My dad once told me there was a tribe of natives living on the banks of a river in South America. And when one of them fell in and was being eaten by pirahna, the rest of them fell about laughing. Porbably out of relief that it wasn't them being gobbled up. Death and comedy are natural partners. In Finegan's Wake by James Joyce, the body is still in the house when the wake is in full swing (unable to be buried, but don't let that stop the drinkin'). At one stage to make more room for the party, the coffin is stood up against a wall and in the melee the body falls out. Well a couple of the deceased's old mates find him lying in nthe hall and, being Irish and being drunk, they forgot he was dead and thought he was just dead drunk. So they put him to bed. Imagine Mrs Finnegan's surprise when she hops into bed that night!
I am such a firm believer in the natural affinity beween death and humour that I wrote a humorous script for a television commercial for an insurance company I was writing commercials for. But the agency wimped out on presenting it, or presented it with such lack of belief that the client ran a mile.




Television commercial for death insurance, styled after “Alas Smith And Jones” series by British comedy team Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones

Life Insurance/Death Cover
Comedy TVC

VIDEO

Two males in close up, side of heads, facing each other.

AUDIO

FAT MALE:Went to a funeral the other day.

THIN MALE: That’s sad. Whose was it.

FAT MALE: Mother in law’s

THIN MALE: That’s aright then. You would have enjoyed that.

FAT MALE: I don’t like funerals.

THIN MALE; Why do you go then?

FAT MALE: I had to make sure she was dead. Besides if you don’t go to other people’s funerals they wont’ come to yours. Still, I wish I didn’t have gone to this one.

THIN MALE: Why? Wasn’t she gone? Did she sit up in the coffin?

FAT MALE: No, She was gone alright, but I had to pay!

THIN MALE: Pay to go to your mother-in-law’s funeral. How much?

FAT MALE: Never you mind… it was a lot. The old dear hadn’t left any money to pay for the funeral and the money in the will is frozen for who knows how long…

THIN MALE: Didn’t you tell he about that insurance you can get that covers all those expenses?

FAT MALE: Didn’t talk to her much. She was an angry woman. She left instructions to write on her headstone the words: “What are you looking at?” I stayed out of her way.

THIN MALE: Well that was a costly mistake.

FAT MALE: If I could have my time over again….

THIN MALE: Well you can. You don’t want to do the same thing to your own kids do you? [Hands him a telephone handset.] Here, call (Brandname Insurance) on 000000000 and ask about the (Brandname) Life Plan. You never know when you might be popping off these days, do you?

SUPER: Call 000 0000
The (brandname) Life Plan

FAT MALE: Popping off? Do I look sick to you? I haven’t been feeling well…

THIN MALE; Better make that call right now. 0000 000000. Before it’s too late.

END OF SCRIPT

Funny that, calling a death product a "Life Plan".