Boris Johnson Quotes

The British nation is unique in this respect. They are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst.

I always thought the biggest failing of Americans was their lack of irony. They are very serious there! Naturally, there are exceptions... the Jewish, Italian, and Irish humor of the East Coast.

I suppose I miss the British cynicism and the humor.

I would say most comedians have a very cynical worldview of the way the world can work. It's almost like if you didn't, you couldn't be a comedian.

I feel that Britain is a rather self-deprecating nation: you're almost considered egotistical to say you're good at anything.

I'm sure there's some sort of cynicism or fatalism in Ireland and England. We are fatalistic here, and sometimes we need to be shaken out of that.

I think my films are very English. That certain emotional distance, interest in the world, interest in irony. These are all deeply English propositions.

The British have turned their sense of humour into a national virtue. It is odd, because through much of history, humour has been considered cheap, and laughter something for the lower orders. But British aristocrats didn't care a damn about what people thought of them, so they made humour acceptable.

The English can be a very critical, unforgiving people, but criticism can be good. And this is a country that loves comedy.

Some people would say comedy draws from some dark places, from your dark stuff. Life's great optimists aren't necessarily the funniest people.

The people of England are never so happy as when you tell them they are ruined.

Brits have a better sense of humor in most ways. It's darker, more cutting.

In England we are sort of very awkward.

I like doom and gloom with a sense of humour. Maybe it's a Scottish thing, we like to undercut indulgence with a laugh.

I love the sad songs with their maudlin, self-deprecating, almost funny lyrics. As an Englishman, they make a lot of sense.

You know, I'm Australian, and we have got the worst sense of humor. We are cruel to each other.

I would think a sense of the absurd is more important for a political cartoonist, because that could define things like a sense of hypocrisy or a sense of the things one has to be skeptical about.

It's not good for comedy to be like, 'Thanks for liking me.' Being popular is poison.

The Irish and British, they love satire, it's a large part of the culture.

I'm not a particularly shiny, happy person. I'm fairly cynical, and that's what draws me to comedy.

I detest jokes - when somebody tells me one, I feel my IQ dropping; the brain cells start to disappear. But something is funny when the person delivering the line doesn't know it's funny or doesn't treat it as a joke. Maybe it comes from a place of truth, or it's a sort of rage against society.

Canada is a balloon-puncturing country. You are not really allowed to be an icon unless you also make an idiot of yourself.

Whatever else an American believes or disbelieves about himself, he is absolutely sure he has a sense of humor.

I think it has something to do with being British. We don't take ourselves as seriously as some other countries do. I think a lot of people take themselves far too seriously; I find that a very tedious attitude.

There is no place for a person like me in a world that only takes itself seriously. Satire is so necessary but fairly ineffective.