A Family Used The MH370 Tragedy As A Joke And Won An Award For It
The winning family says their depiction of the MH370 was about humour.
By Sadho Ram — 28 Jan 2015, 06:21 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
A tragedy is not something to be actually joked about. We need to understand and respect the thin line that rests between making people laugh through their tragedy vs laughing at their tragedy. Something that the winner of the 'most dramatic sinking' with his 'MH370 model' at a bizarre beach competition failed to do so.
The Malaysian Airlines cardboard boat nose dives into the water at the Tata Beach Titanic Cup in Golden Bay.
Image via stuff.co.nzThe man in question is Robert Chubb along with his young sons
Brook Simpson, left, Oscar Chubb, Robert Chubb, and Joe Ogle prepare to put their Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 cardboard boat in the water at the event.
Image via stuff.co.nzThey created a cardboard model of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 and sank it in the water at the Tata Beach Titanic Cup. The event took place at Golden Bay at the northwest end of New Zealand's South Island.
The most dramatic sinking at the annual event is a coveted prize among locals. Stuff.co.nz reported that creator Robert Chubb and his family have entered head-turning creations in the competition for a number of years.
The premise of the Titanic Cup is to win the cardboard boat race. But there was also a prize for the most dramatic sinking, which the cardboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 won.
Robert said he believed enough time had passed since the MH370 tragedy for people to see the humour instead of taking offence
"Each year we pick a topical thing we think will catch people's attention.
(The spectators) just thought it was a good display. (The MH370 disaster) was an international event, and this is a small local event. I think people would see the irony and the humour of it," Robert said.
Talking of offence, Sara Weeks, the sister of Paul Weeks who was onboard the missing MH370, is disgusted with Robert's idea. She said that while it was bad enough that he used the tragedy for humour, judges awarding it the winning prize made it even worse.
"I'm gobsmacked," the victim's sister said
"I'm just appalled he would think 10 months is a long enough time to get over it and for it to be humorous. I don't think I'll ever find that funny. What if it was his family member on the plane? He (the entrant) wouldn't find it funny," Sara told stuff.co.nz.
thestar.com.myResponding to Sara, event organiser Dave Myall admitted that while the boat depicting the sinking of the MH370 was on the risqué side, he said 'artistic merit was the overriding consideration'
"On reflection, it could have been in bad taste, but I think once something is out there in the public domain with all the press coverage [MH370] got, it sort of becomes public property. Perhaps the name of the event, the Tata Titanic Cardboard Boat Race, could at a stretch be considered bad taste," Event organiser Dave Myall said.
stuff.co.nz
Standing by the three judges' decision, Dave said:
'At what point does a tragedy become safe to refer to? One of the ways to deal with it is humour,' he told Stuff.co.nz.
'I'm sorry to hear about the woman (Sara Weeks) and her misfortune, but this was a very local event. It needs to be taken in context. If the media outside of Nelson hadn't got involved, there would be no complaint.'
The annual event, now in its 18th year, enjoyed a strong turnout with around 600 people on the beach and 52 on the boats
