Are men funny?

[Spiny Norman]

There've been weeks that I've only met the most boring human males: men with no sense of humour, who could not detect irony at all. Even if they had had an education, and weren't chartered accountants.

It's the type of guy who couldn't recognize a joke if it painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "obvious jokes are here again". Then there are some that do know what a joke is, only they suck at making them. (I myself am in the second category, and whenever I make a feeble attempt, members of the first group just stare at me with a look as if to say, "what's going on here? -- oh wait it's that THING again that some people do, whassit called...".)

The obvious conclusion is that men aren't funny. There's only a few exceptions called comedians, and these then go on to draw the attention towards them, leading to a skewed conclusion. But the average man is dull as bricks.


I dare anyone to prove me wrong on this.

[chveik]

RIP COMEDY CHAT

[Twed]

I think that with a lot of very average men, it's enough for them to be able to quote, repeat or paraphrase comedy written by much better comedians and still get a good response from their peers, or even get to work in comedy if they're enthusiastic enough. So you see a lot of that.

[lankyguy95]

I think Frank Skinner made me laugh once. Can't remember any others.

[Thursday]

No you're right. They aren't.

[The Lurker]

I'm a man and I'm hilarious. Hope that helps.

[Thursday]

Nah.

[The Lurker]

Fair enough.

[The Boston Crab]

It's the type of guy who couldn't recognize a joke if it painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "obvious jokes are here again".

Blackadder tier.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

PINCERED

[madhair60]

I think the real question is are men TOO funny

[Twed]

Yes, Morecambe and Wise were two funny men.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Mumsnet is significantly funnier than hsart, so I'm going to say no.

[oy vey]

It depends on how you define funny. It also depends on how you define men. Finally, and most crucial, it depends on how you define are.

[petril]

they're funny peculiar just not funny ha-ha

[Thursday]

They're funny smelling and funny looking because they don't wear make-up or perfume.

[alan nagsworth]

Men are the only people insecure enough to rebound your self-deprecation back at you when you say something like "Yeah I cried at Toy Story 3. Then again I'm such a bloody emotional wreck I cry just at the thought of chopping onions, heh!" and they say "HAHA YOU PUFF, GET A LOAD OF THIS PUFF. BETTER NOT CHOP ANY ONIONS AROUND THIS PUFF" and all the other men laugh at him and not you.

So I think the answer's no but as another insecure man I wouldn't like to cast myself as the definitive authority on the subject, even though most other insecure men would jump at the chance to do so.

PSST FEMALES, IT'S HARD BEING A MAN TOO SOMETIEMS

[Cuellar]

I actually work in a team almost entirely male and they're all, to a man, tedious and unfunny.

Can't think when a man actually last made me laugh, in person.

[alan nagsworth]

Can't think when a man actually last made me laugh, in person.

Forget about in person, what about in any of your other forms? Like ceiling fan, or egg? Tell me when the last time a man made you laugh as one of them, or one your other forms, like pair of sunglasses.

[Misspent Boners]

What makes me laugh is that if you asked the same question about women there'd be absolute uproar.

[Cuellar]

Forget about in person, what about in any of your other forms? Like ceiling fan, or egg? Tell me when the last time a man made you laugh as one of them, or one your other forms, like pair of sunglasses.

Case in point. This didn't make me laugh AT ALL

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I think that with a lot of very average men, it's enough for them to be able to quote, repeat or paraphrase comedy written by much better comedians and still get a good response from their peers

This strategy is also employed to good effect on this very forum. BACK OF THE NET.

[alan nagsworth]

Case in point. This didn't make me laugh AT ALL

haha :-)

[Ferris]

I find the OP offensive, but not surprising. It repeats a common (and for some reason, entirely socially acceptable) bit of bigotry that exists in every day life; a slur that is regularly cast wantonly by all levels of society and without thought for those it targets.

I'm talking of course about the disdain for the comic sensibilities of accountants. I am (sort of) an accountant, and I'm hilarious. This kind of "joke" belongs in the bad old days of the '70s.

[The Boston Crab]

I think a lot of men mistake 'clever' for funny, which is not a problem women have.

[chveik]

I think a lot of men mistake 'clever' for funny, which is not a problem women have.

what about Dorothy Parker

[Spiny Norman]

I find the OP offensive, but not surprising. It repeats a common (and for some reason, entirely socially acceptable) bit of bigotry that exists in every day life; a slur that is regularly cast wantonly by all levels of society and without thought for those it targets.

I'm talking of course about the disdain for the comic sensibilities of accountants. I am (sort of) an accountant, and I'm hilarious. This kind of "joke" belongs in the bad old days of the '70s.

I showed it to an accountant that I know before I posted it. He was okay with it, it didn't unbalance his books at all.
So you don't speak for all accountants, you just speak for yourself. The offense is perhaps in the eye of the beholder?

[Ferris]

I showed it to an accountant that I know before I posted it. He was okay with it, it didn't unbalance his books at all.
So you don't speak for all accountants, you just speak for yourself. The offense is perhaps in the eye of the beholder?

The old "some of my best friends happen to be accountants" shit. Unbelievable.

[Shaky]

London and other parts of Britain are basically overrun with accountants now.

[Bennett Brauer]

It's a fine line between accountant and lion-tamer.