The Juke Joint

As part of my self-imposed UK survival training regime, I embarked on a small-scale investigation of the various aspects of British comedy. Many hours spread out over the course of the past few weeks were spent on various video sharing websites, all in the name of finding out what makes British people laugh. I present my findings so far:

All 4 seasons of Blackadder:

Rowan Atkinson is funny enough as the mostly silent character in the Mr Bean series, but that’s not the half of it. Whenever dialogue roles are thrust (*feeble attempt at British humour and innuendo*) upon him, he brings them to life with great panache and the entire Blackadder series showcases his thespian talents.

Laughing Matters:

More of Atkinson, this time presenting a pseudo-documentary on comedic elements with an air of academia.

Fry and Laurie:

2 actors who co-starred with Atkinson in Blackadder had their own show too.

Some techniques demonstrated here are double entendre (with comic timing), physical gags,absurdity and linguistic exaggeration.

Of course, the tried and tested method of making fun of Americans always gets a few laughs. This one too.

Glossary:

Comprehensive guide to Brit slang.



As to the direction of my further research, let us just say...

I have a cunning plan.