Posted on 06/07/2011 3:17:52 PM PDT by therightliveswithus
Humor is supposed to be a cultural norm that crosses ethnic and linguistic lines. However, it appears that stereotypes have arisen around different countries and their ability to tell a joke. While the United States has its fair share of comedians, and we've been spared the shame (or pride, maybe?) of not being the world's least funny country.
One might think that France would be high up on the list with its cultural arrogance or perhaps Japan with its rigorous work ethic. Perhaps a fundamentalist nation, like Iran? Instead, it wasn't anyof these.
Instead, according to a survey including the votes of 30,000 respondents, one country fails to cause laughter.
Still can't get it? Let me give you a hint. Here are two jokes from the country:
‘Yesterday, I met my friend Horst at the hospital. He’d swallowed a sponge. He says it doesn’t hurt but he’s always thirsty.’
If that left your ribs untickled, try this: ‘Plants grow very well if you speak kindly to them. Which is why I sometimes go into the garden and insult the weeds.’
The country? Germany.
(Excerpt) Read more at punditpress.blogspot.com ...
I guessed right. I live in Germany and I don’t get their humor (I’m not exactly fluent, but now I don’t have to blame it on that anymore!)
The United States hasn’t tickled my funny bone in a very long time.
what do the people in China call their good plates ?
I ahm lahffink on der inside. Haha. Your presence becomes tiresome. Leave me now.
BS.
The country which coined the word Schadenfreude can’t possibly not have at least a well developed warped sense of humor.
Where do the Germans keep their armies? Up their sleevies.
Hey - who's got the Lutheran ping list these days? :)
Germans are notoriously humorless, but certainly the Germans in Hogan's Heros made a lot of people laugh. From Monty Python to Benny Hill Englishmen made Americans (and plenty of other people) laugh by pretending to be German (though the French always seemed to be the butt of the most and funniest jokes).
In neighboring countries.
Well ok. It is very dry, and sometimes a bit twisted - as your great example shows. But there is such order in this society, and that rules over everything. One of my daughters is always complaining that “people will always tell you everything you are doing wrong. Even strangers.” True. And another daughter’s 1st grade teacher had one HUGE complaint in the parent/teacher conference - that my daughter was too silly (great student, but too silly). I guess that’s what I see - they don’t see that a little silliness is okay sometimes - even for a 1st grader.
Did her first-grade teacher look anything like this fellow?
Vellkom to Schprockets!
Could very well be Frau Backhausen, 20 years ago!
or more likely, 40 years ago...
Either way, the answer is: Belgium
Understood. My wife lived in Deutchland for a couple of years and she agrees that they are a pretty tight wound people.
Humor, however, comes in many forms and subtle humor can be just as funny as a pie in the face.
He was Belgian.
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