this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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Honestly I very much enjoy German humor, but I do understand why people don't always get it, because it comes in two distinct styles with (imho) vastly different qualities:
Just plain silly (see: Otto Waalkes), can be good but it is often with such a heavy handed punchline that it just doesn't feel funny anymore. This is the only time people recognize that a German tried to be funny and it often lands flat for people with a more refined sense of humor.
Irony and sarcasm, dark and extremely, extremely, sometimes unbearably dry. People who did not grow up with it will often not recognize that a joke has been made at all, because Germans are the kings of straight-face-delivery. This is where german humor hides its refinement and wit and since it's often undetectable, people imagine we're just not funny. But if you catch it, this shit is HILARIOUS.
Both kinds are rife with puns... I don't know why, but Germans love puns and considering the very complicated nature of the german language this also often passes by unnoticed with non-native speakers.
I'm of German descent on both sides of my family and I can confirm the dry, and sometimes dark humor.
My dad would drop drive-by jokes that you might not get for a couple of days.
People who don't think Germans can be funny haven't seen Loriot.
Yes! That's a WAY better example than Otto.
The duck stays out!
I work with one guy who is a master of the second style to the extent that even other Germans don’t notice he’s joking.
That's a common occurrence and since "you don't explain jokes" sometimes in a group one person says something, one other person starts laughing uncontrollably and all the others just look on confused and will never get an explanation. It's often a test of who pays attention, who you are on the same wavelength with and who has the wit to register the joke.
People getting each others jokes, while others don't, is quite often the basis for lifelong friendships.
I don't think this is a uniquely German thing.
Yeah, it's a thing with germans, not a german thing.
The Germans we've met LOVE silly puns and plays on words.
One time I was playing in a German beer pong event, and one of our opposing teams was "ten inches soft" (in English). We all introduce ourselves (all in English), and one of the guys says to us "do you get it? It's about the penis!" And we just died laughing.
It's great honestly
See, thats why I think a lot of non-germans don't get German humor, there isn't a scenario where you say "10 inches soft" that isn't a dick joke, so when the punchline comes around "haha it is about penis", the recipient is confused thinking they missed the real punchline.
To be fair, we understood the joke ahead of time (and found it to be a bit "on the nose,"/direct compared to some of the jokes/names we've heard), but their insistence on explaining the joke (in English, to English speakers) somehow made it so much funnier
Which Germans have we met?
I don't know, are you my teammate?
type 1 - fozzy
type 2 - Statler and Waldorf