Is Comedy Universal?

How can it be that we "all" seem to hate beloved Turkish, Russian and Indian comedy classics and mega hits, despite their incredibly IMDb averages and striking vanguard?!

Is it because comedies just don't translate that well? Is it because we just don't have a sense of humour? Or: Is it because we have been brainwashed by the cultural dominance of the US, the UK and to a lesser extent France and Italy?

Yes, how do we actually feel about US and UK comedies? Do they translate everywhere? 

And how come the ratings for many of these Turkish, Russian and Indian films are so insane, towering over almost all beloved classics from other countries? Is something deceptive going on, or do they just strike a powerful nerve with the local population?

We will also dive into the controversial decision by IMDb to actively remove the Turkish classic Hababam sinifi (1975) from their top 250, despite having an average rating of 9.2 and more than 40k voters, a decision that stands until this day. Is it pure Anglo-Saxon chauvinism or could there be something else to their decision?

Timestamps:

Intro: 00:00:00

Do Any of Us Believe Comedy is Universal: 00:04:20

Do we laugh easily? 00:07:44

Are US and UK Comedies Universal Due to Cultural Dominance?: 00:18:16

Will Anyone Defend Turkish Comedies: 00:27:48

How Bad Are the Soviet Comedies?: 00:44.24

Indian Comedies: 00:50:35

Was IMDb Right to Remove Hababam Sinifi from Their Top 250?: 01:03:19

Do Comedies Need to be Funny?: 01:10:25