I think we should go to commercial...

December 2, 2005 12:45 PM

Conan O'Brien runs the one Walker, Texas Ranger clip that he never dared run before...
posted by jonson (132 comments total)

I don't get it.
posted by Keith Talent at 12:49 PM on December 2, 2005

Haley Joel Osment, circa 1997, BTW. And, yeah, pretty funny.
posted by solid-one-love at 12:49 PM on December 2, 2005

Forget best of the web. Best of the universe, perhaps.
posted by kyleg at 12:49 PM on December 2, 2005

Triumph pooping on Star Wars fans is still the best ten minutes of TV in the last thirty years.
posted by Rothko at 12:51 PM on December 2, 2005

I crying out for help here. Why is it funny?
posted by Keith Talent at 12:51 PM on December 2, 2005

The funny. It is where?
posted by C.Batt at 12:54 PM on December 2, 2005

Why is it funny?
posted by muddgirl at 12:54 PM on December 2, 2005

It's funny to me, for the same reason as Sarah Silverman's deadpan, offhand "Joe Franklin raped me" line in The Aristocrats was funny; it's unexpected, jarring and incongruous.
posted by solid-one-love at 12:56 PM on December 2, 2005

My only concern is that O'Brien will stop doing these bits when he takes over for Leno (?in 4 years?).
posted by sbutler at 12:58 PM on December 2, 2005

I had absolutely no idea that Conan was capable of using restraint and subtlety in his comedy. I was rather impressed.
posted by Clay201 at 12:58 PM on December 2, 2005

Okay, I don't have a sound card... what happened in the clip?
posted by delmoi at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2005

Was this last night's show? Because then it was World AID's day.
posted by sbutler at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2005

You would have thought the line was, "Walker told me I have to go to the dentist" the way HJO delivered that line.

Made me laugh.
posted by Constant Reader at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2005

Awesome. Thanks.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:06 PM on December 2, 2005

I crying out for help here. Why is it funny?

Mostly the awkward, stilted delivery. But that punch line; it's just so incongruous.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:07 PM on December 2, 2005

God, Walker is by far the funniest show on TV. Finally, someone else understands.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:07 PM on December 2, 2005

"It's funny to me, for the same reason as Sarah Silverman's deadpan, offhand "Joe Franklin raped me" line in The Aristocrats was funny; it's unexpected, jarring and incongruous."

Silverman's "Joe Franklin raped me" was jarring, but it wasn't incongruous or unexpected. I felt the magic of that moment lay in watching her deliver it. You could see the gears turning in her head, as she came to the conclusion and was suddenly let in on the joke that everyone knew about but her.

But... in re: HJO... Kids just say, and pardon the french, the damnest things.
posted by smcbride at 1:07 PM on December 2, 2005

Oh, the music, too.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:08 PM on December 2, 2005

Keith Talent, this is a serious question - do you have Asperger's Syndrome? Because that would explain your reaction to this clip. Alternatively, if you have no sound card in your PC like delmoi, I could see you not understanding what's funny.
posted by jonson at 1:09 PM on December 2, 2005

maybe he's british.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 1:13 PM on December 2, 2005

Maybe it's just me, but I thought the point was that, when the clip is viewed only in the context provided by Conan, the implication was that Walker had given the kid AIDS. I mean, think about it: He says "Walker told me I have AIDS." Shouldn't he be getting this information from, like, a doctor instead of a cop? How would the cop know before the kid, unless he... uh, well, you know.

And then there's the way he has his arm around the kid.
posted by Clay201 at 1:14 PM on December 2, 2005

It was funny. But I still have a crush on Craig Ferguson. Sorry, Conan.
posted by amro at 1:14 PM on December 2, 2005

That was great.
posted by Bugbread at 1:15 PM on December 2, 2005

In case you missed it: Things you should know about Chuck Norris.
posted by ND¢ at 1:19 PM on December 2, 2005

From that link:

Chuck Norris found out about Conan O'Brien's lever that shows clips from "Walker: Texas Ranger" and is working on a way to make it show clips of Norris having sex with Conan's wife.
posted by ND¢ at 1:21 PM on December 2, 2005

Are people going to start uploading whole TV shows to Google Video? When are Google going to be sued?
posted by ab'd al'Hazred at 1:23 PM on December 2, 2005

That was lame.
And yes I'm european.
posted by jouke at 1:26 PM on December 2, 2005

See, while watching it, in the moment, I just assumed it was doctored -- and before that assumed the little boy might be child-actor Conan (sorry for not keeping up to date on Conan's age and Walker's air dates) and that we were supposed to understand this from previous Conan bits and that this was the reason Conan liked showing Texas Ranger clips -- so the AIDS thing just didn't seem funny enough to be worth it, assuming it had it been faked.

