Poll: Who's better at comedy? Brits or Americans?
- Thread starter SlickBoy
- Start date
Brits. 20-30 years ago they were funny. Nowdays, neither British or USAlien comedians are that funny.
So, that's sorta a win for the British.
So, that's sorta a win for the British.
I like both British and American comedy, but Brits are the only ones who have been able to get both me and my brother to literally "roflmao". I do love Live At The Apollo 
They both have very funny comedians but if I had to choose I'm gonna go with Americans. What makes this an easy choice is Seinfeld
Depends. American comedies quite often have genius moments, but mostly they're just above lolcat level. British comedies maintain reliable entertainment levels, but they're rarely as clever as American ones are, so I'm going with British.
EDIT: Britain seems to produce better stand-up comedians as well.
EDIT: Britain seems to produce better stand-up comedians as well.
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.
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.
Monty Python and Eddie Izzard pretty much sum up my entire comedic tastes >.>
So guess who I picked?
So guess who I picked?
Brits have some great stand-up comedians, but I feel that their television comedies just don't measure up. 30 rock, parks and recreation and of course, Community are godsends. Can't forget about lowest-common-denominator humours like Entourage either, British Humor has what, the IT crowd and the inbetweeners? They approach greatness but just aren't consistent.
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'.
To reiterate, it all comes down to personal taste, there is no 'better'.
Simon Pegg et. al. are still working, right?thaluikhain said:
Also, Radio 4 makes some really super comedy shows. Bleak Expectations, The Museum of Everything to name but two.
And Misfits is often hilarious, though maybe the jokes are a bit culture-specific. Or more super-hero comedy, the lamentably cancelled No Heroics?
And we have some awesome sketch comedy - Mitchell & Webb? Armstrong & Miller? Even Little Britain used to be quite funny.
Or maybe you prefer the surreal - The Mighty Boosh? League of Gentlemen? Psychoville?
How about puppets? Mongrels.
Or cringe-comedy, from The Office or The Inbetweeners?
Political satire from The Thick Of It?
Depends on what kind of comedian.
For example, American comedians that critique America win, because they have so much material to work with. That's where we get comedians like George Carlin and Bill Hicks-- two of my personal favorites.
However, if we're just talking general comedy, I'd say Brits, because I imagine while Americans would, to paraphrase Yahtzee, have a general, custard pie to the face funny, Brits would have a more refined, snooker cue to the bollocks kind of funny.
For example, American comedians that critique America win, because they have so much material to work with. That's where we get comedians like George Carlin and Bill Hicks-- two of my personal favorites.
However, if we're just talking general comedy, I'd say Brits, because I imagine while Americans would, to paraphrase Yahtzee, have a general, custard pie to the face funny, Brits would have a more refined, snooker cue to the bollocks kind of funny.
There are more American comedians I enjoy than British ones, however the British tend to be of high quality. Although, the weaker comedies probably don't make the trip across the Atlantic, so it may color my perception of British comedy as a whole.
Watch Red Dwarf done by the Americans first - then see how us Brits did it, then watch Monty python... black adder etc and realize that these are OLD and still funny - then you watch a show like QI and die laughing. There are very few modern American shows I find amusing.... if any!
And how dare you call us little! D:
And how dare you call us little! D:
You forgot The Two Ronnie's Sketchbook. Shame on you. I voted British. I always did like how our humor is making fun of everyone, especially the French. Bloody onion eating, bad driving war losing French.MelasZepheos said:
I have to go with America here. Colbert, Jon Stewart, Daniel Tosh (Stand-up that is), Lewis Black, and Greg Giraldo. All of them are brilliant in my opinion. I think British Comedy is a little bit more on the intellectual side. Yet at times I find it a little bland as well. That does mean that American comedy is more simple therefore not as intelligent but I like it soooo... what ever.