【素材】Unit 3 文本 British humour （人教）.doc

British humourBritish humour is a somewhat general term applied to certain comedic motifs that are often prevalent in comedic acts originating in the United Kingdom and its current or former colonies. Comedy acts and television programmes typical of British humour include Monty Python, Benny Hill, and Keeping Up Appearances to name a few that have become quite popular outside of the United Kingdom. At times, however, such humour can seem puzzling to non-British speakers of English (references to English slang terms or people, who are unknown internationally for example) while certain Commonwealth nations (such as Australia, Canada and South Africa) tend to find it more familiar. Many UK comedy TV shows typical of British humour have been internationally popular, and have been a strong avenue for the export and representation of British culture to an international audience.ThemesSome themes (with examples) that underpinned late twentieth-century British humour were:Smut and innuendoSmut and innuendo with sexual and scatological themes, typified by:the seaside postcards of Donald McGill the humour of Benny Hill, Julian Clary and many others the series of Carry On films The Two Ronnies, comedy show starring Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker Alas Smith and Jones, sketch show starring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones Hale and Pace, sketch show starring Gareth Hale and Norman Pace the comic magazine Viz the Nudge Nudge sketch Bottom with much slapstick, but also heavy use of sexual innuendos. The Dangerous Brothers Disrespect to members of the establishmentDisrespect to members of the establishment and authority, typified by:Beyond the Fringe, stage revue from the 1960s That Was The Week That Was (TW3), late night TV satire The Comic Strip Presents., a series of short satirical films Private Eye, satirical magazine Not the Nine OClock News, satirical sketch show, notable for launching the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, and Mel Smith Yes Minister, political sitcom Spitting Image, TV puppet comedy lampooning the famous and powerful Saturday Live, Irish equivalent of the American show Saturday Night Live Discworld, a series of fantasy books written by Terry Pratchett, heavy with irony criticizing various aspects of society Have I Got News for You, a satirical panel game Mock the week, another satirical panel game The absurdGreen Wing (2004-2007), a sitcom set in a hospital, but featuring nothing medical. Used experimental filming, surreal jokes and strong female leads.The absurd and the surreal, typified by:The Goon Show, a surreal radio show Spike Milligans Q, a sketch show and a direct inspiration for Monty Python Monty Python, a comedy troupe, noted for performing sketches with no conclusions Green Wing, an experimental sitcom, using both surrealism, sped up and slowed down camera work, and strong female characters Big Train, a sketch show with absurd situations performed in a realistic, deadpan style Shooting Stars, a panel game with seemingly no rules Im Sorry I Havent a Clue, a radio panel game with bizarre games, notably Mornington Crescent and One Song to the Tune of Another The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, a variety show of sketches and songs The Bonzo Dog Band, a musical group playing songs inspired by the music of the 1920s and comic rock songs The Mighty Boosh, a comic fantasy containing non-sequiturs and pop-culture references Bus Drivers Prayer The Mighty Boosh The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, in radio, book, tv series and film Armando Iannucci Shows, A very surreal comedy sketch show The MacabreBlack humour, in which topics and events that are usually treated seriously are treated in a humorous or satirical manner, typified by:The League of Gentlemen, a cult comedy revolving around the bizarre inhabitants of fictional town Royston Vasey Jam, an unsettling TV sketch comedy with an ambient music soundtrack Nighty Night, a TV series about a sociopathic arch-manipulator who takes advantage of the people around her Garth Marenghis Darkplace, a horror comedy revolving around the supernatural, and is set in a hospital in the 1980s The manicVic Reeves Big Night Out Bottom The humour inherent in everyday lifeThe Office (2001-2003) is mainly based on mundane office life. This is one of the most successful British comedies, being exported to several countries.The humour, not necessarily apparent to the participants, inherent in everyday life, as seen in:Hancocks Half Hour Till Death Us Do Part Human Remains Im Alan Partridge The Office The Royle Family Peep Show One Foot In The Grave Monkey Dust The Giles cartoons Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42, TV programme featuring an Indian family, staring Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal The war between parents/teachers and childrenThe war between parents/teachers and their children, typified by:The Beano and The Dandy, comics of publisher D C Thomson Just William, books by Richmal Crompton Molesworth books by Geoffrey Willans and illustrated by Ronald Searle St Trinians books and films also originated by Ronald Searle Kevin the Teenager and Perry in Harry Enfield and Chums My Family, British TV Series Outnumbered,British TV Series The British class systemThe British class system, especially pompous or dim-witted members of the upper/middle classes or embarrassingly blatant social climbers, typified by:Jeeves and Wooster, books by P. G. Wodehouse (later played by Fry and Laurie) Dads Army, comedy TV series Mr. Bean, comedy TV series, Movie Fawlty Towers, comedy TV series Keeping Up Appearances, comedy TV series You Rang, MLord?, comedy TV series Absolutely Fabulous, comedy TV series To the Manor Born, comedy TV series Blackadder, comedy TV series The New Statesman, political comedy TV series The lovable rogueBlackadder (1983-1989), a sitcom set in several periods of British history. The title character is an antihero, being rude and mean to almost everyone, particularly his servant Baldrick.The lovable rogue, often from the impoverished working class, trying to beat the system and better himself, typified by:The Andy Capp cartoon strip created by Reginald Smythe The Likely Lads Steptoe and Son Rising Damp Open All Hours Only Fools and Horses comedy TV series (1981-2003) starring David Jason as Del Trotter Flashman books Norman Wisdom Porridge Blackadder, comedy TV series The embarrassment of social ineptitudeThe embarrassment of social ineptitude, typified by:Mr. Bean, comedy TV series starring Rowan Atkinson The Office comedy TV series starring Ricky Gervais Some Mothers Do Ave Em, comedy TV series starring Michael Crawford Alan Partridge comedy TV series starring Steve Coogan Count Arthur Strong radio show Extras One Foot In The Grave comedy TV series, 1990 to 2000 Peep Show Making fun of foreignersMaking fun of foreigners, sometimes bordering on xenophobia and especially common in television sitcoms and films of the 1970s, typified by:Love Thy Neighbour, TV programme that Bill Bryson once referred to as My Neighbours a Darkie Mind Your Language, TV programme set in a language school in London Till Death Us Do Part, TV sitcom which mocked its own main character, Alf Garnett, for his racism Allo Allo!, British TV comedy series about a French village occupied by Germans during the Second World War Fawlty Towers, TV comedy programme featuring heavily stereotyped characters from the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Ireland, Australia, the United States, and Germany Bullying and harsh sarcasmHarsh sarcasm and bullying, though with the bully usually coming off worse than the victim - typified by:Blackadder, comedy TV series The Young Ones, comedy TV series The New Statesman, satirising a domineering Conservative Member of Parliament The Thick of It, satirising the spin culture prevalent in Tony Blairs heyday Never Mind the Buzzcocks, satirical music based panel show Parodies of stereotypesMaking fun of British stereotypes, typified by:Beyond the Fringe That Was the Week That Was (TW3), late night TV satire Little Britain The Fast Show The Young Ones Harry Enfields Television Programme Catherine Tate in her sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show French and Saunders The Da