So within the context of the cowboy show the boy says he has AIDS because he misunderstood what Mr. Walker actually told him? So it's funny in the show's original context and then additionally funny within Conan's show because of the extra out-of-context absurdity?

What sort of Texas Ranger clips does Conan usually show?
posted by nobody at 1:28 PM on December 2, 2005

What sort of Texas Ranger clips does Conan usually show?

Only the finest. The absolute finest.

Also amusing is HJO's haircut.
posted by gurple at 1:31 PM on December 2, 2005

It's funny, but is that a doctored clip? That's where I'm confused. I'm also confused still about how this whole internet thing works, but that's a question for another day. Probably when HaJO is a bit older. He could explain it to me.
posted by panoptican at 1:31 PM on December 2, 2005

nobody : "So within the context of the cowboy show the boy says he has AIDS because he misunderstood what Mr. Walker actually told him? So it's funny in the show's original context and then additionally funny within Conan's show because of the extra out-of-context absurdity?"

1) I don't know
2) Yes
posted by Bugbread at 1:32 PM on December 2, 2005

Ok. Googled it.

1) No, he really had AIDS.
2) Yes.
posted by Bugbread at 1:34 PM on December 2, 2005

What sort of Texas Ranger clips does Conan usually show?

It's usually a pretty good mix of Walker kicking ass and odd incongruously sappy stuff like this that doesn't quite come off right.

I really want to know the OAD for this, though.
posted by kyleg at 1:34 PM on December 2, 2005

That was lame.
And yes I'm european.

After inflicting Ace of Bass and the Scorpions on the rest of the unsuspecting world, I trust the Europeans to know lameness when they see it.
posted by Gamblor at 1:35 PM on December 2, 2005

Bugbread, thanks for the info. I'm going to set my Tivo for that episode right now, it's on this weekend!
posted by kyleg at 1:36 PM on December 2, 2005

I don't have Asperger's Syndrome and mostly I just thought: That's it? The kid said "AIDS," hee hee, or maybe he got it from Walker gettit? Like, see -- they're fags!

Honestly -- that's funny? What the hell?
posted by argybarg at 1:37 PM on December 2, 2005

Here's why it's funny:

Walker, Texas Ranger is a show that made countless episodes, virtually all of them containing themes that are just way too serious for the general ass-kickery the show is actually built around. There's just something 'off' about many of the heartland-feelgood-texas-mystical-Indian-ripped-from-todays-headlines plots of many if not most of the episodes. It's way too serious, way too strange, and just to Norris-y.

For a certain person, most likely an American, watching the deadpan seriousness and cluelessness of the general direction of the show, mated with toughguy Chuck Norris and the ridiculous action scenes that follow, is kinda funny.

Now, isolate the clips and make them accesible through a lever which Conan got "because NBC merged with Universal and it's now cost-free to show these clips", and it's comedy gold.
posted by cell divide at 1:39 PM on December 2, 2005

No, no, no -- trust me -- I understand why Walker, Texas Ranger is funny. Just this clip, and Conan making a big deal about it, and the crowd whooping -- it's just stupid.
posted by argybarg at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2005

a lever which Conan got "because NBC merged with Universal and it's now cost-free to show these clips"

Ah, that sounds funny. But I didn't see no lever.
posted by nobody at 1:43 PM on December 2, 2005

