Do you think that Indians have a sense of humour?

jens

I think they have a great sense of humor, in fact that's one of the things I loved about the country. I'm soooo surprised that so many people thought not! Definitely slapstick at times...but I don't know the language so we couldn't share too many in jokes and subtle humor. I was there such a short time and I saw the funny sides constantly...young, old, business people, poor travelers....all. They're also tricksters but that's another story.

I also disagree that they can't laugh at themselves--maybe it's me. I have a long conversation with a teacher on a bus and he had a very self-deprecating sense of humor especially about certain things. Also if you watch Indians interact even without the language it's clear that they totally joke around all the time. From school children on the bus to bus drivers stopping in the middle of nowhere to trade jokes and insults with a passing truck driver to kids jumping on the back of my bike for a ride, they all are funny. They're also sarcastic. Once a hotel owner was trying to get us into his hotel by regaling us with all the good things he had done for the community lately and I made some (I forgot what but certainly sarcastic, I'm very sarcastic) comment and he and his five friends totally cracked up. I'm very clear they weren't mad at me. OK I've disagreed with everything by now I think.

I think Brits are funny too by the way if your curious. Maybe the bar's just super low for me. Oh well I have fun anyway.

ddevadatta

Of course Indians have a sense of humor that encompasses the whole range, from sacrcasm, to telling jokes, to puns, to silly stuff and all forms. Humour is of course culturally bound and sow it might appear there is very little humour. For example I don't get British humour at all. or is there such a thing as british humour.

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R.T.

What's with the Brit bashing? In fact, besides football, humor is the greatest British export product.

jjacquemain

I agree!!! I was weaned on the Goodies and Monty Python.......Growing up in the US, the Brit Humor was the 'stuff'! My Bengali friend has a very Brit humor about him as well!

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Bigzero

.... and rape music...

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R.T.

Lovely.
You should check out the 'new generation' too.
I'm thinking of The Fast Show, Big Train, The League of Gentlemen, The Office, Bottom, etc.: dry humor, often with a tendency to the absurd (the League of Gentlemen is just downright freaky ).

jjacquemain

Mala..it was a joke.....Rap music. Say it Brit~

jjacquemain

I about fell out of my chair when I saw The Office! It's hard to find good shows with out Dish network.

Vagabond_

Humor, absolutely.
Football? Relative.
TV football .. I guess they do export. Manchester is a company before a team.

Now, quality, technique in football ... I guess is besides the point.

steven_ber

The headline of 'The Asian Age' newspaper had me laughing out loud this morning.

"Jinnah Partitions BJP"




Please don't take this as an indication of my political beliefs, I just though it was a great headline.

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agni5454

Rap Music? Indians listened to Rap Music? wow thats news to me!
I have been to india and have yet to see any rap music in their music stores....

you probably mean Banghra (not sure of sp) Music that Punjabi's like.

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R.T.

What I meant, is that football's thought to have originated in Britain (well at least, that's what the Brits claim).

Let's not get into an endless (and off topic) quality/technique/... discussion: de gustibus et coloribus...

*jyoti*

No, my friend is in Mumbai right now after 2 years int he US and said that all the young people are listening to Snoop Dogg and several other American, hard core rappers.

I dont' like rap AT ALL, so it's quite disappointing to me, but I guess it is catching on there!

cyberhippie

Indians have heads, hands and toes, there are people who cannot bear to be laughed at and people who think being laughed at is a way of sharing, India has it's satire and indeed satirists, jokes and jokers and certainly sarcasism is understood to a remarkable degree!
On the whole I would describe Indians as being quite JOLLY as in they're quick to laugh and see the funy side of things, it's a 'meeting point' for me when I'm in India, as humour is around the world but I reckon India excells in this!!

Gayamom

Well, having grown up in a Bengali community and married into a Tamilian community, I would say that both groups are a lot funnier than the mainstream American folk with whom I work and socialize. My natal family specializes in long, drawn out stories based on something seen during the day away from home that starts realistically and ends ridiculously. Fingers can get quite stiff at the dinner table before all the stories end. The sad consequence is indigestion and turmeric-stained fingernails which need to be explained at work the next day.

My married family specializes in puns. Yes, puns -- will a daughter-in-law's anguish never cease? These are quite complicated and usually involve both Tamil and English. I never, ever understand them, As a result, they need to be explained, much to everyone's disgust.

I am stuck being the straight man most of the time. Which is why it is a relief to escape to work where the topics of conversation are sports, the weather, real estate, politics, and Bush, who stopped being funny a long time ago.