Why are the English so humorless?
Alright, so I walk a dog for an English lady (I've already written about this earlier). She's incredibly kind, very polite, and very friendly. This last week, her nephew, his wife, and their two sons came over from Great Britain. They're all very nice and great company, but they don't have much of a sense of humor. Now, going around school and town and wherever else, most people would tell you I'm funny in my own way- not hysterical by any means, but I do like an occasional good laugh. Well, I was sitting with these very kind English people and decided I'd like to spice up the conversation with a little sarcasm. Huge mistake.
No laughs- not even fake laughs. No smiles- not even fake smiles. Just the same straight faces. THE SAME STRAIGHT FACES!!!!!!! Holy cow- I was dying! They weren't even giving me smiles that tell me my joke was the stupidest thing they'd heard all day! And the awkward silence that followed about put me in my grave! Holy crap! They weren't offended, they just didn't think it was funny- and they weren't about to show it either.
So the entire conversation went by- me doing 85% of the talking (and I don't talk much, usually) and no laughter or smiles (besides my own). It was so weird! Anyhow, these weren't the first English people I've ran into, and they won't be the last either, but I've always noticed similar reactions from each of them- they don't laugh like we Americans do. Once again I don't want to sound stereotypical, but I'm beginning to think that the English are a little more dry than us. I mean, have you ever seen their so-called "comedies"????? They're stupid. There's nothing funny about them. I think they may just not be quite into humor like we are, and I think it's because of our different backgrounds.
You look at the average Englishman. His ancestors are probably, for the most part English.
You look at the average American. His ancestors can come from anywhere.
Americans are just a little more culturally diverse in their family backgrounds and in their actual society as a whole. Afterall, America is a cultural melting pot where the different cultures of the world seem to really mesh together better than almost anywhere else. And with those different cultural identities meshing together, we've just grown to be more and more humorous.
Alright, so I walk a dog for an English lady (I've already written about this earlier). She's incredibly kind, very polite, and very friendly. This last week, her nephew, his wife, and their two sons came over from Great Britain. They're all very nice and great company, but they don't have much of a sense of humor. Now, going around school and town and wherever else, most people would tell you I'm funny in my own way- not hysterical by any means, but I do like an occasional good laugh. Well, I was sitting with these very kind English people and decided I'd like to spice up the conversation with a little sarcasm. Huge mistake.
No laughs- not even fake laughs. No smiles- not even fake smiles. Just the same straight faces. THE SAME STRAIGHT FACES!!!!!!! Holy cow- I was dying! They weren't even giving me smiles that tell me my joke was the stupidest thing they'd heard all day! And the awkward silence that followed about put me in my grave! Holy crap! They weren't offended, they just didn't think it was funny- and they weren't about to show it either.
So the entire conversation went by- me doing 85% of the talking (and I don't talk much, usually) and no laughter or smiles (besides my own). It was so weird! Anyhow, these weren't the first English people I've ran into, and they won't be the last either, but I've always noticed similar reactions from each of them- they don't laugh like we Americans do. Once again I don't want to sound stereotypical, but I'm beginning to think that the English are a little more dry than us. I mean, have you ever seen their so-called "comedies"????? They're stupid. There's nothing funny about them. I think they may just not be quite into humor like we are, and I think it's because of our different backgrounds.
You look at the average Englishman. His ancestors are probably, for the most part English.
You look at the average American. His ancestors can come from anywhere.
Americans are just a little more culturally diverse in their family backgrounds and in their actual society as a whole. Afterall, America is a cultural melting pot where the different cultures of the world seem to really mesh together better than almost anywhere else. And with those different cultural identities meshing together, we've just grown to be more and more humorous.
posted by dr.scholl at 11:23
2 Comments:
You never told me she was English!!! :)
Huh. That's interesting. Well, it's a good thing that none of us in math are English then because we have some good laughs in there! Oh, and I think you're funny, so it doesn't matter if she does! =D
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