a joke isn't funny - don't laugh at it - that's the worst response a comic will ever get. But don't blow them up on a twitter, try to make them apologize for making a joke that wasn't particularly funny.

People either laugh straight away or never.

http://24flinching.com/word/gold-seal/crazy-world/sinking-ti...

This was too soon to be funny.

But are we talking somebody not associated/involved or influenced by the tragedy and just other people as with most things, relativity applies.