Lately, I've been watching a lot of Japanese variety. I've gone back to my Arashi roots. I hate to say this, but I've been told that I have a natural sense of humor. A lot of people tend to laugh at my jokes believing that I have some sort of gift, however, that's really not the case. Every person that says that they aren't trying to be funny is a liar.
Hanging out with funny friends and watching Japanese and Korean variety shows is probably the best way if you'd like to "become funny". I think I've lived so long in America that I've gotten too bored of lots of American jokes. Funny thing is… I'm great with dry humor, but a part of me dies inside every time I crack a joke for another's enjoyment. Don't get me wrong there are some good American jokes out there, but I haven't heard much.
I remember watching HeyHeyHey! (a Japanese music variety show) as a child and wondering where they get they're material. The secret to a lot of any cultures' jokes is finding the pattern in which they flow and utilizing it. Sometimes, you just have to change the pattern to make things interesting or come up with a new pattern. A lot of Japanese jokes are meant to catch you off guard and surprise you. Although Japan does have their own set of notable comedians, I actually find they're celebrities funnier; like the group, Arashi. If you're looking for Japanese subs, "LiveJournal" is the place to go. You might have to wait for the "community" to add you, but it'll be worth it. Usually, anything Japanese media subbed is hard to find because the companies and "others" take copyrights seriously.
Korea also has some really good jokes. Korea takes comedy to another level. You have to have to take a "gag test" to become a comedian. I think out of any country, they have the best jokes. The sad part is that I've seen so many Korean variety shows that I've gotten too use to they're jokes and I find myself laughing less than I used to. They too have patterns in they're jokes. Korea has a lot more patterns for they're jokes and they keep coming up with new ones; which is why I find they're culture the funniest. Another sad note: the bad part about analyzing jokes is that you end up "consciously seeing" they're patterns. That's why it's much better to just sit down and lose some of that brain function to enjoy the funny stuff. Comedy isn't like a scary/thriller movie. In scary movies, it's the waiting that causes you to become anxious and perhaps even fearful. If you wait for the joke in comedy, your literally "preparing" yourself for a bad joke. It's "impact" won't hit you as hard.
Here are some good Korean variety shows: Running Man, Gag Concert and Family Outing. Unlike Japan, Korean media is easy to download and you can usually find them being subbed somewhere. Because they aren't as strict on copyrights, more media is pushed out; which also means more subbing groups are created to sub they're media. Another important note is that Korea is really trying to become known internationally, which is another reason as to why they are so "loose" on they're media. While this may sound like a bad thing; it really isn't. Korea has some really hard working individuals in various fields (in this case, entertainment); getting recognized for their accomplishments is only natural.
To end this entry nicely, the next time you hear a great joke find it's pattern and then you can make it your own or better yet come up with a new pattern to create jokes from. Also, don't be afraid to "under-analyze". Lots of comedy is better taken in when your not thinking too much about the joke.