You're comparing the best comedy on one side of the pond to the some of the very worst on this side. Two and a Half men isn't even a comedy it's just a parody of a sitcom created to soothe the ignorant masses who want safe bland 'jokes.' If you want the good stuff you generally have to watch things with a more mature tone and often things that are mostly or partially dramatic. There is crap funny everywhere avoid it on a case to case basis, let's not quibble on about this.
American Humour is Terrible
- Thread starter Dr Red
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its true, i find american humour not that funny, especialy the stand ups, just no
there are certain things i laugh at like family guy and american comedy films, but i watched this one show where it was like a news programe but instead they took the piss out of stories (and no it wasn't fox news), the entire audience were wetting them selves with laughter, i however was starting to worry about humanity
there are certain things i laugh at like family guy and american comedy films, but i watched this one show where it was like a news programe but instead they took the piss out of stories (and no it wasn't fox news), the entire audience were wetting them selves with laughter, i however was starting to worry about humanity
Alot of american humour is hiliarious, modern family, old scrubs episodes, old family guy episodes, all fucking awesome. What shouldnt be done is american importation of british humour, or british tv full stop. Ok modern family did work but thats cos of a stellar cast and director and stuff. It just doesnt work.
apparently when Canada skipped Idaho and Montana and other states and just conquered Colorado.BlastedTheWorm said:
what are you talking about OP?! Your just making blanket statements about american Humor from opinions on just a few shows.
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
robot chicken
south park (its american, not canadian)
the boondocks
scrubs
Reba (tell me you dont get a laugh out of that show)
daily show
colbert report
whitest kids you know
Andy Griffith show
Fresh Prince of Bel-air
just to name a few.
( also everything family guy related is pretty shitty.)
Your point is kind of moot anyway because humour is one of the most subjective things there is, next to beauty.
There are different degrees of humour designed to appeal to different audiences. There's wit, tragedy, slapstick, timing, ridiculousness, random, observational, stereotypes, surreal, "smart" and many more. You can't expect one person to equally appreciate all types of humour.
While you could argue that certain American Comedy shows cater to a certain demographic and use low brow humour, you can't say that ALL American Shows use low brow humour. There are plenty of well-written American Comedy shows that don't get the same level of appreciation and exposure that Family Guy does. Even still, The Simpsons in their prime managed to use low brow humour among other things in a very intelligent way. It was hailed one of the funniest and well written series of all time, and for good reason.
Does that mean that every single North American finds The Simpsons funny? No. You see my point?
There are different degrees of humour designed to appeal to different audiences. There's wit, tragedy, slapstick, timing, ridiculousness, random, observational, stereotypes, surreal, "smart" and many more. You can't expect one person to equally appreciate all types of humour.
While you could argue that certain American Comedy shows cater to a certain demographic and use low brow humour, you can't say that ALL American Shows use low brow humour. There are plenty of well-written American Comedy shows that don't get the same level of appreciation and exposure that Family Guy does. Even still, The Simpsons in their prime managed to use low brow humour among other things in a very intelligent way. It was hailed one of the funniest and well written series of all time, and for good reason.
Does that mean that every single North American finds The Simpsons funny? No. You see my point?
Stereotypical 'American' humour borders on vulgar and is 'hillarious' more than anything else. Stereotypical British humour is morbid and depressing.
Actual humour actually differs quite a lot from time, location, and people involved. It doesn't have to be 'intelligent' in order to be funny. (if you can say that something which isn't alive is 'intelligent') it just has to be clever in a way. Be this in a vulgar, morbid, tasteless or random way is up to those part of the humour.
Actual humour actually differs quite a lot from time, location, and people involved. It doesn't have to be 'intelligent' in order to be funny. (if you can say that something which isn't alive is 'intelligent') it just has to be clever in a way. Be this in a vulgar, morbid, tasteless or random way is up to those part of the humour.
Well the thing is, really, American humour is awful, EXCEPT for Jewish humour. Seinfeld, for example, brilliant. Everybody keeps going on about Arrested Development, which is basically the only tv series that you hear people about when they're defending American humour. It's also funny that Arrested Development was written by a Jew as well, further advocating my point. I can't express how gut-wrenchingly awful, corny and lowbrow American media really is, but Jews have usually done a good job. At least they're the ones who made the really good stuff form America.
Big Bang Theory being proof of American comedy being bad is just as valid as saying that The Birtish Office is proof of British comedy being good, which is to say that neither is actually valid. Fact of the matter is that Britain puts out some bad comedy as well, its just that that comedy is unlikey to be brought over to Western audiences, and as such we just assume that the only stuff they send over, the good stuff, is indicative of all their comedy. Hell, perhaps shows like South Park or Curb Your Enthusiasm are sent over to Britain and the people there watch them and think "Man, American humour is so funny, not like the crap we have here, at least nothing bad is released in America".
