Cruel jokes

The origin of Little Willie poetry and other sick humour is attributed to the 1899 book Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes by minor poet Harry Graham.

[5][6] A significant part of them was focused on in-family antagonism, stressing lovelessness and violence.

[3] In 1960, Brian Sutton-Smith classified 155 collected "cruel" jokes into categories of murder of friend or relative, mutilation, cannibalism, corpses, beasts, excrement, degenerate parents, indifference to young, afflictions/disease/mutilation, religion, and famous people.

[4] Sutton-Smith notices the major novelty: all mishaps with Little Audrey (being cooked, crushed, broken, etc.)

'"[7] Abrahams noted that this kind of anti-taboo jokes is a society-level check against the excessive repressiveness of societal norms.