Sense of humor in the U.S and Japan

The Japanese version of the American popular comedy TV program "Saturday Night Live" has started on the air from Jun in Japan.

This show is a long-running show that was loved by American people since 1975. As the title said, this is live show every Saturday night.

Each week, the show features a host who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. A musical guest also performs.

A lot of comedians such as Eddie Murphy became famous through this show.

I watched both versions on You tube and I realized that their concept and style were almost the same, but their sense of humor were completely different.

Japanese comedians didn't use a sarcastic sense of humor compared to American comedians. Meanwhile, Japanese style sketch comedies were really well-wrought.

As you know, there are a lot of cultural exchanges between the U.S and Japan like animations, movies and arts. However, sense of humor is still difficult to understand with each other.

Trend Research Institute conducted "an attitude survey about the Japan-U.S. sense of humor " for 100 20-59-year-old men and women who used to live in the U.S. more than one year. Eighty nine people said that there are big differences between the U.S and Japan in sense of humor.

"The American sense of humor seems direct and Japanese style seems indirect. In addition, some people said that American humor has irony in their words.

As for comedy and variety TV show, seventy nine people feel differences between the two.

American style focuses on talking comedy and Japanese style focuses on physical comedy. The most popular American comedy program that they answered on the survey was Saturday Night Live. The reasons were that well-known guests participate in a short comedy by regulars without sense of incongruity and gaps were really interesting. One women said that the joke with American wit was fun, and a comedy was zip along.

Yes, I also understand the reason why this show was widely accepted in the U.S. It has a good format and their stand-up comedy are simple and easy to understand. However, I felt the big gap in sense of humor.

Why sense of humor can't exchange with each countries?

One comedian group consist of one American and one Japanese called Pakkun-Makkun tried to introduce their Japanese style stand-up comedy "Manzai" to American audience like below.

 P: Anyway, tonight we are going perform a traditional Japanese form of comedy called Manzai.

M: Manzai.

P: Manzai is performed by two people. They play opposite roles. One is the straight man and the other is the...

M: "Lesbian woman."

P: No, no, not Lesbian woman.

M: You said we're opposites. You're the straight man!

P: No, I'm the straight man. Not straight man.

M: You're not a straight man? You're a .... Hello, fabulous package....can I touch?

P: Oh stop already. I'm the straight man, you're the funny guy.

M: Oh, the funny guy.

They explained the concept of Manzai with American ironic humor. They said this story made them enchant(pleasure). However, I don't think it can make Japanese audience laugh.

In Manzai, there are two fundamental roles -"Tsukkomi"(the straight man)

who talk normally as much as possible and "Boke" (the funny man) who continues the story with unexpected twists and "tsukkomi person pointed out how strange Boke's attitude is and then it makes the audiences laugh.

However, there isn't a comedy pattern like Boke and Tukkomi in English.

American stand-up comedy control himself like a one-man-show.

I know there were some famous pair comedians in US before, but now, it's not popular.

I think that the humor based on English wordplay and western cultural knowledge might not be accepted in Japan.

Also, sense of humor could be changed to boring when English comedy is translated into Japanese.

There are many races and religions in the U.S.

It seems difficult to make well-wrought story to specific audiences like in Japan.

In conclusion, I think both countries sense of humor don't need to change.

It's impossible to understand their each other's cultural background.

American sense of humor should emphasize simple and ironical laughing.

Japanese sense of humor should emphasize well-wrought and physically laughing.

Oil and water are immiscible.

Written in Nov 13 2011

Reference database :http://news.ameba.jp/20110916-248/