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I've been on this forum for a month or so and have noticed a few threads where there is obvious humour, or wit being used, and other posters just don't notice it - some even answer it as if it was serious -
What makes you laugh and does it depend on where you are from?
I did notice a lot of US posters have not noticed some of the British humour - I just wonder if people from elsewhere have the same problem or is it an aspect of being interesting in such a technical subject that funny things are sometimes ignored.
I'm not trying to point out sereotypes, I'm just wondering if people from different parts of the world find the same things funny.
Talking of British humour, here's a funny line I read in Asterix in Britain: I think only an Englishman could bring out such humour (apologies to their trans-Atlantic cousins )
Obelix: (to Anticlimax) What do you keep on saying what for?
Anticlimax: I say, sir, don't you know what's what, what?
Last edited by vharishankar; 08-26-2005 at 05:53 AM.
That's why I enjoy Asterix. Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge are great at puns and their humour is excellent. When I think that many from the US miss that, I feel sorry for them. They don't know what they're missing.
I also think a lot of culture-specific humour is great, but sometimes seen to be politically incorrect... I don't mean hurt other peoples, but using their stereotypes and grossly exaggerating them is fun. I think a lot depends on the way the humour is presented and the context. Harmless jokes never hurt anybody!
I had a Jewish teacher, and he had a thing about telling jokes that were somewhat anti-semetic. Someone tried to get him fired for it, but it didn't work because he was Jewish!
Harmless? - You don't know how much words can hurt until you get hit on the head by a dictionary!!
The only point with stereotype jokes is that the best ones are where the stereotype proves not to be quite the stereotype we expect - e.g. jokes about stupid irishmen where they turn out to be more smart than stupid!!
I do like non PC jokes that appear after some kind of disaster! sick but funny!
Harmless? - You don't know how much words can hurt until you get hit on the head by a dictionary!!
I agree and that's why I said the context matters a lot. It also depends on the audience.
You know, I do know how much a community can get hurt by jokes targetted at them, but when it comes across tastefully and when the person who joked is willing to ridicule or laugh at himself in the process, then a lot of the time, that works...
A lot depends on the perception of whether the joke was in good or bad taste.
It also depends on the sensitivity of the audience as Hari suggests. Take, for instance, a certain "global warming" thread. Though it was originally intended to be a joke, I personally don't see global warming as a laughing matter, and thus went off on the poster. Do I regret it, now that I know it was a joke? Absolutely not.
Originally posted by scuzzman It also depends on the sensitivity of the audience as Hari suggests.
I do find jokes can be a good way of pointing out peoples sensitivities in a tactful way.
They can also be used to warn of moral dangers - jokes about child molesters are great for kids as they warn them of potential dangers, what can happen to them, and how to avoid it, while entertaining them at the same time!
From a personal point of view, I don't think people should ever have any subject matter or opinion so sacred that making jokes or poking fun at it should be taboo. It helps make u a stronger person, makes you more aware of how others see you and helps put situations into context - funerals are one of the best places for telling jokes!
(how many people will have difficulty working out in which context to read this post?!)
Sure the US-boys sometimes miss the subtle sarcasm, but they're funny nonetheless...Just think of the The Simpsons...must be one of the best and funniest tv-shows on the planet.
I've seen some Japanese comedy and it always strikes me as a bit cruel. Once I saw the Japanese version of America's Funniest Home Videos and it had this guy shooting (with the camera ) his 4-year-old falling down a 3 meter high stone pyramid structure and everybody couldn't stop laughing. Kinda funny but not for the child of course.
I always need to suppress laughing when I see someone trip and fall....as long as they're not seriously hurt of course. I also like the British humour (Bottom, Blackadder, The Office e.g) and computer-related: bash.org....so funny it sometimes brings tears to my eyes
The other day, a british tourist (in los angeles) with her 3 kids, ran across a busy street and angrily stole a cab that me and my friends had hailed. ( I guess she'd been waiting along time). She got the cab from us because she offered the driver 25bucks. After stuffing the kids in the back from the drivers side (in the road, mind you), she flew around to the passenger side door, opened it and began sitting down - at the same time trying to slam the door while glaring at us. Yep, she slammed the corner of the taxi's door right into her forehead and started freaking out.
Oh, yes. we laughed.
She of course did not. In fact she had the cabbie flip-a-bitch (u-turn) so she could spray us with british 'humor'. I called her a minga and hailed the next cab.
Originally posted by danimalz
What part of this do you find funny??
Let me see ..
Quote:
After stuffing the kids in the back from the drivers side (in the road, mind you),
That's quite funny! UK habits, RHD cars etc, transfering well into the US!
Quote:
she slammed the corner of the taxi's door right into her forehead and started freaking out.
the old slapstick - you can't beat the lowest common denominator of comedy!
Quote:
I called her a minga
This was the funniest bit! got me LAMO!! minga isn't normally used in that format!!
Actually - at the moment I'm watching a comedy show from Australia where a man in a gorrilla suit is on fire and it was hillarious!! To give you an idea of the type of humour visit their website - http://www.thiswebsitedoesntexist.com/
I have to say I haven't much of anything in this post funny. Reason being, it went over my head.
I say I get the most from web comics. I've laughed so much I've cried from just one frame of a comic.
Typically stand up comedians are too crude for me, but comics related to my interests really hit the spot.
-Jason
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