But Is It Funny?

The other night, Lisa brought some literature home from work, which is not an unusual thing. Many times, she happens to have with her something that would normally be handed out free to her clients at the health department.

This Family Circus illustration was on a postcard, which was attached to whatever it was she had brought home. I happened to take notice and it struck me as very funny. Lisa couldn't find the humor in it. Evidently, cartoonist Bil Keane has decided to help take up the fight against SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), which is a noble effort on his part.

What is it that makes me laugh every time I look at it? Obviously, SIDS is a very un-funny thing. But there's some dark slant to it that I can't quite put my finger on. Last night, Terry and Genie came over for dinner and I had meant to show him the illustration which, by now, I had clipped and taped into my sketchbook. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about it until a short time ago.

My theory is that the Family Circus kids (Billy, Dolly, Jeffy and P.J., respectively) have been cursed with this mysterious ailment, by the very idea of having dawned the letters to spell out the name.

Again, I cannot stress how un-funny the SIDS epidemic is. However, as a society, we've been laughing at the antics of these children for years. I'll point out now, for all the wrong reasons to begin with.