Can someone explain british humor please?

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Reply 20

cl_steele

Get to grips with very dry and sarcastic humour and youve got it.

Reply 21

ninuzu

Original post by Snagprophet

How do you not get it? The people are smoking, which is bad for your health, and then there's Death watching them, checking his watch.

Also, I want Always Look On the Bright Side of Life as a national anthem.

I get it, it just isn't very funny.

Reply 22

Lunch_Box

Self deprecation + sarcasm

Reply 23

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Kittiara

I'm an EU citizen as well, and it took me a bit of time to get used to British humour, but now I love it!

I'd advise you to watch Monty Python, as has been recommended, as well as Mr. Bean, Blackadder, and programs like Have I Got News For You.

A lot of British humour is delivered in a dry manner. So, watch the facial expressions of those who are delivering the joke, and the body language, especially with people like Rowan Atkinson.

Brits laugh at themselves and laugh at others. They laugh at serious situations, especially when things are bad. It's all about not taking yourself, or life, too seriously. They'll joke about politics, the state of the country, small mess ups and great, big, whopping ones. I like it, because when things look grim, it helps to laugh. When you laugh, it helps you to carry on.

British humour can be really subtle. Don't expect neon lights with flashing arrows pointing down stating "This Is A Joke!" It helps to have an understanding of British society, so that you know what the comedian is on about. I still don't know everything about it, so sometimes I haven't got a clue either and things go way over my head, but I'm learning :biggrin:

.

Warning, though - once you've learned to understand, and hopefully love, British humour, other types of comedy can seem very over the top! I've watched movies and thought "yeah, yeah, I get it, I don't need it spelled out for me!" But that's a price worth paying.

That's a really thoughtful analysis. Glad you get us. :smile:

Reply 24

TurboCretin

Original post by destination unknown

Hi,

I'm an EU citizen and would love to get British humor.
Can anyone give me some tips or initiation to it please?

For example, two of my flatmates (which are Brits), were laughing at this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19238439

I didn't understand why? :biggrin:

Anyways, I'm not taking this specific case only, I generally don't understand the angle British humor has.

One of the few I understand, is the friday comedy show on BBC radio which I find BRILLIANT.

Thanks for your help

British humour is less about jokes than it is about amusing observations, parody, irony and sarcasm. It's difficult to explain (try giving someone a concise and accurate description of irony, to get an idea) and can be quite subtle, but you pick it up over time.

EDIT: And Kittiara's post is a good one. I'd also add Eddie Izzard to the list, because his style is kind of a mixture of dry humour and over the top Pythonism.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 25

Carnationlilyrose

Comparing the British and the US versions of The Office is a good starting point. The British love and feel very affectionate towards the underdog, the hopeless, the non-achiever, basically anyone who isn't perfect, whereas the Americans can't understand this and make everyone into potential role models. There are massive exceptions to this rule, of course, but if you think about Seinfeld, it famously went against the rules of American comedy by promising 'No hugging, no learning.' British sitcoms wouldn't consider those things as elements of comedy in the first place.

Reply 26

Doskey

Maybe watch some sketches from big train on youtube too, I found this one very funny.
[video="youtube;rxUm-2x-2dM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxUm-2x-2dM[/video]

Reply 27

TenOfThem

Britain faces crisis
I didn't realise we were running out

(Jimmy Carr)

We love a play on words

Reply 28

curtis871

Original post by Picnic1

The class structure has been a popular source of British comedy. There are a lot of 1970s and 1980s comedies in this style.

Only fools and horses (working, with later some middle class characters), Blackadder (Baldrick is practically underclass, Blackadder is servant class (which him essentially middle class in this comedy) and then there is always an upper class above him).

Even when set in space like Red Space, Lister is working class, Rimmer is of middle class origins.

The Day Today, I'm Alan Partridge and Brass Eye are worth watching. Darker comedies are Jam and The League of Gentleman.

Red Dwarf. Other than that you've mentioned a common theme which many seem to have missed but it present in a huge amount of British comedy.

Like others have said watch it, if you find it funny it's all good, if not then everyone's different and it's still good :tongue:

Reply 29

PurpleMonkeyDishwasher

Original post by destination unknown

It's just silly, I'd probably only find that funny if I was still 6 years old. I don't know if I have an atypically British sense of humour though, I don't find Monty Python funny.

Reply 30

PurpleMonkeyDishwasher

Original post by AliceElizabeth19

Monty Python- Dead Parrot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218

See this seems more typical of American humour to me. The canned laughter, the very obvious "I'm making an idiot out of myself" customer; it's the same kind of humour that appears on things like the Big Bang Theory.

Reply 31

R583

Britons laugh at anything ironic, embarassing or, as other people have said, when people or things fail. Us Britons aren't afraid to laugh at ourselves and at other people, which is what makes a nation such an eccentric and crazy place to be.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9003

Reply 32

Cannotbelieveit

Dry humour and Deadpan are the two that come to mind.

Reply 33

danny111

Original post by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher

wtf? this is nothing like the big bang theory...

Reply 34

A.J10

Original post by danny111

wtf? this is nothing like the big bang theory...

I can think of a few moments it's like, the big bang theory just don't do it to such extremes.

That's another facet of British humour, taking a joke or concept and stretching it to the point of breaking.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my E15i

Reply 35

TenOfThem

One Liners

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19316443

Reply 36

username208984

I recommend Jack Dee, he has the dry part down to a fine art. And it's hilarious.

Reply 37

RyanT

Another poster mentioned the League of Gentlemen series, I'll +1 that as a perfect example of British humour.

Just as funny is the spin-off, psychoville.

Mitchell and Webb are good too

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 38

EffieFlowers

There's 2 kinds of Brit humour to me when I think about it

There's the silly, take the piss out of us like Monty Python, Mr. Bean, Little Britain and..the Goodies! (Used to love that show!)

And then there's the really dry, straight faced sense of humour where someone says something and you aren't entirely sure if they're are being sarky and taking the piss or are being genuine.
Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais and that other man in the suit with a face like a slapped arse, I forget.

But when it comes down to it, we're all about the sarcasm and dry wit.