American Humour is Terrible

[pubbing]

Let me offer you some examples of good American comedy.

Curb your Enthusiasm

Party Down

Reno 911

South Park (Is in no way Canadian)

Chapelle's Show (A little older and off air now but man that show was funny)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (This show is the funniest thing ever!!!! Danny Devito is fucking awesome)

 

[crop52]

Oh yeah? You think American comedy is stupid? Well I disagree.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I like South Park (I know it's Canadian)

Um... no. Do you watch the show? It takes place in Colorado. I know, it's snowy. But just FYI, we have snow here in the United States as well.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121955/

Scroll down to section that says details....next to country it says USA....rather than be a smug jerk and talk about snow this way I'll provide real evidence in a non jerk manner to make my point (ok ok so maybe I'm being a little bit of a jerk but my point is that it is better to provide a credible link than be a smug jerk to try and sound cool).

Car crash in head much? Seriously, the awkward tonal shift and the point flying right by you (that you are no better with your faux white knighting) was very entertaining, but not exactly in a good way.

Most people on here expect topic starters to do some research and there's nothing wrong with what was said in the previous post.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

I swear South Park is American, and to quote Louis C.K "You don't have to be smart to laugh at a fart, but you have to be stupid not to." So who cares if its a stupid joke, funny is funny, and I like my 30 Rock, Scrubs, Arrested Development, comedy tv shows. And I like Office Space, Knocked Up, Step Brothers.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

-Previous comment retracted-

Curse me being tired. Those shows are terrible, yes, but not all American humor is bad. Arrested Development, for example, is fucking hilarious.

I still don't like this country very much, though.

This slays me, every time I hear some young person say it. I love my country. I dont like whats going on in Washington, right now, but I love my country without question.

Anyways, back to the original poster... you mean, YOU think American humor is terrible. Thats fine, you are entitled to your opinion. But its not fact, plain and simple. Alot of the shows they are putting out are garbage these days, but I certainly wouldnt generalize is and say that american humor is terrible.

 

[Titan Buttons]

Other people like American humor. It's called an opinion. You're not right, and neither are they.

My point is that the jokes involved are less intelligent than those in British shows. Go watch Peep Show. That is genius. Compare it to any widely viewed American comedy show. I'm not arguing which is subjectively better, I'm arguing that British comedy is more intelligent. Please read my post and understand it before replying.

I understand what you mean and do agree with you, though I still find America humour funny as the unintelligent humour can be funny if used in the right way, such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

 

[Mr Pantomime]

-snip-

Hooray for blatant stereotyping.

You dont, like these shows, and really, I dont either. But its rather callous to say that all American Humor is crap because of the small amount youve seen. It does suck that Two and A Half Men is the highest viewed show in America. But in the same vein it also sucks that Transformers grossed so much, or that Black Ops is the best selling game of all time, or that tween pop is the biggest thing in music right now. But this is hardly news, and its hardly limited to America.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

Bit of a generalisation there.
I'm of the opinion that "traditional" American sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, etc) aren't all that funny, but there certainly are funny non-sitcomish programs and movies that have come out of America.

 

[Ghengis John]

My point is American humour is unintelligent and boring to watch. It is juvenile, and I find it actually almost painful to see shows like Two and a Half Men doing well when they are so full of utter crap.

Humor is highly subjective. I wouldn't say that "american humor" is terrible however. I happen to be American for instance, and I'm hilarious. There is certainly some crappy television, but there are people with crappy taste in every country. You need look no further than the fact that somebody is watching these shows in your country, making their export possible. For what it's worth I hate two and a half men myself and television ratings have been in decline here in the states for a decade.

 

[Quellist]

I disagree with the OP

Exhibit #1 Better off Ted

Exhibit #2 My Name is Earl

 

[Kamehapa]

I like South Park (I know it's Canadian)

Um... no. Do you watch the show? It takes place in Colorado. I know, it's snowy. But just FYI, we have snow here in the United States as well.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121955/

Scroll down to section that says details....next to country it says USA....rather than be a smug jerk and talk about snow this way I'll provide real evidence in a non jerk manner to make my point (ok ok so maybe I'm being a little bit of a jerk but my point is that it is better to provide a credible link than be a smug jerk to try and sound cool).

Also taking time away from discussing the point at hand to correct someone for improper citation for commonly known information surprisingly makes you even more of a smug jerk...

Before you say anything, yes, I am a smug jerk.