Keith Talent argybarg, and jouke: Laughter is a tribal bonding ritual, and there is an expectation that you laugh or you don't belong here. Not finding something funny is very different from not liking, say avocado. It's more like "You're either with us or you're with the terrorists." Clay201 has just explained why he finds it funny, and that's exactly why I (and maybe you) don't find it funny. Now you and I must endure the inevitable tribal insults, which will last until someone actually gets hurt, and then it won't be quite as funny anymore.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:47 PM on December 2, 2005

argybarg; yes, everyone else in the thread is wrong, you, Keith Talent & jouke are correct that there's nothing funny here. Well spotted sir.
posted by jonson at 1:47 PM on December 2, 2005

See?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:49 PM on December 2, 2005

Haley Joel Osment actually does have AIDS, and Walker is the one who told him, you insensitive pricks.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:52 PM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

Man...I wish I didn't work so damn early. Conan is hilarious.
posted by graventy at 1:54 PM on December 2, 2005

XQ - links, man, links.
posted by jonson at 1:54 PM on December 2, 2005

The single funniest thing to see here is a bunch o' mefites explaining to eachother why this joke is funny. Now that is funny.
posted by BrodieShadeTree at 2:01 PM on December 2, 2005

argybarg : "Honestly -- that's funny? What the hell?"

It's a nonsequitor. Nonsequitors strike some people (many people) as funny. Not finding it funny isn't a bad thing. It's not like it indicates a lack of a humour gland or anything. If you don't find it funny, that's fine and groovy. Basically, the exact opposite of what weapons-grade pandemonium said. It's fine by me that y'all don't find it funny. I don't think you're better than me for it, or I better than you. But if you're genuinely not understanding why some other people find it funny: it's a nonsequitor.
posted by Bugbread at 2:02 PM on December 2, 2005

On postview: See? Now BrodieShadeTree thinks I'm funny.
posted by Bugbread at 2:02 PM on December 2, 2005

Funny, but not nearly as funny as the one where the bad guy steps in a bear trap and Walker strolls casually over and knocks him out.
posted by brundlefly at 2:03 PM on December 2, 2005

Walker Texas Ranger (and Chuck Norris and HJO): Hokey, unimaginative show that appeals to the, ahem, less refined television viewer in middle America. It says "Hallmark" in the freakin right lower corner of the screen.

AIDS: Serious illness mostly associated with IV Drugs and sexual promiscuity. Something the average Hallmark Channel viewer doesn't have much experience with.

It's funny because it stereotypes Walker Texas Ranger fans as unsophisticated.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 2:11 PM on December 2, 2005

It is funny because he has AIDS.
posted by hatchetjack at 2:24 PM on December 2, 2005

I get it. This made my Friday. Conan is the true King of Late Night.
posted by quadog at 2:24 PM on December 2, 2005

No, it's funny because their clothes are different from my clothes. Heh-heh-heh. Look at what they're wearing!
posted by gigawhat? at 2:29 PM on December 2, 2005

Couldn't care less if it strikes anyone as funny or not. I just thought that the idea that this was the unassailably funny bit put on earth -- the one that would prove you have Asperger's if you don't laugh at it -- struck me as a bit loony.
posted by argybarg at 2:32 PM on December 2, 2005

Like most Conan bits, it's funny because it's one o'clock in the friggin' morning. Much of the comedy is lost if you Tivo it and watch it in the middle of the day.
posted by rocket88 at 2:34 PM on December 2, 2005

It's funny because it's true.
posted by mazola at 2:35 PM on December 2, 2005

I'm going to be the technical geek here and offer that the boy probably still had HIV, not AIDS. He would look MUCH worse if he had full-blown AIDS.

(No, I can't believe I'm nitpicking a fictional show plot device either.)
posted by deusdiabolus at 2:36 PM on December 2, 2005

I think the Asperger's comment wasn't directed at Keith Talent not finding it funny, but at not recognizing what about it other people found funny. Asperger's sufferers don't notice things like nonsequitors much. And, vice versa, not recognizing that when people say "What makes that funny??", they often aren't really asking that question, but doing a little passive-aggressive way of saying "That isn't funny", is also something that Asperger's sufferers don't catch.

