American humor -> am I missing something?

[whirlpolf]

hey guys, maybe you can help me along: Somehow I am missing the "funny" part of funny things when talking to Americans. Some examples:

Type 1: Somebody has a really witty remark or a really nasty twist of things in his speech. ALL people are waiting, looking at each other, saying nothing. Then comes along a hero who has the guts to repeat just that (and ONLY that): "Ahaaahaaaaa, that was French! you just said (...and now fill in what speaker no. one had already said) - NOW all (repeat: ALL) people are cheering and applauding to guy number 2, but number 1 just stands there like not being here. WHAT?

Type 2: A serious question: "does anyone know how to get XYZ mended?" (No answer needed but the address of a competent expert's address who knows to mend XYZ (item of your choice)) - Answer to that: "Ha, ha, ha, "mended" (just a laugh to the word and no useful answer at all, what the....)

Type 3: The abberation of movie head movements: When NO = yes, when YES = no: Have you ever noticed actors/actresses to move their heads in just the opposite direction of what is being said?
Example: "I DO love you SO, SO much" (and shakes his/her head as if saying "no, please don't") - vice versa: "I TOLD you not to buy THIS, didn't I?" *yelling, yet nodding* like: "please: make me freak out some more! please!"

Type 4: Somebody says something really stupid/funny/strange (which should be enough to have a good laugh). Nothing will happen until somebody else REPEATS just that, adding nothing to it (really, just repeating, that is all) - and then the whole crowd/family/friend's reunion just BURSTS out laughing (no earlier than that, they seem to need the approval that somebody of their "inner circle" could eat it up completely).

Am I missing something? Am I too European? It just gives me headshakes, maybe headaches, sometimes just a shrug. But I do NOT understand. Why this? Eager to learn, please help me to get it.
Joe

 

[gowest84]

Do you have some examples?

I guess I'd need to see some examples of the shows you're watching. Do you have some links or the name of the shows you're referring to in your above examples?

Sorry, without the context the lines are delivered, I'm not sure I can give you the answer you're looking for.

 

[beadsobleach]

You're too European

I had my German aunt stay with me for 2 weeks, and when we were watching a comedy on TV she would keep saying, "You think this is funny?", by the way, one of her favorite shows was Ice Road Truckers. Just shows to go....

 

[toggleswitch2]

Blame the Pruitans, always blame the Puritans.

Type 3: The abberation of movie head movements: When NO = yes, when YES = no: Have you ever noticed actors/actresses to move their heads in just the opposite direction of what is being said?
Example: "I DO love you SO, SO much" (and shakes his/her head as if saying "no, please don't") - vice versa: "I TOLD you not to buy THIS, didn't I?" *yelling, yet nodding* like: "please: make me freak out some more! please!"

I am unfamiliar with German cuture including ethics and mores, however...

To the Greeks and up-and down head movement means "yes". To Americans it means "no". Extending one's palm to others with the five fingers open there means "Eat dung", not "STOP" or "Talk to the hand".

To Brazilians the American sign for "OK" (thumb and pointer forming a circle, is the same as the American "F.U." (extending the middle finger).

European movies generally have very diffenert endings than American ones do. We sometimes LIKE a happy ending.

Spain's Almodovar films do well here, but we sometimes lose the irony of what is cultually acceptible there and what is bizarre; as we don't fuly iunderstand the culture or the Spanish word-plays that don't translate in subtitle or when spoken for that matter.

I'm thinking the subtle ironies of American culture and our borrowed language may be lost when non-English speakers witness them.

 

[toggleswitch2]

To the Greeks and up-and down head movement means "yes". To Americans it means "no".

oopsie other way around.

 

[pumper]

hahaha...headshakes

 

[ptcruiser51]

Cruel Trick

is to give a foreign person the lyrics & music to "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" and ask them to sing it.

"You say tomato and I say tom-ah-toe..."

 

[hunter]

That's okay...

I'm an American, born and bred, yet I don't understand all this either.

Perhaps it is because I haven't watched TV in almost 25 years.

 

[qsd-dan]

Sadly, there isn't much creativity in comedy anymore. I think it pretty much died off with the old time comedians that have either retried or passed themselves. If you watch a lot of comdians/comedy shows today, they are almost always overuse curse words (the occasional curse word when used properly can be very humorous) or use very obscene words or phrases to make their point.

I'm constantly amazed watching older comedians from the 30's-70's how they can be so downright funny without a single dirty/curse word, or even use humor without the use of negitivity or putting people down. Gone are those days.....

"Perhaps it is because I haven't watched TV in almost 25 years."

You haven't missed much, that's for sure!

 

[toggleswitch2]

Actually well-written TV (besides the ordinary sit-com) like Numbers and CSI may just keep one somewhat more up-to-date with technology and applied science.

For my former partner with Asperger's, it was an essential tool to teach him word-play and creative use of language, as they tend to be more literal in language. Once I explained the double meaning of so many (idiomatic) phrases he'd burst out laughing.

 

[petek]

Here's some English/american humor

What is the smallest book ever written?
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Answer: 1000 years of German Humour