Comment: When did domestic violence become funny?

When did domestic violence become an acceptable topic for comedy?

I don't find anything funny about women with black eyes, or wives being slapped across the face and thrown on a bed accompanied by a stream of insults. However, it seems other people do not share my thoughts on the matter and are quite prepared to use such heinous acts for so called comedy.

Take "Crazy" Jay Williams, owner of Crazy Jay's Bed Shop for example. The Wichita Eagle reports that he placed an ad on KANR, 92.7-FM in which a man asks a woman about her black eye and whether her boyfriend gave it to her. He then says that hey, at least the guy bought her mattresses. He added that he'd take a beating, too, if it got him a new bed.

Williams claims he was trying to raise awareness of abuse. Bullshit. Obviously he is as lacking in damage control skills as he is in taste and sensitivity.

That's bad enough but last night I caught the end of an Australian comedy program. At first, I honestly thought I was watching a community services ad highlighting the problem of domestic violence.

A husband and wife were arguing in the bedroom; she was distraught and crying, he was snarling, vindictive and verbally abusive. Calling her a useless cow, he slapped her hard across the face and threw her on the bed.

I have to admit, I did not understand the tag line, although it appears the sketch was supposed to be a parody of an ad. A bottle (may have been sauce) appeared on screen with a voice over announcing, "Mack lives here."

It would have been bad enough if the whole thing was "light-hearted," which seems a ridiculous thing to say about domestic violence in any case - but it wasn't. It was harrowing.

To make light of domestic violence is an insult to the women and children who suffer the horrific consequences of such despicable acts.