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European humor

European humor is a term generally used for certain comedic ideas or motifs which are the underlying themes in the comedic acts originating in Europe. This humor is expressed through media such as books, comedic acts and television programs and has become a channel through which European culture is represented in front of an international audience.

European humor is believed to be based on various themes. These include parodies of stereotypes, the class system, black humor or macabre, the absurd and the surreal, and humor inherent in everyday life. The most interesting fact about European humor is its rich variety owing to different cultural backgrounds of different countries.

British humor is an amalgamation of most of the above mentioned themes. The Irish and the British humor have a strong inclination towards word plays and understatements whereas many European countries like Belgium and Denmark appreciate humor which is surreal. The people from the latter countries also enjoy humor that makes light of subjects that time and again make them anxious- subjects such as death, illness and wedlock.

The French humor is never self depreciating and values wit and sarcasm over emotions and nonsensical humor. As it is often directed towards others, it is fueled by ridicule and needs a target.

Italian humor forms a vital part of European humor and is much more grounded and realistic than British humor. Irony is most appreciated in Italian humor, while puns and physical humor are not too far behind.

An interesting exception is German humor, which does not have a strong preference towards any particular theme. Germans find a wide spectrum of jokes funny with subjects ranging from bureaucracy, minorities, and foreign nationals to puns and word plays.

European humor is in a class of its own and is widely appreciated all over the world.

To see our small European humor collection please visit our Europe Humor page.