Schadenfreude. What a unique word. America borrowed it from the Germans, along with the Protestant Reformation, anti-Jewish sentiment, and the creator of the " blue jeans", Levi Strauss. It is a word we all can relate to. Most literally it means "the satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune". It is most commonly applied to public debauchles by celebrities--por ejemplo, I enjoy watching news about Paris Hilton's legal woes. Or when Lyndsey Lohan goes to court (again. and again). Though funny they are also sad and pathetic. It's why we watch that junk. Schadenfreude.
ps. The first letter of German verbs is always capitalized, so Schadenfruede is too!
