Post: #1

I don't speak any foreign languages. But for those that do - or who have spent enough time in non-English speaking countries - how do you feel that sort of humour compares with the stuff the Anglosphere countries can produce?

I have no real objective basis for saying this. But I strongly suspect that American and British humour is more sophisticated and funnier than that produced by other countries.

Although I do wonder why this should be so? Indeed - it is often said that the reason a Hitler figure could never come to power in the Britain - is because we find it impossible to take such serious and pompous figures seriously.

I just feel that humour can be added to other elements of pop culture (such as cinema and pop music) - as being something that is done better by the English speaking nations than anywhere else in the world.

Anyone else feel this way? And does anyone have any experience of other cultures which backs up my prejudices? :-)

Then again - maybe a lot of Americans don't get British humour? Even though - here in Britain - we are big fans of American humour.

Post: #2

The Brits, Canucks, and Yanks are generally considered the funniest people. Germans are supposedly dead last in the polls.

I will say that Jim Jefferies is one of the funniest motherfuckers out today, so at least the Aussies are represented.

I've always enjoyed the Japanese style of comedy even with the language barrier killing their puns for me.

Post: #3

I like Russian humour. Different,simple but funny as hell.
Look up some classic comedy from Soviet times.

Post: #4

Funniest = Best Players

Post: #5

French ?

Post: #6

Irish.

Post: #7

All countries make movies but very few foreign films have made me laugh. It's little things like sarcasm that broaden the scope of American/English humor.

Post: #8

British humour is the best in the world bar none.

Post: #9

Will Smith said that when he was growing up he had an equal number of black friends as white friends.

As such - he learned to master two different types of comedy.

The 'black' style - of insulting and dissing people in creative ways.

And the 'white' style - of being surreal and flipping ideas in unexpected ways.

I am not sure how accurate his analysis is - but I always thought it was an interesting way of looking at things.

Post: #10

(05-23-2014 03:01 PM)3extra Wrote:  Irish.

I think Irish people on the whole are quite funny, but on the evidence of the "comedy" that's produced here one could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

About as funny as cancer most of it - as are the "comedians", with the possible exception of Dylan Moran.

Post: #11

Dylan Moran and 'Father Ted'.

Not much else comes to mind.

Post: #12

(05-23-2014 03:33 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Dylan Moran and 'Father Ted'.

Not much else comes to mind.

That's pretty much it tbh. Irish people are some of the funniest feckers around in the right circumstances, but you'd barely know it with comedic "talent" that makes it to the fore (Dara O'Briain comes to mind in particular) and the "comedy" on Irish TV, which by and large is appalling.

Although Republic of Telly/Republic of Comedy on RTE(Irish TV, or look it up on youtube) is quite good, not amazing mind but it can be watchable.

Post: #13

I don't know. Canadians are pretty funny. I like when Mike Myers makes fun of Brits. I don't know what "shat on a turtle" means but it's some funny shit.

Post: #14

(05-23-2014 03:39 PM)davyjose Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 03:33 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Dylan Moran and 'Father Ted'.

Not much else comes to mind.

That's pretty much it tbh. Irish people are some of the funniest feckers around in the right circumstances, but you'd barely know it with comedic "talent" that makes it to the fore (Dara O'Briain comes to mind in particular) and the "comedy" on Irish TV, which by and large is appalling.

Although Republic of Telly/Republic of Comedy on RTE(Irish TV, or look it up on youtube) is quite good, not amazing mind but it can be watchable.

Don't forget that there aren't that many Irish...they're over-represented in most things though to be fair.

Post: #15

(05-23-2014 03:39 PM)davyjose Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 03:33 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Dylan Moran and 'Father Ted'.

Not much else comes to mind.

That's pretty much it tbh. Irish people are some of the funniest feckers around in the right circumstances, but you'd barely know it with comedic "talent" that makes it to the fore (Dara O'Briain comes to mind in particular) and the "comedy" on Irish TV, which by and large is appalling.

Although Republic of Telly/Republic of Comedy on RTE(Irish TV, or look it up on youtube) is quite good, not amazing mind but it can be watchable.