My conclusion: You all have Aspergers.
I don't, but I play an Aspergers patient on the internet.
posted by Bugbread at 2:36 PM on December 2, 2005

After inflicting Ace of Bass and the Scorpions on the rest of the unsuspecting world, I trust the Europeans to know lameness when they see it.
posted by Gamblor i repost this from before, because its funny , and true. thank you and god bless.
posted by nola at 2:36 PM on December 2, 2005

Thank you so so much. This has been the greatest half hour of my life.
posted by loquax at 2:38 PM on December 2, 2005

That clip reminds me of this clip.
posted by SirOmega at 2:40 PM on December 2, 2005

The Pink Power Ranger told me I have AIDS.
posted by iron chef morimoto at 2:41 PM on December 2, 2005

This Osment... it vibrates?
posted by wfrgms at 2:42 PM on December 2, 2005

Thanks for your interest in Metafilter.

Currently, the playback feature of Metafilter isn't available in your country.

We hope to make this feature available more widely in the future, and we really appreciate your patience.
posted by gsb at 2:47 PM on December 2, 2005

I was wondering if the 'chucknorris' tag would ever return. I was not disappointed.

Oh, and my conclusion: You all are ass-burgers.
posted by dgaicun at 2:51 PM on December 2, 2005

posted by ab'd al'Hazred at 2:53 PM on December 2, 2005

Next time someone questions something I find funny, I'm totally throwing down the Asbergers accusation.

Strangely, I don't find Conan, HJO or Chuck Norris even the slightest bit funny, but I find asking if someone has Asbergers for not finding it funny completely hilarious. Does that help further any 2nd year psyche students diagnosis?
posted by Keith Talent at 2:55 PM on December 2, 2005

Keith Talent : "I find asking if someone has Asbergers for not finding it funny completely hilarious"

I don't think anybody thought you had Aspergers for not finding it funny. They thought you had Aspergers for not understanding what about it others found funny.
posted by Bugbread at 2:57 PM on December 2, 2005

Walker told me I have Asperger's.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:07 PM on December 2, 2005

Just got home and watched the clip. I laughed for a good 30 seconds or so. Hilarious.

Part of finding it funny is just the fact that it's just a running joke on the show.

The other is the blasé delivery of such shocking news.
posted by delmoi at 3:07 PM on December 2, 2005

Fuck, maybe I do have Aspergers. I'm totally suing my schools, elementary, secondary and post secondary for not identifying this condition earlier.

If it helps I haven't found Saturday Night Live funny in a decade, nor do I even recognize where the "supposed" jokes are when I infrequently tune in.
posted by Keith Talent at 3:07 PM on December 2, 2005

Keith Talent : "If it helps I haven't found Saturday Night Live funny in a decade, nor do I even recognize where the 'supposed' jokes are when I infrequently tune in."

Ditto on both, but I suspect that's less a problem with us having Asperger's and more a problem with there not being any jokes to begin with.

Maybe the SNL writers have Asperger's.
posted by Bugbread at 3:10 PM on December 2, 2005

SOmeone already linked to it in the Facts about Chuck Norris thread; it's here:

http://www.milkandcookies.com/article/2882
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 2:04 PM PST on December 2

Holy shit. The one where he finds the airplane crash site. Holy shit.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:12 PM on December 2, 2005

Walker told me I have Asperger's.

Now that's comedy.
posted by Rothko at 3:17 PM on December 2, 2005

What's REALLY funny is the number of people who think poor Chuck's show is lame but seem to have watched all the episodes...

the clip...meh... except of course, wondering if those two front teeth were in any way dangerous or if HaJO had those suckers under control!
posted by HuronBob at 3:19 PM on December 2, 2005

Now I don't find anything funny. Thanks everyone!
posted by jimmy76 at 3:21 PM on December 2, 2005

Apparently, one of you is not nearly as unfunny as all of you.

And that's funny.
posted by SweetJesus at 3:21 PM on December 2, 2005

I skimmed the comments, but I don't think anyone had answered the questions about the context on Conan's show yet. This was shown in a segment called "Spring Cleaning," when Conan aired a bunch of bizarre skits, outtakes from celebrity secrets, etc. That's why there's no Walker-Texas-Ranger-Lever. I'm pretty sure it first aired this spring. I know it also replayed once during the summer, so it was on NBC twice.
posted by stopgap at 3:21 PM on December 2, 2005

I agree with weapons-grade pandemonium,

I work for Chuck Norris.

