Do we have a decent sense of humor?

Question

I certainly think so. Often when one posts humorous answers in other sections - which, as we all know, are mostly viewed by Americans - it gets a thumbs down rating, while in the SA section funny answers are almost always welcomed by other answerers. And the Yanks wonder why the world doesn't like them...
Thumbs up to you South Africans!

Thanks, Keekee. You should see the real me for a good laugh! Hahahahaha!!

Thanks for the hilarious answer mr asshole (your name's quite a joke).
I have a life thanks. A great one. Do you?

Stick around here for a while Joey K and you'll see lots of it.

Exactly, Blackjack. The main issue addressed here though, is people who give a thunbs-down rating at funny answers. If one doesn't find it funny, at least respect that person's imperfect attempt at lightening up someone's day and leave it alone.

The most recent example that triggered this question was an answer to someone wanting to know if the moon is made of cheese. I answered that it was indeed cheddar, and that Santa and the tooth fairy go there to get their cheese. And I got 2 down ratings....Huh?

Thanks, Inno. The cheese dude may also have been 7 years old... but that's another question for another time altogether.

Thanks for all the answers and stars.

Answer 1

you're funny looking.

Answer 2

There are a lot of different answers here but I think the point is we are all different. I live in a house with 2 comedians and don't get most of the jokes that's just who I am. But I have friends who find that so funny. Can't we just accept our differences as differences and not be angry because one was born in this part of the world and one was born on the other side of the world? Its all about the culture you were raised in and realizing that makes you a better communicator.


After reading your additional comments I think it was just silly to give you a thumbs down rating for that answer. I mean really if you ask a silly question then you get a silly answer seems like thats what they were looking for.

Answer 3

Hmm... possibly it depends on whether the question actually deserved a funny answer.. sometimes, we use humor instead of being serious when the person is really looking for a serious answer..
As for thumbs down, I usually reserve those for people who make general statements about other nationalities without cause, I also save those for people who give rude and obnoxious answers to questions that, while the rude person may think they're being funny, they're not..
Also, you have to remember, cultural differences will always exist, and what you find amusing, may not be so, to us Yanks.

Answer 4

Like Dodger says... we have an excellent sense of humour!!!
i mean with our countries situation, what better thing to do than laugh...or we'll end up knee high in tears and complaints.
I think that "some" of the posted questions in other categories are serious Vango... we know we've had a few dumb ones this side (do we have houses )... So who knows? The cheese dude might have been serious...lol (scary thought)

You get a star, mwah!!!

Answer 5

i do believe you have humor & humerous confused with each other. to make the term as simple as possible, what makes someone laugh (or chuckle/smile) differs from one 'funny' to another. thats humor. what is perceived by the receiver is humorous. you're looking for a common denominator. what's funny in one country (poor yanks) doesn't light another's board, so to speak. in fact, south africa is certainly big enough for you to run a little experiment: see if what's hillarious in one part is the same in another. i can't tell you what turns americans on with humor but i can tell you this, being one, that we deal with stress with humor, comedy and turning a severe situation into a comedic term. we are accused of being insensitive but we aren't. it is america's way of dealing with distance, time, leveling it down to it's basic form & then we go to work on it. comedy is so personal. funny to me is not the same for all. do humans have a sense of humor? yes! in fact, other animals do as well, not just humans. if someone trips & falls, we laugh only because it isn't happening to us. i was severely reprimanded once because i laughed out loud after seeeing two grown men collide & fall back on their arses. i thought it was true slapstick & the other parties thought it was embarassing. as i type this i remember the incident & still get a chuckle over it (even though it happened over 20 years ago). cultures often dictate 'funny', as well. i bet you don't 'get' american humor, right? as shakespeare would say, "all's fair..."

Answer 6

We are generally humorous. Not only on this forum. I listen and participate in media programmes, especially the Safm and I'm always amazed by how we handle tense situations. We are not aware of the amount of energy we have to navigate through difficulties. In my contacts with people from Europe and the Americas, most people envy our "national personality" - and the ease with which we laugh at ourselves - in most cases at the height of dispair. So, the fact that, generally, as South Africans we don't give thumbs down is just confrimation of that personality.

But we shouldn't forget that some people have had their accounts closed on several occasions because of postings they made in this section. It might have been other people who reported them but it's a fcat that some of us (people from Mzansi) are nasty and run to abuse reporting.

I'm yearning for the day that we will have thumbs down-free day for the SA section. We could still differ and allow virtual blood on the floor without using weird tacticss.

I can feel it in my blood that on that day my value will jump to its rightful place, i.e. equivalent of British pound. Uncle Bob will be able to use me to pay for confiscated farms and we will leave in peace! Hahahaha!!!

Zim...$, out!

Answer 7

We South Africans don't have a decent sense of humour, we have an excellent sense of humour. We are able to poke fun at ourselves. Take Zapiro for example, he takes everyday things and makes them funny. There's also Leon Schuster. A classic example would be his movie 'Millenium Menace'. So to all South Africans: if jokes be the food of laughter, keep laughing!

Answer 8

That's for sure, Vango. And from where I'm sitting in the southern hemisphere, humour is almost 'nix!'. People from Africa have been through a hell of alot and majority have come out unscathed and better people for it. We never knew what 'trauma counselling' was but it's a big thing overseas and they have practically nothing to complain about in life! Now just imagine if we put them in Africa? We are survivors!
And.......with an excellent sense of humour! LOL!!!

Answer 9

lol, ye, but sometimes when a south african makes a 'south african joke' it might not be funny to some people coz they might not relate to certain south african things.

like a stay in the uk
and moved here a year ago frm south africa...

and i always listen to south african jokes, and its funny but i cant imagin an american laughing at it, coz theres certain slang , if u know what i mean

Answer 10

Everyone needs a good sense of humor, even serious questions, Whats the Alternative ? No future in that.

Answer 11

you do have a point funny answers are given a bad rating but sum times those answers are really funny and better then the ones that answer the question!