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what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

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Old Mar 14th 2008, 8:32 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by fin
Itake it you don't know how to multi-quote?
Fair play you would definately be over 30 (if you was from Sydney)
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 8:38 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by smudger_scfc
Fair play you would definately be over 30 (if you was from Sydney)
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 9:37 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by mattmc
I have not found that Aussies do not have a sense of humour. I think it's just different. That said, I do find it difficult sometimes because of this cultural difference. For instance, UK sense of humour (mine anyway) is very self effacing, basically you take the michael out of yourself (and others collectively) to get a laugh and this in the UK makes you look better with your peers because we regard this as a good quality, well I do anyway. The Aussies I socialise do not do this, they do laugh at things and we do get on well but they just do not laugh if this includes them. This is just my observations and there are always exceptions but I do inquire if these exceptions have UK parents
I'd agree with bits of this.

My experience is that Aussies do appreciate self-effacement because it is very much the larrikin way. Like you say, I've always taken the piss out of myself here and in the UK because it is safe and I know that the joke will be on me and not on a more sensitive soul who I might offend. Sort of consideration for others.

This came up the other day and I think a lot of Brits complain generally about the humour when what they really mean is that they generally dont do cruel scarcasm (still can't spell that) which I think is a good thing. But they do understand dry one liners - I don't care for the smarmy canned US style 'Friends' ones. which drive me up the wall.

Also I find that whilst Aussies like banter - especially if they know and like you - they don't tend to make jokes personal and DO tend to either laugh at themselves or situations. Like "How bad am I" etc ""Look what I've just done - I'd thought I do this and look". "If we do this, then we'll all be in it etc"

There's a new Brit bloke now in the office whose jokes fail and he looks disappointed and noone (including me) can understand his accent. His jokes sound like he is just trying to comment on something in the background. Everyone's body language is "What was that!?"

BTW I know an Australian bloke on the tram and he's extremely funny -almost stand up quality ie. the jokes are crap, (aren't the best ones!) but the timing and observation is bang on and we sort of do a routine down Toorak road, taking it in turns to take the piss out of people on the tram and things we see - and occasionally we forget people are listening in. The other week we had the whole tram laughing over something like the size of kid's bags - one poor boy fell over his getting off, and the next a poor girl got done for standing on the step which gave us some material so Aussies don't mind personal playful humour if its directed at a situation so we were laughing at the step and the bags not the people. You had to be there...
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 9:43 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
i've noticed something about the aussie girls(at least in sydney), they seem to have a useless sense of humour, so many things go over their heads and they r also so very easy to offend over something silly. they never seem to laugh at themselves and they can't tolerate sarcastic humour.i'm not alone with this view because i know a lot of fellow brits both here and in the uk including a lot of females, that have said the same thing.the only exception seems to be the ones who r over 35, but even then it's very lacking in comparison to uk girls. might this have anything to do with the western suburbs?(sydney)
Maybe you're just not funny. Maybe people in the UK just used to humour you
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 9:54 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
i was playing poker in a pub one day and one of the girls was eating a pizza. i looked at her with a frown and said "u got pizza on your face". a look of horror came over her face
a) It probably wasn't that funny.
b) Your cockney chirpyness probably makes you sound a bit off. I can practically picture the way you said it too mate. I come from London, and there is a line of humour which can come over abrupt and offhand (almost like a mini insult) and therefore I imagine sort of rude to others (with all the best intentions) without being particularly dry or ''charming'''which it is meant to be. It's not just a London thing either.

When I was living in Central Europe we had a London Cockney turn up who everyone took offence at because all his oneliners sounded like mini insults and he was so deadpan he came over as an oaf. "What do you mean Missus?" Not a glint in his eye or so much a delayed grin. But I recognised the style. Unknown to others, I had been assigned to look after him, and people said it reflected badly on me too(!) as they thought we were both mates due to the London connection...

c) Once you find a girlfriend you won't have to worry about it.

cheers
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 9:58 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
no. however not everything i say is hilarious, but not meant to be taken seriously either. it's not about being a comedian but being able to laugh at yourself and not take things seriously.


i was playing poker in a pub one day and one of the girls was eating a pizza. i looked at her with a frown and said "u got pizza on your face". a look of horror came over her face and she said "that was rude" (she did'nt have pizza on her face). i said "lighten up i was only kidding" and she said "that wasn't funny". all the blokes at the table laughed and the english woman sitting next to me, and the middle aged aussie woman.the youngish girls at the table did'nt even break into a smile. what i said was'nt actually funny but the reaction was hilarious. and what i said certainly wasn't rude. she reacted as if someone pulled her knickers down in public!!!!
and her face looked like this for the next 5 minutes:(one for each minute)
she certainly made us laugh. but the other half that makes up a sense of humour was missing(don't take it so seriously)

another example: i was talking to a girl over the phone(in her 20's), an agency employee about a medical i had to undergo for a job.
she told me to make sure i wear underwear. i said: "how do u know i don't wear underwear?....shit i hope my flies weren't undone when i registered at the agency". 5 second silence... "can u not say things like that"
the key word- UNBELIEVABLE
everyone i told this to broke out in hysterics except the young girls below roughly 30. they took it literally. i didn't bother explaining to them that it was a joke.
try and tell me that isn't funny. your not a young one r u?

