To address the question again of what is good “clean” fun, I use the most wonderful time of the year, Halloween, to draw an example. The truth is that I was scarred ( not scared) by Halloween as a kid. I got beat up and my candy stolen on of the first years I was able to go out on my own (Cue the Awwwwwes.) They where older kids who where having fun at others expense, this time my expense. I cried. I cried at the reality of societies sometimes need to harm others in the name of a good time. I cried because part of my childhood innocence had been stripped, like a pillow case of candy. I cried because the horrors and injustice of the world seemed so real and over whelming…….OK really it was because I had been slapped in the face and lost a big loot bag of candy.
Years later when I started a ‘Zine in college (Good Clean Fun) it was to let others enjoy in my friends and my inside jokes. Its the whole laughing with you, opposed to at you. You don’t always have be in on the joke to enjoy it, you also don’t have to make a joke at others expense to be funny. Good clean fun for me is about creating good times that is inclusive of others and not in spite of others.
For me it is like the difference between Tom Green show and the Jackass crew. Tom Green did some funny stuff and had a show that lasted long enough to bang Drew Barrymore. Jackass had several shows including spin offs and movies that endured much longer, they were banging themselves. That is just the point, Jackass mistreated each other for our amusement, and Green mistreated strangers. its a subtle difference but one that I would argue was the difference in their differing levels of success.
Being aware of how you are acting may effect others around you and can be applied to a night out at the bar or sitting around with friends. When you are listening to a band you know, it is a group participation event, the band feeds off the crowd and the crowd feeds off the each other and the band. Here is an illustrated example, and practical application for how you might affect the over all enjoyment. When you are dancing and acting like a self-deprecating fool (some may say jackass) but, at least slightly, aware of your surroundings it can be fun and enjoyable to everyone. Versus when you are moshing with obnoxious disregard for everyone around, you are detracting from the fun all around you.
Just sayin better be a jackass, than a dick stealing some kids candy.