Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

How do you find it .. some people say "raw" ... "honest" ... "direct" ... true reflection, or just a cultural response we still have to embrace?

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Inasmuch as there is a national sense of humour I'd say that's quite wrong. It's more wry amusement at humdrum events, the sort of thing one might see at the bottom of the page in the Reader's Digest.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I haven't met many Canadians who swear too much, or have a smutty sense of humour. So that's me out then.... or maybe I just haven't met the 'dirty' ones. Sorry, but toilet humour is sometimes just funny. And who doesn't like a double entrendre occasionally?

It all seems a much more genteel humour to me - they are mostly lovely, friendly and amusing, and I do laugh a lot.

It's just me with my mind in the sewer and silly sense of humour, and (what I think are my) my witty one liners get lost in amongst the tumbleweed. Never mind, eh?

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Crap in the main

To me thats the problem, they seem to rely on the profanity as a source of amusement. No humour just inappropriate language.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Our friends have a cracking sense of humour which is just as well because I can just be myself, and they get me.

The wifie Dignan has the most wicked sense of humour I have come across in many years - she is Glaswegian though ;) All our other friends are Canadian and when we all hang out we have a blast :thumbsup:

I find Cape Bretoners are especially quirky, likewise Newfoundlanders :D

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

These threads come and go and as such I'm only bothering to have an overblown opinion for forms sake. But here goes....

Canadians just aren't that mischievous which explains the sense of humour they have. Not sure I'd describe it as 'wry', but dbd is spot on with the readers digest bit. When I see Canadians having fun it always seems very serious; the grimacing 'we will have fun' kind.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Generalisation of the Day, Part 79... :D

I think that the perceived lack of humour in Canadians is directly linked to their inability to be spontaneous. They like to have organization and structure in order to feel comfortable, and anything spontaneous or freeform is rather alien to them.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

[QUOTE=SivoxII;7927362]How do you find it .. QUOTE]

i haven't. let you know if and when i do.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Where would you be without humour.

In Canada

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

There is a CBC radio one show called The Debaters that makes me laugh. Saturdays at 1:00pm and Wednesdays at 11:30am.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Very German, but I've warmed to it.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

To me Canadian humor seems to be similar to British humor, one thing being, they "get" ironic humor

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

"Trailer Park Boys", Corner Gas", Little House on the Prairie", Rick Mercer Report", This Hour Has 22 Minutes" are a good start in getting an understanding of Canadian humour.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

They are funnier than Americans!
They are funnier than Germans!
They are funnier than the French!
They have some very funny comedians. Eg., Russel Peters.
I prefer British comedy.




They don't find me that funny either!:(

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Probably something personal :o

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Only if painted very broadly ... I'm Scottish so I really enjoy dark humor ... I've had that "what the f***?" look a few times too many. Could be the poker face tho :o

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Plus "Red Green"..a good example of wry humour and I love it. Ooh - and "the Vinyl Cafe" on radio....so good I've downloaded a lot and even bought the book.:thumbup:

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

So effectively bugger all then?

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

They forgot the royal air farce - that show was like going back in time to the 70's.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Oink - that was SO typical British Humour!:rofl:
Oh boy do I miss it!!

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

If you want to hear profanity come and live where I live in rural Canada (Ontario). It's just the way a fair share of them talk, even the women can do their fair share of it. Every sentence has at least one F word in it, plus a few more expletivies. Even in casual conversation it is very much used. Telling a joke it is used. Talking about your neighbour it is used.

I have lived in Canada for a few years now and know a few Newfies. We have a lot of language problems (words have different meanings) and a completely different sense of humour. (I was originally from UK). There are also a lot of them that you will never hear swear, are very decent, friendly, happy people and make the best kind of friend you could ever want.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I'm not actually looking for profuse profanity - let me make that clear - but the odd "shit", "crap" or "bloody hell" that slips out and I feel like I'm on my own. Maybe the urbanites near me are just too polite and they think I am terribly rude. We do know one family that "f's" a lot (!) and I don't particularly like Daughter Number Two going round there too much (but I don't think she even hears it to be honest, which is perhaps worrying, because she does not hear it at home).

