If the stills don’t get you, the taglines probably will.  “Guy gets shot by a Taser and falls down… funny video!” or “This guy gets tazed… nearly gets a heart attack!” or “Funny video of drunk guy getting tazed!!!” And then, there was that episode of CNN Headline News where Glenn Beck compares taser videos with potato chips — he just couldn’t “watch just one”.  Should videos showing people getting tazed be categorized as funny or even ‘funniest’?  Think again and you’ll probably say, ‘NOT!’

Understanding what ‘tazing’ does to you
The sight of a man or woman jerking or showing fitful movements may seem funny enough.  After all, these are not considered normal or average human behavior.  People looking like marionettes with strings being pulled recklessly up and down may elicit some guffaws from other people because, come to think of it, it can be funny behavior.

Unfortunately, the reason why these people are behaving as such or even the cause of the jerky movements is no laughing matter.  Think 50,000 volts of electricity and you’ll know that we’re talking serious shock here — probably not enough to kill someone (although there have been reports of lethal consequences), but sufficient to cause pain, discomfort, even loss of balance and coordination.

Of course, it’s easy to point out that the man or woman getting tazed was actually resisting arrest prior to the incident or even showing unruly, uncontrollable behavior and that getting shot with electricity was simply them getting their comeuppance.  Beck even went on to comment that a man getting tasered on campus was actually ‘asking for it’ just by being unruly.

The problem is that by focusing on the funny elements — the grainy image of a man or woman shuddering, shaking and twitching involuntarily and crying out in pain — we may actually miss out on the more salient matters.

Why is this person being shocked?  How extreme or serious is their offense or behavior that a Taser had to be utilized?  Were they real threats to the person using the Taser?  Was there any other option that could or should have been used instead?  Is there reason to believe the act of shocking that person was not abusive?

Don’t Taze me, bro!
Getting hit by a Taser is not funny business.  It is not considered a firearm but it can have some dangerous and even lethal consequences, as we have witnessed from the news.  The funniest taser videos have shown that while we are a society that can laugh at the quirks and perceived craziness of others, we should also be mindful of the fact that having the power of being at the non-firing end of a stun gun puts pressure on us to be more responsible and, should it come down to it, that much more creative in finding solutions.