If you have read some of my humorous blogs, you are aware that I DO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. I am even able to find humor in some of my husband's odd AD behaviors. But a well meaning friend sent me this video, which is circulating on the Internet e-mails, and I was NOT amused.
The reason I did not think it was funny is because in my opinion, and as I always say - it's just my own opinion - I felt that it perpetuated the the myth that the type of forgetfulness displayed in the video is "just old age". It is NOT just old age, and no matter how much awareness raising we do, it seems obvious that the message is not getting through.
Please take a look at the video and tell me if you think I am over reacting. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=7lSliucgygc
Joan, you are not over reacting. I thought it was horrible. It 's like some e-mails I get from people that are similar. I have alienated several because I always reply to them and say," This isn't funny when you have to live with it everyday".
Joan, I didn't watch more than a minute or so of this video. I think people who come up with things like this a absolutely clueless and to send it to someone who's spouse has AD has to be stupid.
I know I am in the minority-but I still think videos like this are funny. No dementia is no laughing matter-but it is also no reason to lose your sense of humor.
If we were not caregivers of spouses with AD, and were in our 40s and 50s, I think most would think it is funny....it is NOT making fun of AD, but of normal forgetfulness.....I also go into a room, forget why, and have to go back to where I was to remember - and have been doing that for 20 years! AND, I go through all my kids' names sometimes to get to the right one! And I have done THAT since I was in my 20s.
I think we have become so supersensitive because of all we go through that ANYTHING dealing with forgetfulness upsets us now.
I found the video funny...the ending brought a smile to my face....
I didn't find myself laughing but it did make me think of myself. How many times have I gone into a room and forgot why I went there? I think maybe we associate forgetfulness with AD and what we are going/went through that takes the humor from us. I don't think this was talking about AD as much as everyday forgetfulness. Can't say I thought is was particularly funny though.
Oh, thank goodness....I thought I was the only one that didn't find the video to be insulting. Hey, we all forget some things.....and Weejun, you are right..it wasn't about AD....
I agree that was more about forgetfulness than AD, but I did not find it particularly funny. I did remind me of 2 jokes from highschool days: 1.As we get older we spend more time thinking about the hereafter. We go into a room and think "what am I hereafter" 2. A young man and his girl were in his car. He pulled into a secluded spot. She asked why they were there. He replied: "we're going to talk about the hereafter". She expressed puzzlement, so he said "if you're not here after what I'm here after, you'll be here after I'm gone."
I wasn't insulted either. I'll admit...I chuckled. It reminded me of me, and I'm 2 years short of 50. It's normal to make light of our middle-aged (and up) distractedness. (although, frankly...I've been like that my whole life.)
If it had been making fun of actual dementia, that could have been tasteless, but I don't think it was.
Okay, I confess. I laughed. Of course, I also laughed at Marsh's two jokes above. I think I'm much more easily amused than offended. That's probably a good thing. (-:
Okay, I looked at it again and y'all are right it is funny. Don't need to get so uptight that I lose perspective. It's like the 2 sisters who lived together. One day one sister was going up the stairs and stopped and ask her sister..Am I going up or coming down???? That is me some days especially when I lose sleep.
I wasn't offended by this one because I did think he was talking about forgetfulness and now dementia. What offends me is that people will send me jokes that actually have Alzheimers in the subject line, despite the fact that they know my DH has Alz. Those are NOT funny.
Personally, I laughed my A__ off!!!! It was all about ME and how forgetful I can be , especially now, with all the stress! I loved it. Sorry. It's a grievous thing when we loose our sense of humor about our own humanity and errings. No, didn't think it was about ALZ or dementia in any manner. (Did you see him put his keys in the 'fridge when he went to get something out??? Did ya see how many pairs of reading glasses he had on???) Wow....ME!
Right. Good point about the multiple pairs of reading glasses. My alz husband needs reading glasses, and we have bought him a couple pairs of magnifiers, but he doesn't even remember the concept, hence doesn't wear them. You know how, when you're reading about signs of AD, they always start by differentiating between "normal forgetfulness" and AD symptoms? Yeah, this guy's normal.
I think part of Joan's point was that it was sent to her. Why? I get stuff like this from so-called friends and I really don't appreciate it. Too close to home. Haven't lost my sense of humor - I love good comedy. Just not appropriate in the way it was used. My opinion!
Vickie, That is why I said that anyone who sends this type of thing to someone caring for an AD patient is stupid. If someone sent it to me I would let them know it wasn't the least bit funny. My DH is still highly functional but I still wouldn't be amused.
Was that video meant to be funny?? Ooops.. I will have to watch it again. I thought it was just another boring family video, and I did not see anything wrong with anyone. I keep my keys in the fridge, and glasses on my head, and I did notice that he plays the guitar worse than I do.l I think the intent of the video was trying to play a song by the Beachboys.... Do you want to know a secret? or was it really the Beatles?? Anyway, looked like a normal guy to me... I could not think it was about alzheimer's at all.... did anyone see a caregiver anywhere in the video? My honest opinion = not even worth watching, even less worth commenting, and I would prefer to watch a tree grow. The only value to this video was extracting Marsh's comments about the hereafter, and eliciting Joan's response about it... Now THAT is funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Didn't see the video as my dial-up doesn't bring youtube in worth crap(gettubg DSL) however, from the responses, I have gleaned an idea of the 'forgetfulness' I'm sure we all encounter. Growing up the oldest of 7 it was 'normal' that Mom ran down the roster to get the 'right' name when calling or correcting one of us. When raising our daughter (only child) we also had pets--I ran down the roster of 'kids' to get the right one.<grin>
My daughter thought it was hilarious when she'd ask to go make a snowman and I'd tell to go put her swimsuit on to go do it. To gol through the sprinkler it was always, "Go put your snowsuit on."
These kinds of blips I attribute to the way our brains file infor ation and the speed in which we sometimes try to retrieve it. Mine stores name for seasonal clothing in the same place and 2 words with very similar spellings end up together. In an instant response, I grab the wrong one.
These things are not dementia. They can be funny. But I wouldn't send such a video to someone dealing with Alz unless I knew them well and that they'd take it in the spirit of the humor intended.
Given that I could find neither my cell phone or my usual car keys when I went out this morninig (I think they're in the pants I wore Friday and I haven't been out much since then) I thought it applied to me, too. Didn't bother me but I didn't think it was terribly funny.
I thought it was histerical! I don't have much to laugh at these days, but that made me laugh out loud. I agree with Bluedaze, let's not be robbed of our sense of humor. And don't forget your pants :)