 

[SurrealFactory]

No. You aren't inherently funny because you're born British. Also, Matt and Trey are from Texas and Colorado respectively, so I don't know where you got the idea that it was Canadian.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Trolling OP must love crappy British humor. You're telling me Benny Hill is highbrow? What about the majority of the Monty Python sketches no one remembers because they AREN'T FUNNY?
Not to say all British humor is crappy... But the Office (either version, doesn't matter) is horribly boring and dry, and the American version only gave Ricky Gervais a platform to ***** about and have a slight bit of success.
Oh, and btw OP, Matt Stone was born in Texas and Trey Parker was born in Colorado. Both of those places are states in the union, therefore making them 100% All American. If you don't know those two names, don't post inane and inaccurate claims about them.


EDIT: NINJA'D!

No. You aren't inherently funny because you're born British. Also, Matt and Trey are from Texas and Colorado respectively, so I don't know where you got the idea that it was Canadian.

 

[Crimson_Dragoon]

Other people like American humor. It's called an opinion. You're not right, and neither are they.

My point is that the jokes involved are less intelligent than those in British shows. Go watch Peep Show. That is genius. Compare it to any widely viewed American comedy show. I'm not arguing which is subjectively better, I'm arguing that British comedy is more intelligent. Please read my post and understand it before replying.

I understand what you mean and do agree with you, though I still find America humour funny as the unintelligent humour can be funny if used in the right way, such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Interesting example, given that its based off a British show, but the American version's better, so I guess it counts.

OT: Come on. You can't make blanket statements like. Humor is far too subjective to say one type is better than another (besides maybe Tyler Perry humor, that's just crap).

Oh, and you spelled humor wrong[footnote]Sorry, couldn't help myself.[/footnote].

 

[synobal]

British Humor is terrible, I don't get Benny Hill.

 

[xXCrocmonXx]

I like South Park (I know it's Canadian) for it's witty commentary of current affairs. It actually takes issues of the day and makes some good jokes at them. Family Guy is just ok - I wouldn't watch it often, but it can be funny. The kind of American humour I really don't like is shows like the Big Bang Theory. Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmLQaTcViOA

It just isn't funny. Not because it isn't my sense of humour, but there is no intelligence to the jokes involved. America has scrounged genuinely good British TV series such as Shameless and The Office, and ruined them in an effort to bring them to the American market.

My point is American humour is unintelligent and boring to watch. It is juvenile, and I find it actually almost painful to see shows like Two and a Half Men doing well when they are so full of utter crap.

Let me teach you a small secret: Intelligence doesn't make a joke. I tell a story about poking an ex-girlfriend's kid in the back of the head asking him "Remember this?" because I did his mom when she was three months pregnant and thought she wasn't, that's not intelligent but it's still going to catch a laugh. I'm pretty sure someone just laughed at it.

If a joke isn't intelligent or 'refined' or whathaveyou it doesn't mean it's bad. Family Guy gets laughs. When you make humor, you don't try to make sure "it's smart humor" or if it's bad humor. A good example of this is the recent AMERICAN show Spongebob Squarepants. It doesn't follow currently 'intelligent' or 'witty' twists on humor fads, it just does what it feels like would make the creators laugh and doesn't care about you. That makes it a catchy show with pleasurable jokes. Just because it doesn't go "Well at least we're not American, good chap!" or go into Argument Booths that end in visits from the Yard doesn't mean it's bad.

Your statements in the opening post were uninformed of what humor actually is. A joke is something that is going to make the people laugh. Intelligence is irrelevant, unless you know your audience is going to get it. You make jokes, and if you think it's funny then fine-dandy. If the crowd doesn't, well then they don't like your humor. Doesn't mean it's bad, or that you're terrible, or whatever. And donning the popular "American things are shit" dunce cap is still donning a dunce cap, popular or not. Get over yourself, then come back.

 

[CorinthianRed]

Ok, let me qualify this for you. I'm American, and I agree with this statement whole-heartedly.
But we do have some good witty comedy, but it's usually not wildly popular.
For example Futurama, it doesn't beat you over the head with a frying pan of obvious visual pun.

Or modern Family is a slightly more intelligent sitcom style comedy that has a tendency of punishing the viewers who can't pay attention longer than it takes to pop a fistful of Adderal.
But to conclude, you don't go to the Sahara desert for it's coastal beaches, you don't go to England to sample it's delectable native cuisine, you don't go to Canada for it's tropical climate, and you don't generally go to America to laugh......except at the fat people.