I rarely write for The Rebuttal, preferring the comfy surrounds of my own blog. But, I just had to do another post, a short one, because of the “public” reaction to The Chaser’s recent program that contained a skit satirising Make-A-Wish Foundation. I understand that terminally ill children is a sensitive topic, but this skit is actually quite funny.
Why did I find it funny?
From the first frame, I instinctively understood exactly what they were doing. It recalled the “Shock! Mock Horror! Over Their Heads It Goes…..” shenanigans of Garys’ post From the Slums of Mumbaih (Bombay), where rather than actually talk about the points raised, some people took offence [a fence?] and staked out a defensive position, crying out, “Poor taste!”
Many of the respondents criticising the show, could not see past the images of sick children. Just like Deaf organisations that cannot conduct a fundraising campaign without dredging up hoary images of victims. And if you think about it, they use, CHILDREN! They don’t use words like POOR, CANNOT HEAR, HELP!
Which is exactly the point The Chaser team were making, but their detractors, pretending to be open minded, started gnashign teeth, openly weeping and wepping, and threatening to never again, watch a show, they never watch!
We need to invite the Chaser team to satirise other charities.
“Sniff! Sniff! Woolies has run out of tissues!”
“Sniffle!” How are they ever gunna hear again? Sniffle!”
“Sniff! Sniff! How am I gunna dry these tears? Oh those poor Deaf children! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“They have the right to beg for us! Huff! Huff! Woof! Woof!”
As far as I’m concerned, The Chaser team got it right. Their critics can go suck on a cold one!
Further Reading:
- The Chaser angers TV viewers with Make A Wish sick joke
- Make-A-Wish Foundation fury at Chaser sick children TV skit
- Chaser censored for joke about terminally ill kids
- ’They’re going to die anyway’: calls for Chaser to be axed over ’callous’ skit
- Chaser taken off air for two weeks, group apologises
- The Chaser sketch they wish they had not made
- The Chaser’s War On Everything
- The Chaser
- The Chaser [Website]
The Rebuttal 
Tony while I am all for the message they are trying to convey the actual footage did make me cringe. I have not seen the dialogue or context of the skit but have tio say visually it didnt look too good. Sometimes you just can not get laughs from everything – tact and taste perhaps went astray with this one.