Regional humor? (live, rich, title)

[WestCoDude]

Does one's sense of humor depend on the region of the country in which they live? How do humor styles differ from region to region? Is there a unique laconic, dry midwestern wit? A cutting northeastern quickness? A folksy, rich southern humor?

What does this say about the character of the people in each region?

[decafdave]

Well as a southerner I would say my humor is dry but I would say that the South as a whole is mostly into "stories". Being able to share something funny that happened to you is very important to alot of Southerners. Needless to say, I think my humor is more appreciated accross the pond. I wasn't aware midwesterners are known for their dry humor...

[cpg35223]

One thing I've noticed about Southerners is that they're all funny. Well, except for the occasional pinch-faced Baptist. But on the whole, Southerners have to be the funniest people on earth in terms of sheer wit. I don't know if it's their Scots/Irish background. I don't know if it's because Southerners have a sense of place. But you put five Southerners in a room, and they're all telling stories and you laugh until your sides split.

A lot of their humor is not the folksy corn pone either. It relies heavily on non-sequiter, social convention and character-based humor. Almost a drawing-room humor at time.

As a side note, I've picked up a lot on this gift of Southerners. I was at a writer's conference in San Diego two years ago. The lecturer, a woman from New York, asked the audience point blank, "Any Southerners in here?" No one raised their hands, and I didn't either given that I'm from Chicago originally. Anyway, the woman said, "Good. Because all Southerners are born writers. I don't know what it is about them, but they can tell stories from the time they can pick up a pencil." Having lived here 16 years, I would have to agree.

[WestCoDude]

Originally Posted by decafdave

Well as a southerner I would say my humor is dry but I would say that the South as a whole is mostly into "stories". Being able to share something funny that happened to you is very important to alot of Southerners. Needless to say, I think my humor is more appreciated accross the pond. I wasn't aware midwesterners are known for their dry humor...

Something about acerbic midwestern sobriety. I can see it.....

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I hear a lot of sarcasm around here.

But that may just be because I'm a teenager.

[f1000]

Southerners tend to be good with their words, and generally seem to have a very gregarious way about them. If one was to be stuck in a random group of Americans, the Southerners will most likely have a seemingly friendly, light-hearted & jovial approach to things including humor. This coming from one from the Pacific NW where people are more reserved & keep to oneself.

[jessemh431]

Southerners are the funniest. New Englanders tell, short, witty jokes because they don't have time for long jokes. They even rush their humor. The west coast has, at least from what I know about CA, a dirty humor with lots of sex and nasty stuff and it also has to be simple or we won't understand it.

[WestCoDude]

Originally Posted by jessemh431

Southerners are the funniest. New Englanders tell, short, witty jokes because they don't have time for long jokes. They even rush their humor. The west coast has, at least from what I know about CA, a dirty humor with lots of sex and nasty stuff and it also has to be simple or we won't understand it.

So true. I've never *gotten* western humor. It's really....childish. I lived on the west coast for a year and found the people a pretty humorless bunch. Which is odd--considering the area is supposed to be so laid-back and easy-going. There's a richness in culture in the rest of the country which leads to a lot of funny people, I guess.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by WestCoDude

Does one's sense of humor depend on the region of the country in which they live? How do humor styles differ from region to region? Is there a unique laconic, dry midwestern wit? A cutting northeastern quickness? A folksy, rich southern humor?

What does this say about the character of the people in each region?

This is a good question and thread topic, and as a Texan/Southerner, I would have to say yes, for sure. Not withstanding that humor (in sense of what is "funny" or not) seems to be one of those things that can be difficult to translate across regional lines, the "style" of telling it, is dfferent too.

For instance, the old "twice and the punch line" genre of jokes? That is, that the basic situation is presented and the first two participants do the same thing and what the third does or says is the main point of the joke? I have noticed that we Southerners will tend to embellish the telling of it a bit. Something like: Well, now this first ol' boy, he did (this or that) and this second feller now he done (whatever)...but when it come to Sam's turn, now HE says...(at this point, we may even start to laugh at our own joke), he says...hells bells, I never even knew..."

And yep, down here, the ability to tell a good story or joke is considered a high compliment. If there is one thing I most associate with my family reunions (other than great country cookin' and food) it is joke and story telling.

As to why that is, I will just have to quote a bit the great observations of CPG:

One thing I've noticed about Southerners is that they're all funny. Well, except for the occasional pinch-faced Baptist. But on the whole, Southerners have to be the funniest people on earth in terms of sheer wit. I don't know if it's their Scots/Irish background. I don't know if it's because Southerners have a sense of place. But you put five Southerners in a room, and they're all telling stories and you laugh until your sides split.

IMHO, there is a lot to be said for the reasons being traceable to the disproportionate numbers of Scots/Irish settlement in the South. There was even a book written about it, by the late Dr. Grady McWhinney, titled "Cracker Culture in the Old South." The term "cracker" itself traces to these folks (and I am decended from the breed) always "cracking" jokes and telling stories!

As a last note here, it seems to me a distinguishing characteristic of Southern wit and story telling is to even have good, self depreciating jokes/stories about ourselves that everyone just "gets".

For instance -- referring to CPG and the astute observations about hard-shell Bapists?. Well, there is an old one down here that goes something like:

"Well, y'all know that Buddists don't recognize the Pope. Jewish folk don't recognize the New Testament. And Southern Baptists don't recognize each other in liquor stores...."

[danco]

.... so a lady walks into a bar with a poodle and a a stick of salami....
Does anybody know the punchline ( please ) ?

oh yeah and what region.