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American humour & British humour

Do you think that there is a difference between the two?
Is the Americans sense of humour more 'physical'?

I have watched a few TV shows where Americans just dont laugh at our jokes, phrases etc.

Reply 1

Apollo

11

I think it's more a personal preference really, not an "Americans don't get British humor" type thing- I have friends who love the old Monty Python stuff. I find it entertaining, but generally not as "laugh out loud" funny as our shows. I'm sure there are many people who feel the exact opposite :smile:

Reply 2

Evil-Tuna

2

If by American humour we are also including the Simpsons, then damn it's funny. If we're including that as Americans who are also making fun of American humour and America in general, then British humour takes the cake. :smile:

Reply 3

naivesincerity

2

wesetters

I find that a lot of American comedy just seems to be trying too hard for me.

I agree. Although that could be said of a lot of telelvised humour in general

Reply 4

Apollo

11

Evil-Tuna

If by American humour we are also including the Simpsons, then damn it's funny. If we're including that as Americans who are also making fun of American humour and America in general, then British humour takes the cake. :smile:

Bah, Family guy and Futurama are much better for animated humor :wink:

Reply 5

Evil-Tuna

2

Apollo

Bah, Family guy and Futurama are much better for animated humor :wink:

Futurama started well, but then it died a terrible terrible death.

Reply 6

Apollo

11

I thought it was being brought back? Or do you mean it just sucked after a while?

Reply 7

ice_cube

17

Most of it seems to overlap enough to be watchable. I can watch most American programmes and find them funny. However I did show some American friends my Have I Got News For You dvd. Regardless of whether they knew about the actual news stories, they really really didn't get the surrealism.

Reply 8

.:fluff:.

1

I think British humour is a little weird for Americans to get their heads round, whereas American humour is more obvious.

Friends still makes me laugh no matter how many times I'v seen it but definately not as funny as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of crisps :biggrin:

Reply 9

Qos

As Bill Bryson said, Americans tend to want explanations from their jokes. So the comedians tend to explain their punchlines or make them incredibly easy to get/not subtle at all.

Reply 10

Johnny 5

12

I hear this "British humour is more subtle" all the time. But America invented Curb Your Enthusiasm, while the good ol' UK brought us Little Britain, the comedic equivalent of the electric sledgehammer as far as subtlety is concerned.

i'd like to know how the boosh would go down in america...

another point, i don't know why they seemed the need to change the Office, but the fact they did, does tell us that there is a difference there

Reply 12

Fusion

20

Qos

As Bill Bryson said, Americans tend to want explanations from their jokes. So the comedians tend to explain their punchlines or make them incredibly easy to get/not subtle at all.

But then how comes The Office (UK) was popular in the states?

Reply 13

=nuke=

11

As some of you have already said, American comedy does seem to be a lot more 'obvious'. In shows like Friends an exaggerated facial expression will get laughter from an audience... I just don't get that. I much prefer satire and surrealism.

Reply 14

=nuke=

11

CheGriffin

i'd like to know how the boosh would go down in america...

Same. I mean... I know many, many British people who don't understand it.

Reply 15

Zoecb

11

They wouldn't get the Boosh at all...

I love Friends and some of the better 'team-of-writers-round-a-table' type sitcoms, they've got good one liners and that's all there is to it.

Mind you the Simpsons doesn't make me laugh.

I like most British comedy a lot, but much more the witty clever more upmarket stuff, satire etc.
Little Britain is more gross than funny. I can't find something funny if I have to cover my eyes because it's so repulsive.

Reply 16

Carl

14

I think we are conflating British humour and American "humor". The latter is a pale imitation of the former, unfortunately.

Reply 17

A Y A Z

11

With shows like South Park, Friends, Scrubs, Whose line is it anyway, Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad etc, I'd say American humor takes the cake!

I never got British humor.. except Little Britain ofcourse! :biggrin:

And my fav show Hustle.

Reply 18

=nuke=

11

[quote='[ A Y A Z ]']With shows like South Park, Friends, Scrubs, Whose line is it anyway, Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad etc, I'd say American humor takes the cake!

I never got British humor.. except Little Britain ofcourse! :biggrin:

And my fav show Hustle.
Ahhh, but we have Fawlty Towers, Have I Got News For You, The Mighty Boosh, Extras, I'm Alan Partridge, The Day Today, 500 Bus Stops, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Time Trumpet, Look Around You... the list goes on and on. We win. :p:

Hehehe, I've just realised that they're all BBC comedies... that wasn't deliberate.

Reply 19

foxo

17

Curb Your Enthusiasm and Frasier are the only decent sitcoms from the USA. I also have a somewhat inexplicable liking for Family Guy.

Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, One Foot In The Grave, Black Books, Peep Show, The Vicar of Dibley, The Green Wing, The Smoking Room and The League of Gentleman are all hilarious comedies. Despite the major geographical difference, I'm going to lump Father Ted onto that list as well. If any Irish people object to that, please step forward now. Chewin' The Fat started off very well, but deriorated into the same old mush by series 3. Little Britain is just ****e, and it always has been. We've also got shows like Have I Got News For You, Room 101, Q.I., etc. And, for the most part, our stand up comedians are much better.

I'd say we've got the better share of comedies.

American humour & British humour

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