Started in September, 2018, the ‘British Memes’ Instagram account covers all sorts of topics related to living in Great Britain, from jokes about rulers to eating habits specific to the island. Great Britain itself is a term referring to the island encompassing England, Scotland, and Wales.
When it comes to food-based jokes, quite a few of them cover the so-called English breakfast, typically consisting of sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, accompanied by a toast or fried bread. Such a hearty meal for breakfast might not be typical in some other cultures, which is why some people ought to relate to memes about it more than others.
Another common topic among the memes shared on the page is the British Royal Family. It is believed that throughout its long-lasting history—arguably spanning over roughly 1200 years—there have been 62 monarchs in England and Britain.
Whether it’s related to English breakfast or the rulers of Britain and England, people in the area might find such memes more amusing as they typically have more context than those from elsewhere, which enables them to get the joke easier. Studies suggest that in order for a joke to be funny, it should require no explanation. The receiver should get the joke spontaneously, without help or analysis, as tearing a joke apart seems to be inherently unpleasant for the public.
It’s not only specific topics that might be more funny or relatable to a British audience; it can also be the type of humor itself. Education First (EF) suggested that British humor might seem unusual, as it is largely based on self-deprecation, sarcasm, and constant “deadpan delivery”. However, it also pointed out that when it comes to such humor, it’s important not to take yourself too seriously. According to EF, self-deprecation and sarcasm—even though likely uncomfortable elsewhere—are two key elements of British humor.
British stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Ricky Gervais also expanded on the subtleties of British humor in a piece for TIME. He pointed out that one of its main features is using irony: “We use it as liberally as prepositions in everyday speech. We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary.”
“This can sometimes be perceived as nasty if the recipients aren’t used to it. It isn’t. It’s play fighting. It’s almost a sign of affection if we like you, and ego bursting if we don’t. You just have to know which one it is,” he explained.
The writer and creator of the comedy-drama series Afterlife, Ricky Gervais is one of the top 10 British comedians, based on 2023 data. Among the top ones, there’s also actor and comedy writer Peter Kay, Scottish actor Billy Connolly, as well as actress and writer Dawn French, just to name a few. However, one of the most well-known names when it comes to British comedy is arguably Mr. Bean—a sitcom character created by Rowan Atkinson.
The history of Mr. Bean started in the seventies when Rowan Atkinson was pursuing a Master in Sciences degree in Electrical Engineering at Queen’s College in Oxford. According to History Returns, that's when his love for acting started growing and resulted in a comedy character without dialogue for a college stage play. Atkinson then played the part on stage himself, where his humor was met with nods of approval.
Even though people at the university provided an enthusiastic response to Mr. Bean, numerous producers later on didn’t; they didn’t believe a character without dialogue could succeed. Atkinson then performed at the comedy festival called “Just for Sirix” in Canada, where Mr. Bean was again a success in the eyes of the audience. After that, Rowan Atkinson was able to convince iTV to telecast the series with the dialogue-less character and in December of 1995, Mr. Bean was finally aired on TV.