this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
266 points (89.3% liked)
Showerthoughts
29773 readers
480 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Avoid politics
- 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
- 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
- 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
In all seriousness, the notion that Germans lack humor stems from the times when English and American people last got in contact with Germans in larger numbers: In and after WW2. Allied propaganda did paint the Germans as humorless (because they can't be totally evil if they still have humor), and after the war, living in Germany was not exactly fun.
In reality, Germans have a lot of humor, its style being similar to the British, but a lot of it is hard to translate or is based on experiences that non-Germans don't share, like old German TV shows.
I think the stereotype also comes from Germans often not catching onto sarcasm in English
Which is a pitfall for anyone conversing in a language that isn't their first, I'd say.
It can be, but 90% of the people I interact with are non-native English speakers and it definitely feels a bit more common for Germans fluent in English to be bad at getting jokes.
Happens with americans too.. they seem to completely miss sarcasm sometimes. Humour is very cultural (and often plays into things a native of the country would know but someone outside sometimes wouldn't).
That isn't what I said though, which is that specifically I notice it with Germans.