What makes you laugh? Honestly now? Lets just get straight to the point here, nasty things are funny. Of course there is room for a real semantic argument on the whole subject, one persons understanding of the word 'nasty' differs to that of the next person but if I'm walking down a street and I see someone walk into a lamp-post or slip over I will laugh - instinctively and naturally. Sure I may worry for their health or safety if they show signs of legitimate injury but that won't be until after i've had a good laugh at their misfortune.
I also feel a lot for other people in bad situations, old people who maybe aren't treated with the respect that society owes them - handicapped or mentally disabled people who through no fault of their own struggle with the daily practices us perfectly healthy (and fortunate) people completely take for granted. But if someone makes a joke about them I WILL LAUGH. It's not that i'm an unkind or particularly malicious person - I won't tolerate racist or ageist comments if they are uttered with malice or hatred because that isn't funny. But if someone is going to make fun of something for no other reason than a bit of fun and with no real ill-will intended then thats not a bad thing. The first real rule of comedy is that you don't make fun of someone else if you can't make fun of yourself and I truely believe in this rule.
Mat Stone and Trey Parker said it themselves when defending there animated show southpark "The moment we stop making fun of everyone and everything we become racists - if we don't make fun of black people or disabled people then we are singling them out and being racist". SOURCE
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