Parents' Guide to

It Only Hurts When I Laugh!

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

User-submitted clip show about people falling lacks empathy.

TV truTV Reality TV 2009
It Only Hurts When I Laugh! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

LottieSue
LottieSue Adult
June 27, 2011
age 17+

How can we get this filth off the air?

Discussing, debase, filthy and depraved. Swearing and sexual innuendo in a constant stream. The word "Ass" constantly used in just about every video. This trash turns my stomach and is not acceptable for anyone of any age.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
gunner214
gunner214 Parent of 16-year-old
December 20, 2010
age 17+

Should not be watch by anyone period

Even adults should not watch a show that has a gymnist kicking a toddler so hard the child flips over and over before hitting the floor. Or anyone being hurt they don't regulate what is on the show, well they may not show someone dyeing maybe they wouldn't show it. It the worst of shows. And anyone that would watch it has something seriously wrong with believing that it's entertainment to see someone hurt. I would watch a blood and guts war movie and enjoy it before I would watch this show.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I LAUGH is a collection of viewer-contributed video clips featuring accidents, tumbles, and \ stunts gone wrong, all edited to highlight the pain and humiliation of the subjects/victims involved. The narrator eggs on the laughs with comments like, "There's \ nothing funnier than pain, humiliation, and looking stupid, just as \ long as it's happening to someone else." Clips range from the mildly gross -- like a baby spitting up into an adult's mouth -- to the dangerous, like a motorcyclist thrown from a fast-moving bike.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Sure, sometimes it's fun to laugh at others' mishaps, especially when they're laughing along, too. But there's a mean-spiritedness to the narration in this show that isn't amusing. Some of the clips are funny -- a roller blader skates into a pond with two dogs diving in after him, for example. But others are downright disturbing, like when an elderly person trips in a hole and falls flat, with no movement shown afterward.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether shows like this contribute to a lack of empathy for others. Kids: Why do we sometimes laugh when people fall?

  • All of the video clips are contributed by viewers. Why do you think people would submit videos of themselves or others getting hurt?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: October 22, 2009
  • Network: truTV
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-14
  • Last updated: February 24, 2022

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