england vs america?

Question

do you think it is important as a nation to have a sense of humour?
who do you think is funnier english commedians or american commedians. tell me your favourite clean joke.

Answer 1

I read somewhere that the american jokes are very blatant whereas english jokes are subtle. I do not know where this joke is from.

I person calls his neighbor, Mrs. Smith (a fat lady) an elephant and she takes him to court.
In the court, the judge asks the man to appoligize to Mrs. Smith and never to call her an elephant again.
The person ask the judge if he could call an elephant Mrs. Smith.
The judges says he had not objection.
So the man turns to Mrs. Smith and says
"I am sorry for calling you an elephant Mrs. Smith"

EnJoy

Answer 2

I cannot abide American sitcom - smartass kids that are cleverer than the grownups, perfect lifestyles, swanky apartments and relationships. It all relies on the gag-a-second formula - way too contrived. Give me character humour ANY day... Delboy, Fawlty, Steptoe, Fletcher... the list goes on! The humour relies on us laughing at our own shortcomings, reflecting ourselves in the mirror and finding we're not perfect but to hell with it - let's celebrate the fact.

American sitcom humour glosses over the imperfections, and reflects a false image. The end result is just not for me, though I am well aware it is massively popular stuff!

HOWEVER. Put the humour into a cartoon, and we end up with turbo-gag Simpsons. Yanks do animated comedy better than anyone, by a long way - think Tom and Jerry.

I suppose in the end it's just what we're brought up to understand. I baulk at the thought of eating insects, but if I'd been brought up in the Amazonian rainforest... (though I'd still not like Friends/Frasier/Cheers) ;)

Answer 3

I love British humour - Monty Python, The Office, all that stuff. It's very wry.

Having said that I think the US make fantastic sitcoms - I am a massive Seinfeld fan. I also loved Frasier.

We are different - I don't think it's a question of better. For instance, Ricky Gervais' The Office was redone using different actors with US audiences in mind. To me, it lost that special something. However, it maybe wouldn't have gone down well in US as it stood. Try watching both versions and see what you prefer.

Man 1: My dog lost his nose in an accident.
Man 2: How does he smell?
Man 1: Bloody awful!

Answer 4

I think in Britain we have better comedians but in America they produce some better sit coms (Friends, Scrubs, Frasier etc). Maybe we find our comedians better as they relate to our way of life and British sense of humour such as in Little Britain. I also find that programmes such as QI are really rather funny but might not appeal to an American audience. I find that the older comedy in Britain is generally funnier than the more modern programmes we see today though in Britain, we seem to have stooped to toilet humour a bit too much now. So I think that both have good comedy but in different formats perhaps. I think it is important to have a sense of humour just to keep the peace sometimes!

Answer 5

I think both have their own unique styles which are endearing. I love American stand-up, but I am also a huge fan of old British comedies like Monty Python, Faulty Towers, The Good Life (Good Neighbors in America) etc. Either way with the world the way it is today, it is just good to have a laugh, no matter where it comes from.

I am an earth sign, my wife is a water sign, together we make mud - Rodney Dangerfield.

Answer 6

British humour is much more subtle, sarcastic and ironic, so consequently not all Americans get all of it, or find what they get as funny.
American humour is different, if there is any sarcasm at all it's far too blatant to have quite the same effect.

I think British is better. True, we haven't come out with many great sitcoms recently, but things like Only fools and Horses, Blackadder, Mr Bean, Two Ronnies, Porridge, My Family, etc, are much better than any American comedies.

But each to his own, I think we're generally a sarkier country, and I just don't think your sense of humour appeals to us as much as it does to you. I don't think your as inherently sarcastic or ironic to get all of ours either.

Answer 7

It totally depends on what you like. American humor is blatantly funny and often crude, English humor is often more dry and intelligent. I would however choose Eddie Izzard and Monty Python over any American comedy any day.

But my favorite joke at the moment:

Two muffins are sitting in an oven. One turns to the other and says Is it getting hot in here? The other turns and says HOLY CRAP, A TALKING MUFFIN!

Answer 8

Americans are best commedians. I gonna bombom.Haaaaaa

Answer 9

Without a doubt, the English, examples are: Fawlty Towers, Only fools and horses, Ab fab, just good friend(this is old, but its great, so buy it). The office.
Why do Americans feel they have to remake our sitcoms? The American office is 'ok', but that's because the script is so similar.
Has anyone seen the American 'Fawlty Towers'???? Oh my god I cringed, it is the worst thing I have ever seen.
However I do like friends, but that's about it.

Answer 10

I think it is a matter of taste. I like them both equally well, depends on the mood I am in. Then you have the Mel Brooke comedies that had both (Marty Feldman)

Anyway, at one point the state of New Jersey was considering making Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" the state song.

A comedian pointed out there aren't many state songs with the word 'suicide' in them.

-Dio