Personal

Humor is so personal that my explanation, examples, or advice may realistically never affect your interpretation of a joke, or make you 'get it' any more than you already could. But through my analysis of Russian humor in contrast to American humor in this blog, I have learned to look at jokes from multiple angles. There is often not just one write way of doing things and similarly with humor, even if the author had one specifically intended interpretation, there are often many available. Just like the words we speak, we are each entitled to freely interpret in our own ways. 

More often than not, the lack of ability to 'get' a joke frustrates because it excludes us from the in-crowd of those that understand it. I know for me, that prompted me to learn Russian. I sat daily in a room of colleagues that shared long winded anecdotes that more than occasionally caused everyone, but me, to erupt in laughter. I hated not 'getting it'. Or for that matter, not even understanding it in the most basic of senses --I didn't speak Russian!

And so, as humor influences our mood, it influenced me to learn a new language. One that I have found is much more similar to my own native language, English, than I expected. To my surprise, the jokes that I remember being so hard for me to understand, even when 'translated' (I use that term loosely), I now realize are extremely similar to American jokes that I 'get' without hesitation. 

Until this blog, I never thought about how much humor affected the course of my life. I learned an entirely new language do to my desire to understand the humor being thrown around me. As a result, I married a Russian man, one of those very people in that room everyday telling jokes. And I now see the word as a much more similar place than I once did. I doubt that there aren't ways of understanding each other--any of each other, whether or not we live on the same or polar opposite continents. 

Time and space does not affect the general course of life events as much as we are often lead to believe. We all are still born, experience psychological growth, learn, love, hate, bleed, need, and die like everyone else. Humor often responds to aspects of this cycle which we all share. Therefore, the next time you think that you've been separated from the in-crowd by a joke that 'flew over your head', I urge you to realize that some facet is likely there for you to see. It just may take some extra searching for you to find.

Jenn

Reality...

It's been a while since I last looked at Russian humor here. But honestly I have realized that Russian humor is generally based on all the same topics as American humor, including: mother-in-laws, sex, politics, and marriage. While much of their [Russian] humor is based on experience, so is ours [American]. And while some experiences are inapplicable to Americans, many parallel American life. Sure, there is an abundance of russian drinking jokes that Americans likely will not approve of, whether or not we 'get' them or not. But for the most part, the current Russian/American comedy genres cover similar issues with similarly humorous depictions if one understands the point of view of the joke. 

For instance: 

A foreign journalist walks into a local bar in search of material in support of his report on the meager living conditions of ordinary Russians. He approaches the drunkest visitor and politely asks for an interview. To which the drunk replies, "Go ahead!"

The journalist begins, "In my country every family has a car. What about you? Do you have a car?"

"Yeessssss? I do", said the drunk proudly. Then he continued, "In fact, I might have more than one car! I may have two!"

In shock the journalists quickly asks, "how is this possible? How can this be?!"

The drunk explains, "Well, say I hit you with this mug right now.*hiccup* They'll send one car for me, and another one for you!*hiccup*"

While this sounds like a drunkard bizarrely optimistic about the consequences of his actions, if one considers the culture of vodka and beer cultivated by the 'vodka' allowance given to every family by the communist leadership, it becomes easier to understand where this joke's point of view originates. Vodka was often used to keep the people of the soviet union from 'feeling' the hardships. The concept was often that while life was hard and work futile, vodka was everyman's vacation. Therefore, this drunkard is in a utopia of his own, imagining the plethora of vehicles he could 'control' through his actions. The focus is not on the scene of the drunkard in a bar, but rather on the resilient optimism allowed through this social past time and the absurdity of such in relation to social order. The inventiveness of the drunk upholds the concept that Russian's can solve any problem, while it nevertheless mocks the habit of drinking to solve life's problems.

American's don't relate well to a concept of social acceptance of drinking to be drunk or drinking to be happy —especially about material possessions or the lack thereof. But we would likely understand this kind of joke very well if the punch line dealt with 'beer goggles', drunken attractiveness, or drunken mistakes. Movies such as Shallow Hal and similar films regarding altered states of reality reflect America's understanding of altered logic and imagined realities. So while the points of view are different, Russian and American jokes are perfectly compatible when one accesses the appropriate lens through which to view the punch line.

