do americans, truly understand the british sense of humour

13

Replies

  • GlenG1969
    GlenG1969 Posts: 34 Member
    jnichel wrote: »
    Considering shows like Fawlty Towers and movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail are among my favorite comedies of all time, I like to think I understand it. However, I still think Benny Hill and Mr. Bean blow chunks. ;)

    Total agreement mate.

    Also I find Mrs Browns Boys about as funny as putting my knob-end in a shredder. How this pile of turd gets called comedy and gets the reviews it does is beyond me, its pump!

    Same can be said for a lot of other British so called comedy TV. Its scripted, cliqued, none funny bum droppings.

    On the other hand Stand up comedy tends to be different. Programmes like "8 Out of 10 Cats" and "Who’s Line is it Anyway" are a rate laugh with real comedians making *kitten* up on the spot.

    Americans don’t get it all wrong, The Simpsons is a good example. Lots of tongue in cheek and piss taking going on in that. The original Airplane, Police Squad are brilliant.

    When all's said and done IMO the best all time comedy has got to be a Brit and Yank double act. Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy please take a standing ovation.
    Even after all these years you still have the ability to make me choke with laughter and fall off the sofa crying like a lunatic. Genius…..

    So yes I think some Americans most defiantly do get our sense of humour. And some Brits can laugh at some bloke dressed as a woman saying “Feck” a lot.




  • SwashBlogger
    SwashBlogger Posts: 395 Member
    Arrogance is unattractive in most countries, is it not?
  • angiecassimatis
    angiecassimatis Posts: 91
    ^^ 100%!

    I personally am so happy Americans enjoy british and especially Aussie comedy!

    I had no idea that some of our most obscure comedies were popular in the states.... ie. "We can be heroes'' & ''Kath and Kim''.

    Im all for uniserval comedy!! I love American, Candadian, British, New Zealand, European comedies of all sorts...

    We all need a bit of understanding worldwide of our cultures...what better way than laughing? :)
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    Canadians are funnier than both so who cares
  • Lindsay_the_great
    Lindsay_the_great Posts: 209 Member
    walkonfire5 wrote: »
    Your thoughts, and experience On this

    I don't think you can generalize. Some of us do, some of us don't. Everyone has a different sense of humor. I die laughing at British TV shows and films, but my husband doesn't think they're funny. The things that make him laugh make me roll my eyes.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    In my experience, we Brits often have a saracstic and very dry sense of humor, which I don't think always translates well; like, sometimes it's almost as if Americans (and some other nationalities too) are still waiting for the punchline when it's been said, because of our penchant for deadpan, straight-faced delivery. I used to date a Canadian guy who didn't understand a lot of my humor and I've had American friends who I had to explain some jokes to when they weren't what you might call 'obvious jokes'. With some notable exceptions, I also think British comics are more willing to make risqué/controversial jokes about certain subjects, especially religion, probably because we're far more cynical about faith here. This is of course a generalisation and just my perception, there are hilarious people - and some so unfunny you may as well ask a door knob for a joke - from all over the world.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    do americans, truly understand the british sense of humour

    Sure, I don't think there's any real difference. Beyond specific vocabulary and some cultural references.
  • tchell99
    tchell99 Posts: 434 Member
    I am rather partial to British humor. Could be b/c I spent 2 years there as a kid, but I think I would have grown up to prefer dry, subtle wit regardless.
  • michael1976_ca
    michael1976_ca Posts: 3,488 Member
    I was friends with a british gale I swear she had no sence of humor she was way to serious
  • AmandaHugginkiss
    AmandaHugginkiss Posts: 486 Member
    Understand it? Yes, of course. It's basic. Guy A has a dead parrot but insists it isn't dead.....It's just a mint!.......Redundancy........Guy B steals underwear and wacky music plays. Yeah. We get it.

