British humour

British humour carries a strong element of satire aimed at the absurdity of everyday life. Common themes include sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek, banter, insults, self-deprecation, taboo subjects, puns, innuendo, wit, and the British class system.[1] These are often accompanied by a deadpan delivery which is present throughout the British sense of humour.[2] It may be used to bury emotions in a way that seems unkind in the eyes of other cultures.[3] Jokes are told about everything and almost no subject is off-limits, though a lack of subtlety when discussing controversial issues is sometimes considered insensitive.[4] Many British comedy series have become successful internationally, serving as a representation of British culture to overseas audiences.

  1. ^ Laineste, Liisi (2014). "National and Ethnic Differences". In Attardo, Salvatore (ed.). Encyclopedia of Humor Studies. SAGE Publications. pp. 541–542.
  2. ^ British humour 'dictated by genetics' By Andy Bloxham, Daily Telegraph, 10 Mar 2008. Accessed August 2011
  3. ^ What are you laughing at? Simon Pegg The Guardian, 10 February 2007. Accessed August 2011
  4. ^ The Funny Side of the United Kingdom: Analysing British Humour with Special Regard to John Cleese and His Work Page 5 Theo Tebbe, Publisher GRIN Verlag, 2008 ISBN 3-640-17217-5. Accessed August 2011

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