So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies.

Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.

But trust me.... You don't.

I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you dont know what you are talking about.

This is how bad info gets passed around.

If you dont know about the topic....Dont make yourself sound like you do.

Cuz some Mefites beleive anything they hear.
posted by rkent at 3:30 PM on December 2, 2005

I'm so, so sorry. Kind of.
posted by rkent at 3:31 PM on December 2, 2005

Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about.

But trust me.... You don't.

Oh, I know all about Chuck Norris, my friend.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:32 PM on December 2, 2005

ludwig_van : "I know all about Chuck Norris, my friend."

Huh. Right.

I am Chuck Norris.
posted by Bugbread at 3:36 PM on December 2, 2005

It's not funny because of the implication that Walker gave HJO AIDS; that's reading far too much into it, and trying too hard to be edgy.
Think about it. "Walker told me I have AIDS."
Unless I missed the episode where Walker roundhouse kicked his way to a doctorate in viral pathology, what business does a TEXAS FUCKING RANGER have in telling a boy that?
The fact that the boy (Played by a recognizable actor, which further distances us from any emotional involvment) is so blase about the situation is just gravy; I'm sure in the context of the entire show, he took a good 20 minutes to comes to terms with his illness, but we only get 30 seconds, which makes his apparent passivity a complete non-sequitur.
And Sarah Silverman is about as funny as throat cancer.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:41 PM on December 2, 2005

unless you're talking about the most hilarious throat cancer ever, I think you're mistaken Alvy.
posted by jonson at 3:46 PM on December 2, 2005

Not only is it not remotely funny, but it's been all over the Net for months.

Although not in the "you have to put your ears right up to the speakers and crank the volume up to 10 if you have any hope of hearing it" format that Google Video apparently favors.
posted by watsondog at 3:50 PM on December 2, 2005

ed:

I can't understand why that wasn't clear to me from the start. But does it explain why Betty's aunt walks into the bedroom after Rita has fallen through the blue box? And what about the guy behind Winkie's? Is he part of the dream?
posted by argybarg at 3:56 PM on December 2, 2005

Asperger's is much funnier than either AIDS or Conan.
posted by leftcoastbob at 4:25 PM on December 2, 2005

Don't forget throat cancer.
posted by dgaicun at 4:27 PM on December 2, 2005

"Fuck, maybe I do have Aspergers.

That, gentlepeople, was really funny.
posted by Haruspex at 4:31 PM on December 2, 2005

My new bumpersticker:

I brake for Aspergers
posted by leftcoastbob at 4:37 PM on December 2, 2005

' I work for Chuck Norris '

best - chatup - line - ever.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:44 PM on December 2, 2005

I have asperger's, AIDS, thought this clip was funny, am Chuck Norris, and didn't think this clip was funny.
posted by mcsweetie at 4:46 PM on December 2, 2005

I brake for Chuck Norris.
posted by Gator at 4:48 PM on December 2, 2005

Is it me, or does this thread have the most unusual set of usernames? I count maybe a dozen I've never seen post before. Must be the Aspergers.
posted by Aknaton at 4:57 PM on December 2, 2005

My Chuck Norris Beat Up Your Honor Student
posted by brundlefly at 5:10 PM on December 2, 2005

If you want more, here are some links: Bear Trap, Proposal, and It's Him.
posted by Falconetti at 5:24 PM on December 2, 2005

I could watch Conan watch Walker all night long...
posted by stenseng at 5:40 PM on December 2, 2005

Aspergers ?



oh...never mind
posted by HuronBob at 6:24 PM on December 2, 2005

Thanks for your interest in Google Video.

Currently, the playback feature of Google Video isn't available in your country.

We hope to make this feature available more widely in the future, and we really appreciate your patience.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:09 PM on December 2, 2005

CHUCK NORRIS JUST ROUNDHOUSE KICKED KOREA SO HARD THAT GOOGLE VIDEO BROKE
posted by stenseng at 7:26 PM on December 2, 2005

god bless you, jonson. i've been looking for that clip for months.
posted by mosessmith at 8:41 PM on December 2, 2005

I, for one, fail to see the humor in this clip. I'm so disgusted I'm retiring to the basement to reorganize my collection of streetcar timetables by name, then color, then number of station stops.

