(Lack of) German sense of humour explained

[karohemd]

While I disagree with some of it (I do like very little classic German humour and a only a few of the modern acts, most of which are actually stand up comedians), this article makes some very good points about the perceived lack of humour my compatriots are supposed to display (and the difficulties translators face).

ETA: The related articles at the bottom are quite interesting, too and some of the most accurate I've read about Germany recently.

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

That's a fab article, and I liked the jokes at the end too :D

I have to say, though, I can't understand why he didn't realise "We have no old buildings because you bombed them all" was a joke... *I* would have laughed at that. But then, the Yorkshire sense of humour is very dry anyway.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*grins*

[rathenar.livejournal.com]

Heh. I am left with the feeling that a lot of my jokes might well work better in Germany... I've frequently managed to be too blunt for my English compatriots in the past.

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

"For us, breaking wind is a natural bodily function.

For you, the basis of an entire culture."

[gbsteve.livejournal.com]

I tried the jokes out on some friends and am sorry to say that hardly anyone laughed. They did laugh at my mathematician joke^† though.

On the other hand, I do like cabbage with my dumplings. On my trip to Berlin I had Eisbein mit Sauerkraut und marrowfat peas and it was great. And German icecream is excellent.

Cold City, the new RPG for which I've written a scenario, is neutral towards the Anglo-German relationship, or at least I hope so.

^†Q: How does a mathematician deal with constipation?
A1: He gets a pencil and works it out.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I didn't find them particularly funny, either (see above point about my attitude towards German comedians).

*grins* Mum's Bohemian (or "cotton") dumplings are the best (the dough is made with half boiled, half raw potatoes).

Looks interesting, shall have a closer look when I have more time.

*groans at joke*

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

My mum is French, and has her own difficulties with humour in a British context.
For her I think it is more the problem of inflexion. She speaks perfect English but inflects in the French way.
So in a group situation, when my mum cracks a joke, because I understand French inflection I'll recognise it as a joke and laugh, but English people hearing the same thing get upset or "stiff-lippy" because they think my mum is being rude to them.

I've noticed that the friends she gets on best with tend to be other Europeans in England, Spanish, Italian, Austrian. Possibly because there is a "shared ground" of living in a non-native land but also perhaps because they're less likely to take offence when my mum jokes or teases them.

[gbsteve.livejournal.com]

I lived in France for quite a while and have difficulty in explaining a lot of French humour to my English wife. A lot of it is about puns which she likes in English but without good French they're pretty lost on you.

That said, the other day I said we'd run out of cheese and she said "Quel frommage!" which shows that some of it is rubbing off on her.

One of my favourite French jokes, another cross-lingual pun, is:
Q:What is the plural of "un petit beurre"?
A:"Des toyoux", because "un petit beurre des toyoux"!

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I absolutely agree about the English comedy crutches. I see people on TV whose entire routine consists of "stupid man talking in fake cockney accent...sex!" on repeat and think, go and build a wall or something, you're crap.