What’s notable about the complaints was that they were all from people who do not have or need a prosthetic; they were defending those who do, feeling they might be offended by my cartoon.
Meanwhile, I also got emails from folks who got a big kick out of these jokes. The ratio of compliments to complaints was around 5 to 1, and the positive notes were all from people who actually use prosthetics.
That surprised me a little at first, but it makes sense. None of these jokes belittle anyone; they simply find humor in the field of body-part replacement. I’ve had a few friends who are amputees, some of whom use prosthetics, and all of them have a good sense of humor about it. (Full disclosure: I won’t be friends with people who don’t have a good sense of humor, so my sampling is slanted.)
I always say, when life gives you artificial lemons and you can’t make lemonade from them, just drink your tequila straight and have a few laughs.
And I don’t mind the people who complained on behalf of others. I like people who are willing to defend underdogs, even when they’re only hypothetical.
English (US) · 