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Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Old Apr 10th 2012, 5:19 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

They quite like jokes about Newfies. Try this one:

Did you hear about that 2 seater plane that crash landed into a Newfoundland cemetery? So far the local police have recovered 300 bodies.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 5:43 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Are people in Newfoundland supposed to be a bit dim or what?
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 5:49 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Originally Posted by skytek
Are people in Newfoundland supposed to be a bit dim or what?
See, knowing the cultural references is essential in order to "get it"


Either newfies are the butt of the joke, or the plane crashed into a large funeral cortège. Ones is arguably funny... the other not.

Are "Irish" jokes still acceptable in the UK? Newfie jokes seem to me to be on the same thin ice.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 5:59 pm
  #19  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Originally Posted by skytek
Are people in Newfoundland supposed to be a bit dim or what?
Just wondering if your the same bloke that started the parrot thread? He didn't have a sense of humour either
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:03 pm
  #20  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

I think like others said you just have to meet the right people - maybe less people will get your humor but people will get it. I have had some great laughs with Canadian colleagues since being here.



Originally Posted by skytek
I've been here (Southern Ontario) for 4 months now and I love the weather, the vast open spaces and huge amount of water...

BUT I am finding the sense of humour here very basic and comparable to a child's humour. When I make jokes or funny statements that my friends and random people would find hilarious back home, the people here either don't think it's funny or more often don't realise I have made a joke and just give me a puzzled expression.

And what's more tiresome is I find myself having to fake laughter all the time so I don't look like a grumpy numptie in a group while everyone around me is having a seizure from laughing at a fart joke someone just made. Fart and poo jokes are something I laughed at when I was 9. Now I'm 31 I find it awkward when everyone around me still uses such a childish and basic kind of humour. Once my partner's brother made a joke about buying a wheelchair on Kijiji and putting alloy wheels on it. The entire family (aged 24-58) laughed uncontrollably for 4 minutes. After about 2 minutes of faking a laugh my face began to hurt and I felt silly. "ahahah you're hilarious!!!" everyone said to the guy. Meanwhile anytime I make a joke I have to then say "no, it was a joke" and then slowly explain the whole thing to them until they say "ohh I get it" or they give up and start taking over me.

Also, sarcasm? The best way to get a confused look from someone is to use humourous sarcasm.

Let's go see a comedy show. Oh will Ferrel is on! He is SO funny! Do you remember that one time he made that joke about the doctor who couldn't stop farting? Oh man that was SO FREAKIN' AWESOME!

I used to be hilarious in the UK. My friends relied on my humour to brighten up any situation. Here I just confuse people and have to explain my (super simple) jokes and feel like I am ruining the mood if I don't pretend to laugh at every fart or poo joke that is told. And so I find myself dumbing myself down and also telling fart and poop jokes and abandoning any form of witty humour.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:07 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

I wonder how old episodes of the Comedians and Till Death Us Do Part would go down over here?
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:08 pm
  #22  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Originally Posted by Lorry1
Just wondering if your the same bloke that started the parrot thread? He didn't have a sense of humour either
No, I didn't start a parrot thread.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:12 pm
  #23  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Originally Posted by skytek
No, I didn't start a parrot thread.
are you sure?

I do agree about the Canadian sense of humour and sarcasm (or lack of it).
You do kind of get use to it after a while until you visit your friends in England and realise you haven't laughed until you cried in such a long time.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:14 pm
  #24  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Irish jokes are pretty rare these days, in Scotland at least.

In fact, racist jokes in general are pretty much gone. The trend these days seems to be to take the pi$$ out of the less fortunate or in Frankie Boyle's case, the disabled.

The only comedian that makes me laugh at the moment, without offending anyone, is Michael McIntyre

Oh, and Daniel O'Brien, lol, he's awesome.

But I've seen Canadian Stand-up, and it's pretty good, some of it very witty and sarcastic, so I think you just need to find your audience, lol.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:32 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Humour is a bit different there from the UK, in particular I think, with Ontario. Maybe having so many immigrants settle there from all over the world - with their own type of humour and limited understanding of English, has sapped their efforts somewhat.

One thing I could never get used to were some of the Canadian sayings. In particular, "f**king the dog!" Made me squirm every time I heard it.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:33 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

We went to a live comedy club in Toronto about a month after arriving. We sat expecting an evening of sharp irony and edgy jokes...er no. Everything was laid out on a plate for the locals to understand. Everyone was roaring with laughter while we were starring disbelief that the morons on stage were getting paid to do what they were doing.

Like others have said...irony and sarcasm can get you in trouble here, and there's been quite a few occassions where I've had to provide a very speedy explanation or I might have been deported!

I'm used to it now, although I won't go to a comedy club again. I actually enjoy 22 minutes (some is a bit basic, but I find myself laughing out loud), and I've found some friends who have a wicked sense of humour...and they're Canadian!

Bottom line is the Canadians are very sincere, and take things at face value. The British are a bit bitchy and snarky, and speak with nuance all the time.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:41 pm
  #27  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Im always wary of people who say they are hilarious, funny, crazy, zany etc etc..because invariably they are not..maybe here in lies the problem?
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:45 pm
  #28  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

When I grew up in France I had a French sense of humor. I moved to England when I was 22 and was faced with the British sense of humor. I didn't understand it one bit. Jokes went right over my head and tv comedies left me cold.
After a while I adapted to it and would laugh with the rest of them.
THEN I went back to France for a visit and what had been hilarious to me when I lived there didn't make me laugh anymore and in fact I would cringe at the memory of finding it funny.

So, I believe your sense of humor does adapt to your surroundings. Otherwise why would I have found that Newfie joke about planes and cemeteries funny??
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:48 pm
  #29  
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

i give you

corner gas

ffs




- i've been here 6 years , got my citizenship last year ; things now
seem a lot funnier after the complimentary lobotomy at the swearing in ceremony
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 6:51 pm
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Default Re: Faking laughter to blend with Canadian humour

Originally Posted by TheBear
Bottom line is the Canadians are very sincere, .
you're kidding, right ?
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