    There's something funny to be found in humor from every country. The Brits just seem to suffer from comedic xenophobia more than others.
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
    No they don't
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
    Yes they do
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
    No they don't
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
    Yes they do
  • _lizzaaaym
    _lizzaaaym Posts: 13
    Suuuure thaaang
  • 4homer
    4homer Posts: 457 Member
    I enjoy both. Laughter being food for the soul and all. I don't believe one is better then the other. Just different.
  • Jason1068
    Jason1068 Posts: 10 Member
    What have the Romans ever done for us ....... Funny as
  • the_alexorcist
    the_alexorcist Posts: 71 Member
    I'm British, while travelling and working around south east Asia, I met loads of American people, some got my humour (quite dry and sarcastic) some didn't...
  • CrazysWife1
    CrazysWife1 Posts: 2
    walkonfire5 wrote: »
    Your thoughts, and experience On this

    I'm English my husband American ... He's learning my sense of humour :)
  • determined_ella
    determined_ella Posts: 4,354 Member
    Im British..... I would say our sense of humour is..... well..... it's called sarcasm :joy:
    I love a dry sense of humour! but can get confusing if you can't read their facial expressions!
    I too have been picked up wrong on many occasions but I forget that not everyone has the same sense of humour :grimacing:

    like for instance! I could say "oh, You're a right tart! " << meaning in a jokey way! not actually telling them they are one lol. so you see how it can be picked up a different way to what I was putting lol :joy:
  • BigDougie1211
    BigDougie1211 Posts: 3,531 Member
    What's a typically British sense of humour? A lot of people here seem to asscoiate it with dry wit and deadpan delivery, but a quick look at the most successful British comedies / comedians would give lie to that.
    Lee Evans / Michael McIntyre / Peter Kaye.....surely if the TYPICAL British sense of humour was as described above, Stuart Lee would be bigger than all 3 combined.
  • the_alexorcist
    the_alexorcist Posts: 71 Member
    BigDougie1211 wrote: »
    What's a typically British sense of humour? A lot of people here seem to asscoiate it with dry wit and deadpan delivery, but a quick look at the most successful British comedies / comedians would give lie to that.
    Lee Evans / Michael McIntyre / Peter Kaye.....surely if the TYPICAL British sense of humour was as described above, Stuart Lee would be bigger than all 3 combined.

    I love Stuart Lee :D
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
    When I was a teenager in the 1970s we were fortunate to have Monty Python and Benny Hill on TV. I have to admit, some of the references about sports or politics were difficult to understand still most of those skits were very funny. During that time period, SNL was on along with second city so we were fortunate to have the best of both worlds.
  • Noogynoogs
    Noogynoogs Posts: 1,028 Member
    It's great when you live with someone who gets all the different styles of humour from slapstick style to dry, to just silly :-)
  • determined_ella
    determined_ella Posts: 4,354 Member
    BigDougie1211 wrote: »
    What's a typically British sense of humour? A lot of people here seem to asscoiate it with dry wit and deadpan delivery, but a quick look at the most successful British comedies / comedians would give lie to that.
    Lee Evans / Michael McIntyre / Peter Kaye.....surely if the TYPICAL British sense of humour was as described above, Stuart Lee would be bigger than all 3 combined.

    I was being sarcastic :wink: lol
    lee evens :heart_eyes:
    quite gutted he has stopped :( temporarily hopefully!

  • BigDougie1211
    BigDougie1211 Posts: 3,531 Member
    I know, I wasn't actually addressing you directly, really more the thread as a whole.
    I genuinely don'T think there is a specific British SOH.
    For every Blackadder - there's a Mrs Brown
    For every The Office - there's a Dinner Ladies
  • walkonfire5
    walkonfire5 Posts: 648 Member
    right then what about for food for thought.

    Do americans understand the british sarcastic piss-take attitude / humour
  • determined_ella
    determined_ella Posts: 4,354 Member
    ^ :joy:
    BigDougie1211 wrote: »
    I know, I wasn't actually addressing you directly, really more the thread as a whole.
    I genuinely don'T think there is a specific British SOH.
    For every Blackadder - there's a Mrs Brown
    For every The Office - there's a Dinner Ladies

    lol you edited your post..... it said about "above post" ;) but now it doesn't so I will let you have that lol :joy:


  • Elizabeth_qtr
    Elizabeth_qtr Posts: 4
    I'm British but I don't always get my dad's jokes... its more like quick wit rather than "hahahaha rofl". Sometimes I think Brits aren't trying to be funny... they mean exactly what they say but others assume it's a sarcastic one-liner :p
  • SwashBlogger
    SwashBlogger Posts: 395 Member
    AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »
    Understand it? Yes, of course. It's basic. Guy A has a dead parrot but insists it isn't dead.....It's just a mint!.......Redundancy........Guy B steals underwear and wacky music plays. Yeah. We get it.

    There's something funny to be found in humor from every country. The Brits just seem to suffer from comedic xenophobia more than others.

    x100 (hugs you)

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