The next time I hear a Russian joke that I hesitate to understand, I'm going to think first about the genre and try to draw a parallel in American culture. Then re-read the joke. It's highly likely that in this way, Russian jokes will be easier to access than most translations grant.   

Translation station

Since I started the last entry by re-starting my explanation of Russian humor, I'm continuing today with examples of how Russian humor can parallel American humor.

There are many sociological advancements that have shaped the lifestyles of Russians in much the same way as Americans. While the governing structures of the two countries have appeared quite different, the affects of governance that incite one to seek freedom, of mind and action, are very similar. Therefore, many genres of humor replicate themselves in both American and Russian society.

For instance, possibly due to the similar marriage and family unit structures shared by Russians and Americans, the genre of female v. male humor looks almost identical in both countries.

Joke 1:

Q: Why are women worse than the mafia?

A: The mafia demands money or your life; women want both!

Joke 2:

Women are like guns, keep one around long enough and your going to want to shoot it.

Now, can you tell which joke is American? 

Perhaps this one is an easy answer since Russia is obsessed with the Mafia and Americans, with guns. But nevertheless, this brings me to another point. Although I once thought that Russian jokes were more disparaging than American, I have been proven wrong on that assumption. Especially in the above example, it's obvious that both cultures offer a similarly strong male/female face-off through humor. (And just so you're clear, Joke 2 is American...)

Even in the depiction of how a single woman finds a man we see similarities:

Joke:

Two young women are talking.

"I’m going to marry the man I fall in love with."

"Me too, if I don’t find anything better."

This Russian joke perfectly suits the American image of women desiring a rich man. However, the American version of this joke might look a bit different -perhaps more obvious and sexual in nature.

Q: What is six inches long, features a bald head, and drives women crazy?
A: A hundred dollar bill.

I guess women the world over are known for loving their money (and their husband's). 

So the next time you hear a Russian making a joke and you think it's about the opposite gender, add some context and a few sexual connotations, remember both societies feature alpha males, and you'll understand any joke as American, in no time!

...so much for that!

Well, my plan, to plan, isn't go...as planned. : /

I've yet to find any really cynical discussion of American advancements, or capabilities for advancement, in technology, from the 1930s --or any other time...

Perhaps we're even MORE optimistic than I gave us credit for? Nahhhhhhhh.

I'm sure I could find some politically fueled mudslinging on our 'green' initiatives, and there's plenty to be said for the attitudes of the 'lost generation'; but I'm afraid that would be off subject as most of those recordings seem to be in the politically correct overtones of solemness and sincerity.

That aside, research has impressed upon me the considerable quantity of U.S. advancements in aviation, technology, manufacturing, etc. (Yay, us!) So, it occurs to me that pessimistic technology views may have been the worst topic for me to have chosen.

Let's start anew!


В Америке существуют дороги которые построили, но забыли отметить на карте.
В России есть дороги которые отметили на карте, но забыли построить.


Transliteration:
In America exist roads which they built, but forgot to note on maps.
In Russia are roads which they note on maps, but forgot to build.


Translation:
In America, roads have been built that they've thus far forgotten to add to their maps.
In Russia, roads have been added to their maps, that they've thus far forgotten to build.


The difference between transliteration and translation here isn't large, but it is enough to give the joke a momentum which otherwise wouldn't exist. In the russian version, you'll notice the repeating of the words 'дороги','которые','построить', 'но', 'забыли', 'отметить', 'на карте', and 'В'. All of these repeating words add an expectant momentum to the joke that leads up to a realization that what should be noticed here, is the opposite of what the reality, which is notice here, is! 


Moral: 
Never underestimate the play on words; and don't let good friends, with bad english, translate a joke for you.


Now relate the above joke to:


My husband and I have religious differences: he thinks he's God and I don't.


