Share Joking around can land us in hot water. Even the professionals shoot themselves comedically in the foot. Whenever someone jokes about a recent tragedy, they’re inevitably met with a chorus of “Too soon!” So the question is: When are tragedies okay to joke about — and when are they not? New research explores how the severity of a situation (how “bad” it is) and psychological distance (how removed we are) work together to facilitate humor. ScienceDaily: Relationship News