Hi, kat: You're right about the time factor for the "Jokes" thread. I guess I misinterpreted your phrase "right after it was happening" since the terrorism related to the 9/11 attack was happening then (anthrax, threats, etc.) and, for that matter, the clean-up and retrieval of remains from 9/11 is still happening.

The other thread I mentioned was started on September 12th, 2001, and the discussion was prompted by a joke made at the end of "Part 5" of the "American Attacks" thread series.

You're right that no one issued a Song Challenge about the terrorism. But I think we're comparing apples and oranges here. Marsh did not kill the people whose bodies have been found at the Noble, GA crematorium (at least, not that we know of); he mishandled, desecrated and hid the bodies and deceived the surviving families. Still not funny in and of itself, no matter how much time passes.

But if cathartic humor is supposed to be good for the human soul, then how long is the soul supposed to suffer before that catharsis is allowed to take place? Seems to me that that would be up to each individual to decide. Do you think that Mudcat's often-repeated "if you don't like it, don't read it" maxim might apply here? Or do we defer to those who aren't ready for catharsis by never using dark humor at all in any post about any situation, just in case they might read it too soon? And where do we draw the line between humor that's acceptable and humor that isn't, without becoming so PC that some folk music is not acceptable on a folk music site?