'Americans don't get British Humour' - But do British People get American Homour ?

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  • Paradise_LostParadise_Lost Posts: 6,454
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    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    UK comedy is exported to other countries more than any other comedy from any other country is exported.

    Are you sure about that? Source? I would think that the Simpsons and Friends alone might outpace the British output put together. Non English speaking countries often tend to prefer American programmes which may be perceived as being more easily translatable and universal.
  • TallywackerTallywacker Posts: 1,561
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    The US version of the Inbetweeners was painful.
  • benjaminibenjamini Posts: 32,066
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    I think David Sedaris is one of the most amusing people on the planet . American .
  • KapellmeisterKapellmeister Posts: 41,322
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    Friends was awful wasn't it? I really tried to get into it, because everyone said it was hilarrrrious! But all I saw was a bunch of annoying 'cool' twenty-somethings reacting to so -called awkward situations, which left me cold as a wet herring. It was the thing of the moment in the 90s, it sparked fashion trends like Anniston's hairdo etc.

    Horrible, over-hyped trash.
  • KapellmeisterKapellmeister Posts: 41,322
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    Americans don't seem to get irony and sharp wit.

    'Frasier' was probably the wittiest comedy ever written and it won 37 Emmys, so I'm not sure that's really true.
  • CravenHavenCravenHaven Posts: 13,953
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    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Haha what a pretentious self fallating thread. Do you want to know what Americans say about British comedy? We don't say anything, if we like something we watch it, if we don't we won't. What I find funny is that you judge US comedies on what is pumped to you from your TV provider (Which is usually a safe comedy from the big 4 networks). The US entertainment channels pump out thousands of different shows a year. Because you haven't seen shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, Louie, Archer, The Colbert Report, or The Daily Show doesn't mean there isn't some great US TV comedies. We know there is some great British comedies and you all should be proud of it without evaluating your self worth by how it measures up to America/Americans.
    I could care less
    :kitty:
  • James_MayJames_May Posts: 606
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    My favourite comedian at the moment is Russell Peters, an Indian/Canadian, so f*ck you America and **** you Britain!
  • James_MayJames_May Posts: 606
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    80sfan wrote: »
    Exactly why I could never stand Friends! It just wasn't funny because of exactly what you put above. How it lasted so long is a mystery and for the actors involved it really was money for old rope.

    A mystery to me too. Turn off the canned laughter and you've got a normal conversation with abnormal emphasis on certain words, long pauses, and creepy body language. It's like the actors guild for the mentally challenged and those lacking in self awareness
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Haha what a pretentious self fallating thread. Do you want to know what Americans say about British comedy? We don't say anything, if we like something we watch it, if we don't we won't.
    A quiet American? :o

    That's stretching credibility a tad too far.

    Americans always have something to say about anything! :p

    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    The US entertainment channels pump out thousands of different shows a year.
    So that's why there is so much rubbish? :cool:
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    I immediately dislike any comedy which has canned laughter on it and I don't buy that claim of "recorded in front of a live TV audience". There may have been an audience, but it will have been recorded and edited so that it isn't any different from the so-called canned laughter.

    One of the worst examples I can remember is a truly horrific Rowan Atkinson "comedy" called The Thin (or was it Thick?) Blue Line, made completely unwatchable by a 120 decibel laughter track which forced me to switch off within five minutes.
  • Stormwave UKStormwave UK Posts: 5,088
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    I think there are some great American sitcoms on the fringe of popularity. I'd say the mainstream ones tend to be lacking, but shows like New Girl and Chuck are genuinely funny. The more popular shows, such as Two And A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory are terrible imo. At the same time though, those shows are with and without canned laughter.

    Then if course we have the cartoons with The Simpson's and South Park being genuinely humorous, and Family Guy to a slightly lesser degree.
  • BastardBeaverBastardBeaver Posts: 11,903
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    Lots of different types of humour, from all sorts of people in all manner of different countries. Crazy that innit!
  • EnglishspinnerEnglishspinner Posts: 6,132
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    benjamini wrote: »
    I think David Sedaris is one of the most amusing people on the planet . American .

    This is true, and I suspect it's his familiar wry, self-deprecating delivery which tickles the British funny bone.

    Never had any problems with American humour since watching the Phil Silvers Show (now revived on Forces TV) before I knew there was such a place as America. Great comedy is too valuable and too rare to pin a flag on it before deciding if it is funny or not.
  • benjaminibenjamini Posts: 32,066
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    This is true, and I suspect it's his familiar wry, self-deprecating delivery which tickles the British funny bone.

    Never had any problems with American humour since watching the Phil Silvers Show (now revived on Forces TV) before I knew there was such a place as America. Great comedy is too valuable and too rare to pin a flag on it before deciding if it is funny or not.