Hold on there,Dr Red said:
When you mentioned the American and British versions of The Office, did you give the Americans credit for turning it around, or did you say that they ruined it?
Just hard to tell with the way you worded it.
OT: I'm American, yet I fully understand your point. Half the time that I watch television anymore it's spent watching Top Gear. (Not that goddamn American version they're trying to pull off now, that just makes my stomach turn)
I'd say you aren't looking hard enough. I'll agree, I really don't like the Big Bang Theory. Friends have forced me to watch loads of episodes, and the most its gotten out of me is a mild chuckle. And, well, annoyance at all the stupid nerd stereotypes that are dumbed down and repeated forever so everyone who doesn't think they're a nerd can go "lol, these guys are such nerds" every 5 seconds.
But, there's loads of good American comedy. 30 Rock is absolutely brilliant. Ditto with Community. Arrested Development was glorious. Futurama is about as intelligent as it gets (nerd humour done right, by the way). Scrubs was pretty uniquely funny. How I Met Your Mother is a bit less "intelligent", but still pretty enjoyable to watch. South Park is pretty good too, though they have a lot of episodes where they pretty much milk one joke over and over again for the entire twenty-something minutes... so it's a bit hit or miss for me.
Since we're on comedy. You know what makes comedy good? The stuff besides the comedy. Each of the shows I listed as good have one thing in common: awesome, relatable characters I CARE ABOUT. Humour always fades away if you watch something more than once. What keeps me coming back is watching the characters interact. That's why shows like Family Guy completely fail for me.
But, there's loads of good American comedy. 30 Rock is absolutely brilliant. Ditto with Community. Arrested Development was glorious. Futurama is about as intelligent as it gets (nerd humour done right, by the way). Scrubs was pretty uniquely funny. How I Met Your Mother is a bit less "intelligent", but still pretty enjoyable to watch. South Park is pretty good too, though they have a lot of episodes where they pretty much milk one joke over and over again for the entire twenty-something minutes... so it's a bit hit or miss for me.
Since we're on comedy. You know what makes comedy good? The stuff besides the comedy. Each of the shows I listed as good have one thing in common: awesome, relatable characters I CARE ABOUT. Humour always fades away if you watch something more than once. What keeps me coming back is watching the characters interact. That's why shows like Family Guy completely fail for me.
I like how you assume The Office: An American Workplace is actually American humour. It's really not. It's the same style, just done better because Ricky Gervais is a shitty comedian and Steve Carell isn't.Dr Red said:
OT: I'd like to point out that a lot of The Big Bang Theory's humour isn't actually full of the asininity which you seem to think it is. Yes, some of it is just stupidity, but a lot of it is intelligent.
Oh, and How I Met Your Mother is fucking hilarious.
There's shovelwear in England, it just doesn't leave England. The gems do though, so it appears we are Highly Intelligent and Superior beings (we are of course, but that's beside the point). Living in America, you see the gems of your own comedies, but they are hidden beneath the shovelwear and inadequacy of the rest of the American comedies. Also, don't compare real comedies to sitcoms, it's insulting.
only american humour id sit down and watch is big bang theory its great but stuff like south park,Arrested Development,and how i met your mother are all awful and i really cant stand them.
im not saying all of its bad its just the mijority of it is.
im not saying all of its bad its just the mijority of it is.
Well congratulations, you have proven the Internet is full of idiots! It IS your sense of humor. Some people like those shows, some don't. Seriously, if you don't like it you don't have to complain about it. People don't care what you think. Voicing your opinion is cool and all, but you're just complaining about something no one cares about. Oh yeah, why are you complainig about importing shows? NO ONE CARES! It's just to make people laugh. Some laugh, some don't okay? A show doesn't need to be intelligent to make people laugh. What you don't realize is that those shows are aimed FOR A CERTAIN AUDIENCE! You're not going to change anyone's opinion on these shows. Oh yeah, and by the way, I think most T.V. shows in the U.K. SUCK. Yet you don't hear me complaining about them. It's MY opinion. I don't care what anybody else thinks.
Okay so one show isn't funny so that must mean ALL shows aren't funny. Interesting way of thinking. Btw the American Office is better than the original version.
You are (probably) judging based on Two and a Half Men, which is utter crap. Don't generalize based on that.
Personally, I subscribe to the school of thought that all comedy, American or otherwise, is bad nowadays. If only we could return to the days of Blackadder and Red Dwarf... *sigh*
Although, I do hate these threads. You know, the ones created with a deliberately inflammatory title that just make everyone argue
Although, I do hate these threads. You know, the ones created with a deliberately inflammatory title that just make everyone argue