Manipulating people for amusement != good or funny
I believe that people who take pleasure in manipulating others for their entertainment are very base, ignorant, and underdeveloped. Anyone with the ability to think, "What if that were me? Or someone I cared for?" would realize that it really isn't funny. Its disgusting and terrifying that someone can be that badly taken advantage of. Things like this make me depair for civilization, just like religious groups killing people over cartoons.
I completely disagree. Also, it's a pure contradiction in itself. If it wasn't funny, it wouldn't be manipulating people for amusement, it would be manipulating people for the sake of manipulation.
And I believe people who make sweeping remarks are very ignorant and underdeveloped.
You realize your last statement is a sweeping statement, right? As such, it includes you? Just pointing that out. Also, amusement doesn't always equate to funny. If you think I was calling you ignorant, then please realize that I didn't equate that quality with you. I mean, unless you personally manipulate others for your amusement. No one here has done that, as far as I know.
To put this record straight, I don't think that its funny. I think that if you do find amusement in suffering to the point that you will cause it to be amused, that is terrible. Personally, I don't really care that they are taking advantage of this guy as it is all likely staged. I don't think that it is impossible to manipulate people for their own good, but I think it may be rather dubious.
Its easy to laught at people on the internet. Its not very personal. Its akin to Urist McSingedbottom digging out the wall of a magma pipe and quickly covering the walls in molten dwarf fat as he explodes. Hilarious because it doesn't seem (or isn't, in Urist's case) real. The differentiating point is that when you are sure it is real, what do you do? Burst out laughing at the pain and suffering of others, feel naught but apathy, or sympathize? What would you want others doing if it were you in pain and suffering?