Line #132 Main/BritishHumour


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/british_survey.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:As long as we count "fuck off" to mean yes.]]
3
4	->''"It is clear that humour is far superior to humor."''
5	-->-- '''Creator/OscarWilde'''
6
7	[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere Describe British Humour here]]. ''Good, 'cause I can't explain it.''
8
9	The [[RuleNumberOne first rule]] of British humour is to mock the monarchy and/or establishment but in a loving and reverent way. Generally known as {{satire}}, there's at least a little bit of truth there. Nobody wants to be [[UpperClassTwit a posh twat]], do they?
10
11	The second rule of British humour is to switch to SarcasmMode at every available opportunity. To expand: [[HumorMode humour is the default setting]] of British conversation unless it absolutely needs to be serious or they're with unfamiliar people.
12
13	[[SelfDemonstratingArticle British humour is often said to go over the heads of everyone else in the world, likely because it's far too sophisticated and pretentious for anybody to really understand, but the British being British all individually decided to pretend like they do, coming up with smart and sarcastic sounding nonsense to keep the game up all these years.]]
14
15	Yeah, that's probably why nobody else really gets it. The Brits are just a bunch of [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic arseholes]], really.
16
17	The ability to be so flippant about the quality of life -- absurdities of reality, existential dread, self-loathing, and [[PlaceWorseThanDeath how morbidly crap the UK is]] are generally the largest targets of British humour -- probably stems from the fact that, for a lot of history, it wasn't actually bad at all. With stability in real life, you can very well take the piss out of your conditions and it doesn't really wound the soul. Then, when real life actually turned to shit come the highly unprecedented political divisions suddenly appearing and climate change or something fucking the place up, [[RefugeInAudacity satirical humour became a refuge to well in despair, but with a smile]].
18
19	[[SincerityMode What probably makes it really hard to master is the fact that it is a reactive kind of comedy stemming from broad self-referential humour, and with an audience-dependent choice to be made regarding delivery.]] A completely accurate and innocuous statement delivered very seriously in appropriate circumstances can be quintessential British humour if it's all in place. One thing that makes this possible is perhaps the nigh-National consciousness and intimate knowledge of items and issues, and a shared sense of humour, reliant on the British society being so small and unique, and the general concerns of the nation amounting to high interest in general education and politics. And a well-timed "piss off" will be both a PrecisionFStrike and quite funny.
20
21	The most confusing part about British humour (besides all of it) has to be the fact that ''it isn't comedy''. Comedy and humour are quite different, and British humour is more amusing quips in regular conversation than a joke shop. You don't laugh (and have you ever seen a British person laugh and look respectable at the same time? It's impossible, so they developed a humour that prevents the shame of guffaw), except a little. Since a lot of the structures and ideas don't translate well, either, this really means that there are zero indications of humour for foreigners, who usually think their British company is batting non-sequiturs between each other for no good reason. Whatever, loser. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint People not getting it has become funny itself.]]
22
23	British humour can be said to exploit a version of PoesLaw in a way: you've got to be in on the practice to really understand if someone is being serious or being funny. It's like a really big InJoke.
24
25	Common elements of British humour that have tropes. Just don't try too hard or you come off as only slightly less pathetic than if you'd actually done it well:
26
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28	[[folder:A-G]]
29	[[index]]
30	* AccentDepundent
31	* AccentuateTheNegative
32	* AntiHumor
33	* {{Bathos}}
34	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment
35	* BitingTheHandHumour
36	* BlackComedy
37	* Administrivia/BrevityIsWit
38	* BrickJoke
39	* CannotTellAJoke
40	* TheComicallySerious
41	* TheCynic
42	* DeadpanSnarker
43	* DoubleEntendre
44	* GallowsHumour
45	* GeniusBonus
46	[[/index]]
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:H-M]]
50	* HypocriticalHumour
51	* {{Innuendo\|Tropes}}
52	* InsultBackfire
53	* InsultOfEndearment
54	* {{Irony}}
55	* JuxtapositionGag
56	* [[LiteralMinded Literal Gag]]
57	* LiteralistSnarking
58	* MajorInjuryUnderreaction
59	* MathematiciansAnswer
60	* MultipleReferencePun
61	[[/index]]
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:N-W & Miscellaneous]]
65	[[index]]
66	* NoMeansYes
67	* OneLiner
68	* PurpleProse
69	* SarcasmMode
70	* {{Satire}}
71	* SelfDeprecation
72	* SeparatedByACommonLanguage
73	* SirSwearsALot
74	* SnarkToSnarkCombat
75	* SophisticatedAsHell -- you mean it's not funny combining an affected RP dialect with copious curses?
76	** Also note that because the terribly dirty British humour is considered [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} the highest form of wit]] [[note]]I thought it was [[Creator/OscarWilde the lowest]]?[[/note]], it is actually the first language of many National Treasures and renowned ShakespearianActors. Doesn't hurt that [[JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples Shakespeare helped refine it]], too.
77	* SubvertedPunchline
78	* SurrealHumour
79	* {{Understatement}}
80	* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist
81	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight
82	* WhosOnFirst
83	* WordSaladHumor
84
85	* See also: ''TabletopGame/CardsAgainstHumanity''. The basis for this game (especially in the ways it is ''unlike'' TabletopGame/ApplesToApples) can be seen as the way that statement formulation can be a part of British humour -- just about current affairs (instead of, say, Creator/DanielRadcliffe's asshole), like Daniel Radcliffe's arsehole.
