You guys need to see the Stephen Fry video where he explains the difference between British and American comedy. Basically it boils down to the fact that Americans (and American writers) see themselves as fearless, wise cracking winners who end up getting the girl, and the British (and British writers), see themselves as timed, bumbling, nothing is going to work for them losers who (usually) go home to bed on their own. I think a lot of it stems from the 2nd World War, where for the first couple of years we were fighting the Germans on our own. Our cities were being bombed daily, and the loss of life was immense. On the one hand it strengthened our resolve not to give in, but I think it gave our future comedy writers from the mid to late 1950s onwards, a different way of looking at life. Our so called comedy heroes were really in fact just as they were during the war: depressed, downtrodden, always down on their luck but always clinging to that little ray of hope that something good would eventually happen to them, and that would play out years later in the characters these writers would go on to create and write for. There are plenty of clips online showing this, from Tony Hancock playing himself in Hancock’s Half Hour, Harold Steptoe in Steptoe & Son (remade as Sanford & Son in the US), Captain Mainwaring from Dad’s Army, right up to Ricky Gervais as David Brent in The Office and Mark and Jeremy from Peep Show. All of them coming over as awkward, social misfits who aren’t part of the ‘in crowd’ and who rarely get the girl, and in some cases are seen as pompous pricks who walk around as if they’ve got a pineapple stuck up their arse, raging at the world because they haven’t made it in life! That to us Brits makes our comedy characters more interesting, because sometimes you never know which direction the show or a particular character is going to go in, and that’s the difference in that we, the viewer, will pretty much know in a US comedy show that the guy is gonna get the girl, the promotion, etc. and that’s not as funny to us. We root for the loser and laugh at him (or her) because at some point in our life, we would have experienced one of our characters failings and can associate with them their pain and misery. That, I think is the essence of British comedy.
That's pretty spot on. I think that's why Arrested Development and It's Always Sunny are great because they're American style comedies but about losers.
watched this episode with so many people mostly straight, you really see the reaction of insecurity when people getting all defensive and shy lmao xD for no reason cos gay references ? its hilarious to see
You’re not homophobic but you’re speechless and confused at the idea of a straight man having gay feelings? I dunno, maybe some repressed feelings amongst the group here eh. Insecurity on deck
You guys need to see the Stephen Fry video where he explains the difference between British and American comedy. Basically it boils down to the fact that Americans (and American writers) see themselves as fearless, wise cracking winners who end up getting the girl, and the British (and British writers), see themselves as timed, bumbling, nothing is going to work for them losers who (usually) go home to bed on their own.
I think a lot of it stems from the 2nd World War, where for the first couple of years we were fighting the Germans on our own. Our cities were being bombed daily, and the loss of life was immense. On the one hand it strengthened our resolve not to give in, but I think it gave our future comedy writers from the mid to late 1950s onwards, a different way of looking at life. Our so called comedy heroes were really in fact just as they were during the war: depressed, downtrodden, always down on their luck but always clinging to that little ray of hope that something good would eventually happen to them, and that would play out years later in the characters these writers would go on to create and write for.
There are plenty of clips online showing this, from Tony Hancock playing himself in Hancock’s Half Hour, Harold Steptoe in Steptoe & Son (remade as Sanford & Son in the US), Captain Mainwaring from Dad’s Army, right up to Ricky Gervais as David Brent in The Office and Mark and Jeremy from Peep Show. All of them coming over as awkward, social misfits who aren’t part of the ‘in crowd’ and who rarely get the girl, and in some cases are seen as pompous pricks who walk around as if they’ve got a pineapple stuck up their arse, raging at the world because they haven’t made it in life!
That to us Brits makes our comedy characters more interesting, because sometimes you never know which direction the show or a particular character is going to go in, and that’s the difference in that we, the viewer, will pretty much know in a US comedy show that the guy is gonna get the girl, the promotion, etc. and that’s not as funny to us. We root for the loser and laugh at him (or her) because at some point in our life, we would have experienced one of our characters failings and can associate with them their pain and misery. That, I think is the essence of British comedy.
A gay?!
That's pretty spot on. I think that's why Arrested Development and It's Always Sunny are great because they're American style comedies but about losers.
Oh no, the bad thing! 😳 -x-
watched this episode with so many people mostly straight, you really see the reaction of insecurity when people getting all defensive and shy lmao xD for no reason cos gay references ? its hilarious to see
You guys have some way to go. Like children.
100%
Haha just wait for later storylines…
6:23 I'm an ageing hippy and can confirm.
We all know what homophobia really means…
You’re safe to proceed guys!
Your reactions were heat the end 😂
🤣😂🤣
It's genuinely the only get bit in all seasons 😂😂😂😂😂
Gay
For mark atleast Jeremy was in the last season I believe it was
You’re not homophobic but you’re speechless and confused at the idea of a straight man having gay feelings? I dunno, maybe some repressed feelings amongst the group here eh. Insecurity on deck