Redditor Raises Eyebrows At Party After Unleashing A Booze-Fueled Dark Joke About Their Late Mother

"My mom already died 5-6 years ago...I just like to make dark humor as a sort of coping mechanism."

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• June 25, 2023

In the midst of life's many moments, there are times when humor acts as a beacon, guiding us through even the darkest of situations. Laughter has the remarkable ability to unite people, provide solace, and even help us cope with our own grief.

This piece centers on our narrator (Original Poster), who found themself at a birthday celebration, where they felt humor would rule the day. But little did they know that their day would not have the merry end that they were looking forward to.

Amidst the jovial conversations and the clinking of glasses, a topic about mothers arose that struck a chord within OP. As the night progressed and merriment took hold, OP, fueled by the heady mix of celebration and perhaps a touch of liquid courage, ventured into the realm of dark humor around that topic.

With a jest that echoed the pain he had once endured, he let slip a comment about his own deceased mother. In his words, "If I were to hug my mom, I'd probably be jailed as a gravedigger."

OP's attempt at being funny was met with an unexpected response—a man, seemingly angered, chastised him for his "distasteful" remark.

In the aftermath of this encounter, OP grappled with a sense of violation as his chosen method of healing had been challenged. Now, in a bid to seek clarity, OP has decided to bring the matter before the Reddit community.

Did his utterance truly cross the line or was the other person just being overzealous? Scroll down to find out the verdict of the Reddit community.

The story in detail

While at a birthday party, a topic about mothers came up. At this point, OP was a little bit drunk

Without thinking, OP made a dark humor joke about their deceased mother, which prompted an immediate scolding

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"People deal with grief in different ways, he doesn't get to tell you what to do."

"NTA. You made a dark humor joke about your own mom"

OP isn't the only one making dark humor jokes about their deceased mom

"No one wants that at a party when they are in the midst of nostalgia. You have to read the room, my friend. Soft YTA."

"Yeah, it was kind of distasteful, but so what? This guy doesn't get to aggressively police your speech"

"Someone once told me that dark humor is like having a dad: not everyone got it."

"Cope with her passing in a healthy way….humor is healthy. Keep it up"

As OP turned to the Reddit community for guidance and support, they found a resounding consensus among the majority. Redditors affirmed that OP's choice to employ dark humor about their deceased mother, given it was their own parent, was a valid coping mechanism.

However, a few commenters emphasized that the timing and context of the joke at the party may have been inappropriate, altering the atmosphere in an unintended manner.

Nonetheless, the collective understanding and empathy from the Reddit community reaffirmed that humor, even in its darkest form, can be a deeply personal tool for healing and navigating the complexities of grief.

Jesse