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New Zealand humour bears some similarities to the body of humour of many other English-speaking countries. There are, however, several regional differences. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
The New Zealand experience
New Zealand is a multicultural country that is isolated from much of the rest of the world geographically. All New Zealanders share one thing in common — go back a few generations, and they are immigrants (though the degree to which this applies to Maori is disputed; whilst they were indeed immigrants originally, from where and how long ago is a matter of conjecture. As indisputably the longest surviving ethnic/cultural group in the country, they are usually referred to as indigenous people). It is perhaps not surprising that these two situations lead to a humour that often has as a basis the newcomer trying to assimilate themselves with the new country. The intermingled strands of Maori, British, mainland European, Polynesian, Indian and Asian that have made the country their home each look at the land and each other in a different way, and these differences are often the focal point of humour. Comedians from minority groups (such as Raybon Kan and Jacob Rajan) often utilise these differences in their routines. Raybon Kan is a Masterton, New Zealand-born Chinese comedian and newspaper columnist. ...
Jacob Rajan is a New Zealand playwright and actor. ...
New Zealand's remote and agricultural nature is also a regular comedy catalyst, especially the well-known imbalance in numbers between people and sheep in the country. The pioneering, backwoods spirit is also commonly used in comedy, as in the stereotypical famer, Fred Dagg, and the yarns spun by New Zealand writer Barry Crump. Fred Dagg is a fictional archetype satirist from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by John Morrison Clarke. ...
Barry Crump (1935 - 1996) was a New Zealand author of semi-autobiographical comic novels based on his image as a rugged outdoors man. ...
The Trans-Tasman Rivalry Australians are the butt of Kiwi humour in many ways (and vice versa, of course) — even at the highest diplomatic level. During the 1980s, then Prime Minister of New Zealand Robert Muldoon was asked about the increasing exodus of New Zealanders leaving the country to work in Australia. His comment was that by doing so, they were raising the average IQ of both countries. The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ...
The Right Honourable Sir Robert David (Rob) Muldoon GCMG CH (25 September 1921–5 August 1992) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ...
In general terms, Australians are stereotyped in New Zealand humour as being brash, boorish, and more than a little stupid. New Zealanders, in return, are seen by Aussies as being dull, unsophisticated yokels, and mocked as 'South Seas Poms' on account of their supposedly closer ties with Britain.
Sheep jokes There are a large number of (mainly crude) sheep jokes. As befitting the trans-Tasman rivalry, Australians tell these jokes about New Zealanders, and New Zealanders tell them about Australians. (The English on the other hand reserve the sheep jokes for the Welsh.)
Some sheep jokes also take differences in the accent (see below) into account. In one example, a farmer who is having unnatural relations with a sheep is asked if he should rather be shearing the sheep, to which he replies "I'm not shearing this sheep with anyone!" Here shearing is taken to be the pronunciation of the word sharing spoken with an New Zealand accent (in Kiwi English, shearing has the same pronunciation as sharing spoken with an Australian accent). A sheep shearer is a worker who uses blade or machine shears to remove the wool from sheep. ...
Other sheep jokes (or "ewe-phemisms") include puns on song titles which contain the word ewe. For example, a performing band may announce they are playing the song "There will never be another you", and follow up by saying this is particularly bad news for any Australians in the audience.
While other people make jokes about New Zealanders and sheep, New Zealanders themselves are not averse to a bit of sheep humour. [1] In mid-2000, Grant Gillon, a New Zealand Member of Parliament, caused controversy when he asked the following question during a debate on genetic engineering: "I want to ask the minister whether, no pun intended, it's appropriate in this case for a woman's body parts to be inserted into a sheep when that has normally been the domain of Tory males?" NZ Herald article 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Grant Gillon is a former New Zealand politician. ...
A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ...
Accents The difference between the accents of the two countries is a constant source of amusement. Australians gain an infinite amount of enjoyment out of the perceived similarity between the New Zealanders' pronunciation of the words 'six' and 'sux' or 'sex' and other words including soft vowels, such as "Fish and Chips".
New Zealanders also poke fun at themselves in this way, and regional variations such as the rising inflection that makes each sentence sound like a question are a source of comedy, as is the "swallowed vowel" sound which results in the name of the capital city sounding like "Wulinktun". The rolled "R" sound found in the accent of the southern South Island, and the "eh?" ending placed on sentences by some Maori and other North Islanders are also much lampooned. The High Rising Terminal (HRT), also known as uptalk, upspeak or High Rising Intonation (HRT), is a feature of some accents of English where statements have a rising intonation pattern in the final syllable or syllables of the utterance. ...