 The same expectance of the 'common' answer is created with the lead in --like created with the first sentence of the Russian joke. But instead of being about government mishandling of money, we opted for a benign subject matter: religion. (I'll be completely American here and NOTE that I was '*JK', with the term 'benign'...[ idiots *_ ]) 
 But, let's get serious here: Government is a beloved American topic. So, let's look at a joke that is [notably longer] in similar form to the above Russian joke and about governmental issues:



Politics Made Simple
Feudalism: You have two cows.  Your lord takes some of the milk.
Pure Socialism: You have two cows.  The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows.  You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you a glass of milk.
Bureaucratic Socialism:  Your cows are cared for by ex-chicken farmers.  You have to take care of the chickens the  government took from the chicken farmers.  The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you should need.
Fascism: You have two cows.  The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.
Pure Communism: You share two cows with your neighbors.  You and your neighbors bicker about who has the most "ability" and who has the most "need".  Meanwhile, no one works, no one gets any milk, and the cows drop dead of starvation.
Russian Communism: You have two cows.  You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.  You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the black market.
Perestroika: You have two cows.  You have to take care of them, but the Mafia takes all the milk.  You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the "free" market.
Cambodian Communism: You have two cows.  The government takes both and shoots you.
Dictatorship: You have two cows.  The government takes both and drafts you.
Pure Democracy: You have two cows.  Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.
Representative Democracy: You have two cows.  Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.
Bureaucracy: You have two cows.  At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them.  Then it pays you not to milk them.  Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain.  Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.
Capitalism: You don't have any cows.  The bank will not lend you money to buy cows, because you don't have any cows to put up as collateral.
Pure Anarchy: You have two cows.  Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.
Anarchy-Capitalism: You have two cows.  You sell one and buy a bull.
Surrealism: You have two giraffes.  The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
Olympics-ism: You have two cows, one American, one Chinese.  With the help of trilling violins and state of the art montage photography, John Tesh narrates the moving tale of how the American cow overcame the agony of growing up   in a  suburb with (gasp) divorced parents, then mentions in passing that the Chinese cow was beaten every day by a tyrannical farmer and watched its parents butchered before its eyes.  The American cow wins the competition,  severely spraining an udder in a gritty performance, and gets a  multi-million dollar contract to endorse Wheaties.  The Chinese cow is led  out of the arena and shot by Chinese government officials, though no one  ever hears about it.   McDonald's buys the meat and serves it hot and fast  at its Beijing restaurant.


Now, THAT's purely American.


----


Russian Joke:
Российская особенность - украсть на строительстве дорог, купить на них дорогую машину и разбить ее о плохие дороги.


Transliteration:
Russian Particularity - to steal on building the roads, to buy on that an expensive car and crash her about bad roads.
Translation: 
A Russian's Specialty: stealing money from road construction budgets to buy nice cars --only to wreck them on crappy roads. 


Obviously a good translation does a lot for the ability of an American to 'get' this joke. But, now compare this joke to some 'American Specialty' jokes:


Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. 


Another one:


Only in America......do we have drive up ATM's with Braille keyboards.


Realistically, we're just as cynical as to the 'things we value' and the way we think (or don't) through decisions [materialistically].

Moral :
If you're going to steal a car, make sure you have somewhere to drive it and carry your own pens!


.
Jenn

It's a busy day for humor in Russia...

One thing you'll notice readily if you ever look at a weekend television line up for Russia's largest (non-cable) stations, is that there are a LOT of comedy shows. 

From ProjektorParisHilton to ‘Laughing Allowed’, to Comedy Club, to Devchata, to ‘Big Difference’, and so on...the sheer quantity of comedy shows on major networks (the above from only two particularly prominent stations: FirstChannel & ChannelRussia) would suggest Russians are obsessed with humor!

For having such a pessimistic social stereotype, I found this curious...so I’ve been investigating. It didn’t take long to run across this explanatory statement by one of Russia’s currently well known comedians:

Maxim Galkin: ‘ The profession of a humorist is about gifting good moods and , at times when people feel that life isn’t that good, or as good as it could be, gifting the feeling of happiness/joy from life.’ (Влюбленный Петросян 9/19/10) 

Well, that explains it.

Russians have more comedy on Television because they must just need it more! 

