Posted on 12/24/2002 4:31:21 PM PST by PJ-Comix
Okay, it's Christmas Eve so let's set aside politics here for a bit and discuss something that has interested me for a long time. Which countries/cultures have the Best; the Worst; and the Strangest senses of humor.
I would classify Britain and the U.S.A. as having the Best senses of humor although they are a bit different. The Brits rely more on subtley and wordplay. American humor is more slap-on-the-back. Sometimes both types of humor combine wonderfully such as in the movie The Loved One written by a Brit (Evelyn Waugh) but set in an American funeral home with very American funny characters in it.
Germany is often thought of as having the worst sense of humor but in this category I think we have to award the French with this honor since those folks actually think that Jerry Lewis is some sort of comedic genius. However, there is a lot of truth that the Germans have a lousy sense of humor. I once went out with a German chick named Ernegard (sp?) and not only did she have NO SENSE of humor but she hated it when anybody else thought something was funny. I well remember the many times she would say to me: "Alvays mit der jokes! Alvays mit der shmiles! It's all vun bik joke to you isn't it?" Then Ernegard would get even angrier as I did an impression of her muttering these lines.
The STRANGEST senses of humor goes to the Japanese. I haven't any idea why they laugh at what they do. Once I was in a bar in L.A. filled with Japanese businessmen. I recieved a couple of half dollars at the counter as change so on an impulse I stuck both of them into my eyes like monocles and screamed: "BANZAI!!!" Immediately the Japanese were rolling on the floor in laughter. When they recovered I thought it was a freak accident and I repeated the same bit with the coins and the "BANZAI!" scream and again they rolled with laughter. They laughed so hard that one of them begged me not to do it anymore since he was suffocating from laughing so hard. And why they laughed so much at such a silly routine I don't know but this is why I said they have the strangest sense of humor.
One other thing I have observed is that it also depends on what part of the country some folks are from as to their senses of humor. One of the funniest people I know is from India and works at the food court at the Swap Shop. I often buy breakfast from him because I appreciate the humor. However, he is from (judging from his appearance) South India but the folks from North India seem to have no sense of humor. I recently told a funny story to these two guys from North India and they just glowered at me. Then I told them a really good dirty joke and they acted as if they I were insulting them by telling that joke.
I used to think Chinese folks were super-serious but perhaps the most humorous person I have ever met is my friend, Jessica, from Wuhan, China. The other day I told her my idea for a Chinese Restaurant with a Red Guards theme and not only did she laugh uproariously at the concept but she now wants to incorporate that concept as a business. So if you see a Red Guards Chinese Restaurant in South Florida in the near future, it had its roots in a joke I told.
"Das Bootie?"
Except that Shecky Green is from CHICAGO, not NY. I know because my father's aunt knew Shecky because she and her husband ran the BIGGEST photo studio in Chicago (Maurice Seymore Photography) and took studio photos of many showbiz celebs, including Shecky Green.
Chiang? As in Chiang Kai-Shecky?
Actually there is an HILARIOUS but true story involving Chiang Kai-Shek. It happened in the middle of WWII when Roosevelt sent to China what is now considered the WORST Ambassador in History---An Oklahoman named Patrick Hurley. Hurley was so clueless as to different cultures and diplomatic niceties that he inadvertently insulted the Chinese many times. He started off on a bad note when he first met the then President of China, Chiang Kai-Shek when he shook his hand and said, "Glad to meet you, Mr. Shek."
Oh, and when he first arrived in China he got off on the wrong foot as soon as he stepped from his airplane. Meeting him at the airfield was a contingent of Chinese soldiers arranged in formation to greet him. When Hurley stepped out onto the ladder ramp extending to the airplane, he took off his cowboy hat and let out a loud Cherookee War Whoop in greeting. This scared the hell out of the awaiting Chinese soldiers who, despite their careful formations, ducked to the grown clumsily out of fear of this madman exiting the plane.
Jessica loved the idea and is now trying to get a Chinese Restaurant to incorporate this Red Guards theme. However, most Chinese don't see the campy humor in this. But don't worry. It is only a matter of time. Eventually in South Florida there will be a Red Guards Chinese Restaurant. Only those with a sense of humor will be admitted.
That's why the material for a Red Guards Chinese Restaurant would be FRESH for most people here. As I told Jessica, we will RE-EDUCATE them. Oh, one other idea I had would be large B&W pics of Mao, Chou En-Lai and Stalin on the walls. However, occasionally the pic of Stalin would flip around to reveal a pic of a dour Chairman Hillary.
I even worked out how the newspaper ads would appear. It would feature a very earnest Red Guards member pointing out at the reader and the words above says: "The People's Revolutionary Committee Resolutely Urges You To Dine At The Red Guards Chinese Restaurant!" Folks would show up out of curiousity.
I got this idea because I heard complaints that in South Florida that the King Buffet chain was killing the business for traditional Chinese Restaurants.
You left Krusty The Clown off your list. The funniest Simpsons episode was when Krusty got re-united with his father whose voice was provided by Jackie Mason.
I'd have to say I like British humor the best as that's what I'm most familiar with. I've found that Caribbean women are quick to laugh and generally apreciate a good joke.
Whoever invented the Bidet (i think the guys name was Bidet) has played a joke of monumental proportions on his fellow countrymen...
The French: never take a bath but have the cleanest assholes on the planet...
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