Poll: Who's better at comedy? Brits or Americans?

[AnarchistFish]

Well I'm British so I might be biased, but our humour seems much more dry and subtle, and I like that more. Americans seem much more "in your face".

I mean, just look at Yahtzee. His videos wouldn't work if he were American, it just wouldn't be the same.

 

[Serge A. Storms]

Thankfully it only took someone two pages to point out how ridiculous this topic is. The most important other thing that can be said in this thread is that all the youngin's in this thread talking about the superiority of British stand-up because of Britain's (as a country, apparently) learned ability to mock itself should probably get to know the man that took self-depreciating black humor to heights it has never known before or since, Richard Pryor.

I also noticed that we did this entire thread without a mention of the funniest, most self-aware and socially relevant comedian alive (whenever he's working), David Chappelle.

 

[weker]

I prefer British humor, as I tend to find that most American stand up is only on par with British pub level stand up.
Apart from that Mitchell and Webb.

 

[CrazyDave DC]

Monty Python! John Cleese! Why are we still talking about this?!?

 

[Victor Burgos]

I prefer Brits. they are succint and witty most of the time. On the other hand, Americans depend too much on crudeness and cursing... at least that has been my experience.

 

[weker]

seem to posses some inherent and undefinable notion of their own superiority in all things.

I shall repeat that humor is subjective. Anyone with a brain should know that. Just as I can wager, this is worth an argument to you because you're British.

I am curios to know who you are making comparing your generalization of the British with, apart from Europe (who if anything are lacking pride for their homeland's) the majority of locations share an equal pride for their home.

Everyone on the internet knows things like VS threads are totally subjective, but also people don't care (the "this is subjective" statement is almost as tiring as VS threads themselves) People like data and polls proving people agree with them.

Btw i'm German

 

[Flight]

I generally think British humor is more amusing than American. Then again, I'm slightly embittered by years of decidedly moronic American "humor" films and series.

 

[Fanfic_warper]

Wow, you have one terrible sense of humour.

Edit: Fine, how about this;

First off, that's your opinion.

Secondly... No....just not funny...Just stupid.

 

[Shia-Neko-Chan]

Well since this site is quite biased against America, it's completely obvious who's going to win the poll here. You should try a site with more diversity.

 

[Flyingchciken93]

The brits have been consistently funny for the last 20-30 years whereas the americans are only funny because of the massive amount of stuff they churn out. Im not saying americans arent funny, they are, but more than half of the stuff they put out is abosolute rubbish whereas the brits put out less stuff but more of it is funny. I voted for brits btw, and im irish jsyk.

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

First off, that's your opinion.

Not really. The UK has produced some great comedy, it seems absolutely ridiculous that the only Brit you find funny is Yahtzee.

 

[weker]

10 years of The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, and The Golden Girls. You can argue as much as you want that some shows "aren't as good as they used to be," but American shows have a tendency to run longer than three episodes.

They have a tendency to run for much longer duration as the writers and owners are more happy to keep it going, with most British comedy, they tend to stop around the fourth series, like black adder and Mitchell and Webb. Father Ted, Spaced and Extras don't suddenly stop, the writers and actors put the show to rest and move on. If you watch any of the comedy history documentary (the name escapes me)this trend is excessively prominent.

 

[Jacob Haggarty]

If we're talking stand up, then britain wins, hands down. The few american comedians ive seen so far are very waffley, and tend to go on about stuff for ages. Not to say that some british comedians don't (see Eddie Izzard, and at a stretch Billy Conolly). British comedians are over all much more spontaneous and get the punch-lines in at just the right to time to "combo" the effect, making a joke that would usually get a bit of a chuckle into an absolute killer. Theres also a very diverse selection of comedians in british culture, with some (still hilarious) polar-opposites that present an interesting contrast. For instance, we have a lot of situational comedians, like Russel Howard (although he does border on the absurd), as well as some fairly surreal comedians, see Eddie Izzard and Bill Bailey.

When it comes to sit-comc etc, i think its a bit of a draw. Mainly because i'm not a huge fan of them, and my only experiences i half-enjoyed were friends and My family, so 1-1 i supose.

Of course, all this is opinion, and i really do like some of the american comdeians, Tom Stade (i think he's american) had me in stitches for... well, whenever he got on stage.

EDIT: I'll tell you who are REALLY funny, the scots. They have some of the best comedians i have ever seen or heard.

 

[weker]

the large number of American hating Americans on this site

That is mostly because this site's Americans are mostly Atheist and Liberals, and in a place where last time I heard 40% of their Christians don't think evolution is real, I would find it difficult to not "hate" on american.

 

[TheCrapMaster]

For standup i go for brits, american standup artists just swear to be funny.

As for movies and such it depends on the mood, if i just want some easy fun i watch something american. If i want abit more "smart" comedy i go for british comedy.

 

[Fanfic_warper]

Not really. The UK has produced some great comedy, it seems absolutely ridiculous that the only Brit you find funny is Yahtzee.

Humor is relative. I don't like british comedy, that's all there is to it. I prefer guys like Stephen colbert and Even John Stewart to the likes of The Office or Monty Python.

 

[keyLIMEpiez]

does it really fuckin matter?

 

[Sarah Frazier]

It depends on what you prefer for comedy. Both countries have their own sense of what's funny and how to present it, so it's just a matter of figuring out for yourself.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Well since this site is quite biased against America, it's completely obvious who's going to win the poll here. You should try a site with more diversity.

One of the main factors here is Yahtzee, who was the first taster of the Escapist to most here, myself included. He happens to be British, living in Australia.

 

[Monty McDougal]

Come on,

Red Dwarf, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Mr Bean, Johnny English, 'Allo 'Allo, This Is Not The Nine O Clock News, That Was The Week That Was, QI, The Full Monty, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Dad's Army, Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, the original Whose Line Is It Anyway, Porridge, Father Ted, The Vicar of Dibley, The Inbetweeners, Ali G, Black Books, Shameless, Mock the Week, never Mind the Buzzcocks, Outnumbered, Spike Milligan, Benny Hill, Spaced, The Office, Extras

FINALLY someone else who loves Johnny English
But I have to disagree with the original Whose line, the American one was better. and American's have Scrubs, Tosh.0, Futurama, Adventure Time and the older SNL casts(not the new one)