
It Only Hurts When I Laugh!
By Anne Louise Bannon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
User-submitted clip show about people falling lacks empathy.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
How can we get this filth off the air?
Should not be watch by anyone period
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?
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
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Best Action Movies for Kids
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate