I can see how they would be tactless in other settings and contexts. For instance, if Luke wasn’t so clearly disassociating his current self from the person who did this embarrassing thing. If he hadn’t brought it up. If it wasn’t the kind of thing a lot of people here would totally do. If he didn’t work under Crocker’s. If this wasn’t the internet. If he wasn’t very high status in this group, etc…
ETA: I think you’re actually missing a number of the relevant subcultural norms and situational features that make this kind of joking okay.
Indeed, yet the sheer social horror of this action (showing his ex that document), to me, greatly outweighs all the reasons you listed. Me, once I’d have come to my senses way after committing a blunder of such intensity, I’d likely need a therapist to resolve it, or else would have buried the experience as deep as possible.
I can see how they would be tactless in other settings and contexts. For instance, if Luke wasn’t so clearly disassociating his current self from the person who did this embarrassing thing. If he hadn’t brought it up. If it wasn’t the kind of thing a lot of people here would totally do. If he didn’t work under Crocker’s. If this wasn’t the internet. If he wasn’t very high status in this group, etc…
ETA: I think you’re actually missing a number of the relevant subcultural norms and situational features that make this kind of joking okay.
Indeed, yet the sheer social horror of this action (showing his ex that document), to me, greatly outweighs all the reasons you listed. Me, once I’d have come to my senses way after committing a blunder of such intensity, I’d likely need a therapist to resolve it, or else would have buried the experience as deep as possible.