Humour

1.

2. The similarities and differences between the Russian and American senses of

By Saveliev Daniil

3. Purpose of the work: Comparison of the American and Russian senses of humour

Tasks:
o To describe what American humour is
o To present American types of humour and give
examples
o To describe what Russian humour is and give
examples
o To draw a table of comparison
o To explain what really underlies most
misunderstanding between two nations

4. Development and formation of American humоur

Pioneers, hunters, woodcutters or merely criminals
became heroes of the first jokes and anecdotes
In 1970s stand-up comedies, radio, films, literature and
caricatures
In 80th and 90th Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby

5.

Some identity of American humour
1. Apparent absence of hidden meaning
Jo: “You put your
boots on the wrong
feet!”
Mo: “But I have no
other feet!”
Джо: “Ты надел
ботинки не на те
ноги!”
Mo: “ Но у меня нет
других ног!”

6.

Some identity of American humour
2. Complete certainty
Teacher: “You know that
when heated, bodies
expand. And when
cooled, they contract.
Who can give me an
example of this rule?”
Student: “Well, in
summer the days get
longer and in winter
they are shorter.”
Учитель: “ Вам
известно, что при
нагревании тела
расширяются. А при
охлаждении
сжимаются. Кто может
привести пример этого
правила?”
Ученик: “Ну, летом дни
становятся длиннее, а
зимой короче.”

7. Some identity of American humour

3. Making fun of stupidity and narrow-mindedness.
The owner: “If you are
going to stay for the
night here, you have to
make a bed for
yourself.”
The guest: “That’s ok.”
The owner: “Here is
the hammer and the
saw. Good night!”
Хозяин: “Если вы
собираетесь
остановится на
ночлег, вы должны
сами приготовить
себе постель.”
Гость: “Меня это
устраивает.”
Хозяин: “Вот вам
молоток и пила.
Спокойной ночи!”

8. Some identity of American humour

4. Any jokes should not hurt anybody’s feelings.
5. A witty response:
A criminal holds a gun on Tony and says: “ Your money
or your life!”. Having hesitated, Tony replies: “ Let me
think…”.

9. The types of American humour

o Anecdote
o Joke
o Story
o Wordplay:
The Simpsons: “ Relax. What is mind? No matter. What
is matter? Never mind!”
o Aphorism:
Home alone: “ When I grow up and get married, I will
live alone”

10. American humour can be presented in graphics

o
o
o
o
o
Picture
Photo
Video
Caricature
Grotesque

11. The identity of Russia humour

Oriented to the topical subjects:
• Politics
• Art
• Medicine
• Family
• Studies
• Interethnic relations
• Love
• Religion

12. The types of Russia humour

Anecdote
Chastushka
Genre of parody
Jokes
Caricature
Grotesque
Aphorism

13. Anecdote

Ununderstandable if you don’t know some historical,
political, cultural and other facts.
На перемена
хвастаются школьники:
- А я уже прочитал
роман “ Дон Кихот”.
- Кто же такой Дон
Кихот?
- Это казак с Дона по
имени Кихот!
At the break students
are boasting:
- I have already read
the novel “ Don
Quixote”.
- Who is Don Quixote?
- This is a Cossack from
the Don by the name
of Quixote!

14. Anecdote

Anecdotes about Chukchi, Moldavians and Ukrainians.
There is always a neighbour to be made fun of.
Едет чукча в трамвае.
Водитель: «Следующая
остановка “Восьмого
Марта”»… Чукча: «Ой, а
раньше никак нельзя!?».

15. Anecdote

Russian people than any other nation in the world can
laugh at themselves
- Сколько человек
здесь работает?
- С бригадиром – 10.
- А без бригадира?
- А без бригадира
вообще никто не
работает.
- How many people
are working here?
- With the foreman –
10.
- But without the
foreman?
- Without the
foreman nobody is
working.

16. Chastushka

Начался учебный год,
Часики затикали,
А меня вопрос гнетет :
Скоро ли каникулы?
The academic year has begun
The watch has ticked
But the question is oppressing
me:
Soon the holidays will be?

17. Aphorism

M. Zhvanetskiy:
Идея пришла в его голову и теперь упорно ищет
мозг.
The idea has come into his head, and now it is chasing
after the brain.
Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov:
Юмор – очень редкий металл.
Humour is a very rare metal.

18. Table of comparison

American humour
Russian humour
Similarities
- The culture and the origins of notions about the concern of
funny things
- Mockery of themselves
- Social character and informal style
- Ridiculing stupidity

19. Table of comparison

American humour
Russian humour
Differences
- No hidden meaning
- Completeness
- Improper reliance on ethnic,
social, religious, sexual and
racial stereotypes
- The urge to think and use
your imagination
- Incompleteness
- Allowance to make fun of
everything and everyone

20. Survey

Is it difficult to understand American humour?
(Do you laugh at American anecdotes, jokes and etc.?)

21. Survey

Do you find American humour intelligent?

22. The course of misunderstanding

We just have a different mentality

23. Results

o I have investigated the “humour” of Americans and
Russian people
o I have overviewed the types of humour expressions
of the both cultures
o I have compared and contrasted the sense of
humour of both nationalities
o I have tried to explain misunderstanding of
“humour” between the two nations

24.

Thank you for your attention!!!