What is gal humor?

[kenny]

Someone in the doughnuts-in-bathtub thread said it's guy humor.

So, give me some examples of gal humor.
What kind of stuff would women be more likely to find funny?

 

[Dancing Fire]

is this gonna be one of those X rated threads?...

 

[GemFever]

Heh, sorry! i thought someone would comment on that. It just struck me as "guy humor." I'm not even sure how I define guys vs. girl humor, it was more of a gut reaction.

I just don't see myself getting into a bathtub of doughnuts for kicks! Maybe other girls will disagree though

 

[kenny]

Heh, sorry! i thought someone would comment on that. It just struck me as "guy humor." I'm not even sure how I define guys vs. girl humor, it was more of a gut reaction.

I just don't see myself getting into a bathtub of doughnuts for kicks! Maybe other girls will disagree though

No problem, GF.
I'm in no way picking on you.
I actually agree that that pic was guy humor (actually maybe gay camp humor), and I think I see an adam's apple on him.

Sincere question though ... What is gal humor?
We know men and women are not the same, equal but not the same.

 

[ksinger]

Well, I don't think humor in general is really all that different for the sexes, and the stuff that might be different is likely to ruffle feathers (on PS at least, where near-permanently ruffled feathers ofttimes seems a way of life) through the use of gender stereotypes. But then most humor plays to some sort of stereotype, IMO. Like anything, delivery and perceived meanness or not, counts.

However, if you want something I consider funny by a woman, I'd suggest Jill Connor Brown's "The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love". Some of the southern stuff might not resonate, but her writing style is hilarious. The sections on the southern obituary, big hair tossing, Jay at The Desk, The Five Men You Must Have, and The Promise, are pretty memorable. Men do figure prominently in her writing, because hey, they are an endless source of material right? And the Queens LOVE men, really...

" Really, we Queens love men. They taste just like chicken. Well, we can't really say that for a fact. The ones we've actually bitten were not only not cooked properly, they were alive and kicking. Shrieking, as it were. In our defense I would have to say they deserved it, and in retrospect I imagine even they would agree. But anyway, we do love men. In theory at least. I mean, they do sound great on paper, don't they? And we are quite the eternal optimists, we are. Even when there are no serious contenders in the game, we like to have a number on hand. Just to play with, you know. We think of them as cat toys. "

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Its so nice to have you post again, Kay Singer. Nice quote


So Kenny, you see a lot of female humor is making fun of men, at every opportunity we can find. HEhe (I feel silly with that Hehe stuff)

Annette

 

[amc80]

The Sweetest Thing. Hilarious movie. It's the girl version of The Hangover or Old School (which are also both hilarious).

 

[kenny]

So could we say gender humor is where one gender puts down or even degrades the other?

 

[AGBF]

Jane Austen is "gal humor". Mark Twain is claimed to have said that it was a wonder that that woman was allowed to die a natural death.

I am not saying that Jane Austen is the only thing at which women laugh. I laughed at, "Bridesmaids", which was very crude indeed. I do think that women, more than men, enjoy the gentle humor of a Jane Austen; an Emily Eden; a Georgette Heyer, however. I really find it hard to imagine a man of my acquaintance curling up with a book by one of them and giggling.

Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

So could we say gender humor is where one gender puts down or even degrades the other?

No.

 

[iLander]

Guy humor is cruder, it tends to include farting, body parts, rude noises, and falling down.

Girl humor tends to be more catty and critical.

Both genders like situational humor.

 

[ponder]

So could we say gender humor is where one gender puts down or even degrades the other?

No.

Agreed. I think differences in humor stem directly from differences in experiences and our ability to relate to that experience and find it humorous. I may not get "gay humor" as well as others, while you may not get "mommy humor" like my friends and I do. I do think that a lot of humor is leveled at the differences in the sexes as it is more universally experienced. I think that humor that degrades is unimaginative and usually unintelligent.

 

[amc80]

Jane Austen is "gal humor". Mark Twain is claimed to have said that it was a wonder that that woman was allowed to die a natural death.

I am not saying that Jane Austen is the only thing at which women laugh. I laughed at, "Bridesmaids", which was very crude indeed. I do think that women, more than men, enjoy the gentle humor of a Jane Austen; an Emily Eden; a Georgette Heyer, however. I really find it hard to imagine a man of my acquaintance curling up with a book by one of them and giggling.

Deb/AGBF

Agreed- ""It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

Damn funny way to start off a book.