- See also: New Zealand English
New Zealand English (NZE) is the English spoken in New Zealand. ...
New Zealand comedians Ironically, some of New Zealand's best known comedians have for many years been working almost exclusively in Australia. This includes John Clarke, known to New Zealanders as Fred Dagg, who played the stereotypical farmer with precision and style. His wit has in recent years allowed him to extend his repertoire to a series of biting satires, particularly of politicians. He has also found an outlet in television series such as The Games and films such as Death In Brunswick. John Morrison Clarke (born July 29, 1948) is a comedian and writer. ...
Fred Dagg is a fictional archetype satirist from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by John Morrison Clarke. ...
1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ...
The Games was a TV mockumentary, spoofing the Sydney Olympics in 2000. ...
Death in Brunswick is a 1991 Australian film. ...
Other examples include Tony Martin of 1980s sketch show, The D-Generation fame. Three compilations of the national radio program Martin/Molloy earned him ARIA awards. He has also written and directed the movie Bad Eggs. Tony Martin Tony Martin (born 10 June 1964) is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia. ...
The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ...
Nick Bufalo in the Thunderbirds Pizza sketch. ...
Martin/Molloy was a hugely popular Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. ...
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ...
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. ...
Alan Brough appears on Spicks and Specks as a writer and team captain. In 2004 he was one third of the radio show Tough Love with Mick Molloy. He has also appeared in several movies such as Bad Eggs Alan Brough is a New Zealand-born actor and comedian. ...
The Spicks and Specks set This article is about the Australian TV show Spicks and Specks. ...
ToughLove hosts: Robyn Butler (left) and Mick Molloy (right). ...
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. ...
Of other New Zealand comedians, a special place is reserved in the public's heart for the late Billy T. James, probably the first Maori comedian to find a nationwide audience of both Maori and Pakeha (European) New Zealanders. He is still regarded as one of the country's finest comedic talents. Billy T. James (b. ...
For several years during the 1970s and 1980s, New Zealand television featured a satirical send-up of current affairs entitled A Week Of It. This series, and particularly its two main stars, David McPhail and Jon Gadsby, became for several years a mainstay of New Zealand comedy. David McPhail (born 19??) is a New Zealand comedic actor and writer. ...
One of New Zealand film director Peter Jackson's first films was Meet the Feebles, a riotous sexual puppet romp. Peter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961) is a three-time Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning New Zealand filmmaker best known as the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which he, along with his long time partner, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens adapted from the novels...
Meet The Feebles (1989) is a black comedy film by director Peter Jackson. ...
Of the current crop of comedians, the following are worthy of note:
- Michèle A'Court is considered one of New Zealand's premier female comedians. She has worked in radio and television, as a presenter and as an actor in a number of comic roles.
- Jim Hopkins is a well-known New Zealand comic, most notable for his red-rimmed spectacles.
- Previously a journalist and lawyer, Raybon Kan is another New Zealand comedian.
- Jeremy Elwood has been a New Zealand resident for ten years. During that time Jeremy has established himself as a rising star of the local stand-up comedy circuit. His routine combines social commentary with music and song.
- The New Zealand Comedy Guild Incorporated exists to promote and protect the interests of New Zealand's professional comedians and comedy performers.
Raybon Kan is a Masterton, New Zealand-born Chinese comedian and newspaper columnist. ...
Cal Wilson is one of New Zealands most successful comedians. ...
Thank God Youre Here is an Australian partially improvised comedy television program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on the 5 April 2006 and concluded its first series on 7 June 2006. ...
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is held each April in a number of venues across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...
New Zealand comedy movies Goodbye Pork Pie is a 1981 (international release) film directed by Geoff Murphy and written by Ian Mune, with assistance from Geoff Murphy. ...
Siones Wedding is a 2006 comedic film written by James Griffin and Oscar Knightley, and produced by South Pacific Pictures. ...
New Zealand cartoons See also: Category:New Zealand cartoonists Footrot Flats was a comic strip written by New Zealand cartoonist Murray Ball. ...
Stanley is an old masculine name from the 11th and 12th century English contraction of Stoney Meadow. It is also the name of a number of places, and has other miscellaneous uses. ...
New Zealand comedy television BroTown is New Zealands first adult-targeted animated series. ...
Jeremy Wells hosting Eating Media Lunch Eating Media Lunch is a satirical news show which airs on New Zealands TV 2 (with the current season also streaming on the TVNZ website). ...
This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...
The Back Of The Y cast. ...
External links - The Urban Legend magazine : news humour satire foolery
- New Zealand humour and satire books(dead link)
- The Bovine Free State Times : humour from Canterbury University
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