My habit would have been to veer towards the dark - to prove I was something edgy or maybe to prove that I was cognisant of the dark side. Now with age and confidence I can say yeah that's true but I am cognisant of the fact that people can do things well. And can be more loving than you expect.
I think at its best the American sense of humor is the same as the British sense of humor at its best which is to be wry and ironic and self deprecating.