搞笑 (gǎoxiào) taps into a very accessible and universal form of humor, but its common usage in China highlights a preference for humor that is direct, light-hearted, and often physical or situational. In Western culture, a “sense of humor” might be associated with wit, irony, or sarcasm. While China has this too, often expressed with the word 幽默 (yōumō), 搞笑 (gǎoxiào) represents a different, more populist flavor of comedy. It's the humor of internet memes, short video skits (短视频), variety shows, and slapstick comedians. It doesn't require deep cultural knowledge to understand—a cat falling off a chair in a funny way is universally 搞笑. This contrasts with, for example, American stand-up comedy that relies heavily on social commentary or political satire. 搞笑 humor aims for immediate, uncomplicated laughter. It's fun, easy to share, and builds a light-hearted atmosphere, reflecting a cultural appreciation for simple joy and relieving stress through overt funniness rather than intellectual wit.
搞笑 (gǎoxiào) is an extremely common word in informal, modern Mandarin.