This is the title of the lead story in today's Heute, the Austrian newspaper. From my "field research" in Vienna this summer, I've made the same observation: Austrians are immune to humor. According to the story, only 40% of Austrians laugh once a day. Have they not heard of YouTube?
Ironically, the only time I've heard hearty, genuine laughter from Austrians is when I saw Brüno in a Viennese theater. If you're reading this blog from rural Sierra Leone (Lisa Inks!) and haven't heard of the movie, just imagine the most vulgar caricature of a gay man, multiply it by 10, then add in a faux-Austrian accent and some occassional references to the Third Reich. Then you get Brüno. That's about it in terms of plot. I can't believe this is what it took to get Austrians to let loose.
