British Humour

[mukade]

I read a book, the title escapes me, which echoed my experiences working with Americans and Brits.

The basic idea was that humour is a normal part of discourse in the UK, and Brits use it in many situations where Americans do not.
This is why, to a Brit like me, watching David Brent in The Office is more painful than funny. Humour is a social lubricant, and when someone is using the wrong oil, it causes friction.

This 'ordinary' humour is also responsible for the myth that Americans don't understand sarcasm.
Of course Americans understand it, they just don't use humour as often, or in the same way.

Mukade

[Flyingcursor]

I tried to get some answers on this a few months ago. I asked if posts were supposed to be funny and everyone thought I was being obnoxious. I only wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some cultural humor.

[The Weekenders]

Unless its using jargon that I have never heard, I always get British humour and jokes. I just think that its sometimes a bit more playful and subtle, like the first joke.

[Tyler]

Bsuker Sean's thread reminded me of a Joke Beth told me as an example of British Humour:

1st Man: A friend of mine goes down to the ocean every day and plays his cello to the seals.

2nd Man: Really?

1st Man: Of course, they don't take a blind bit of notice...


I very nearly busted a gut at this one, do you guys find it funny? Is it a good example of British Humour? Do you have a good British joke? What makes British Humour different to American Humour (apart for the u, say).

I thought it was quite funny!
I LOVE British comedies...hell, look at my post signature and tell me which one is my all time favorite!
I also LOVE "Last of the Summer Wine"
That show is my retirement plan!

[Martin Milner]

I would say the seal joke works on a couple of different levels.

The first is that, if one is passing on information, then the average Brit (AB) assumes there's some value in it. Therefore if a man is playing his cello to the seals, the listener assumes they are listening to the music. Thus the fact that they don't is unexpected, and this funny. It's liike having a news broadcast saying "Nothing Happenned in Milton Keynes toady

The subtler humour, which only just occurred to me, is that the AB doesn't not encourage people to show off, or act up. The seals are acting in a very British way when ignoring the buffoon with the cello, and this British attitude in a seal is funny. If you've ever walked past a herd of cows, you will know that not all animals show the same disdain.



I think the folks have got it right who say that the British use humour in almost all their conversations. In the office here we hear people laughing all the time, and jokes abound. I wouldn't agree one has to laugh like a drain though.

[carrie]

Hmm, that's interesting, Martin. For me the humor was different, but I'm just an American after all. What struck me funny was that the guy *knows* the seals aren't listening but still plays for them, which is what reminded me of my dad's joke.

Carol

[mukade]

Unless its using jargon that I have never heard, I always get British humour and jokes. I just think that its sometimes a bit more playful and subtle, like the first joke.

Remember, people who tell jokes ARE David Brent.

The joke is the least respected part of British humour.
The Monty Python boys did their best to rid us entirely of the punch-line.

Mukade

[Martin Milner]

Hmm, that's interesting, Martin. For me the humor was different, but I'm just an American after all. What struck me funny was that the guy *knows* the seals aren't listening but still plays for them, which is what reminded me of my dad's joke.

Carol

You're right Carol, I'd missed that line of it. That adds a third strand of humour.

[Tyler]

Hmm, that's interesting, Martin. For me the humor was different, but I'm just an American after all. What struck me funny was that the guy *knows* the seals aren't listening but still plays for them, which is what reminded me of my dad's joke.

Carol

Just because you are American does not mean that a sense of appreciation of the British sense of humor cannot be developed.
I, personally, prefer British humor

[Cynth]

This is interesting because the things we are finding to make the seal joke funny are so different. The things that cskinner and martin wrote never occurred to me and don't ring a bell for me. I had to work to make it funny, which means I didn't get it, but I finally found a way to look at it which is almost the opposite of martin's. I thought it was funny that the man was nutty enough to make a comment about the expected behavior of the seals---I don't expect them to listen to the cello.

[emmline]

The seal joke fell with a thud for me as print humor. After reading the commentary from others, it occurs to me that I might very well find the exchange entertaining if I could see the two characters having the conversation, and hear their attitudes. Perhaps a key to this, then, is that the AB (MarMil's acronym) is more able, due to total cultural immersion, to instantly assign the words to the "right" sort of speaker to make the joke funny.

[Wombat]

Nothing Happenned in Milton Keynes toady

Please don't keep calling me Toady.

[Cynth]

Okay, that was funny.

[Tyler]

Aye !
...but if the shoe fits, Toady...

[anniemcu]

To me, the main difference has always been that the British humor assumes that you have some wit with which to figure it out and so don't have to be slapped in the face with the crudity... although that certainly doesn't discount the value of the occaisional slap with something crude.

edited for clarity (I hope)