You know, talking about a certain book got me thinking.  I can't think of one bit of American humor I find funnier than Monty Python, Bean, or the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I am an American.  Actually, yes I can.  Young Frankenstien is still the funniest movie ever.  The early days of Saturday Night Live rocked too.  Which is better?  British or American humor?  British humor seems to be a bit more slapstick, while American humor takes it's time setting up a joke and whammies you with the punchline

The original British series from which 'All in the Family' came from was called 'Til Death do Us Part"

The more I think about it...

Gallagher, Sam Kinnison and Robin Williams have all caused me to literally fall on the floor laughing and they're Americans.

Benny Hill 

As a child in America, I grew up on Benny Hill(PTV), later Monty Python(PTV) and lastly The Young Ones(MTV). If you look at American TV, you see a lot of "bombs", BUT, I'm sure the three shows I just mentioned were "skimmed" from a larger group from the BBC, before they were brought to us.  That's a really tough question for me to answer. I can honestly say, that I can't decide. What I DO think is that the American public is gratified much more easily. I  can't think of any British stand-up comedians. Maybe it's more of a phenomenon here, or perhaps they don't get the coverage.
.................now that I think about it, last night I watched Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels..........yeah, I think I'm going with British.   .............but then again, Brad Pitt as a Pikey in Snatch.................. ??? ???

  American humor....The Three Stooges of course, what else can be said!!

I think humour is a very personal thing. My brother & I have similar tastes in most things, even share a sense of the ridiculous. However there are some things that have me rolling on the floor while he sits there straightfaced. We both enjoyed the Stooges TV channel while on holiday in the US. Watching those idiots brought back so many fond memories & had tears running down our faces.

We were brought up on the old Hollywood slapstick humour at the Saturday Morning flicks. Great fun. Never really liked Chaplin but some of the others were excellent. Laurel & Hardy were my favourites. I still find them funny today. I believe Stan Laurel was English. Norman Wisdom was another favourite, Lee Evans is often compared to him.

The Goon Show on radio in the '50s has a lot to anwer for. My sense of humour hasn't recovered to this day.
I also like the typical old-fashioned British subtle humour. I'm not sure many Americans would understand it or find it funny. Not convinced a current British audience would either.
Despite Ozzy's comments I don't see a lot of that stuff around today. Most modern stand-up comics seem to think it necessary to use foul language & be offensive to raise a laugh. This doesn't suit me & I switch off at that point. Billy Connolly is one exception - foul mouthed but extremely clever & amusing. I never understood what all the fuss was about with Monty Python. I know many find it hilarious but it never did anything for me. I do like Mr Bean & Fawlty Towers. The Young Ones was one that made immediately reach for the off switch. Maybe it's my age or something.

The strange thing to me is that popular British TV shows are often changed for an American audience. Some are completely rewritten, including the plot & new characters. I'm almost certain the average British audience would not recognise 'All in the Family' as having any relationship to the classic 'Till Death do Us Part" or even find it amusing. This does not seem to be necessary the other way round. Many excellent American sitcoms are shown unchanged on British TV.

PS. Felix. Bob Hope was not a typical British stand-up comic. Although he often employed British scriptwriters, his humour was strictly American. To tell the truth, I never found him particularly funny.

British humor has wit and charisma.  American humor beats you over the head with the jokes.

If you want good political comedy, how about Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, heck they even made Maggies bedside table!!!!
I have to admit two American TV comedies I do enjoy are Third Rock From The Sun, and Spin City, they are funny
Hagar, I was raised on a healthy diet of The Goons, Round The Horne, and Kenny Everett. 'Nuff said

Ozzy

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It isn't a political topic because the subject is comedy, not politics.  If you try to make it one I may have to borrow some of Ozzy's marmalade...

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I'll thank you not to spoil the story with the truth.  Only by birth can it be claimed he's British.


As a side note - isn't comedy, at its core, political?  Most of the time, the difference between politics and comedy is, at best, blurred.

Tut tut. Now don't encourage him Felix.
This was a perfectly civilised discussion on comedy. True, humour is a great way to bring politics & politicians into perspective. Yes Minister is a case in point. That's not the same thing as discussing politics. I'm sure Hype realises this perfectly well & is just up to his mischief. Where's that mamalade?

If there is such a thing as a typical British stand-up comic it would have to be the late, great Max Miller.

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I think INTERESTING is where my quote"....what's a FATOOMSH" came from, but I think Bambi and Demolition are tied for first. 
I thought Billy Connelly was Irish? 

Although I am English, I voted for American humour.
I'ts all to do with the accent, and the dry way it is put over.... ...!
The dry paranoia of Woody Allen always creases me up... ...LOL...!
There are many Jewish-Americans* who make amazing comedians, again, it's the accent and the delivery... ...!

...also, cartoons only work using American accents!!!

Cheers all...!
Paul.
(England).

I know their faces, and their voices, but I can never remember their names... ...!

There are unconfirmed rumors that Hyperion and Inspector Poly are long-lost twins that fate screwed up and reunited.




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British humour and comedy is far better than American. Admittedly the Simpsons is an exception along with a very select few. However compared to british comidians like Eddie Izzard, Spike Milligan, Ross Nobel, Paul Merton and Peter Sellers all american comedy falls flat on its face. I can sit through hours of so called American comedys and not even smirk. However one line from any of the above can get me laughing for days afterwards.

The fact is that British humour told by a truely funny person can make absolutly anything hilarious. American humour can do something similar and just make me think "What?".

To say british humour is all about word play is nonsense. There is no better way to produce a groan from your audience than to utter some sort of pun.

I think it also depends on the person. I have a mind that can find a funny point to any situation and with the right company I can be laughing for hours at something completely normal like a yellow bus. I prove this theory by telling all that The Two Towers is the funniest film I have seen for ages because I watched it with a friend who's sense of humour is practically identical to mine. We plan to see Return of the King and do the same thing.

  Sorry, but I just can't pick between american and british humor, I like too much of both!

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  Sorry, that was another attempt at slap stick humor, with myself playing the village idiot(sorry Scott)once again. I realize that it's common for the speaker not to realize their own accent. I have cousins that visit from New York, to here in Florida, that say I talk like John Wayne! ...and trust me, there aren't too many people in South Florida that have the Stereotypic "hillbilly" accent. A strange perspective for me though, when Fozzer mentioned his amusement at the "American" accent. Never gave it much thought. On a similar note. I watched an interview with Michael Cane on American TV the other night. He's in a movie with Robert Duvall, and performs with what I would coin as a, flawless, Texas accent. I was impressed to say the least!

Monty Python!!!