• NoPanko@feddit.uk
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’ve met many funny germans, and then 1 german guy who so perfectly fits the stereotype that I almost think its a bit in its own right.

  • Waffelmeister@lemmy.world
    0·
    2 months ago

    Gottseidank heißt unser Führer nicht Kräuter. Sonst hieße es den ganzen Tag Heilkräuter! Heilkräuter!

    Karl Valentin

  • Hadriscus@jlai.lu
    0·
    2 months ago

    Women are always the recipients of all humor, as were their mothers, and their grandmothers before them, and as will be their daughters, and their granddaughters after them, for it is the will of the Elders

  • AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’ve heard it claimed German humour differs from English humour due to the grammar of the German language making it harder to hide the punchline, and so largely eliminating a lot of wordplay. The humour that remains is either cerebral (conceptual satire and such) or lowbrow slapstick.

    • schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de
      0·
      2 months ago

      Native speaker of German here and I am not sure about that. German tends to put verbs in the end in a lot of sentences, but apart from that, it’s mostly possible to use English-like word orders in German too; I don’t think the difference is significant enough that it would change the entire style of humor.

    • wieson@feddit.org
      0·
      2 months ago

      Nah, our humour and our everyday conversation is chock full of wordplay. Obviously it’s hard to detect the humour if one doesn’t speak the language. Humour is a nuanced thing anyways and also plays with cultural associations.

      For example if I were with friends in a pub and only ordered one beer and someone asked me why and I replied: “I muss fei spare” , the text itself isn’t funny
      (I have to save money).
      But it would be funny because I said it in a slight Swabian accent and because of the cultural association of Swabians being penny pinchers.
      It wouldnt be hilarious mind you, just a little funny to spice up conversation. How would one translate or even understand that?

  • Enkrod@feddit.org
    0·
    2 months ago

    Honestly I very much enjoy German humor, but I do understand why people don’t always get it, because it comes in two distinct styles with (imho) vastly different qualities:

    1. Just plain silly (see: Otto Waalkes), can be good but it is often with such a heavy handed punchline that it just doesn’t feel funny anymore. This is the only time people recognize that a German tried to be funny and it often lands flat for people with a more refined sense of humor.

    2. Irony and sarcasm, dark and extremely, extremely, sometimes unbearably dry. People who did not grow up with it will often not recognize that a joke has been made at all, because Germans are the kings of straight-face-delivery. This is where german humor hides its refinement and wit and since it’s often undetectable, people imagine we’re just not funny. But if you catch it, this shit is HILARIOUS.

    Both kinds are rife with puns… I don’t know why, but Germans love puns and considering the very complicated nature of the german language this also often passes by unnoticed with non-native speakers.

    • abysmalpoptart@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The Germans we’ve met LOVE silly puns and plays on words.

      One time I was playing in a German beer pong event, and one of our opposing teams was “ten inches soft” (in English). They introduce ourselves (all in English), and one of the guys says to us “do you get it? It’s about the penis!” And we just died laughing.

      It’s great honestly

      • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
        0·
        2 months ago

        See, thats why I think a lot of non-germans don’t get German humor, there isn’t a scenario where you say “10 inches soft” that isn’t a dick joke, so when the punchline comes around “haha it is about penis”, the recipient is confused thinking they missed the real punchline.

    • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      I’m of German descent on both sides of my family and I can confirm the dry, and sometimes dark humor.

      My dad would drop drive-by jokes that you might not get for a couple of days.

    • nightlily@leminal.spaceEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      I work with one guy who is a master of the second style to the extent that even other Germans don’t notice he’s joking.

      • Enkrod@feddit.org
        0·
        2 months ago

        That’s a common occurrence and since “you don’t explain jokes” sometimes in a group one person says something, one other person starts laughing uncontrollably and all the others just look on confused and will never get an explanation. It’s often a test of who pays attention, who you are on the same wavelength with and who has the wit to register the joke.

        People getting each others jokes, while others don’t, is quite often the basis for lifelong friendships.