The Relationship Between Humor and Culture: Emma Jameson

1114 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of humour

Similar to many other lively pleasures, humor can only be experienced if it resonates with a person. Without some kind of comprehension, there cannot be any type of reaction. Only once an outlandish statement, inappropriate remark, or unexpected situation, is remotely understood will a person be able to label it comical or sober. Since there are billions of people worldwide with their own languages including it’s respective idioms, euphemisms, the age old saying of “there is truth in every joke” applies to each culture individually.
Introduction
Emma Jameson, a new and popular author, describes the relationship between humor and culture by noting that, “A nation’s wit is linked to the historical development of the country . . . Therefore humor is something which is not always transferrable in another country.” While many agree with Jameson, an argument arises depicting the differences between the British culture and American melting-pot. Given that American forefathers carried the English language from their homeland, Great Britain, many critics believe that there cannot be too many differences within the language.
In fact, English speakers in America clearly differ from those in Britain by tone, delivery, and expression. Since the language differs in these ways based on its local use, it is understandable why the two countries’s humor differ as well. America’s obvious slap-stick and Britain’s blunt irony, differ between their own individual standards, just like their versions of the English language, and continue to change with time. In comparison to the humor used by Hollywood’s original actors in the early fifties, the comedies we are currently exposed to on television today has changed drastically.
The Transformation of ...

... middle of paper ...

...Bonanza." TV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Brain, Marshall. "How Laughter Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 01 Apr. 2000. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Deacon, Michael. "Father Figure: A Very Bad Comedy from a Very Good Comedian." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 22 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Jameson, Emma. "English Humour vs. American Humor – Is There a Difference?" Lexiophiles. Lexiophiles, 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
"Modern Family | TV Review | Plugged In." Modern Family | TV Review | Plugged In. Focus on the Family's Plugged In, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Taflinger, Richard F. "Richard Taflinger's Home Page." Richard Taflinger's Home Page. Washington State University, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"What Is A Sitcom? - Features - British Comedy Guide." What Is A Sitcom? - Features - British Comedy Guide. British Comedy Guide, Jan. 2006. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Australian Humor and the Australian Identity

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    Australian humour is very unique to Australia, and many other cultures find it quite unusual. It can be described as dry, anti-authoritarian, self-mocking, very ironic and as to stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable. Our humour is seen through our use of slang, print cartoons, radio sketches, comedy series’ on television, films, everyday life and in Australian literature. According to the Collins Dictionary and Thesaurus , humour means, “The quality of being funny; the ability to appreciate or express that which is humorous; situations, speech or writings that are humorous”. Due to its unique qualities, it will become apparent that Australian humour is quiet different to that of America and England and other nations. To highlight the importance of humour through the development of Australian identity, five main elements have been identified. These are, the part Australian humour plays in Australian identity, its unique qualities, its integral part in the Australian identity, the role of humour in times of great hardship and other nation’s perceptions of Australian humour. It is through these elements that it will become evident that humour is an important part of the development of the Australian identity.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Steve Almond's Funny Is The New Deep

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steve Almond’s “Funny is the New Deep” talks of the role that comedy has in our current society, and most certainly, it plays a huge role here. Namely, through what Almond [Aristotle?] calls the “comic impulse”, we as a people can speak of topics that would otherwise make many of uncomfortable. Almond deems the comic impulse as the most surefire way to keep heavy situations from becoming too foreboding. The comic impulse itself stems from our ability and unconscious need to defend and thus contend with the feeling of tragedy. As such, instead of rather forcing out humor, he implies that humor is something that is not consciously forced out from an author, but instead is more of a subconscious entity, coming out on its own. Almond emphasizes

    Read More

  • Why Does Elon Gold Use Mock Language

    2046 Words  | 5 Pages

    Elon Gold is a white, American comedian, he has a comedy special called, Chosen & Taken, in which, he, like many other comedians has a few jokes that he tells in his act, of which are solely based on different accents and or dialects of English as well as a few other languages. Mock language is best described by the definition of mock “to laugh at or make fun of (someone or something) especially by copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking”(Mock). Mock language is the combination of mocking someone specifically in the act of using their language or dialect as an example. Throughout this paper I will be analyzing how comedians (examples by Elon Gold) use Mock Languages in acts and why we find this funny, and not as offensive

