Bingowings said:
and Artoo laughing his nuts off as Threepio is about to have his memory wiped
To be honest, that part didn't bother me. The relationship between Artoo and Threepio has always sort of been like that, I thought. I've been people try to play this up as a tragic moment, an inhumane act, etc. Artoo knows, however, that Threepio will go on being Threepio. His personality doesn't change, his essence isn't lost.