The week that confirmed Europeans are actually quite funny

When Brits in Brussels aren’t pontificating on LinkedIn about some trivial nonevent in the bubble, they can reliably be found explaining over a pint, usually in great detail and often quite humorlessly, why other Europeans simply aren’t funny.

It’s not entirely our fault. European friends shamefully encourage the idea that Brits are inherently “a laugh,” perhaps aware that to disabuse us of that notion would unleash an identity crisis so lethal you’d be left yearning nostalgically for the Brexit negotiations or [redacted historic crime].

The monopoly the British believe we hold on humor was loosened this week as the Dutch, Norwegians and Irish formed an unlikely tag team of shite weather nations to scoop up what is admittedly the cheapest laugh going: mocking the Americans. 

No one who has seen the amount of balloons inhaled at King’s Day in the Netherlands will say the streets of Amsterdam are a laughter-free zone but it’s true that Dutch people aren’t globally renowned for their wit; perhaps they consider it the undignified wheelhouse of their shorter, uglier neighbors.

But Dutch Queen Maxima made a valiant attempt to correct that record last week, lightening the vibe in The Hague of all places with an impromptu impression of visiting dignitary U.S. President Donald Trump.

Any comedy bore will tell you that it’s the context that often makes the joke, which is why it’s the bollocks that it takes to mimic Trump when he is literally standing right there that elevates her passable imitation into something more impactful. 

(For the sake of Dutch pride, let’s just skirt over the fact she’s Argentinian.)

This week’s heartiest belly laugh came courtesy of Norwegian tourist Mads Mikkelsen, who claimed he was denied U.S. entry because of the picture on his phone of a bald, startled and balloon-faced JD Vance.

Irish lawmaker displays meme of Vice President JD Vance while addressing new U.S. border rules pic.twitter.com/JhmTVfEiHe

— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) June 25, 2025

The image of Vance’s smooth visage, cemented in the history books by the Irish lawmaker who held it proudly aloft in parliament like the trophy that it is, is stupid and juvenile. Which is exactly why it prompts the kind of joyful cackle that unites all of us across this continent.

Let us join hands and mock this U.S administration together — but only as we suppress an uncomfortable truth. While many people, especially in Brussels, don’t like his politics let alone his personality, Trump is unfortunately the rare American to possess the camp comedic instincts that the tedious pintsmen of Place de Londres can but dream of.

Perhaps they could swap places?

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Last week we gave you this photo:

Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best one from our mailbag — there’s no prize except the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far preferable to cash or booze.

“Respecting your senile elders is culture character cunning.”
by Anil Chopra