    Thurber, Woody Allen . I like America humour tho the Jewish American humour is unique and makes me laugh.
    Rowan and Martins laugh in.
    Joan Rivers , Phyllis Diller. Way ahead of comedy here.
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    This is true, and I suspect it's his familiar wry, self-deprecating delivery which tickles the British funny bone.

    Never had any problems with American humour since watching the Phil Silvers Show (now revived on Forces TV) before I knew there was such a place as America. Great comedy is too valuable and too rare to pin a flag on it before deciding if it is funny or not.
    What sort of school did you go to? :confused:

    Couldn't they afford a Globe or map of the world? :(

    You can't miss it! :o

    It's that big chunk of land where cowboys rounded up all the native Americans, stuck 'em in compounds for the tourists to come and gawp at then made films about How the West was Won.
  • CravenHavenCravenHaven Posts: 13,953
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    with 'homour' in the title I'm surprised the multiple homo-obsessed Troll_Name accounts missed it
  • FIN-MANFIN-MAN Posts: 1,598
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    Bulletguy1 wrote: »
    What sort of school did you go to? :confused:

    Couldn't they afford a Globe or map of the world? :(

    You can't miss it! :o

    It's that big chunk of land where cowboys rounded up all the native Americans, stuck 'em in compounds for the tourists to come and gawp at then made films about How the West was Won.

    Awww bless your heart, what a lovely human being you are.
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Awww bless your heart, what a lovely human being you are.
    That's ok....Phil Silvers told English guy where America is. :cool:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,888
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    Boofie wrote: »
    I agree. Most episodes of 2 1/2 men you know exactly what line is coming next e.g. Alan gets a manicure "well it has the word man in it". har har har.

    There are a lot of English comedies which just don't translate well over there like The Inbetweeners which was just horrific. And Shameless US seemed like a totally different show. Things like that, I would say the general American public definitely don't get.

    One thing I dislike about American comedy films is the need to have the soppy moment near the end where the characters gush about how someone has "the biggest heart". Puke

    I could stand 2 1/2 men when Charlie sheen was in it. I mean I didn't love it but I could deal with it. Similarly I think a lot of he reason I like BBT is Sheldon. If he wasn't there, I probably wouldn't bother to watch.

    They're apparently making a misfits US which is ridiculous. Half of the charm of Misfits is Robert Sheenan (he's Irish not British, I know but the humour is similar). Shameless was odd in the US...I caught the end of an episode and it was like they'd made their own show with different characters and just called everything the same.

    Ah yeah, they always have to have a soppy moment, which is nice, if you're watching a heartwarming coming of age film, not so much if it's a sitcom.
  • dee123dee123 Posts: 46,195
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    ...and where does this generalisation "Americans don't get sarcasm" come from?

    As an Englishman I learnt all my sarcasm from Family Guy! :D

    Eew... How does Family Guy teach sarcasm or any real comedy? If comedies were being sorted into the houses at Hogwarts, Family Guy would be a squib.
  • Steve_CardanasSteve_Cardanas Posts: 4,188
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    One thing the US and the UK produce the best comedy in the world.
  • BrooklynBoyBrooklynBoy Posts: 10,595
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    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Awww bless your heart, what a lovely human being you are.

    That's his sharp wit there. Or half of it at least. ;-)
  • Old EndeavourOld Endeavour Posts: 9,852
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    dee123 wrote: »
    Eew... How does Family Guy teach sarcasm or any real comedy? If comedies were being sorted into the houses at Hogwarts, Family Guy would be a squib.

    Many millions on both sides of the pond would disagree with you.

    And how does it teach sarcasm? By having it in bucket loads! Even more so in Futurama. But then you probably don't like that either.

    Futurama episode one: "Well, at least here you'll be treated with dignity. Now strip naked and get on the probulator."
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    dee123 wrote: »
    Eew... How does Family Guy teach sarcasm or any real comedy? If comedies were being sorted into the houses at Hogwarts, Family Guy would be a squib.
    Family Guy is almost entirely based on sarcasm and irony, but is sometimes a bit too knowing for its own good. There are some very clever jokes in there that must go way over many people's heads.
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    That's his sharp wit there. Or half of it at least. ;-)
    Don't be too hard on FIN....at least he had a go! :D

    Hey serious question here Yorkie guy; :cool:

    You probably read in one of my previous posts where i said "My Cousin Vinny" is an all time favourite movie for me and i still watch it and laugh.

    Joe Pesci who played Vincent LaGuardia Gambini and Marisa Tomei (Mona Lisa Vito), both apparently were supposed 'New Yorkers' and they regularly used words such as 'utes' (youths) and 'aks' as in 'i aks ya' (i ask you).

    Is this common known NY accent in real life?

    Just curious.
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