Maybe you had to be there........
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:05 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
.

was playing poker in a pub one day and one of the girls was eating a pizza. i looked at her with a frown and said "u got pizza on your face". a look of horror came over her face and she said "that was rude" (she did'nt have pizza on her face). i said "lighten up i was only kidding" and she said "that wasn't funny". all the blokes at the table laughed and the english woman sitting next to me, and the middle aged aussie woman.the youngish girls at the table did'nt even break into a smile. what i said was'nt actually funny but the reaction was hilarious. and what i said certainly wasn't rude. she reacted as if someone pulled her knickers down in public!!!!
and her face looked like this for the next 5 minutes:(one for each minute)
she certainly made us laugh. but the other half that makes up a sense of humour was missing(don't take it so seriously)
another example: i was talking to a girl over the phone(in her 20's), an agency employee about a medical i had to undergo for a job.
?
I must admit I don't know too many women or men who would find the pizza joke that funny either. Some people (UK or Ozzie) are just not confident enough to be on the end of somebody's joke in the close company of people like that and confidence comes with age (normally). These people should be respected and left alone. Maybe you should try a different joke tactic and direct those sort of jokes at somebody you know will not take offence.
Comment on an earlier post by Badge, I agree nasty sarcasm is not IMO a good trait is not classed as having a good SOH and self effacing humour is a strength and shows you have confidence in yourself.
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:06 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by Wendy
Maybe you had to be there........
The underwear one was alright - some good material there - but I would have delivered it differently.
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:09 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

That pizza joke.....that's 10 year old Aussie kid humour. I wouldn''t imagine many adults finding that amusing.
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:11 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by mattmc
I must admit I don't know too many women or men who would find the pizza joke that funny either. Some people (UK or Ozzie) are just not confident enough to be on the end of somebody's joke in the close company of people like that and confidence comes with age (normally). These people should be respected and left alone. Maybe you should try a different joke tactic and direct those sort of jokes at somebody you know will not take offence.
Comment on an earlier post by Badge, I agree nasty sarcasm is not IMO a good trait is not classed as having a good SOH and self effacing humour is a strength and shows you have confidence in yourself.
If I seem to know a lot about it, to be honest I have known a fair few Brits who bitterly claim that Australians are not funny. The biggest laugh is that they themselves are about as funny as er ...er can't think of one now.. I'll get back to you on that one!
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:19 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
no. however not everything i say is hilarious, but not meant to be taken seriously either. it's not about being a comedian but being able to laugh at yourself and not take things seriously.


i was playing poker in a pub one day and one of the girls was eating a pizza. i looked at her with a frown and said "u got pizza on your face". a look of horror came over her face and she said "that was rude" (she did'nt have pizza on her face). i said "lighten up i was only kidding" and she said "that wasn't funny". all the blokes at the table laughed and the english woman sitting next to me, and the middle aged aussie woman.the youngish girls at the table did'nt even break into a smile. what i said was'nt actually funny but the reaction was hilarious. and what i said certainly wasn't rude. she reacted as if someone pulled her knickers down in public!!!!
and her face looked like this for the next 5 minutes:(one for each minute)
she certainly made us laugh. but the other half that makes up a sense of humour was missing(don't take it so seriously)

another example: i was talking to a girl over the phone(in her 20's), an agency employee about a medical i had to undergo for a job.
she told me to make sure i wear underwear. i said: "how do u know i don't wear underwear?....shit i hope my flies weren't undone when i registered at the agency". 5 second silence... "can u not say things like that"
the key word- UNBELIEVABLE
everyone i told this to broke out in hysterics except the young girls below roughly 30. they took it literally. i didn't bother explaining to them that it was a joke.
try and tell me that isn't funny. your not a young one r u?
s'pose it's a bit like that joke me old fella used to do...point to me chest and say "summat on your shirt" then when you looked down he'd tap your nose with his finger...it was funny about 20 years ago
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:24 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by >Trigger<
s'pose it's a bit like that joke me old fella used to do...point to me chest and say "summat on your shirt" then when you looked down he'd tap your nose with his finger...it was funny about 20 years ago

Yup, it is funny when you are 5 year old!
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:35 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by cockney pommy
i know uk comedy is popular here, but usually only the obvious crazy type ie: fawlty towers, monty python, little britain etc.(among young girls i mean)
What amazes me is that they don't like only fools and horses, surely the wittiest comedy sitcom ever. the exception however is if they are at least 30 years of age, maybe cos they're developed at that stage?
anyhow theres more to humour than tv comedies
I know a few women under 30 that have developed ... but that's the bugger with being married ... a wider social circle but my knackers on a plate if I do anything ...
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:47 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
If I seem to know a lot about it, to be honest I have known a fair few Brits who bitterly claim that Australians are not funny. The biggest laugh is that they themselves are about as funny as er ...er can't think of one now.. I'll get back to you on that one!
Tooth ache
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Old Mar 14th 2008, 10:48 pm
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Default Re: what is it with aussie girls lack of humour?

Originally Posted by nanny2six
Tooth ache
That will do.

Was going to say something else but thought jeez thats not nice. I'm off to do the mowing.
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