MovieChat Forums > Midnight in Paris (2011) Discussion > The brain tumor joke was not funny

The brain tumor joke was not funny

posted 11 years ago by Avwillfan89
15 replies | jump to latest

In the scene where Owen Wilson's character tells his girlfriend that he's gone back in time to meet all of his favourite writer idols, she tell him he's suffering from a brain tumor.
I really don't understand how people can find that someone with a brain tumor hallucinating and acting crazy funny. I'm saying this because my dad died of a brain tumor, and he was acting very strange towards the end of his life. It was a horrible experience for me and my family, and maybe worse for others so I really don't get people would find it funny.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] jordanthomas_2009-346-914758 11 years ago

I think it was to make his fiancé seem more arrogant

[–] badnixie 11 years ago

I think you have a point about that - sometimes a joke is simply rude and ignorant on the part of the writer but sometimes the writer is aware that it is offensive and uses it to show how callous a character is.

I will say though that I didn't know this about brain tumors, so to the OP I'm really sorry about your dad. My dad has had several strokes and everyone in my family is disabled due to multiple health problems. My point is that I know how insensitive people can be about these things, and I do think the media should be accountable when the ignorance is on the part of the writers.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] badnixie 11 years ago

About what? That writers demonstrate a character's unlikeability by having them make offensive jokes, or that writers should be conscious not to make offensive jokes themselves?

I'm not saying that writers should try to make everyone happy, but carelessly offending people about serious issues will decrease their popularity and eliminate potential fans.

[–] ajukoor 11 years ago

By that logic, writers can't write anything anymore, becuase veryone can find something offensive or unnecessarily cruel.

Please, visit my Hell Hole. Thank You! prguauk.myminicity.com/sec

[–] badnixie 10 years ago

Again, I'm really not saying that writers should try to make everyone happy. It's impossible to not offend anyone, particularly with comedy. I'm just saying writers should try to be conscious of these things. And again, I'm not criticizing the writer for using the joke as I believe it was done to make Inez unlikeable ... not that she wasn't already.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] tenshinhan_san 11 years ago

His fiancee was a horrible person that's why.

[–] jpowers4667 10 years ago

You're right, there is nothing funny about a brain tumor. However, delivered as a joke in a obviously unrealistic context, it is funny... Purely out of how offensive and ill-timed it is.

Topics like aids, diabetes, and abortions aren't particularly funny when used in a real-life context. But, for the sake of offending people, and creating a potentially awkward scene, they can be hilarious topics.

[–] Shimmer_Me_Timbers 10 years ago

It's not supposed to be funny... you're just supposed to laugh at how rediculously self-obsorbed and insensitive Inez is and at how clueless Gil is.

[–] Dejay 10 years ago

I think all humor has an element that is really very sad, or stupid, or gross. If you think about any joke and remove the funny about it, you end up with something sad. Maybe that's why if a comedian fails it's so hard to watch. But if it's funny instead of crying we laugh about it. So by it's very nature every joke (not just tumor humor) will offend someone. Sorry about your father.

And I think the joke was more about how insensitive, stupid and childish Inez was.

[–] jonletters-273-374174 10 years ago

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger, comedy is when you fall down an open sewer and die".

[–] whatabadname 10 years ago

You're right, it is not funny. Sorry for your loss and hardship.

I believe it was not made as a joke that the audience would find to be humorous but rather a callous statement from Inez. Her "brain tumor" response was representative of her insensitive and exaggerated put downs.

No other character was laughing and her delivery was pure snark, no joke was made. Inez seemed like the type who would receive great pleasure from making such statements, especially if someone is saying or doing something unappealing to her. Sadly types like these exist where as long as they are not suffering from a particular ailment they don't mind making light of those who do despite many who are affected terribly in some form (e.g. telling a forgetful person he/she has Alzheimer's, or really any medical condition...)

[–] calcaneus67 10 years ago

What makes it a joke in the movie? It's Inez's application of logic to something that seems like complete fantasy. It is not supposed to be funny but rather Inez's rejection of Gil's fantastic experience.