86	[[/index]]
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	And, because they've got to be special, someone [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/joking-aside-british-really-do-have-unique-sense-of-humour-793491.html did an actual study]] proving that the understanding of, and inclination towards, negative humour (biting statements, teasing, self-deprecation) is not only in the genes of British people, but also not in anyone else's. Sorry, I've got to, my mum gave me these genes.
90
91	!!Here's a flavour, don't worry, we won't charge:
92	->'''Brit 1:''' [[UsefulNotes/BritishWeather Guess we should]] TalkAboutTheWeather.\
93	'''Brit 2:''' It's lovely today, isn't it.\
94	''(thunderstorm destroys the bridge)''\
95	'''Brit 2:''' Oh, well, looks like I might be a bit late for ''{{Series/Cor\|onationStreet}}rie'' tonight.\
96	'''Brit 1:''' Yes, only my great aunt Vera and her arthritic cat knows how much insurance'll go up at a time like this.\
97	'''Brit 2:''' [[BritsLoveTea Tea?]]
98
99	->'''GDLA Interviewer:''' Did you read ''Literature/PaperTowns'' before the movie? [para]\
100	'''Creator/CaraDelevingne:''' No, I never read the book or the script, I just winged it.
101
102	->'''Brit 1:''' How was your holiday?\
103	'''Brit 2:''' Shite. Kids' entertainment was free and a pint was only 1 euro. Sun every day, too.\
104	'''Brit 1:''' Ghastly, must be glad to be back at work.\
105	'''Brit 2:''' You have no idea how much I love sucking our awful boss' balls.
106
107	->'''Ed Balls:''' [[https://twitter.com/edballs/status/63623585020915713?lang=en Ed Balls.]]
108	----
109	!!Sample of works that are based in British humour:
110	[[folder:Animation]]
111	* ''WebAnimation/{{asdfmovie}}''
112	* ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula''
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Comics]]
116	* ''ComicStrip/AndyCapp''
117	* ''ComicStrip/ThePerishers''
118	* ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}''
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
122	* ''Film/ThreeFlavoursCornettoTrilogy''
123	** ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead''
124	** ''Film/HotFuzz''
125	** ''Film/TheWorldsEnd''
126	* Creator/SachaBaronCohen
127	** ''Film/AliGIndahouse''
128	** ''Film/{{Borat}}''
129	** ''Film/Bruno2009''
130	** ''Film/TheDictator''
131	** ''Film/{{Grimsby}}''
132	* ''Film/FourLions''
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Franchises]]
136	* ''Franchise/CarryOnSeries''
137	** [[Film/CarryOnSeries The films]]
138	** [[Series/CarryOnChristmas The Christmas specials]]
139	** ''Series/CarryOnLaughing''
140	* Creator/CharlieBrooker
141	* ''Series/TheGoodies''
142	* ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''
143	* ''Franchise/MrBean''
144	* Creator/MontyPython
145	* Creator/VictoriaWood:
146	** ''Series/VictoriaWoodAsSeenOnTV''
147	** ''Series/{{dinnerladies}}''
148	* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit''
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Literature]]
152	* ''Literature/{{Englishman}}''
153	* ''Literature/GamerGirl2016''
154	[[/folder]]
155
156	[[folder:Magazines]]
157	* ''Magazine/NGamer''
158	* ''Magazine/PrivateEye''
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:Panel Shows]]
162	* [[PanelGame All of them]].
163	* ''Series/EightOutOfTenCats''
164	* ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou''
165	* ''Series/TheLastLeg''
166	* ''Series/MockTheWeek''
167	* ''Series/NeverMindTheBuzzcocks''
168	* ''Series/{{QI}}''
169	* ''Series/ThatWasTheWeekThatWas''
170	* ''Series/TheyThinkItsAllOver''
171	* ''Series/VirtuallyFamous''
172	* ''Series/WouldILieToYou''
173	* ''Series/YouHaveBeenWatching''
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder:Radio]]
177	* ''Radio/ImSorryIHaventAClue'' (also a Panel Game)
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Sketch Comedy]]
181	* ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''
182	* ''Series/TheCatherineTateShow''
183	* ''Series/{{Jam}}''
184	* ''Series/NoelFieldingsLuxuryComedy''
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:TV]]
188	* Everything that airs on Creator/Channel4
189	* ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''
190	* ''Series/TheCatherineTateShow''
191	* ''Series/Chef1993''
192	* ''Series/MyFamily''
193	* ''Series/FawltyTowers''
194	* ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace''
195	* ''Series/Miranda2009''
196	* ''Series/MurderMostHorrid''
197	* ''Series/NightyNight''
198	* ''Series/NotGoingOut''
199	* ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' (yes, the American version. [[LittleNo No]].)
200	* ''Series/TheTwoRonnies''
201	* ''Series/{{Vicious}}''
202	[[/folder]]
203
204	[[folder:Video Games]]
205	* Creator/{{Rare}}:
206	** ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''
207	** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''
208	** ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie''
209	** ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay''
210	[[/folder]]
211
212	[[folder:Websites]]
213	* ''Website/NewsBiscuit''
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Web Videos]]
217	* ''WebVideo/DontHugMeImScared''
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder:Other]]
221	* ''UsefulNotes/ComicRelief''
222	* ''Series/EurovisionSongContest'' (British broadcast, except for that one year when the rest of Europe found the stadium narration of [[Series/TheGrahamNortonShow Graham Norton]] so funny that they put him on for everyone)
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	'''Not massively related to the BritCom, the AwfulBritishSexComedy, or [[BritishActorsAndComedians British Comedians]], but these can all contain British humour.'''
226
227	----
228	Oh, and [[TakeThat taking the piss out of America]].
229	----
230	[[spoiler:Don't worry, it grows on you]].

Context Main / BritishHumour