phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:57 pm

mannanman wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:55 pm I’ve always found it a bit of a paradox that Americans in general have little humour (humor) (although they have voted in Trump and Biden so maybe I’m wrong) have no idea (clue) how sarcasm works or subtlety but come out with gems like Southpark, Simpsons, Family Guy etc (which are done by a handful of people) Curb Your Enthusiasm, Frazier, Third Rock etc.

On the other hand I’ve never found Will Ferrel funny. All his movies follow the same format of him not being funny.

British humour is the gold standard for sure, followed by the Germans.

all depends on what you grew up with

Abbot & Costello, Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin, Marx brothers.
All comedy kings for me as an American

So that was the last time you found anything funny?!

Yes but they were a looong time ago and as most of the members of this forum are not dinosaurs those genius’s are not really relevant anyway.

(Charlie Chaplin was British by the way, as was half of Laurel and Hardy which for some reason isn’t in your list)

all the ones u mentioned i found funny, really liked Curb Your Enthusiasm but than i loved Seinfeld
South park off course
and they all owe alot to the ones i mentioned
Plus
Californication
the big bang theory
Shameless (American version, couldn't get into the uk one)
Only Murders in the Building
Veep

I never really got into the UK Shameless.

Comedy is a very divisive divider.

"Veep" maybe the best written and executed sitcom ever. If you can't keep up with the jokes that does not lessen the program's funnyness.
How you could not find South Park funny seems to me to be a 'viewer deficiency' also.
There is no such thing as 'British humor' other than maybe gallows humor deeply explored. British humor spans the whole spectrum of things found funny, is not limited and narrow nor easily defined.

I'd say humor appreciation is depending a bit on how much you can let go while in hard times, and how "civilized" the surrounding society is aiming to be.
With shit weather and aristocratic excellency, i guess the conditions were reunited in UK to talk shit in a funny manner about what was going around on a daily basis, for hours, whatever the social class ?
The language strikes me as very practical for a quick wit on the spot, between other convenient characteristics. Having all the tools, it probably had enough advance to keep leading the exploration of the funny side of things for the english-based audience.
Then the movies came, then the tv came, then internet, the main producing countries had the upper hand on the worldwide distribution of it, comedy patterns becoming similar in various countries maybe...

Chaplin is funny to all, so could be the Monty's, Gervais, CK, Carlin, if the audience is ok to let go something holding them to find stuff funny.
Not too sure it would work for a tribe guy far away in the forest though, for a bit of lacking comprehension of the context...But the tools must be there for sure...

It was significant for France that The Artist won the Oscars back then, because it was some french humor without dialogues in the very specific world of black & white movies in a modern era, so, quite a trick to achieve. We have quality funny talking stuff, but not much efforts to make it international unfortunately. Some of the best TV of it was inspired by the SNL show back in the days (the 80's till the 00''s)

I guess most funny stuff is always at the expense of something / someone, so as all countries have to endure some shit someday...
i wonder how is the Natives American humor, the Swiss humor, the Amish humor, the North Korean humor, and their respective potentials ?

As a person, as a scenarist, as a host, as a debater, as a shit stirrer, whatever, pick your favorite aspect, or if you're willing to brush him with disdain anyway, at least do provide a credible alternative of your liking ?

I had some time to dig some Sean Lock stuff since a couple of weeks, he was indeed a funny fucker in his own way