Irony and Sarcasm: British Sense of Humour

One aspect of the British character that is undeniably distinctive and that has become famous around the world is their sense of humour. Films such as The Life of Brian, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Full Monty, and TV sitcoms like Fawlty Towers, The Young Ones and Blackadder, have built Britain’s reputation as the global home of humour. From Chaucer’s works to Caitlin Moran’s best sellers, humour has been very present in the history of British storytelling, so it is only natural that Brits have mastered the art of laughter. If you are not familiar with it, though, it can be a bit confusing. The best way to understand British humour is to identify its main elements.

The keys to ‘getTING it’

The reason why British humour can sometimes be difficult to interpret is that it often inverts the meaning of words. Irony and sarcasm are usually responsible for this. Irony makes a phrase mean the opposite of its literal meaning. While it is generally pleasant and inoffensive, and it is often used against oneself, sarcasm goes a bit further. Sarcasm is a sharper, more aggressive form of irony that usually aims to insult or mock another person. Both irony and sarcasm use exaggeration to achieve a comic effect that sometimes leads to surrealism, which is a very characteristic trait of British humour as well. We can find plenty of good examples of this is any of the works of Monty Python. 

HUMOUR AGAINST ONESELF

Another basic ingredient of British humour is self-deprecation. Self-deprecating comments and jokes aim to make one’s achievements less important and even ridiculous. This is an important tool when making humour, since it places the person speaking below everyone else. This makes sarcasm about others better received, as it is understood that the speaker doesn’t consider him or herself better than the rest, not even than the person being criticised. A golden rule in humour is not to make fun of those who are in a weaker position than we are, so self-deprecation is every comedian’s best friend.

Brits also love a good pun. A pun is a word play that is used in a humorous way. The problem with puns is that they can be quite difficult to translate into other languages, which sets a big challenge for translators of films and TV.

U.K. Cringe vs U.S. Comedy

The TV series The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and released in the UK in 2001. Its success led to the production of an American version, which aired in 2005. However, there are substantial differences between the two versions that respond to the sense of humour of their viewers. While the American version is quite kind and mild, the British Office is much harder: its characters are quite miserable people. But that’s what makes it funny for Brits. Michael Scott (the main character in the U.S. version) is a nice guy with a foolish side; David Brent (his British counterpart) is so painfully cringeworthy that only Brits can manage to watch him. Americans love a success story; Brits are more comfortable with losers. Americans need likeable characters on their shows; Brits love villains. But they have one thing in common: they all like a happy ending.