Humor vs. Humour

I’m a very rare poster here, but I’ve noticed through years of lurking that many of the site’s members are from either the United States or the United Kingdom. I thought this would be a great place to start a discussion about the differences between the senses of humor of the two cultures.

I’ve always enjoyed the dryness and sarcasm that characterizes a lot of British comedy because I’m generally less inclined to be overly sentimental than some of my American peers. But there are still some things in British comedy that don’t translate for me: references to British history/ current events, and the lack of unconditional optimism that is common in the American public. For this reason, I tend to prefer American cable comedies the most (Louie, Curb Your Enthusiasm) because I find them relatable and not artificially sappy.

As an American college student studying TV and Film Production with an emphasis on screenwriting who is planning to study a semester in England, I’m very interested in hearing from people on both sides of the pond on the subject of television and film specifically. In addition to the content of comedies it is worth noting the differences in format as well. Do you prefer the British format of six episodes generally written by one or two people or the American format of up to twenty-six episodes written by a staff of writers.

Here are a couple of links to articles written by Ricky Gervais and Simon Pegg about the subject:

http://time.com/3720218/difference-between-american-british-humour/

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/feb/10/comedy.television

So go ahead and comment on the relationship between American Humor and British Humour / argue for your preferred flavor / share your favorite (favourite) shows from either side of the pond / whatever...

I enjoy the humor native to both countries. Further, as a Canadian, I am equally entertained with the self-deprecating style known domestically among English Canadians, as well as the sardonic wit appreciated among the French. 

I admit to watching a good deal of British comedy, but cannot truly be a valuable agent in deciphering which country performs television best as I am stuck in a 70's to 80's rut and so rarely watch much outside of that epoch...

Ah yes, forgive me for completing forgetting Canadian humor from the OP, but that's another interesting angle for this discussion. I've seen a few episodes of Trailer Park Boys, but that is about the extent of my knowledge. Maybe you could elaborate a bit on differences you have seen between the three countries?

And I'm with you in terms of 70's and 80's as far as British television goes. I enjoy Fawlty Towers and Blackadder a lot more than anything more recent that I have seen from across the pond. Maybe I'm just watching the wrong shows?

13las said:

I enjoy Fawlty Towers and Blackadder a lot more than anything more recent that I have seen from across the pond. Maybe I'm just watching the wrong shows?

Those shows are pretty much perfect but there is still some strong stuff about if you want a crib sheet...

Limmy's Show

It's a pretty damn wierd sketch show. You'll either hate it, or think he's a genius (I'm closer to the latter opinion). All 3 series seem to be up on YouTube. Which is fair enough for series 3, as the BBC haven't bothered to put it out on DVD. Booooo!

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle

Currently, on to the third series of this standup showcase of Lee's unique voice. A few are on YouTube. Witness him spend a whole show talking about crisps potato chips, have an imaginary phonecall about a fictional manure business, or talk at length about a vinyl record he's never listened to.

Father Ted

It's not that new (From the 90s) but for me it's the only thing that would be in the top5 with those classic 70s shows. About 3 Catholic priests living on a god-forsaken island off the Irish coast. It's got it's own annual festival people love it so much. There isn't much on YouTube.

Early Doors

Beautifully written sitcom about the slightly pathetic people who frequent a pub in Manchester. It's only set in two or three rooms and the first series featured James McAvoy (No relation LOL) before he became Professor X. Quite a bit on YouTube.

There is loads of other stuff, but that's a few of the best.

Well you may consider this article to be somewhat helpful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_humour

As for 70's to 80's era provender: you may recognize SCTV to basically be Canada's version of Not The 9 O'Clock News.

Much of Canada's humor seemingly stems from the realization that we, as a nation, do not have as much of presence on the global stage as do our older or bigger cousins. Much of our humor might be summed up by imagining a room full of focused individuals discussing items of importance while some character in the far back corner waves towards the cameras and makes the odd inside joke appreciated only by the locals of his hometown who might be watching the proceedings live. The Canadian comic, obviously, is that recessed individual and the rest of the country his hometown.

While we recognize that we exaggerate our seeming lack of importance for comedic effect, it is also juxtaposed against a reality that we were one of the few colonies that did not rebel against British rule, but were, in fact, encouraged to leave (at which point we might insert an allusion to being finally forced from the familial nest by an exasperated parent). As such, while we have grown up in our own right, we did not largely do so with 'a gun in hand' so we play a bit with this lack of perceived respectability.

We might be considered the self-effacing, shy fellow in class who is often overlooked, rarely engages in aggression, but who nonetheless enjoys a good laugh--even if it might be at his own expense.

Thanks for the suggestions, Ryan. I have seen a few bits of Father Ted -- my parents were into British TV for a period when I was growing up, but I think it's worth a revisit. I'll definitely check out the other shows soon. Limmy's Show sounds right up my alley, I love shows that aren't afraid to get bizarre. I'm a fan of Portlandia, a sketch show set in Oregon that does a pretty great job of satirizing west coast Americans as far as I'm concerned but it does sometimes feel as though it lacks a certain bite that I've seen more often in British TV.

Post Praetorian, I find your description of Canadian humor interesting because that seems to be the stereotypical view of Canada here in the U.S. But I totally dig that kind of humor too. That was me in high school, not worried about making big changes in the world, more focused on cracking jokes with a few close friends. I see the appeal of that kind of mindset.