I find many teens cannot string five words together without interspersing it with the F word. But I avoid teenagers as much as possible. I'm cultivating two of my own (not long now) so living with them will be quite enough thanks :D

Anyway - this may or may be far removed from a sense of humour, but amending my own language (not just the odd swear word) seems to curb my spontaneity and the moment is then gone ...

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Nae laddie!

Besides, you barely know me!:sneaky:

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Something I've noticed is that Canadians are useless at laughing at themselves - no sense of the self deprecating type of humour that Brits take for granted and are very good at.
Something like "The Office" would never have come out of Canada - Canadians are way too thin skinned to portray themselves in that kind of light.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I've noticed that also, so, I've taken to laughing at them. It's for their own good.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Holy shit! Talk about your generalisations here. So you all have met all 30 million Canadians and not found a single funny one in the lot? Maybe it's not them...It's YOU

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I must admit, when I first arrived in Canada back in 2002, I had a fair bit of free time to kill, so as far as TV was concerned, The Red Green Show was pretty much the only thing I found remotely humorous (in a kinda zany case less attitude) ... but these days, I can't figure out what I saw remotely interesting in it???

Anyway, back to the Canadians' sense of humour. While working outside a couple of days ago, a neighbour's friend looked over, said Hi and asked "Are you working hard, or are ya hardly working?" .... which actually made me laugh, especially the way it was delivered.

Personally, for the most part, I find Canadian people to be at their funniest, when you least expect it (especially when there is no build up or facial expression top accompany the humour)

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I took a decent (statistically significant) sample from the population and theorized from that. :p

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

...there're plenty of funny ones - admittedly, usually when they don't mean to be.:blink:

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

...I agree, it's the least we can do. It's good to give something back.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

:thumbup: Totally agree.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

i have to agree here, although happen I've been here too long. I find the lads at work a laugh.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

No - it's definitely them. I checked you see.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

I think the local tv weather man is having a laugh, he said it would sunny and nice this morning. :frown:

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

My experience is that the locals tend to find us funny in a cute kind of a way, but seldom get our humour. Sit a Canadian friend in front of a Ricky Gervais concert for maximum illustration. I think unfunny and slightly sick minded is the general opinion; but most Canadians will be too polite to say so and will just say "Have a nice day"; while our opinion might be lack of irony and too slap stick with regards to the Canadian humour. There are always exceptions of course; but take The Office for example. The differnce between the UK and American Version is obvious. They are both good but different. I have been in Canada 4 years and interestingly could not get into the sitcoms 4 years ago but now, I can. You either have to agree to disagree or grow into it. Resistance is futile.

Notice the similarities rather than the differences and here's hoping that you complain less than my hubbie and I when we first came over. We realy were the most awful drag for the first year.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

You've got to admit they must have some sense of humour, look the politicians they elect.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Have you ever had a Canadian laugh at you though??

A retired builder friend laughed at me one day we were out in the truck, saying "ya can tell you're a British driver, taking square corners" ... I couldn't come back at that, as I'd probably say "that's because we drive properly" (and come over all pompous and significant) ... so I just laughed at my own expense.

Hay Hum! :)

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Im married to a canadian....what do you think;)


Personally I don't think you can generalise about a Canadian sense of humour any more than you can about a British sense of humour...

What would a British sense of humour be? Monty Python?, Little Britain?, Dads Army?, Roy Chubby Brown?, Benny Hill?, Les Dennis?, Morecombe and Wise?, Tommy Cooper?, Ricky Gervais?, Rowan Atkinson? Your old mates down the pub?....Things just dont pigeon hole as easily as that.

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Sweeping generalization, putting people and things into pigeon holes seems to be something that Brits want to do with alarming regularity.;)

Re: Canadians' Sense of Humour?
 

Of course you can. Every disparate element of the British sense of humour is encapsulated in the comic genius of Basil Brush. :thumbup: