2009 Darwin Awards Announced

ostro-whiskey

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Aug 23, 2009
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Charles Darwin was a genius, the brainless incompetant who named this "award" after him should be raped to near death by a wolverine.

If the claim is that its ironic, they could have chosen many others whos achievements werent so grand.
 
Nov 28, 2007
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Random Bobcat said:
None of these have come close to individual whom attached jet engines to their car...

I'll leave the rest of the story to those that read it - I can do it no justice summarising.
You mean the urban legend about the JATO car?
 

appleblush

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Sep 13, 2009
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chronobreak said:
I didn't think this was the kind of article The Escapist News Room would come up with. It's kind of sick, especially to really think someone dying is a good thing because their children may be stupid, if they had any, or that their one act (usually just an accident... which we all have) before their death would somehow bring down the "gene pool". To me, the majority of adults would look at an article like this and not really like it, while the main demographic of the site, the younger audience, will have no qualms having a laugh over a persons death. I like getting my news here and everything, but who is this catering to, and what does it have to do with gaming?

What about the families of these people? Why would any respectful individual want to point and laugh at the deceased? It's like people forget that it was a person with hopes, dreams, and a future like the rest of us. Even if I did something stupid and croaked, if my family ever found out there was some website making light of it I'm sure they wouldn't be happy, or what if my children found it, or their friends?

I really like the News Room, but this left a sour taste in my mouth.
I've noticed that the entirety of this site and the news room doesn't all have to do with gaming. A lot of it is just culture in general. And really, it's that sort of attitude that makes things like this taboo. In the past, and even right now in other cultures, they laugh at death. The U.S. makes death into something to be feared when really, it's inevitable. Many cultures find it something to be celebrated and often laughed it. When people off themselves in ways which are unusual or stupid, what better to do than laugh at the mistake? If they had lived through it, I'd like to think they wouldn't look back and take it as a serious thing. I think they would laugh about it too. I would hope their family thinks so too.

If not, then I shudder for society. I truly fear what kind of world this will become when one day everyone fears death, something akin to fearing breathing.
 

chronobreak

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Sep 6, 2008
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appleblush said:
I've noticed that the entirety of this site and the news room doesn't all have to do with gaming. A lot of it is just culture in general. And really, it's that sort of attitude that makes things like this taboo. In the past, and even right now in other cultures, they laugh at death. The U.S. makes death into something to be feared when really, it's inevitable. Many cultures find it something to be celebrated and often laughed it. When people off themselves in ways which are unusual or stupid, what better to do than laugh at the mistake? If they had lived through it, I'd like to think they wouldn't look back and take it as a serious thing. I think they would laugh about it too. I would hope their family thinks so too.

If not, then I shudder for society. I truly fear what kind of world this will become when one day everyone fears death, something akin to fearing breathing.
Fair enough, not every article has to do with gaming. You say other cultures laugh at death... but that isn't the issue. The issue is defaming the character of the deceased over one incident and potentially harming their still very much alive loved ones- including children. It isn't laughing at death; it is mocking a person. I don't mind a good laugh at death, it helps ease the thought of the inevitable. However, I would not condone outright mocking the deceased, and whatever culture partakes in something like that as a whole, I would personally want nothing to do with it.

What better thing is there to do than laugh? Well, I don't know, a silent prayer, sending flowers, maybe even a passing notion of respect for this departed persons ambitions, character, and legacy beyond their final seconds. If laughing is the first thing that comes to mind when someone dies, then that is certainly beyond me to be able to comment on, I suppose. Do you really, really think that the families of the majority of these "canditates" would approve of their loved ones being portrayed in this manner? I don't have statistics either way, but I would like to think that if, say, my father drowned while trying to plug a leak in the kitchen sink, I would not be very amused with some anonymous jackasses having a chortle over it.

I don't care what people do in private, really, but to have these "awards" online open for everyone to see, and then to see it in the News Room... it just doesn't feel right. Do what you have to do in order to not fear your death, but don't mock somebody and then say "but really, it's for the good of everyone if we do this!", because you don't know that that is the case.
 

CloggedDonkey

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Nov 4, 2009
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yep, the good old Darwins. I watch it very year on the big screen. nothing like seeing those award winning clips like "guy petting adult wild tiger gets testicle eaten off" or "guy lighting fire cracker in junk looses penis". those are always good.
 

vampirekid.13

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May 8, 2009
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TheLastCylon said:
DestroytheTyrant said:
You guys are sick for finding this stuff funny ...
I kinda agree with this guy. I mean, yeah, they were stupid, but they did die. It's a pretty serious matter.

it is serious.


seriously funny that they died in such a stupid manner.


did you read how they died? the woman got saved and jumped back in after her moped, WTF do you think, ur gonna save a moped when ur a 50 yr old female? by urself, brilliant.


and the robbers...oh man...the robbers.
 

chroniccronners

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Dec 10, 2009
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I love the Darwin award's, makes all those times i forget to unplug something in work and got 220 volts down my arm seem reasonable.
 

Wildrow12

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Mar 1, 2009
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chronobreak said:
appleblush said:
I've noticed that the entirety of this site and the news room doesn't all have to do with gaming. A lot of it is just culture in general. And really, it's that sort of attitude that makes things like this taboo. In the past, and even right now in other cultures, they laugh at death. The U.S. makes death into something to be feared when really, it's inevitable. Many cultures find it something to be celebrated and often laughed it. When people off themselves in ways which are unusual or stupid, what better to do than laugh at the mistake? If they had lived through it, I'd like to think they wouldn't look back and take it as a serious thing. I think they would laugh about it too. I would hope their family thinks so too.

If not, then I shudder for society. I truly fear what kind of world this will become when one day everyone fears death, something akin to fearing breathing.
Fair enough, not every article has to do with gaming. You say other cultures laugh at death... but that isn't the issue. The issue is defaming the character of the deceased over one incident and potentially harming their still very much alive loved ones- including children. It isn't laughing at death; it is mocking a person. I don't mind a good laugh at death, it helps ease the thought of the inevitable. However, I would not condone outright mocking the deceased, and whatever culture partakes in something like that as a whole, I would personally want nothing to do with it.

What better thing is there to do than laugh? Well, I don't know, a silent prayer, sending flowers, maybe even a passing notion of respect for this departed persons ambitions, character, and legacy beyond their final seconds. If laughing is the first thing that comes to mind when someone dies, then that is certainly beyond me to be able to comment on, I suppose. Do you really, really think that the families of the majority of these "canditates" would approve of their loved ones being portrayed in this manner? I don't have statistics either way, but I would like to think that if, say, my father drowned while trying to plug a leak in the kitchen sink, I would not be very amused with some anonymous jackasses having a chortle over it.

I don't care what people do in private, really, but to have these "awards" online open for everyone to see, and then to see it in the News Room... it just doesn't feel right. Do what you have to do in order to not fear your death, but don't mock somebody and then say "but really, it's for the good of everyone if we do this!", because you don't know that that is the case.
I have to agree with you on this one, Chrono.
 

dalek sec

Leader of the Cult of Skaro
Jul 20, 2008
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chroniccronners said:
I love the Darwin award's, makes all those times i forget to unplug something in work and got 220 volts down my arm seem reasonable.
Just wondering but where do you work that getting shocked with 220 volts happens sometimes?
 

chroniccronners

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Dec 10, 2009
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w
dalek sec said:
chroniccronners said:
I love the Darwin award's, makes all those times i forget to unplug something in work and got 220 volts down my arm seem reasonable.
Just wondering but where do you work that getting shocked with 220 volts happens sometimes?
I work with lifting equipment and we mainly do 3 phase electric chain hoists. I've absentmindedly put a screw driver into and live terminal on a few occasions and got half the supply running through me. Luckily there are no amps so it cant kill me but it wakes me up and gives any one else in the immediate area a chuckle.