The #Bristol Blog Post That Proved My Northern Humour Just Doesn't Fly Here.

Why the Bristol Post and Bristol Live Get the Views, and My Take on the World Naked Bike Ride 2025 Didn't. My Humour, My Rules. A Bristol Local Blog on the North/South Divide.

Well, isn't life just fun after yesterday's little adventure into blogging. It seems that, typically, as I've come to learn over the years, southerners do not have the stomach for northern humour, and the lowest number of views I've ever had on a blog post just goes to prove that the north/south divide still exists.

The differences in humour are often seen as a reflection of these cultural divides. Northern humour is frequently associated with an "earthy," working-class style, characterised by self-deprecation, irony, and a focus on everyday life and struggles. It's often direct and can be seen as a coping mechanism for hardship. Southern humour, while diverse, is sometimes perceived as being more "highbrow," sarcastic, or detached, and doesn't generally resonate with the more straightforward, communal humour of the North.

You see, the humour in that post of mine, the bit that makes it sound Northern, is just being honest. There’s no point faffing about trying to be clever or overly polite. I just lay it all out—the suspected ADHD, the forgotten pies, the medical scare—and basically say, "Look at this daft mess my life is." That kind of self-deprecating, take-it-or-leave-it attitude is just how we do things up North. Then you get into the whole North versus South thing, which is really what it's all about. My comedy isn't in big, fancy jokes; it's in a dry, no-nonsense way of looking at everything and finding the funny in the everyday chaos.

Take, for instance, yesterday's reference to 'Burger Sluts.' In the North, directness is highly valued. People say what they mean and mean what they say, and this isn't seen as rude, but rather as a sign of respect and efficiency. This same principle applies to humour. There's no need for elaborate setups or subtle jokes; the punchline is delivered directly. The name "Burger Sluts," for example, is a classic example of this. It's deliberately provocative and attention-grabbing, using an absurd juxtaposition to create a memorable, funny name. This directness also helps to build trust and rapport—if someone is willing to be so unfiltered, it suggests they're being genuine.

The whole point of the humour in what I wrote is pure, unadulterated northern sensibility. We don't mess about. We see something daft—like a load of naked people on bikes—and we just say what it is. No flowery language, no fuss, just straight-talking with a healthy dose of sarcasm. The comedy comes from clashing the utterly ridiculous with the totally normal. You've got this grand, bizarre spectacle, but then I'm immediately talking about the miserable weather and how they should've brought a bar of soap. It's the small, everyday details that take the whole thing and bring it down to earth with a thump. And finally, it's about pushing the whole thing to its logical, but completely unhinged, conclusion. Seeing an already daft event and thinking, "How could this be even dafter?" and then proposing to combine it with '420'—that's the northern knack for finding the funny in the absurd and just running with it.

This brand of humour isn't for everyone, I know, but it's authentically mine. After years of trying to be what others wanted, I'm finally and unapologetically comfortable in my own skin. A former life saw me racking up millions of followers, supporters, and subscribers, and yeah, I made a few quid along the way. But these days, I write purely to clear my head. One subscriber or a thousand, it makes no difference because I'm writing for myself, and if others get a laugh out of it, then that's just fine. It's not my responsibility to determine how others choose to feel about anything in life, because we each have agency over ourselves—over what we think and how we feel about everything.

This whole experience is a lesson I learned from a recent article. After my last post, which referenced Bristol's 'Burger Sluts,' I decided to tackle another local news story that had the city talking: the World Naked Bike Ride Bristol 2025. Media outlets like the Bristol Post, Bristol Live, and Bristol 24/7 all covered it, and I knew my take would never get the same traction as theirs. But that's fine. It's my blog, it's my voice, and I don't write for other people specifically.