From: music@erich.triumf.ca (FRED W. BACH)
Subject: British Humour (was Re: nursery rhymes)
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Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 21:36:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep13.151232.13221@zooid.guild.org>, Mark Kovarski <kovarski@zooid.guild.org> writes...
> 
>The funniest british comedian was Benny Hill. To be honest with you, I really
>hate british comedy shows. I think they are lame beyond believe. I like
>Andrew Dice Clay, Married with Children, Night Court (Dan Fielding) etc. 
>Those are, in my opinion, the funniest shows around. They show here some
>british comedy shows and I really wonder how long they have been boring
>people to death with those. Are there any funny, nasty, dirty, pig-dog shows
>in britain? 
> 
>Let me know...
> 
>Regards,
>Mark K.

   Well, Mark, silly things amuse silly minds.  The shows you mentioned are
chiefly concerned (shall I say blatantly concerned) with SEX.  No subtlty,
so that the average idiot can understand the show.  Television comedy in the
USA is aimed at the *lowest* common intellectual denominator so that the
advertisers can reach the *most* people.  There is little that is
upbuilding about shows like that.  However, I will have to grant you that
those shows (along with Cheers) entertain a *lot* of people.  Yet, a lot
of people are getting their minds scrambled so that all they think about
is sex, beer, and staying out of jail.  (I will have to admit that Night
Court touches on the odd important social issues now and then).

   I'd imagine that the reason you don't like the British Comedy (boring...)
is because you can't understand the subtlty and quick wit (or the accent)
in the British stuff.  There's no one in the *world* that can use the English
Language like the British.  Compare Webster's Dictionary with a real one,
like Oxford.  We're taught in school over here NOT to use long sentences,
since people can't understand them.  Well, right on.  They can't.  Very poor
linguistic skills.  So we get fed the pap humor that only uses our visual
or sexual skills.

   Benny Hill had some funny stuff, but a lot of it was *very* silly and
not really very intellectual.  A great deal of it relied on sex to be
funny. (What many people forget is that there are many funny things in life
*other* than sex.)   Benny Hill's comedy was slapstick stuff you could pick
up in an instant without thinking.  Something like Fawlty Towers.  Zany, but
not very intellectual, although there were attempts at linguistic witticism
on Fawlty Towers.

   Now there is a show that runs now and again out here in Vancouver.  I don't
know if it runs in your area, but it is called "Yes, Minister" and is a very
well written sit-com satire of what is like to be a politician in Cabinet and
have to deal with the Civil Service at the same time.  It is a really good
poke at the foibles of government and makes very good use of the apparent
ineptitudes and inefficencies of government bureacracy.  The language used
on the show is of the highest calibre, and, as such, probably cannot be
understood in all it subtleties by the typical American (or Canadian, for
that matter).  It takes a wee bit of practice to get 'into' the show, but
once you do, and you know the personalities of the characters, it is the best
comedy currently on TV.  My wife didn't understand it at first, and wondered
why I should watch such bafflegab, but after she paid attention to one show
and picked up on the personalities, she laughed her head off and woke up
the whole house (it comes on late a night here).

   Apparently there are two types of audience when it comes to comedy:
the goofy-action type and the clever-linguistics type.  I am of the latter.
If a 6-year old can do the acting or be the intended audience, then I
probably wouldn't like the comedy.  A lot of Benny Hill stuff was of this
sort.  Nothing on "Yes, Minister" is, and that's why I like it.

 Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        |  Internet: music@erich.triumf.ca
 TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    |  Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 278/419
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 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3

 These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
 They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.
Newsgroups: rec.humor