Taking Sides: Wacky Humour vs Snidey Humour

I generally use "wacky" or "zany" or "nuts" or "bonkers" or "mad" as derogatory terms for stupid jokes that people make, tbat tells you where I fall quite adequately.

There are good and bad examples of both, I think, if I could only come up with some. It's all to do with the imagination for me; relaxing on the fact that someone is 'wacky' and does zany things isn't funny, but neither is sarcasm to the point of insults (hmm, how about Timmy Mallett and Mark Lamaar?). However, I would probably call something like Banzai zany humour, which made me laugh more than anything else this year (for a few episodes anyway). Have I Got News For You still works fairly well, too, because they clearly put a fair amount of care and effort into the show, which isn't really evident on Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

So, whereas I would probably fall on the sarcastic side myself, I like really well done zany comedy, if only to stop me being such a miserable bastard.

i think 'wacky', 'zany' etc are only a problem when people actually use those words: "hey look at me, i'm so zany!"

also, Banzai does include some snidey comments about the celebs and ex-celebs they have on

Yeah, but it's all in fun. The best possible taste, you might say. Kenny Everett - zany or sarcastic?

I can be very cruel and snide, but I think that the bulk of my humour when it is being used is relatively positive. I like inventing jokes, I like to at least try to appear quick witted. Often my attempts at being sharp fall horribly flat, but that in itself is now part of my humour.

I lie a lot for humourous efect - especially whomes into my head. The other night it occured to me that it would be really cool if Papua New Guinea by the Future Sound of London became the national anthem of PNG. So I have been telling people it is true. No-one believes me, but it does make them smile.

I don't particularly like whacky humour. Nor do I like snidy humour. Alas I am guilty of the latter all too often.

The word "Zany" reminds me of a particularly aggravating person in college who made it a point to talk about how "weird" he was almost constantly. If by "weird" he meant "insufferable", than he was indeed the weirdest person I knew.

wacky/zany = makes me think of Colin Hunt from the fast show.

There's a balance involved, here. Eddie Izzard, for example - could be described as 'wacky' by people with no imagination or who know no better, but who is not really sarcastic either, yet manages to be extremely fucking funny.

If someone ever describes themselves as w/z, you should kill them dead, right there.