I thought this was quite interesting. Heard about it recently - seems to be a cult hit over in Ireland. It is a genuine Polish soap opera (set in Ireland) - which has being redubbed and reedited to make it stupid and funny.

Post: #16

I think what makes Anglo people specifically funny is how they love to bust each other's balls. There's a culture, at least among males where you are supposed constantly to one-up each other with some clever one liner or observation. "Cocky funny" is something that pretty much every red-blooded Anglo male has had to deal with while they are growing up. That's what the "secret" really is - just like there's no secret for getting results but only hard work and tears, the "secret" when it comes to being funny is simply practice and that practice comes simply being in the typical social environments that an Anglo male has had to grow up in - as early on as the background you already have boys verbally sparring with each other in order to establish themselves in their social circles.

I'm Asian American myself and another Asian American friend of mine who has traveled extensively around the world has spoke to me about how he thinks growing up on the East coast of the United States has given him an advantage socially when it comes to dealing with people from other cultures - more specifically he knows how to dominate a social situation by using a combination of humor and other social strategems in order to guide an interaction into a direction that's favorable to him. In my own personal experience I have to say East Asians may be intelligent but they tend to not be particularly witty - especially if they are FOBs.

Post: #17

(05-23-2014 02:45 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  Germans are supposedly dead last in the polls.

Post: #18

(05-23-2014 03:55 PM)cardguy Wrote:  I thought this was quite interesting. Heard about it recently - seems to be a cult hit over in Ireland. It is a genuine Polish soap opera (set in Ireland) - which has being redubbed and reedited to make it stupid and funny.

I remember Soupy Norman, thought I never watched it.
Yes, it did have good press as far as I recall..

Seems like it might be worth a watch, not least for the blondie bird

Post: #19

Post: #20

Russian and American humor styles are mutually unintelligible although both are rather complex. French have no sense of humor other than physical comedy and making fun of those in power via a sort of a satire. The funniest thing to Chinese is someone falling down the stairs

Post: #21

I'd say UK and America are the funniest, I can't choose between either, they both have distinct styles. I never got as many laughs from other English speaking countries. But on a per capita basis, Canada punches the highest above its weight (i.e. with a much smaller population than UK or USA). My theory is that we grow up with both American and British cultural influences, so it creates a nice blend. Do some searching on Canadian comedians, actors, writers for cartoons, etc. and you'll get a surprisingly big list of famous and influential names.

Post: #22

There are some good French comedies, Bienvenue chez les cht'is was good.

Speaking of Irish comedy, Dylan Moran is a god while Mrs Browns boys is awful.

Post: #23

Probably, yeah.

Brits are the wittiest people.

Americans are more "unintentionally" funny, but often intentionally funny as well.

We Canadians produce some decent comedians but the average Canadian is a humorless PC faggot.

Post: #24

Can only really speak about American/Canadian/British (anglosphere) humor and German "humor" myself.

Americans= tend to be a bit more in your face with the jokes. You have to exert little mental effort to understand a lot of them, lots of pop culture satire.

British= More deadpan, lot more connecting the dots to understand them. I find it funnier and more rewarding.

German= Well, I've heard a few German jokes before and some of them are pretty funny. Humor is something that happens more in the course of a conversation when a German will point out inconsistencies in life or something that tend to be somewhat funny or darkly humorous. Most of my time spent laughing in Germany was when I was with non Germans or when I was laughing at something the Germans had done.

I find that distinct American vs British humor examples are a bit tough to find with all of the cultural blending going on nowadays. I think that Anglo-sphere comedy is highly thought of because having a sense of humor is considered a desirable trait and is fostered from a young age.

Would like to hear about German humor from one of our resident Germans.

Post: #25

(05-23-2014 03:33 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Dylan Moran and 'Father Ted'.

Not much else comes to mind.

Irish TV is the pits. Even Father Ted was produced by Channel 4.

But the average Joe in the street, Irish are lightyears ahead of anyone else.

I really like British humour. But I reckon Irish is drier and more witty.

Irish people don't take themselves too seriously; Irish fuckwits who go for careers in TV do. This is why Irish TV is so fucking awful.