First encounter With Dark Comedy

Top Gun, whether I like it or not, had a significant impact in my early childhood.

Being his favorite movie, my dad watched Top Gun all the time. One of his favorite Sunday night activities was sipping on some beer and watch Maverick and Goose take the skies and shoot down some bad guys. As a 5-6 year old, I could only grasp elementary movie plots, and only understood little, but I finally decide to watch Top Gun with my father.

Like the curious little 6 year old I was, I constantly asked questions regarding the movie, "Who is he? What is he doing? Why did he do that?" My father's tension and impatience was beginning to be palpable to even me, I was ruining his Sunday night ritual.

After much questioning and nagging, we finally get to the part where Goose dies in an accident.

"...Is he...is he dead?"
"Yes he is son, yes he is."

Overwhelming amounts of emotion clouded over me immediately. Being somewhat guarded by my mother in regards to movies, this was the first time I saw somebody in a movie die in a tragic way. Tears began launching themselves out of my eyes, my face turned red, and I cried uncontrollably.

My dad took solace in the fact that my day was ruined that a fictional character died. Who was I to ruin his Sunday night gameplan? He plotted his revenge.

After he settled me down, he made a personal point to make terrible jokes regarding Goose's death.

"You know where Goose is now? Sleeping with the fishes!!"
"Remember when Goose played the piano? He doesn't anymore, hes loooooonnng goooooooooone!"

He laughed out loud to himself obnoxiously as he repeatedly tortured me with these dark jokes. At first I was taken aback, I didnt understand how someone can look at death in such a light mood. I began to think negative things about my dad. Death, for all I know, is terrible and people should be scared about it! You simply do not joke about dying, it's not right.

After time, however, I began to appreciate it. My dad lectured to me about how themes of death happen in movies all the time, and that death itself will happen no matter what, so sometimes it is ok to laugh at it. I slowly began to understand that it was kinda funny.

I'm definitely a fan now of dark comedy, but I will never forget the time my innocent childhood was wildy disrupted by a mere death-- in Top Gun.