[
    {
        "id": 214191,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1998",
        "page_number": 49,
        "title": "RAS-1998",
        "content_text": "Laurel and Hardy, who first teamed up in 1927 and made over 100 films together which came out 'fresh' every time, are other examples of comedians whose humour travelled well. Hong Kong's own martial arts expert and stunt man, Jackie Chan, sometimes dubbed 'Hong Kong's favourite son,' has become successful, both in the Far East and Hollywood, by combining Chinese kung fu and bits of slapstick.\n\nAnother good example is Mr Bean who, because he doesn't say anything, has no difficulty in getting his humour ‘across the Great Wall' and into countries in Asia. It is interesting that, to most British audiences, Bean is funny, foolish and unenviable in every way. He is the last person they would wish to work with or be associated with (Cairnes, 1998). The Japanese and many Asians, however, see him rather differently. They see Bean as a pathetic, lonely figure who deserves pity and would be fun to have around. Yet even he does not appear funny to everyone.\n\nVisual, universal humour, such as the puppy licking the baby's ice-cream, has a much better chance of crossing frontiers, although the television series, America's funniest home movies, does not always receive the same reaction in countries outside the United States, and indeed not even by all Americans. As a group of Chinese and Britons discussing humour agreed: 'If you've seen one showing of America's funniest home movies you're seen them all.' In fact the reaction to these movies seems to be mixed. An American woman living in Hong Kong told the author that the humour was not subtle enough for her but her two children enjoyed these films. Other Americans, however, said they found them 'funny and relaxing'.\n\nAccording to American Brent Ambacher, who was raised in Hong Kong and works as a part-time comedian, more and more Westerners today expect more sophisticated, 'highbrow' (sometimes termed 'three-dimensional') humour. This more profound variety should, as it were, embrace a ‘moral lesson.' This may depend on the cultural background and the awareness and intentions of the artiste. It may, for example, concentrate on slamming pomposity, condemning underhanded politics or corruption, or some other topical subject. Today's audiences often expect a comedian who is more 'civic minded,' who will deliver his act in a philosophical way and will give them something of substance to evoke deep afterthought. All this as opposed to the shallow",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1998.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794",
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    },
    {
        "id": 214215,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1998",
        "page_number": 73,
        "title": "RAS-1998",
        "content_text": "36\n\nis down-to-earth. Someone breaks a leg. In the end the bully is beaten up, and so on.\n\n(6) There is, nevertheless, considerable common ground between Chinese and western humour with 'international jokes', both verbal and non-verbal, such as those acted out by an artiste like Mr Bean. His jokes cross frontiers easily. Hong Kong's martial art's expert, Jackie Chan, also includes slapstick in his acting. For much of the time Chinese and Westerners can and do laugh at the same jokes.\n\n(7) Humour can be lowbrow or highbrow, the latter delivering a message or a moral lesson regarding, say, the 'evils' of pomposity or politics.\n\n(8) Ribald, bawdy and scatologic jokes have been common throughout the ages, and still are today, both among Chinese and Westerners.\n\n(9) In Chinese society there are taboo subjects, such as jokes about mothers-in-law and death.\n\n(10) Making fun of various sub-ethnic groups, the under-privileged and the handicapped, like cripples and eunuchs, is more and more considered in poor taste.\n\n(11) Chinese is a rich language, especially the Cantonese dialect with its marked tonal differences. This lends itself to punning and the clever use of ambiguity.\n\n(12) There is a wealth of humour in Chinese literature, everyday expressions and conversation.\n\n(13) The pointed barb, directly confronting a Chinese, is less common than among Westerners, largely because it can result in a loss of face.\n\n(14) Not only is a constant diet of humour good for both Westerners and Chinese, but the laugh or giggle can help relieve stress or tension just as it can bolster soldiers in battle.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1998.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794",
        "rank": 0
    }
]