Do Americans "not get sarcasm"?

[Booze Zombie]

I had recently posted a joke in a comment on a website (not naming names) and I was surprised that my throwaway joke was actually taken as a serious comment, with people explaining to me how stupid I was.

One realised and the other now thinks I'm a moron trying to pretend something stupid I said was a joke.
Whilst writing out my final reply to this fellow, a thought struck me (ow), could this be because he was an American?
Cultures can be different and that might be why.

Do Americans not get sarcasm or am I wrong?

Edit: I reworded this so it sounds less insulting and also, I'd like to say that I understand that text makes sarcasm quite unusable, I get that, really.

 

[Canadian Briton]

Nah its just that sarcasm dosen't translate well onto the internet.

 

[Dags90]

With the large popularity of satirical comedy shows (Daily Show, Colbert Report, South Park, et. al.), I would be inclined to think Americans are fine with sarcasm. It's generally accepted that sarcasm is hard to portray as text.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I had forgotten about the cold lack of emotion in text.

 

[Velvo]

I had forgotten about the cold lack of emotion in text.

Try using smiley faces. :] means "this is a joke." :[ means "I am serious." ;D

 

[Omikron009]

As far a I can tell, Americans don't have any problem with sarcasm. It's just that it's kind of hard to tell if someone's being serious with only text to go by. I've had the same problem myself.

 

[manaman]

I had forgotten about the cold lack of emotion in text.

Because thinking 300 million people have not grasped the concept of sarcasm is a easier conclusion to come to?

 

[Booze Zombie]

Try using smiley faces. :] means "this is a joke." :[ means "I am serious." ;D

My lack of smiley faces was probably disturbing to him.

ecause thinking 300 million people have not grasped the concept of sarcasm is a easier conclusion to come to?

Cultures can be strange and this was merely a question, I don't pretend to know everything.
That's why I asked.

 

[lizards]

I had recently posted a joke in a comment on a website (not naming names) and I was surprised that my throwaway joke was actually taken as a serious comment, with people explaining to me how stupid I was.

One realised and the other now thinks I'm a moron trying to pretend something stupid I said was a joke.
I got to thinking whilst typing up my final response that this only seems to be a problem with Americans, Americans seem to be very literal, their humour kind of blunt and shouty, I suppose.

Am I wrong, do you think or is this indeed part of American culture?
A lack of sarcasm, that is.

yep your right, you got hit it on the head

now is that sarcasm? the fact that it even could be interpreted as either proves my point, that being, if you going to say something sarcastic over the internet just put paint a target on your face

 

[Mcupobob]

I had forgotten about the cold lack of emotion in text.

Because thinking 300 million people have not grasped the concept of sarcasm is a easier conclusion to come to?

I'm suspecting that this was a failed attempt to get a American hate thread going.

OT: We get just fine thank you very much. Why does everyone form the U.K not understand sarcasm doesn't translate over text very well and jumped to insane conculsions? /sarcasm

 

[lizards]

naah its just that sarcasm dosen't translate well onto the internet.

what the fuck is your avatar man?

its cool

edit: im serious (thought i should throw that in there because this is about sarcasm misinterpretations

 

[Velvo]

ecause thinking 300 million people have not grasped the concept of sarcasm is a easier conclusion to come to?

Cultures can be strange.

Yeah, but British and American culture is only separated by a couple hundred years. Sarcasm is kinda in the language, if not in the human psyche.

I mean, some individuals may not get sarcasm, but I'd say most all cultures include a majority of people who understand the concept of "I'm being disingenuous for the sake of humor."

 

[Booze Zombie]

yep your right, you got hit it on the head

now is that sarcasm? the fact that it even could be interpreted as either proves my point, that being, if you going to say something sarcastic over the internet just put paint a target on your face

It seemed like very obvious sarcasm, to be honest.
I didn't think about it at the time...
Going "oh yes, your father must've invented that Internet-wide saying" seemed like a pretty obvious joke and I thought that'd be the end of it all.