This thought lead me to think, ‘Okay, Russia’s has reason to be feeling less than magnificent about life given the last 30 years of social upset...and the decades of silent upset prior to that. Maybe I can draw some similarity to Russia’s situation from past U.S. ‘times of difficulty’.’ And thus, I began searching for U.S. radio/television schedules from the 1920-40s (What could be more difficult than the Great Depression & recovery, right?). 

As it turns out, there’s a lot to be derived from the similarities of Russian humor today, and American humor of the 1930s. Or, as Wilfred Sheed concisely stated, ‘The 1930s - a Golden Age for American humor, mainly because everything else was going so badly.’

You see, humor is often used to express things that could not be said any other way --and apparently, societies have a lot more to say that is unsaid in difficult times than in others! (who knew?!)

So, originally I was planning on starting this entry with a joke --that I could break down and explain, and somehow make mutually funny to Russians and Americans. But, seeing as this new information of a common thread has been discovered, I’d like to try to find jokes [of similar meaning] from America circa 1930s and Russia today and compare them. >>> Then, I’ll analyze and break, them down....blah blah blah. 

I’ve got to gruesomely dissect a joke at some point...

Anyway, my first search is on for a technology joke. Why technology? Because I just watched this rather funny clip of Russia’s ProjektorParisHilton: (translation under video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piIUIbVMExY

*disclaimer on summary translation here...

‘Friends, we have some news that we’d like to share with you. 

Dimitri Medvedev (Russian President) was shown and had a demonstration of a new personal phone that is scheduled to be released in 2011. The first, Russian cellular phone. 

“It’s difficult to even understand where I have to press.” Medvedev noted.

..’well, that’s only for now’ --the demonstrator quickly interjected...

“But is this absolutely our product”, asked Medvedv,”...that will be produced on our soil?”

“For now, with regret, we’ll be releasing them in Taiwan, but, soon we expect to move the entire production to Russia.” The demonstrator answered.

So, friends, for now they’ll produce it Taiwan. But; the packaging will be completely Russian! 

A hard case, encasing the entire apparatus. You’ll open it with the help of an instrument that comes with the kit --and that comes in useful for repairs, of course...to change the motor...

--Even repairs aren’t under warranty, huh? You open the package, and there’s already a repair needed.

That’s it! My friends, look, you open this hard case, and from there you exhume the first Russian cell phone : SSI2000.

 --It’s one of those kinds of phones? *makes motion like rotary dialing phone*

No...

--one like this, for example

Yes.

--Look, this is the maximum distance that you’ll hold it from your ear. *Holding arm up, bent 90 degrees from the elbow, as it to hold a gigantic phone up to one’s ear*

--Well, I understand that now when people ask to use [this] phone, they’re definitely going to return it after use. ...with eyes as if they’re sorry for you

I image for myself, the seconds before showing the phone to the president, before the presentation. ‘Quick, get me tool #17! It’s not working again! Over here! Crank it, Crank it!’...‘Get working harder; work on the antenna....yes! Wait, no! It’s not working’

-- ‘Peter! Bring a pail! We got a text!’ *said in an expectant and excited voice*....that’s the kind of panic, right?

--Before, they tried to product personal televisions; they tried to compete with the standard for cars...and now telephones

Sash, I’ll give you some news...they’re still producing them.

Why don’t we become the top producers?

Why don’t we become the top producers...

--you mean above others?

Yes. Above others, the top producers --of mobile telephones. The edge of mobile phones.

-- for now the edge of heavy phontes.

Yes.

--I think the edge will be somewhere between Samara and Talian

--Yes! Taj -mash- cell ... I know what it should be called! Lenin’s Nokia!

I’ve realized what’s most important ... because I’ve actually judged many telephones... if between the two phones, no string is attached, connecting them,.... we’ve already made a BIG step! It’s 21st Century, guys!

Okay, hold on. Realistically, it’s great that well have a Russian telephone, right? Norwegians make coniac, right?!

--Moroccans make skis, right?!

--and what about the well known albanian flash drives?? 2gigs!

Of course guys, every region seeks to make something big.

Sergei?

--What? *writing on an etch-a-sketch type device*

--What is that?

--The first Russian iPad.

Oh, that’s great. From there can you get the internet?

