Is it meant to be funny? Or amusing? Or clever? Am I supposed to laugh?

Please help…. 😐

is there a better site?

It's ace!

Humour is invariably a matter of taste. That you don't like it surprises me not in the slightest. 🙂

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/

is funnier IMHO

I used to rate it but it has gone downhill in the last 12/18 months.

For really odd humour try the Framley Examiner…

That you don't like it surprises me not in the slightest

I don't know if I like it or not.

I like things that are funny, ironic, distateful (to a point), childish, stupid etc. But as far as I can see it's none of that.

Serious question – Do people actually laugh at it? Am I the only one that finds it utterly devoid of any amusement whatsoever?

the Mash is now the first place i look for my news.

if it's important, it'll be on the mash – without any propaganda.

it doesn't assume that i'm stupid (i'm looking at you, BBC)

go and seek help if you don't find it funny.

I like The Onion too

http://www.theonion.com/video/new-apple-friend-bar-gives-customers-someone-to-ta,17693/

go and seek help if you don't find it funny

See, I'd say the opposite, and I like to think I know a bit about humour… Having laughed at many things in the past!

the mash seems very formulaic in the last year

I often struggle to stifle an out loud laugh when I view the mash.

That you don't like it surprises me not in the slightest.

Bitchy, but funny and true….

And The Onion had a phase when it was very good, and some of the video stuff is chucklesome.

What the Mash can never be accused of I don't think is being "clever". It is amusingly crass and utterly convinced that swearing is funny (I agree). What I most like about it is the turn of phrase. The sheer ridiculousness of the sentence Would-be skank Nikki Hollis said her state school education has left her excluded from the upper echelons of slutting. appeals to me. You know exactly what the sentence in the Daily Mirror would be, and there is one with the same tenor, but the words are wrong.

The celebrated "Look at the size of this **** rat, say zoologists" works, I think, because it took a stupid news story that was all over the Metro, and simply jumps into the ridiculous world of the idiots from the Institute of Studies wandering around the jungle trying to give "manky-looking gerbils" fruit pastilles. The whole thing has a tone and pace that works rather well.

Anyway, explaining why something is funny is nigh-on impossible. I like the Mash. Unlike Organic355 John O'Farrell has never tickled my funny bone at all. If soemthing isn't funny butting your head against it trying to make it make you laugh rarely works. 🙂

I like to think I know a bit about humour

This is doubtless false modesty. I am absolutely confident that you know most of what there is to know about humour. If you say it isn't funny then it isn't. 😀

because it took a stupid news story that was all over the Metro,

Ahh. So you need to be up on current affairs and news then? See, I'm generally not bothered by all that stuff. I take a passing glance at the news, and that's it. Same with politics. 🙂

Hit and Miss TBH but there have been some quality pieces on the daily mash ATM such as the one about Poundland and their child labourers!

Maybe this time it can be accused of being too clever for some?

This is doubtless false modesty. I am absolutely confident that you know most of what there is to know about humour. If you say it isn't funny then it isn't.

See, THAT made me giggle. 🙂
I think you're a very sharp and witty poster. You don't miss a trick usually, and I can see why I might get peed off by the slaggings you give me, but I don't for some odd reason. 🙂

So you need to be up on current affairs and news then?

It is extremely topical, and dates immediately. While I agree with others that the older stuff was funnier, it is not funny now particularly – the output was higher quality but there's not much point going back to the back issues. 🙂

I think the mash is really quite funny, but yes you do have to be aware of what the real news is to understand the context of a topical news parody site.

Maybe this time it can be accused of being too clever for some?

See, I was hinting at that, but refrained from saying it as I didn't want to appear too 'fik…. 😉

i rather liked this story
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/any-chance-you-could-do-kay-burley?-rothbury-asks-armed-police-201007072887/

Man finds something that's supposed to be funny, that he doesn't think is funny and wonders if he should find it funny, so asks a lot of random strangers if it's funny, shocker.

ProperNoddy – whay ask us? You're the expert.

Thanks Derek! I do like a compliment, but in this case I fear you're mistaken.

[shakes head and turns away] 😛

EDIT
Still sore you failed to bait me on the HTN thread I see! I also see you're very proud of the clever little nickname you've invented too, so you have to keep reposting it until I say something. Well, here you go, well done sonny……
Sheesh….
Give up mate, life's too short. 8)

It's basically the same old same old. After a while you can't help but get bored of these things and move on to something new.

It's also getting over-exposed on here. There have been 2 threads in the last 2 days which have just been people linking a Mash article, and "Can you do Kay Burley" was linked twice from the "live-updates and commentary on the armed hide and seek" thread. 🙂

and I like to think I know a bit about humour

What's that character from the Harry Enfield show years ago, who used to say "Only Me" and get on every-ones tits?

That's the sort of thing he'd say.

When people say stuff like this, it's companion is "I know good music when I hear it" you can bet your house that they don't…

The Mash goes through phases, sometimes it is hysterical, very cutting and funny, sometimes they just resort to swearing lots.

This one is quite good:

Norfolk Tools Date Back To 1938

i always liked this one

French Trader Was Forced To Work 30 Hours A Week

Hit and miss indeed but there are some classics in there.

It's a banned site at work so no links but my favourite is the story about parking in supermarket carparks.

These are some of the best ever from the Onion. If you don't laugh at these you are a Cylon.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/clinton-deploys-very-special-forces-to-iraq,645/

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nations-porn-stars-demand-to-be-****-harder,205/

http://www.theonion.com/articles/neverland-ranch-investigators-discover-corpse-of-r,1303/

the poundland one today made me laugh out loud. i also think the formulaic aspect is part of the appeal – Nikki Hollis appearing in evert other story is sort of an "in joke" for regular readers. some of the holly harper ones are brilliant!!

I often think the Daily Mash is my funnier and more articulate alter ego
it tends to take the piss out of current affairs how I would if I were funnier
and a website

Love the Mash, I often find their take on news stories fits in with mine

I still think this is their best one though:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/sarkozy-getting-it-tonight-200808131168/