What are some common elements in Vietnam funny stories?

One common element is the presence of historical trauma. For example, many stories are set in areas that were affected by the war. The spirits are often those of soldiers or civilians who died tragically. Another element is the influence of local superstitions and beliefs. For instance, the idea of spirits being associated with certain natural elements like water or trees. And often, there is a moral lesson in these stories, like respecting the dead or not trespassing on haunted places.

One common element is the connection to nature. For example, in stories like the 'Ma cà rồng' (Catfish Ghost), it's related to a river and a catfish. Another common element is the idea of vengeance. Many ghosts in Vietnamese stories are there to take revenge for their unjust deaths, like the young woman in the haunted house story. Also, there is often a moral lesson. For instance, in the story of the soldier's ghost, it might be a reminder of the sacrifices made during the war and not to forget the dead.

Ghosts are a very common element. They often represent the spirits of the dead, whether from wars, ancient tragedies, or just people who died in mysterious ways. For example, the ghosts of soldiers are often featured in stories set in war - affected areas.

Unexpected animals or people in the background can be really funny. For example, a cat jumping onto your shoulder as you take a selfie.

In many funny scam stories, the scammers' lack of knowledge about the things they are scamming about can be humorous. For instance, if they are trying to sell a fake antique but give completely wrong historical details. Also, when they accidentally target the wrong person, like trying to scam a detective or someone who works in fraud prevention, that can be really funny as they end up getting caught right away.

There are many dogs in Vietnam. I once saw a dog that was chasing its own tail in a small village. It went round and round, and the local kids were giggling non - stop. The dog seemed to be having a great time too, completely unaware of how silly it looked.

The brutality of combat is a common element. The constant fear of being killed or seeing your comrades killed was always there. For example, the surprise attacks by the Viet Cong in the dense jungles left many vets traumatized.

One common element is the unexpectedness of the accident. For example, like the basketball player hitting the rim instead of making a dunk. Another is the strange things people say or do when they have a concussion due to confusion, like the guy who thought he was a grocery item. Also, self - deprecating humor from the person who had the concussion, such as the girl laughing at herself for being clumsy.

One common element is the contrast between the temptation and the rules or self - control. For example, in the story of the boy and the lollipop, the rule of no sweets before dinner clashes with his desire for the lollipop. Another element could be the way the character reacts physically. The dog's tiptoeing and nervous glances when tempted by the steak show a physical reaction that adds to the humor. Also, unexpectedness can be an element. Like in the library story, we don't expect a student to be so tempted by cookies in a place like a library.

One common element is when wives get overly enthusiastic about something and it goes a bit wrong. Like my wife trying to bake a cake and using salt instead of sugar by mistake.