American and British humor are often compared to one another, most likely due to the fact that both cultures speak English...yet, as it has been pointed out the types of humor are quite different. Obviously, there are a number of cultural factors which influence humor, and since England and the United States clearly do not share all of the same cultural elements--there are bound to be differences in what each culture understands and recognizes as funny.
So, what are the differences? They have all been speculated, along with the reasons they exist. Taking television shows that are derived from the same idea, that exist in the United States and England in different versions- and comparing the two shows can give a pretty clear example of the differences. One good example of this is the television show The Office, which started out as a British show before an American version was made. The shows have the same premise, vaguely the same characters--however the humor is quite different.
It has been pointed out that Michael Scott, as the leading character in the US office is first and foremost a nice guy...if he weren't he wouldn't have been a likable character in the United States and the show probably would not have had the same success rate that it did. In the UK, "niceness" is not as important of a quality. The culture in Britain revolves around banter and sarcasm. That is not as common in the United States--though sarcasm is still used occasionally, it is not the main source of humor, and it might be misconstrued as rudeness if used too much.
This is one of the reasons British humor can have difficulty translating to Americans. They are not used to heavy doses of sarcasm and sometimes it can be viewed as snobbiness and/or rudeness. This is an example of where stereotypes come from. Brits are used to this type of humor and do not view it as rude. In fact, they view the niceties used by Americans, the constant "Have a good day!"'s as insincere.
Ricky Gervais wrote an article for Time Magazine in 2011, “Is There a Difference Between British and American Humour”, in which he discusses what he considers to be the major differences between the two cultures’ humor.
“It’s often dangerous to generalize, but under threat, I would say that Americans are more “down the line.” They don’t hide their hopes and fears. They applaud ambition and openly reward success. Brits are more comfortable with life’s losers. We embrace the underdog until it’s no longer the underdog.We like to bring authority down a peg or two. Just for the hell of it.” (Gervais, 2011.)
In his article, Gervais talks about the cultural differences in upbringing between Americans and Brits. He says that Americans are told from a young age that they can become anything, even the next president--while Brits are given a more realistic narrative at a young age. He mentions that Americans are more open, while British people tend to be more sarcastic in every day life. He states that there is a stereotype about Americans that we don’t understand irony, and he discredits this theory. Americans do use irony occasionally, however not nearly as much as it is used in British humor.
Gervais says that it is primarily used in "smarter" American comedies. He also discusses how his own comedy is misconstrued in the United States as being "mean", and this is due to cultural differences.
As Jack Whitehall points out in his comedy special, one of the major differences is the over-exaggerated friendliness vibe that people in the United Kingdom seem to get from Americans. Their outlook always seems to be too positive, positive to a fault. It is seen as unrealistic to be this happy all the time. It especially contrasts with the English demeanor he is joking about.
The video also illustrates the self-deprecating nature of British humor. Of course, he is mostly making fun of Americans with this routine, but he still never fails to make a couple jabs at the British. Perhaps as a way of suggesting that his jokes are good natured, even though they are sarcastic--and for American audiences that may not translate well.
But Brits are famously self-deprecating in their humor. Americans still have the tendency to mock their nation but it is done in a much more prideful way, and a way that is not so blunt and obvious. It is almost as though they exaggerate their greatness, and in turn it shows that this is mostly in their heads. Stan Smith from American Dad! is a great example of over-exaggerated patriotism because it contrasts with the stupidity of the character himself.
As Jack Whitehall points out in his comedy special, one of the major differences is the over-exaggerated friendliness vibe that people in the United Kingdom seem to get from Americans. Their outlook always seems to be too positive, positive to a fault. It is seen as unrealistic to be this happy all the time. It especially contrasts with the English demeanor he is joking about.
The video also illustrates the self-deprecating nature of British humor. Of course, he is mostly making fun of Americans with this routine, but he still never fails to make a couple jabs at the British. Perhaps as a way of suggesting that his jokes are good natured, even though they are sarcastic--and for American audiences that may not translate well.
But Brits are famously self-deprecating in their humor. Americans still have the tendency to mock their nation but it is done in a much more prideful way, and a way that is not so blunt and obvious. It is almost as though they exaggerate their greatness, and in turn it shows that this is mostly in their heads. Stan Smith from American Dad! is a great example of over-exaggerated patriotism because it contrasts with the stupidity of the character himself.
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