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posted by Fnord666 on Friday May 05 2017, @04:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the funny-or-die? dept.

We're all aware that there are stereotypes. The British are sharply sarcastic, the Americans are great at physical comedy, and the Japanese love puns. But is humour actually driven by culture to any meaningful extent? Couldn't it be more universal – or depend largely on the individual?

There are some good reasons to believe that there is such a thing as a national sense of humour. But let's start with what we actually have in common, by looking at the kinds of humour that most easily transcend borders.

Certain kinds of humour are more commonly used in circumstances that are international and multicultural in nature – such as airports. When it comes to onoard entertainment, airlines, in particular, are fond of humour that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries for obvious reasons. Slapstick humour and the bland but almost universally tolerable social transgressions and faux pas of Mr Bean permit a safe, gentle humour that we can all relate to. Also, the silent situational dilemmas of the Canadian Just for Laughs hidden camera reality television show has been a staple option for airlines for many years.

These have a broad reach and are probably unlikely to offend most people. Of course, an important component in their broad appeal is that they are not really based on language.

Humor is no laughing matter. Levity can kill. But can it also bind us together?


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  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday May 05 2017, @04:53PM

    by Gaaark (41) on Friday May 05 2017, @04:53PM (#504994) Journal

    Damn, i watched a movie like that, but can't remember the name: would like to watch it again:

    The movie starts with a woman in an electric wheelchair driving up a mountain road, drinking and tossing empty bottles to the side of the road. The chair breaks down/runs out of power, so she gets on her cell-phone and calls social services.
    Next thing, a black helicopter comes up and attaches a tether to her chair and flies her away to a 'concentration camp', where people who have used/abused 'the system' are made to tell why they should keep getting social assistance.

    Families on perpetual social assistance get kicked off. Artists who have taken grants and produced nothing of worth get kicked off.
    A guy who stole from the system is given a gun and told to kill himself.

    You've worked hard your whole life and now are old/disabled? No problem.
    I'd love to see that implemented.

    When Mike Harris' workfare came into Ontario i saw my 'welfare' neighbours have to work for their cheque and saw them improving themselves because they weren't drunk all the time.

    Now, if only i could remember the name of the movie......

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