If you only had 30 minutes to help someone feel less weird about talking through funeral wishes, what would you show them?
A spreadsheet?
A legal document?
A pamphlet with too many euphemisms and not enough humanity?
Hard pass.
My top pick, every time, is the 1975 Mary Tyler Moore Show episode, “Chuckles Bites the Dust.”
Yes, the one with the clown.
Yes, the one where Mary Richards laughs uncontrollably at the funeral.
And yes, the one that somehow turns into the best accidental lesson in funeral planning ever aired on television.
Why This Episode Still Works, Even 50 Years Later
When beloved children’s entertainer Chuckles the Clown dies in a bizarre parade accident, killed by an elephant (because of course), the newsroom staff at WJM-TV reacts poorly. Or honestly. Or both.
Mary Richards is horrified by her coworkers’ irreverent humor. Death, she insists, is serious. Funerals demand dignity. Laughter is inappropriate.
Then comes the funeral scene.
And then comes the cracking.
And then comes television history.
The genius of this Emmy Award-winning episode is not just the perfectly timed laughter. It is the emotional truth underneath it. The show gives us a masterclass in how people actually respond to death: awkwardly, defensively, ungracefully, and sometimes with uncontrollable giggles at the worst possible moment. (The funeral starts at 3:50 into this YouTube clip.)
Here is the sneaky part. The laughter relaxes people enough to let the real conversation happen.
The Scene Funeral Directors Should Frame on the Wall
After the funeral, the characters end up talking casually, almost accidentally, about what they would want when they die. Burial or cremation. Serious or light. Traditional or not so much.
No pressure.
No clipboard.
No one saying, “We need to talk.”
Just people realizing they are allowed to have opinions about this.
That closing discussion is gold. Pure, glittering, pre-need planning gold.
Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon for Funeral Planning
Humor does not make death disappear, but it does make it approachable. Laughter releases endorphins, lowers defenses, and reminds us we are human before we are mortal.
“Chuckles Bites the Dust” gives us permission to acknowledge several uncomfortable truths:
There is no single right way to grieve
Funerals are emotional pressure cookers
Public decorum and private feelings often collide
Personalization matters, because people matter
In other words, it opens the door to conversations most people avoid until it is too late.
Questions That Naturally Follow
After watching this episode, people are suddenly willing to ask and answer things like:
Why does Mary struggle so much with humor around death?
When does humor cross a line, and who decides?
What kind of tone would feel right at my funeral?
How do we want to be remembered, and by whom?
See what happened there?
You are talking about funerals without talking about funerals.
A Sneak Peek from 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die
The “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode, along with dozens of other films and television shows that tackle mortality with heart, humor, and honesty, is featured in my upcoming book: 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die: Remarkable Films and TV Shows to Discuss Death and Plan Ahead, releasing mid-April.
Each entry includes mortality themes, discussion prompts, and pairing ideas designed to help people talk about death before they are forced to, preferably with snacks and laughter involved. Pre-order your copy here.
Because planning ahead does not have to feel grim.
And sometimes, the best way to start is with a clown, an elephant, and one perfectly timed laugh at a funeral.
Final Thought
“Chuckles Bites the Dust” endures because it tells a deep truth with impeccable timing: grief does not follow rules, and laughter is not the opposite of sorrow. Sometimes it is the only way through, and sometimes it is the doorway to the conversations that matter most.
Subscribe to Gail Rubin’s Substack column: Mortality Movies with The Doyenne of Death®.