French comedians are the most unfunny people ever. I have watched Indian and French comedians on stage and in TV shows and they are unfunny to the point of irritation.
Why is that so?
Because you speak English, are more culturally predisposed to US/UK anecdotes, culture, satire etc. A lot of comedy gets lost in translation and has local nuances that a foreigner might not pick up.
Unless you aren't a native English speaker, but idk then.
English is the language I'm most comfortable with. But it is not my first language. I also know French, some Spanish, and Hindi.
shareLinguistic nuance and delivery as well as shared cultural context are integral elements to humor. Lack of understanding on the audience's part leads to their inability to find humor that might be readily apparent to more acculturated crowds.
shareAt least part of it is a tradition of free speech. You can't be funny publicly without a great tradition of free speech. For example, Russians are known to have a great sense of humor, but they almost always can't display it publicly, especially under the Soviet Union.
shareComedy translates worse than most other aspects of popular culture. The best comedy tends to rely on cultural cues and nuances that are quite specific to a particular audience/community. Comedy is basically about empathy, and if you don't have much in common with your audience, that's unlikely to translate. Also, linguistic nuances tend to get lost in translation.
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