/Ass Burgers?
//Got nuthin'
///Are we Fark yet?
posted by Opposite George at 8:43 PM on December 2, 2005

The best and funniest hour on free TV. Conan has messed up my sleep schedule a bunch of times. That bastard. Shook his hand once at a taping. He's a tall and strange looking fellow. They have to apply major skin tone or he's too white. He was positively orange with make up. The Walker Texas Ranger bit is awesome, mostly for Conan's reaction to it's artless completely unironic good guy/bad guy dichotomy. Plus it's got this creepy soft focus christian or mystical element running through it (angels and all that jazz). I imagine people in nursing homes, psych wards, homeless shelters and such are forced to watch it.
posted by Skygazer at 9:05 PM on December 2, 2005

Aspergers: The new cop-out for assholes without social skills to impose on others the idea that they can't possibly be held accountable for behaving like assholes without social skills. Apparently "I have ADD" isn't giving some folks unrestricted indulgence to the full range of anti-social behavior they want to express in inappropriate contexts these days.
posted by kjs3 at 9:08 PM on December 2, 2005

kjs3, that's WAY unfair. Aspergers is a legit condition, not some cop out.
posted by jonson at 9:43 PM on December 2, 2005

Jonson: No, actually it's not, in the real world where I live. Both ADD & Aspergers are real disorders, but both are wildly abused diagnosis. I had two employees in my last gig (both assholes without social skills) who started out with "I'm a BOFH, and very, very special, and thus can't be held accountable for my behavior" proceeding to "I have ADD, and thus can't be held accountable for my behavior" proceeding to "I have Aspergers and thus can't be held accountable for my behavior". And they found some quack to certify their "condition". Thus, HR would not let us fire this disruptive, abusive dead weight for fear of a discrimination lawsuit.

Cop. Out.
posted by kjs3 at 10:03 PM on December 2, 2005

posted by Jon-o at 10:48 PM on December 2, 2005

That's #5.
posted by Jon-o at 10:48 PM on December 2, 2005

Cop. Out.

Bi. ased.
posted by hellphish at 10:54 PM on December 2, 2005

It's funny because Chuck Norris remains largely silent in that scene and Haley Joel Osment does not in fact have AIDS but Asperger's. Furthermore, Conan O'Brien walks in a circle for most of that clip, thus conveying to the audience that there is something funny, preprogrammed and perhaps a bit ironic going on. Either that or Mr. O'Brien is very precise about perambulating in an elliptical pattern, in which case the "funny" stems from laughing at precision. One might argue that the initial clip is precise in its horrible tone. Therefore, Chuck Norris and Haley Joel Osment are precise, while Conan O'Brien may not be.

this thread has been spiked. don't be alarmed, your parents have all been called.
posted by poweredbybeard at 10:57 PM on December 2, 2005

Sarah Silverman told me I have throat cancer.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:25 PM on December 2, 2005

conan is so hot.
posted by SassHat at 11:31 PM on December 2, 2005

posted by notmydesk at 11:39 PM on December 2, 2005

some day there will be a talk show host that shows out-of-context clips of conan o'brien showing out-of-context walker: texas ranger clips.
posted by poweredbybeard at 11:43 PM on December 2, 2005

Yes. It's called Talk Soup.
posted by quantumetric at 12:00 AM on December 3, 2005

conan is so hot.

I've met Conan, and in real life, he looks like a fucking monster. You know all those times he "jokes" about how scary and pasty he is? It's not really a joke; he's twelve feet tall, his head is the size of a beach ball, his handshake is sweaty, and you feel like you're shaking hands with dead flesh.

That said, this clip got a lot of play around my apartment tonight.
posted by interrobang at 12:58 AM on December 3, 2005

http://walkeraids.ytmnd.com/
http://barbershopaids.ytmnd.com/
http://aidssong.ytmnd.com/
posted by Eideteker at 2:59 AM on December 3, 2005

Gee, I thought it was funny because Walker had dubbed the kid Little Visitor. As in, he's not going to be around for too long. Because he has AIDS.