 

[kenny]

Guy humor is cruder, it tends to include farting, body parts, rude noises, and falling down. Girl humor tends to be more catty and critical.

I agree.
Both are mean.

 

[iLander]

Guy humor is cruder, it tends to include farting, body parts, rude noises, and falling down. Girl humor tends to be more catty and critical.

I agree.
Both are mean.

Yup.

If the 3 Stooges had criticized people's outfits while doing slapstick, both men AND women would love them. Like this:

"Can you believe those shoes with that skirt?!"

"Yeaaah, it makes me want to poke my eyes out!"

"Here, let me take care of that fer ya!"

 

[ksinger]

So could we say gender humor is where one gender puts down or even degrades the other?

No.

Ditto the no.

We can't say that the genders are different, and then not be allowed to find amusement and exasperation at the very differences we just admitted. Any humor has a fine line between what is funny and what is not funny - as I said, delivery - all those subtle non-verbal cues, and tone of voice, and yes, content, matter.

I've known several people who cursed like sailors, and it was NOT offensive, and others who did the same thing and it was highly objectionable. Both were cursing, so what was the difference? Apparently it was not the cursing per se that was the issue. Hard to say what the difference was, but the difference was real. Same with gender humor. Some is done with great affection, and some with meaner motives. It's not always so hard to tell the difference.

 

[AGBF]

I did a Google search about women's humor. I found this and wanted to read more, but there is not much here. I will try to see what else is written about the book.

"New York Times" article about women's humor...http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/20/nyregion/a-hidden-tresaure-of-women-s-humor.html

AGBF

 

[rubyshoes]

Eh. I don't think there's a difference. I cannot STAND Jane Austen. Seriously I think she's incredibly over-rated and I know saying that is tantamount to blasphemy. Whatever. On the other hand, give me a David Sedaris book and I am in Heaven! I once stood in line for 3 hrs to get his autograph on my books. He even drew me a cartoon! In movies, I loved Bridesmaids as well as Hangover. I love Monty Python, Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Eddie Izzard, Lisa Lampanelli,Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I don't know how someone could put all these artists in different camps! Also 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'/Larry David KILL ME. Also 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia'. If you haven't seen it, yes, it's pretty crude.

I just find these guy humor/girl humor distinctions very arbitrary.

 

[cygnet]

Heh, sorry! i thought someone would comment on that. It just struck me as "guy humor." I'm not even sure how I define guys vs. girl humor, it was more of a gut reaction.

I just don't see myself getting into a bathtub of doughnuts for kicks! Maybe other girls will disagree though

I didn't see the doughnut thread. Now I need to go hunting.

And yes, coincidentally, there is a girl here who disagrees. I've always thought it would be fun to get in a bathtub full of marshmallows. Imagine all of that squishy luxury.

 

[ChristineRose]

I have no idea. I assume that if you get a whole bunch of humorous stuff and show it to a whole bunch of men and a whole bunch of women, that some trends in taste would appear. But you could do the same thing with Mexican food, or soap, or vacuum cleaners. What would be a "gal vacuum?"

By contrast, if I tell you I like dude movies better than chick flicks, you will be able to guess something about how many times I've seen The Seven Samurai and Beaches.

 

[aviastar]

Jane Austen is "gal humor". Mark Twain is claimed to have said that it was a wonder that that woman was allowed to die a natural death.

I am not saying that Jane Austen is the only thing at which women laugh. I laughed at, "Bridesmaids", which was very crude indeed. I do think that women, more than men, enjoy the gentle humor of a Jane Austen; an Emily Eden; a Georgette Heyer, however. I really find it hard to imagine a man of my acquaintance curling up with a book by one of them and giggling.

Deb/AGBF

Agreed- ""It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

Damn funny way to start off a book.

Ya know, I usually get looked at like I have three heads when I talk about how funny Jane Austen is. She's hilarious! But I guess you do have to have some concept of the social structure of the time period to get what exactly she is poking fun at. I find her to be incredibly witty, subtle, and amusing.

 

[AGBF]

And yes, coincidentally, there is a girl here who disagrees. I've always thought it would be fun to get in a bathtub full of marshmallows. Imagine all of that squishy luxury.

Well, as kenny always says, chicks...I mean women...vary.

Deb

 

[kenny]

Yes, chicks vary too.

 

[amc80]

Yes, chicks vary too.

Hot pink baby chicks! SO wrong. But so right.

 

[AGBF]

Hot pink baby chicks! SO wrong. But so right.

Isn't this one adorable?

Deb