Culture and Sense of Humor
Sense of Humor is unique in every culture across the world
Humor, as we all know it, is the quality of being amusing and funny in situations to express yourself or to brighten up the mood around you. While humor is a widely known concept, you may have not realized or absorbed the fact that humor can differ depending on the culture. A joke or something amusing you may come to find in everyday life in your culture can be something completely alien to those who experience humor differently in another culture. Some questions that come up around this are; what does that look like? How is it funny or how is it offensive? What could happen if someone is unintentionally offended?
Firstly, we must understand that humor, like slang, is represented and used differently in different cultures. For example, in our culture as people who live in the United States, we may find humor in other individuals’ embarrassing moments. We even have a widely known television show based on this concept: AFV(America’s Funniest Home Videos). The standard of humor we have as regular entertainment may be accepted and relatable in some cultures, but there also can be cases where it may not be appreciated or appropriate in other cultures.
An example where humor can take a turn for the worst and become offensive is by saying the same word in different languages, ultimately being inappropriate in different cultures. A specific situation where this example can be applied is the word “idiot.” In American culture, this word can be loosely intertwined with casual humorous conversations with anyone ranging from close friends to strangers. However, if you were to use the same word in Korean culture, people may be taken aback and offended. This is because the culture is different. In Korea, there is a large emphasis on respecting those older than you and using formal and informal language properly. This shows us that something as simple as saying the word “idiot” in one culture, can become offensive and shamed upon in a different culture.
Hopefully, you won’t have to run into situations like the one stated before but what can you do when you unintentionally offend someone when trying to be humorous? The best thing to do first is to apologize, then you can reach an understanding with the other person or persons involved. While humor is a concept that is meant to ease and lighten the mood and create positive environments, we must remember at the least to be mindful of the situation and those around us.
