Dark Comedy?

On Sunday, two of the major events that occupied our television viewing here in the U.S. were the annual Emmy Awards and the news of a commuter plane crash in Kentucky that killed 49 people. And in the days following, while the glitz of the Emmys has faded quickly, people in Kentucky are struggling to cope with their loss; and now there have been statements and reports that have forever linked the two.

For those who missed it:

During the opening sequence of the award show, the night of the crash, they did a bit -- a comedic montage that took the host, Conan O'Brien, spoofing through several popular American television programs on his journey to the awards' broadcast. The first show spoofed was "Lost". So his montage started with him in a plane that suddenly looks like it's crashing and then (without showing an actual crash) the next sequence shows him on the island from the show "Lost" (which, for those who don't know, is a series that opened with a plane crashing, stranding the survivors in a tropical hell). From there he ventures through a few more shows, running into their characters, adding to the spoof, as he tries to get to the Emmys.

The simulated plane crash? This upset some people. And I can see why. Forty-nine souls were lost earlier that day in a very real crash. So some have called the skit inappropriate. Insensitive. In poor taste.

But where should NBC have drawn the line? The skit was written and produced before the crash in Kentucky. Had they spoofed that morning's accident directly -- actually made this opening in response -- then yes, that would be wrong. But was it wrong to air this pre-recorded skit that had nothing to do with the Kentucky flight? Does the fact that the tragedy happened so recently make the skit any more offensive than if it had happened a month ago? A year ago? Five years ago? What is a network's responsibility when it comes to the feelings of the American populace?

I actually cringed as Conan's fictional plane lurched and fell into a steep dive. I thought -- wow, should they show this? A plane crashing? It's violent and brings up bad memories for many people. Not to mention my own fear of flying. For a second I couldn't believe NBC would make light of something like this.

But see, I didn't know about the Kentucky flight and its fate that morning. My reaction wasn't fueled by recent tragic events. I just simply thought plane crashes in general aren't funny. And I was glad when the skit cut away because NBC was making me uncomfortable.

Then an even stranger thing happened. I recognized the image they cut to. The sandy beach, the turquoise ocean. And instantly, I forgave NBC for the previous crash sequence. Once I saw the context of the moment, that it was a spoof on "Lost", it wasn't so harsh and I wasn't so weirded out. Yeah, they could've done right by their audience and put up a disclaimer, but I don't think they deserve the flack they're getting for going forward and airing it.

Does that make me insensitive? I mean, television is filled with images of horrible things -- almost all of them based in reality. People being murdered, tortured, abused, etc. -- there are so many cop, lawyer, and forensic investigation shows out there that the characters on TV go through unimaginable things; yet they aren't unimaginable to the real life people that experience them everyday. But do we seek apologies from networks for those shows? No. Their ratings say otherwise.

Maybe it's because the skit was a spoof -- it was comedy. And seeing our harsh realities and tragedies presented comically instead of dramatically is the straw in this case. I don't know. Just felt like bringing it up and seeing what all of you thought. How do you balance sensitivity and entertainment? Is it their duty to keep the airwaves politically correct, or our duty to just change the channel and let them do their own thing? Where should Hollywood draw the line? Or should it?