I'm suspecting that this was a failed attempt to get a American hate thread going.

OT: We get just fine thank you very much. Why does everyone form the U.K not understand sarcasm doesn't translate over text very well and jumped to insane conculsions? /sarcasm

I like Americans, no need to jump to conclusions over a simple question.

Yeah, but British and American culture is only separated by a couple hundred years. Sarcasm is kinda in the language, if not in the human psyche.

I mean, some individuals may not get sarcasm, but I'd say most all cultures include a majority of people who understand the concept of "I'm being disingenuous for the sake of humor."

Yeah, I guess I was jumping to conclusions thinking it was just Americans... they do have a different sense of humour, though and that can cause problems.

 

[SpecklePattern]

As you said.

I had recently posted a joke in a comment on a website (not naming names) and I was surprised that my throwaway joke was actually taken as a serious comment, with people explaining to me how stupid I was. *snip* I got to thinking whilst typing up my final response that this only seems to be a problem with Americans, Americans seem to be very literal, their humour kind of blunt and shouty, I suppose. *snip*

These beat me to it.

naah its just that sarcasm dosen't translate well onto the internet.

With the large popularity of satirical comedy shows (Daily Show, Colbert Report, South Park, et. al.), I would be inclined to think Americans are fine with sarcasm. It's generally accepted that sarcasm is hard to portray as text.

I have thought this also. If it is text, it is hard not to take it literally. Also, jokes are always subjective. As I assume that it was a text joke.

But people are also stupid some times. You can see it for example when people use the word "parody" on some youtube videos and people just don't get it.

Youtube example a parody and responce to peoples responces from the parody maker.

And basic human nature fact:

People rarely know what they want, but they always know what they don't want.

ie. I think people have smaller step to put negative content out or interpreting other content negatively. So I dont think it is just lack of humor or anything, it is just you didn't post your joke to more intellectual place, such as The Escapist ;-D

 

[Rainforce]

I can't say for sure, but most people from america I talk to complain about how stupid/ignorant or whatsoever my talk is sometimes. Although I must admit that they know sarcasm in some form, it's probably not the kind I use. so, you might have a point there. maybe.
*dont wants to get too precise about that*

 

[VivaciousDeimos]

It seemed like very obvious sarcasm, to be honest.
I didn't think about it at the time...
Going "oh yes, your father must've invented that Internet-wide saying" seemed like a pretty obvious joke and I thought that'd be the end of it all.

I'm guessing it was probably a case of the individual. No matter how obvious, some people will simply not get sarcasm. They simply lack the capacity to understand it.

I'm suspecting that this was a failed attempt to get a American hate thread going.

OT: We get just fine thank you very much. Why does everyone form the U.K not understand sarcasm doesn't translate over text very well and jumped to insane conculsions? /sarcasm

I like Americans, no need to jump to conclusions over a simple question.

It seems you may have touched a slight nerve, though I don't think you did so on purpose. To answer your other question, I wouldn't say that our humor is "blunt and shouty" really. I actually don't really think there's anything like a "national flavor of humor" because the country's simply too big. Common humor probably ranges from region to region and varies quite a bit, as well as taking into account individual humor.

 

[Booze Zombie]

And basic human nature fact:

People rarely know what they want, but they always know what they don't want.

ie. I think people have smaller step to put negative content out or interpreting other content negatively. So I dont think it is just lack of humor or anything, it is just you didn't post your joke to more intellectual place, such as The Escapist ;-D

He, he, he! Could very well be... I never really thought about this being text based before as I type in the same manner I talk, which is apparently bad form, but I do it anyway.

I actually don't really think there's anything like a "national flavor of humor" because the country's simply too big. Common humor probably ranges from region to region and varies quite a bit, as well as taking into account individual humor.

I was generalising pretty badly, I guess I've just had the misfortune of talking to the ones who don't get it and are actually pretty hostile.