 --No. It receives the signal weakly here.

Cool....Oh wait! I forgot, I have a Russian iPhone with me that I forgot about. *Pulls out small magnetic writing pad*

...Darn, *erasing my shaking the pad* there’s no signal for this one either...

*noises erasing etch-a-sketch**repeated*

--Yes. In Russia, we are the most advanced people!

--Can you make photos?

Oh! Yes *returning to the news article*. Our answer to the iPhone...

--this is our answer to the iPhone??

That’s what I said. This is our answer to the iPhone, there’s a photograph; two screens.

See, this is one....which, so far, doesn’t work *as photo shows black screen*...and there’s the other one.

*reading* The Russian phone has two screens. You can make video call and multitask without affecting your tasks. 

The deal is, there’s a little issue, you make a call and can see the person you’re calling through the window. 

*comedian holds up a paper with a whole in it*

--Like this, Ivan, right?

Oh yes! See, then you can take a picture; just take a camera and stick it through the hole. 

....

This is a long serious of jokes over this one development of ‘Russia’s first [domestically produced] cell phone’... I think you’ve got the idea.

On my next entry, I will match this joke with a tech joke from the U.S. circa 1930. 

‘til then,

Jenn

It's all about the optimism. Innocence (and peppermints), would seem to be the hallmark of American humor.

The American fool, the good side of anything bad, and the irony of it all, epitomize the optimism of American society and American humor. Russians, on the other hand, have practically no optimism at all. (Well, never say never, but they are completely opposite in their humor.)

So, let's fervently pick apart the American joke to prove that it can be funny to pessimists and optimists alike; then, similarly dissect Russian humor and discover the pessimist deep inside.

 I listed the American fool factor first, so we'll start by identifying him/her; pointing, and staring.

Who is the American fool?
Let's face it, just about any American could at some point be this fool; so, perhaps, any/every American is the American fool.

This is presumably the factor Russian's most disrespect about American humor, or about Americans. (I know, this is a shocking discovery here. I'm not helping my case against the Russian pessimists, yet! But have some humility here. I'll prove my point, eventually. *smile* )

 As children in the U.S., we are taught to enjoy childhood, believe there is good in everything, and avoid growing-up as best we can. I know I'll never grow-up and I'm damn proud of this. We laugh at the innocence displayed when one simply hasn't had to face the realities of life yet. That being said, this is also ingredient #1 for creating the ultimate American fool.

To the contrary, the typical Russian family teaches its children to know the brutal reality of the world and how to work it for personal benefit ( = happiness) almost as early as possible. This would seem to be ingredient #1 for creating the ultimate social manipulator (and from personal experience, bartender), but that is neither here nor there. *Enter Russian Mob* It is seen as a weakness in Russian culture to be ignorant to politics, the social latter, and the power of money. Stoic expression of emotions, sincerity [to a fault], and humor that highlights the truths of the world is thus, from the Russian's perspective, more intelligent than the infinite smiling and ignorant humor of uninformed [American] optimists.

I smiled as I typed that.

Personally, I love the concept of enjoying childhood and sheltering youth from the weight of the world. I also love to see the day with rose colored glasses. And, I am probably a classic example of one who looks for the good in everyone/thing. So, I feel foolishly inclined to say, the harsh truth made fun of in Russian humor is cold and insensitive, occasionally even repulsive, and often politically incorrect. (But, it's funny!)

So, where does the American find the Russian joke funny and the Russian, the American?

In fact, what makes Russian jokes so painfully insensitive (not funny) in english? 

 At the risk of billions of internet users giggling insatiably, I will prove that funny bones exist to join American and Russian humor (like in space) to allow pessimists and optimists to laugh together...in neutral utopia. Because, if history has taught me anything, it is that, with time, the immersion of any Russian in the American culture for long enough, will make them a fool, too! And likewise, I'd expect, an American could turn into a frigid, realist with enough time in Moscow.

So, the fool always undermines her point and the American always undermines the dream; I'm no exception. I'm going to find the answers. I will win this one, eventually. 

...but this might take some time so, stick with me. 

This is a blog after all. I have to save something for later.