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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 Jeremiah Cornelius on Friday May 05 2017, @08:37PM (2 children)

    by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Friday May 05 2017, @08:37PM (#505142) Journal

    Truth be told, at least in the cities, much of what was "British" in the culture has become very Americanized. Or maybe "Media-tized". The consumption of cultural products that reflect global corporate capital interest have had the same effect on the UK as any overt colonial occupation.

    English children having a naughty laugh over "spotted dick", something that they would have literally palated without comment, prior to the 1990's.

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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday May 06 2017, @04:30AM (1 child)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Saturday May 06 2017, @04:30AM (#505317) Journal

    British cooking sounds more male-homoerotic than pro wrestling. Spotted dick is just the beginning: toad in the hole, cock-a-leekie soup, faggots in gravy...it's like someone was going out of their way to make schoolkids snicker.

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    • (Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Saturday May 06 2017, @03:41PM

      by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Saturday May 06 2017, @03:41PM (#505444) Journal

      Well, YOU'RE the one, making all the "holes" and "leekies" masculine, eh? :-)

      You are right. Stiil, when I was younger, nothing was thought of either Bangers or Bubble and Squeak.

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