New Zealand humour bears some similarities to the body of humour of many other English-speaking countries. There are, however, several regional differences.

The New Zealand experience

New Zealand is blessed with being 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. 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, and South Asian that have made the country their home each look at the land and each other in a different way, and these differences make for potent humour. Comedians from minority groups (such as Raybon Kan) often utilise these differences in their routines.

New Zealand's remote and agricultural nature is also a potent 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.

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 Zealander leaving the country to work in Australia. His comment was that by doing so, they were raising the average IQ of both countries.

In general terms, Australians are stereotyped in New Zealand humour as being brash, boorish, and more than a little stupid (a stereotype that some Australian products also explore, such as TV series Kath & Kim). New Zealanders, in return, are seen by Aussies as being dull, unsophisticated yokels.

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.

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 pronounciation of the word sharing spoken with an Australian accent (in New Zealand, unlike Australia, shearing and sharing have the same pronunciation).

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 adverse to a bit of sheep humour: http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/wmg/Sheep.html. 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

Accents

The difference between the accents of the two countries is a constant source of amusement. Aussies seem to gain an infinite amount of enjoyment out of the perceived similarity between the Kiwi pronunciation of the words six and sex.

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.

See also: New Zealand English

New Zealand comedians

Ironically, New Zealand's best known comedian has for many years been working almost exclusively in Australia. John Clarke, known to all New Zealanders as Fred Dagg, 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, and he has also found an outlet in television series such as The Games and films such as Death In Brunswick .

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.

For several years during the 1970s and 1980s, New Zealand television featured a satrical 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.

One of New Zealand film director Peter Jackson's first films was Meet the Feebles, a riotous sexual puppet romp.

Of the current crop of comedians, the following are worthy of note:

• Dwayne Francks is a New Zealand comedian who considers himself to be synonymous with humour and music throughout New Zealand. "Paroditty, impersonation and participation. ... Once Dwayne is behind the piano- watch out! There's no telling what will happen next. Be sure of one thing, Dwayne Francks defies the conventional pattern of mayhem in live entertainment with his unique on-stage persona that safely runs the gamut from music to comedy and back again!"

• Michèle A'Court is considered one of New Zealand's premiere female comedians. She has worked in radio, 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.

• Jan Maree is a one girl whirlwind that can whip any room into a frenzy. Over the past 2 and a half years she has produced several live shows including 'Rolling Stoned', 'Hairspray', and 'The Beatnik Dream', all of which have helped carve a niche for her 'in your face' energy, guts and grace.

• 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.

New Zealand comedy movies

• Goodbye Pork Pie
• Patu!
• Tally Ho
• Came A Hot Friday
• Old Scores

New Zealand comics

• Footrot Flats
• Stanley

New Zealand comedy television

• Glide Time
• A Week Of It
• The Billy T. James Show
• Bro Town

External Links

• The Urban Legend magazine : news humour satire foolery
• New Zealand humour and satire books