Irish humour

Foxhound38

What would you define as distinct about Irish humour - as opposed to say British humour or American humour? Are there any themes or jokes that we tend to focus on more than others?

I'd say it's darker in some senses, and tends to be self depreciating in nature. Some films come close to getting it - in Bruges and Intermission come to mind IMO.

What do ye reckon? Is there something unique about the Irish sense of humour that seperates us from other english speaking countries?

DanWall

Irish humour often used bad language

Sir Arthur Daley

DanWall wrote: »

Irish humour often used bad language

Down with that sort of thing.

RayM

A middle-aged man, dressed as an elderly housewife, falls over, adjusts his fake tits and uses the word "fuck" as a punchline.

Adamantium

It's giddy as hell, but dark, we have the best phrases, Tommy Tiernan and Dylan Moran are the epitomie of that. By far the most imaginative

Dylan Moran describing The Late Late:
Quote:
"Everything from tractor parts to radioactive nuns."

Surrealism is the defining factor I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP7s29ED8RA

takamichinoku

More story based, usually, isn't it? What with yer Dave Allen's and what have you... before that too, even. More like a one way conversation than a heap of jokes, bit musical as in the rhythm and timing is quite important, perhaps?

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

RayM wrote: »

A middle-aged man, dressed as an elderly housewife, falls over, adjusts his fake tits and uses the word "fuck" as a punchline.

Mrs.Doubtfire was American/Scottish.

gugleguy

Can be bit like German shadenfreud except it doesn't matter whether or not the subject of the humour deserves it.

is mise spartacus

I think the answer is Father Ted...

131spanner

is mise spartacus wrote: »

I think the answer is Father Ted...

"I Shot JR"

Comedy gold

wretcheddomain

Nothing Irish about the humour at all - it's just humour; pretty much the same everywhere.

EoghanIRL

How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?

none

lazybones32

The only distinction is the culture the comedy comes from. Pat Shortt made his money mimicking Irish rural people but the American's poke fun at hillbillies too, so there's nothing original in that. The English ape the Geordies, Scousers (calm down! calm down!)

We all have our intelligent, witty comedians and we have the crass, boorish ones too.

Paddy Cow

Sarcastic.

cml387

Well you could define Irish humour as what goes on during "funny" Friday on Joe Duffy. Or June Rodgers. Or Noel V ginnitty. See, some of us may not think they're remotely funny, but many people do.

Sometimes these things descend into attempts to define humour, at which point you've lost.

One critic said of a writer's attempt to define American humour "So-and-so has gotten American humour on the ground and broken its arm".

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

takamichinoku wrote: »

More story based, usually, isn't it? What with yer Dave Allen's and what have you... before that too, even. More like a one way conversation than a heap of jokes, bit musical as in the rhythm and timing is quite important, perhaps?

Yeah that's a good point actually, looking at the most popular stand-ups of the past while (I'm thinking Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan, Des Bishop, Ed Byrne-he USED to be funny) there's not much in the way of set-em-up-and-knock-em-down punchlines. Like if you try and tell a Dylan Moran or Tommy Tiernan 'joke' it's probably going to be either five minutes long or an out of context idiosyncratic description, or just really not be funny because it depends so much on delivery.

Pablodreamsofnew

My husband is from another country and when we first start dating (first Irish gal he dated) When I'd say 'I'll kill ya' he was shocked! He is used to it now and he says it back but I think he really means it

cml387

MrsYelnekoff wrote: »

My husband is from another country and when we first start dating (first Irish gal he dated) When I'd say 'I'll kill ya' he was shocked! He is used to it now and he says it back but I think he really means it

"Oh you're gas" goes down well with our jewish friends, so I'm told.

Pablodreamsofnew

cml387 wrote: »

"Oh you're gas" goes down well with our jewish friends, so I'm told.

Too soon.. too soon..

GerB40

MrsYelnekoff wrote: »

My husband is from another country and when we first start dating (first Irish gal he dated) When I'd say 'I'll kill ya' he was shocked! He is used to it now and he says it back but I think he really means it

Yeah that's one phrase that doesn't translate well. Imagine one of your friends saying "I'd like to murder you" instead of the harmless "I'll kill ya". That's how some people hear it.

Pablodreamsofnew

GerB40 wrote: »

Yeah that's one phrase that doesn't translate well. Imagine one of your friends saying "I'd like to murder you" instead of the harmless "I'll kill ya". That's how some people hear it.

Yep, Pretty sure my Husband slept with one eye open for the first couple of months in our relationship

Adamantium

This is a great interview, I don't know why Strombo (Canadian) was in a specially set up studio in Dublin though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq0B_JwBSaA

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Adamantium wrote: »

This is a great interview, I don't know why Strombo (Canadian) was in a specially set up studio in Dublin though

It was a Patrick's day special I think, he had David Mc williams and some other people on too.

takamichinoku

Paloma Blue Stew wrote: »

Yeah that's a good point actually, looking at the most popular stand-ups of the past while (I'm thinking Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan, Des Bishop, Ed Byrne-he USED to be funny) there's not much in the way of set-em-up-and-knock-em-down punchlines. Like if you try and tell a Dylan Moran or Tommy Tiernan 'joke' it's probably going to be either five minutes long or an out of context idiosyncratic description, or just really not be funny because it depends so much on delivery.

Yep, along with something of a strong oral tradition in the culture, it probably stems from the style of humour what you got in early 20th century Irish literature (which probably stems from a strong oral tradition, I guess!)?

Dave Allen seems like the origin of a fair bit of that whole style and sure he was pretty much raised with guys like Flann O'Brien hanging around his house telling stories and **** so it's even got a bit of a natural bridge built in there! Moran and Tiernan**, would've grown up watching him, are definitely reasonably well read, and are pretty lyrical in a similar kind of way to all that stuff, imo at least.
Being the two most immediately successful guys from that wave, it could have just set up precedent for a certain style, I suppose.

Anyways, I'm confusing the hell out of myself thinking of examples and exceptions and so on!

(Not gonna defend Ed Byrne but he definitely had a bit of something at one point! I remember really hopefully watching a standup dvd of his being like "go on, unleash that untapped potential!")

* See also Billy Connolly being a folk singer and all that first with a bit of ****eing on between song
** I know Tiernan loves to go on about Jazz and Lenny Bruce, I don't really buy it having much of an impact for a second! Bill Cosby maybe

lazybones32

cml387 wrote: »

"Oh you're gas" goes down well with our jewish friends, so I'm told.

"I could murder a fag" shouldn't be said outside of Ireland and UK.