Poll: Who's better at comedy? Brits or Americans?

[smithy_2045]

Australian.

Specifically, Sammy J and Randy;

 

[Rubymuto]

Brits. Ross Noble, Frankie Boyle, Steven Fry, Russel Howard, Dara Ó Briain etc.


while its true there is a lot of British comedy and comedians that just arent funny the same is true for American comedy. It all depends on what your after. Personally I love Ross Noble.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

I prefer British stand-up to American.

TV/films wise? I think the percentage of crap to genius is about the same, but America produces physically more stuff.

 

[Chefodeath]

Plenty of good American comedy, plenty of shitty American comedy.
Plenty of good British comedy, plenty of shitty British comedy.

This is a stupid question.

 

[marfoir(IRL)]

*snip* Father Ted *snip*

As an Irishman I have to point out that a show that was written by two Irishmen and featured an almost entirely Irish cast is not a British comedy. It is still hilarious though.

*snip*Dara Ó Briain*snip*

another one who is Irish.

 

[azukar]

Americans are more likely to go in for over-the-top, overt, explain-the-joke humour.
Brits tend toward slapstick, routine sets.

The real answer of course is that good Australian comedy beats both.

 

[AssassinFisH]

British comedy is hugely more witty and clever. American comedy is in your face and slapstick. Only fools and Horses, Red Dwarf, Vicar of Dibley, Alan Partridge, Royle Family. All of these are far far more funny than things like Two and Half men, Everybody loves Raymond etc etc. I must say though, Americas animated comedys are absolutely amazing. South Park and Family guy would definitely be in my top 10 comedy programs of all time.

British sitcoms tend to have 6 episodes a series, where as American ones have upwards of 20-30. Clearly when you have time to concentrate on each individual episode, the quality is always going to be higher.

 

[InfiniteSingularity]

Australia, with Tim Minchin and Josh Thomas leading the industry. But between the choices I honestly can't choose. From South Park to Gervais both have very decent comedy.

The best in the business.

The real answer of course is that good Australian comedy beats both.

More proof that I am right

 

[Phishfood]

British panel show > * (Have I got news for you, QI, Nevermind the buzzcocks)

But then again,
things like Team America, South Park. HIMYM.

So its a tie overall.


What I'd say us brits do MUCH better is squeezing comedy out of serious situations. See James bond one-liners.

 

[C117]

Brits. Without a doubt.

John Cleese, Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, Eddie Izzard, and the list goes on...

 

[Tiger Sora]

Non of the above. Everyone knows Canada always rules on the field of comedy.

Americans though if I must chose. This being based of comedy of the last 10 years. If this included Monty Python they'd hands down win.

 

[guise709]

You're asking an impossible question. Neither is inherently 'better' as it's all down to personal taste and what people may or may not find funny. Personally, I like both. There are several American comedians and shows that I find hilarious, there are also several British comedians and shows that I find hilarious.

To reiterate, it all comes down to personal taste, there is no 'better'.

This comedy is subjective always have and always will be.

Right now though my favorite and arguably one of the best comedians around is Louis CK that guy has the best observational comedy I've seen since the George Carlin.

 

[InfiniteSingularity]

I'd also like to point out that a lot of musicians, such as Mikael Akerfeldt, can be naturally funnier than a lot of comedians.

 

[band43seat]

neither, its the canadian comedians, we have the british whit, along with the americans vulgar nature

 

[solad_nathair]

Come on,

Red Dwarf, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Mr Bean, Johnny English, 'Allo 'Allo, This Is Not The Nine O Clock News, That Was The Week That Was, QI, The Full Monty, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Dad's Army, Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, the original Whose Line Is It Anyway, Porridge, Father Ted, The Vicar of Dibley, The Inbetweeners, Ali G, Black Books, Shameless, Mock the Week, never Mind the Buzzcocks, Outnumbered, Spike Milligan, Benny Hill, Spaced, The Office, Extras

or

Frasier, Friends, Cheers, The Big Band Theory, How I Met Your Mother, assorted progams stolen from the British.

Not saying that the American shows aren't funny, or that I don't enjoy them, but for sheer quantity of classic and modern comedy, the British have exclipsed the Yanks for years.

Father Ted and Spike Milligan were Irish NOT British and Black Books was half Irish

 

[RQshadowe]

American comedy is generally more slapstick, with british comics have a wider variety of styles, most of the big american comics do material mainly about america. In britland we have a larger pool of comics to choose from.

 

[Boba Frag]

I think British humour can have the pedigree but that by no means Americans can't be funny. Hell no.

I love them both! I also love how Irish comedians can sneak under the radar because they become embedded in British shows ie- Dara O'Briain in Mock the Week, or Dylan Moran in Black Books (also written and produced by the Irish Graham Linehan)

I think for sheer volume of shows, you're never going to beat American comedy. Some of the funniest things I've ever experience were American, like the Hangover, Friends, the sublime Frasier and the absolutely divine Arrested Development.

I think the question needs to be narrowed down slightly because I'm itching to talk about the wonders of Adult Swim.. Archer, The Venture Bros, Sea Lab, Frisky Dingo, Metalocalypse.... I can literally go on for ages.

Do we even need to talk about South Park and Robot Chicken?

Both are wonderful sides of the same coin.

Just before anyone starts thinking I'm too pro American, I own plenty of British comedy dvds (Bill Bailey=personal hero) and have always had a deep and abiding love for Blackadder.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's madness in Shaun of the Dead introduced me to the wonderful world of Spaced and then Edgar Wright did it again in Hot Fuzz.

It's all about taste, ultimately, and so long as it's funny for you, it doesn't matter what flag is stuck on to it.

 

[BaronOfStuff]

I laugh more at Brit comedy (what with being a Brit), but I like a few US comedies too.

Both parties have also produced some absolutely unwatchable shit over the years.