...

I might just be a horrible person.
posted by kafziel at 3:54 AM on December 3, 2005

Wow. Am I the only person who's had loved ones die of AIDS? I was disgusted by the clip -- I was doubly disgusted by the audience -- I was triply disgusted by MeFi-ites reactions to it.

I'm curious.... would you have found it funny if he had leukemia?
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 8:46 AM on December 3, 2005

I would've been just as much of a non sequitur if he had said leukemia, lupus, cooties, or boogers.
posted by Gator at 8:56 AM on December 3, 2005

Er, it would've been.
posted by Gator at 8:56 AM on December 3, 2005

Is it me, or does this thread have the most unusual set of usernames? I count maybe a dozen I've never seen post before.

It's because it's a Fark thread.
posted by TonyRobots at 9:13 AM on December 3, 2005

AIDS
Asperger's Syndrome
Chuck Norris
Conan O'Brien
Haley Joel Osment
Television
Walker, Texas Ranger

Pull the lever and make this list into comedy gold.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:37 AM on December 3, 2005

lupus_yonderboy : "I'm curious.... would you have found it funny if he had leukemia?"

Yep. I've had relatives die of lung cancer, and it would have been funny if he blurted out lung cancer as well.
posted by Bugbread at 1:53 PM on December 3, 2005

The question is, would YOU have found it funny if he had leukemia? Because, see, then you might not have taken the reactions of a bunch of strangers to an 11 year old snippet from a hack television show being shown out of context in a comedy/variety hour so personally that you ended up "triply disgusted," whatever the hell that means.
posted by jonson at 2:08 PM on December 3, 2005

lupus_yonderboy: Wow. Am I the only person who's had loved ones die of AIDS? I was disgusted by the clip -- I was doubly disgusted by the audience -- I was triply disgusted by MeFi-ites reactions to it.

I'm curious.... would you have found it funny if he had leukemia?

This from the guy named LUPUS_yonderboy?
posted by jenovus at 3:46 PM on December 3, 2005

This from the guy named LUPUS_yonderboy

Wait. It's more ironic than you think. Chuck Norris told him he had Lupus.
posted by tkchrist at 7:17 PM on December 3, 2005

:O

I'M TRIPLY DISGUSTED AT MYSELF
posted by jenovus at 9:09 PM on December 3, 2005

It's a normal reaction to laugh out of disgust, or shock. Surely, some over-the-top gore in some movie has made you laugh, lupus. Homer Simpson flying through his windsheild or having the back of his head opened up is funny. Does this mean that someone experiencing some horrific, gory accident in real life is funny? No.

This clip isn't funny because a little boy has AIDS. It's funny because, out of context, it's an extreme, unexpected horrible revelation that seemingly comes out of nowhere, almost casually, which suprises a laugh out of us.

I wouldn't necessarily expect someone who has lost a loved one to AIDS to find it funny, but I don't think it's fair to shake a finger at others who do.
posted by notmydesk at 10:13 PM on December 3, 2005

No, no, no.

It's funny because, if you've watched enough good-deed dramas (like Highway To Heaven, Touched By An Angel, and certain 80s SF shows), you know well enough to identify that this scene is a winding-down scene after all the ass-kickery and chucking out of bad guys, the good guys -- the hero, the child victim, the grandparent-types -- gather together for a round of back-patting and warm fuzzies. Each episode ends with such a feelgood scene, and it's a well overdone but naturally expected cliche.

It's funny because the focus is on Walker, Texas Ranger, but that a very young Haley Joel Osment is in it, presumably before he hit bigtime fame, is a bonus, which leads us to think that his presence is already the kicker. But no...

It's funny because the overall tone of the scene is light and chirpy right up until HJO very spiritedly announces, "Walker told me I have AIDS", which is 1) a very dark subject matter 2) expressed in a deadpan way 3) coming out of nowhere. Surprise!
posted by Lush at 6:17 AM on December 4, 2005 [1 favorite]

Cummon' everybody we've got quilting to do!
posted by furtive at 2:49 PM on December 4, 2005

Walker visits Africa
posted by NortonDC at 8:26 PM on December 4, 2005