    Read More

  • Nonverbal Humor Analysis

    290 Words  | 1 Pages

    Raskin (1985) introduces his approach as being concerned with ‘verbal humor’, but his analyses are based on all types of humor conveyed in language, that is, our ‘verbally expressed’ humor. The widely-cited general theory of verbal humor (Attardo, 1994), which we have not space to discuss here, is about humor expressed in language, not merely humor dependent on specific language devices. To complicate matters further, Norick (2004) uses non-verbal to describe jokes which cannot be effectively conveyed in written language, since they are dependent on audible material (e.g. tone of voice) or on non-linguistic devices such as gestures; ‘verbal’ jokes would then be those which can be expressed successfully in writing. In this chapter, we will stay with the terms outlined earlier: anything conveyed in language is ‘verbally expressed humor’; ‘verbal humor’ is dependent on language-specific devices, ‘referential humor’ is based solely on meaning.

    Read More

  • Madness and Absyrdity in Catch-22

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    Green, Daniel. "A World Worth Laughing At: Catch-22 and the Humor of Black Humor." Studies

    Read More

  • The three primary mechanisms of Laughter

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Humor - Superiority Theory - Laugh, Philosopher, Idea, and Hutcheson - JRank Articles." Science Encyclopedia - JRank Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • Neil Simon and the Use of Buffoon Comedy within his works

    1535 Words  | 4 Pages

    Neil Simon utilizes buffoon comedy by contrasting characters. He creates over-dramatizations in order for the subtleties of character to emerge. This stark contrast of characters brings attention to their behavior which can be at its worst, rash and ex...

    Read More

  • Review of Black Adder VI: Black Adder Goes Forth

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    British humor may be over the heads of some of you, there is so much

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Rappoport

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists study humor because it is a fundamental culture value, but they still can’t determine why certain things make some people laugh and others not. There are “humor quotient” tests that are designed to measure an individual’s sense of humor, but these tests are questionable. These tests aren’t accurate because almost all humor depends on cultural background knowledge and language skills. Not every person in the whole world, or even in one country share the same background knowledge and skills, therefore they cannot have the same type of humor. “The fact remains that individuals vary in their appreciation of humor” (Rappoport 9). Since humor varies from individual to individual, humor lies in the individual. How successful or funny a joke is depends on how the person receives the joke, humor cannot be measured by a statistical

    Read More

  • A brief history of the word humor

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine for a moment the vast history of language. The base sounds that over time formed words, words that eventually evolved into language, progressing to become different languages. The languages either split or combined, all due to the fundamental need for the human race to communicate effectively with each other. Therefore, through the process of the development of language it is practical that the original definition of some words would transform to meet the needs of the civilization for which they serve. For instance the word, humor, has expanded from its original definition to encompass what it means in present day English. The following is a brief view of the transition the word humor.

    Read More

  • Humor In Alexander Weinstein's Saying Goodbye To Yang

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Humor is more than just amusing entertainment to pass the time. Though jokes and witty banter can be shallow, humor can go deeper than surface level to convey messages to audiences who would otherwise be close-minded about certain ideas. Humor is a great tool to get audiences to change the way they think, feel, and act. In “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” Alexander Weinstein uses humor to criticize some of society’s faults such as the way it has become heavily reliant on technology, racially insensitive, and judgmental.

    Read More

  • Symbolic Convergence in Gossip Girl: The Fantasy of the “In Crowd”

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gossip Girl on TV.com. (n.d.).TV.com - Free Full Episodes & Clips, Show Info and TV Listings Guide. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.tv.com/gossip-girl/show/68744/summary.html

    Read More

  • American Reality Television Music Competitions.

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    "American Idol FAQ." American Idol Net American Idol FAQ Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Friend Zone: Dating and Romance

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before analyzing the comedic content in question, it is important when drawing on a variety of sentiments from comedians to understand that many performers use a character or parody for their humor. Others choose to voice opinions and views contrary to their own, in the hopes of receiving a certain reaction from a specific audience. In referring to the material of writers and comedians, one must respond to the beliefs they promote (which can be known), rather than those they espouse, which cannot.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Humor

    354 Words  | 1 Pages

    Humor is the tendency to look at things from the mirthful or incongruous side. It is the quality that makes something laughable or amusing. Humor is the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing or comical. It is the source of laughter and the catalyst of smiles. Humor is the spark that lights our eyes as well as the cause of tears that never grows old. Humor is a state of mind.

    Read More

More about The Relationship Between Humor and Culture: Emma Jameson

Open Document