Dark Humor Among the Military and First Responders, Understanding Its Usage & Need
Book One is attacked by trolls—the scourge of the internet that Amazon and Goodreads permit to proliferate, despite how bad they are for business. These trolls have never been closer to war than a Netflix video, yet they feel entitled to manufacture a battle between their low‑star reviews and military veterans’ five‑star reviews—largely over the veteran characters, particularly the humor. Some trolls have even decreed that the author invented this kind of humor, which would require the author to be at least a century old, dating back to World War I.
But the trolls aren’t smart or knowledgeable enough to comprehend that,
They adamantly insistent on the Hollywood‑bogus, clenched‑buttock, bravado‑spewing combat infantrymen who say trite things, and never banter or joke. Apparently, they also believe 75th Ranger Regiment, Delta Force, and Marine Corps multi-combat-tour veterans should scream like teenagers in a slasher film, as the only “human psychology”—quoted from one of them on Goodreads.
Who knew that bad crap had a target audience?
Oops, guess there is an audience that this movie was aimed at. Navy SEALs vs. Zombies was panned as bad for even bad movies. So, it goes into the same category as this one:
Our beloved Sarah Connor butchered a Russian accent in Osiris, never mind the “special forces” guys in the opening scene. I couldn’t go more than a couple of minutes before I turned it off out of psychological self-defense.
These bad movies are apparently intended for that troll audience, who demand all fiction should be like that.
What bad movies should be is funny, which these aren’t … unless you are inebriated, at which time an amazing amount of dumb shit is funny.
If you thought Sully and the other veterans are bad? Ah, no. Not by a long shot. Totally lightweight, dude, intended for consumption by a mainstream audience.
Check out the dang real deal, y’all!
(It is not me doing this. I’m just the messenger. So don’t cancel me!
Oh, wait.
Trump’s second term is happening, so this is really not that offensive in comparison. At no time did enlisted members of the military publicly declare they wanted to be KING of the United States! Just saying. It’s all about context.
What the elected members of the federal government do later in the series originally received responses of “that’s crazy.” Now, the reactions are, “Oh, I can totally see them doing that.”)
In the words of other people, the quotes below tell you the pervasiveness, reason, and meaning behind the military (and first responders) using humor.
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From Devon Stavrowsky on Quora, a Former Army SF [Green Beret] Medic, Cal [California National] Guard Officer, Retired Cop (1968–2005).
“Dark humor is a way in which people who have to deal with horrors and atrocities anesthetize themselves to them. Because you can’t be effective in what you are doing if you don’t inure yourself to them. In short order you’d just become essentially useless, unable to go back in and deal with the situations that generated the dark humor to begin-with the next time you encountered it.
“You find it among soldiers and commonly among first responders as well. Civilians see horrors on TV or in the movies… read about them in books… but really don’t encounter them much. At least not in this country. And encountering the real thing is very different and profoundly affecting. All you have to do is look at the shock people go into when they occasionally do…. like around a bad car accident or after an earthquake or tornado.
“When you have to deal with that sort of thing on a routine basis, you had better find a way to harden yourself to it, or you’re going to be in trouble… and not able to do your job.
“Dark humor is just such a coping mechanism… and civilians don’t get the joke because they really haven’t been there, and you cannot explain it to people who haven’t been there.
“It’s the same reason cops, after a while tend to hang out only with other cops, and combat veterans are very reluctant to speak of their experiences with anyone not a combat vet. If you haven’t been there… you are just not going to understand… and it cannot be truly explained to you in words that will make you understand. Words can get you sympathy (which is something you don’t want), and maybe respect, but they are never going to convey true understanding.”
“There’s a reason that dark humor is such a consistent part of the work culture among those who serve in the military, support their communities as first responders or provide care in a hospital setting. Individuals working in these fields, as well as those who share tragic or traumatic experiences, can connect by taking a lighthearted, if a little irreverent, approach to the difficult topics and circumstances they’re forced to confront. Going through difficult times can be isolating, but humor combats that by providing people with shared experiences an opportunity to bond.”
Source: FHE Health Restore, “The Psychology of Comedy as a Defense Mechanism.”
“Life’s toughest moments often leave scars, whether it’s battling addiction, enduring a divorce, or losing a loved one. Everyone finds their own way to cope. For many of us, humor becomes an unexpected lifeline. It’s not about trivializing the seriousness of these events, but about offering a momentary escape from the heaviness. This allows us to survive and, in time, heal.”
“Military members use dark humor and banter as a coping mechanism for dealing with extreme stress and trauma. This unique form of communication also helps forge powerful bonds, reinforce group identity, and maintain psychological resilience under immense pressure.”
