Stephan Feck’s Epic Fail And Why We Laugh

Among the many epic fails of the 2012 Olympic games, diver Stephan Feck's may be the most embarrassing. The disaster happened Monday when the German diver lost his grip on his leg during a dive and splatted flat on his back. Like I probably would if I jumped off a diving board, (I am very much not athletic). Poor Stephan has become an Internet phenomenon, as all things embarrassing  eventually do. I feel bad laughing at him, but only a bit.

It is the basic rule of comedy that you are really laughing at the pain of someone else. Think of the Three Stooges or Charlie Sheen. On the one hand I feel bad for Feck. This poor schmuck has spent his whole life training for the Olympics only to choke so tremendously. To add insult to injury, Internet a-holes like me are making fun of him. On the other hand, how can I help but laugh? The spectacle of watching a world class diver back flop into a pool like a fat girl that was pushed in by her brother is just too much. Maybe that makes me a jerk. If so, then I challenge you to watch this clip and not be amused. And don't call me names.