Stereotypes

tocksic

New member
Finn said:
I figure that getting involved with anything that messes with Good Ole Adolf is the surest way to get into trouble there. I recall a newspiece about a guy who ended up getting jailtime after he'd taught his dog to raise its paw every time he said "Heil"...

That's true. Germany has the most strict laws and rules concerning Nazi-stuff. You go to jail if you say "Sieg heil!", you go to jail if you raise your right arm, you go to jail if you a wearing a swastika on clothing or as tattoo. and so on.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
I just wonder how I've gotten to the point - as someone who might spend his life in academia - where what I really find objectionable about the clip is the smugness of those who do know what's what, and not the total ignorance of the American Idol celebrity.
 

vaxer

Moderator Emeritus
The truth is that this type of ignorance can be found in every country, even France :eek:
This clip is even more freeky, as the majority of the public gets it wrong...

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(I'm hoping that the problem is that they don't know what gravitate means)
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
vaxer said:
This clip is even more freeky, as the majority of the public gets it wrong...
Oh well, they can always confine in that the answer would have been right 500 years ago.
 

Benudo

New member
Attila the Professor said:
I just wonder how I've gotten to the point - as someone who might spend his life in academia - where what I really find objectionable about the clip is the smugness of those who do know what's what, and not the total ignorance of the American Idol celebrity.

I think that with a title like "Are You Smarter Than a Third Grader?," the show invites smugness.
 
I for one find comments such as 'French are racists' followed by 'Afghanis would thank you for being bombed into the stone age' incredibly strange. For one thing stereotypes, putting an entire group of people, delineated by lines on a map into one social set is in itself racism, while the Afghan comment made a few pages ago is, well, absolutely offensive really. Poor Afghanistan, no country this century has had as much woe and destruction meted upon it.

Also, the whole French having poor memorys thing, with regard to the US 'saving' them in WWII seems to forget the assistance France provided Americans during the War of Independence, that and the fact that, well, America never had 2 world wars fought on its soil, its bound to take it out of you some what when you're soul is ripped outta you. Also, try to remember Napoleon.

Yes.. Stereotypes, can be true in some individual cases, but I find that, every country has its horrible despotic idiots, and every country has its saints, be ye afghani, Iraqi, French or American, its all about being human. Well thats what I think.

Oh, and I'm Irish, (actually living in Ireland) and I really hate the Irish Stereotype, we do have a drink problem in our country, for various reasons, but we're far too caught up in our own 'humble bumbler' of a stereotype.
 
Oh, and Syrians, nicest most friendly giving people I've ever had the pleasure to meet, meting out fruit, water, places to stay, astonishingly genuine, and entirely not the 'axis of evil' crap its portrayed as. Where else would you get people jumping off their bus to guide you across town to your connecting bus before heading back to the same bus to continue your journey once they're sure you're gonna be okay/ Same with Jordanians, Jordan, one of my favourite countrys.

Don't believe the hype.
 

San Holo

Active member
tocksic said:
I have a sterotype about u.s.-americans: They know s*** about countries farther away than Mexico or Canada. I don't want to generalize, but personally I faced that very often. Americans can be so ignorant. They told me Austria is a part of Germany. They told me Germany is still split in two - north and south! They told me we are actually in war with France. They told me we only have electricity since 20 years. They told me we still have a nazi-regime. And I know what I'm talking about. I know a lot americans through the internet and student-exchange programms and I have family near Boston. But again: That was not meant to be a generalization. ;)
Not to generalize, but sure, Americans can be ignorant. On the other hand, this post shows how uneducated the people in Germany can be. America is too large of a place to be summed up by one trip or an internet chat. Here's my little stereotype-You Krauts are all the same-you come over here with a student exchage program or get spoon fed anti-American garbage by your media.. and POOF..you instantly know everything there is to know about America, it's institutions, and it's inhabitants. Well, sorry to tell you kid- but it is you that don't "know s*** ." What's the deal with Germany's hate of the U.S.? Do they teach it to ya in grade school, right after World Geography?:rolleyes:
I bet I can get you pretty riled up simply by saying that I voted for Bush,am a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, and I love the death penalty almost as much as I love my gun collection;) .
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
San Holo, tocksic's post, despite being provocative, wasn't meant as a bait to a single member. Yours instead was. Watch it.
 

tocksic

New member
@ San Holo: You totally misinterpreted my post. Ok, maybe I wrote it a bit provocative, but I thought I made it clear that I DON'T generalize it.
I'm not the uneducated, uninformed type with a big prejudice about americans as you depicted. It was just meant to apply with the nature of this thread - no need to be so rude. :( This whole thread is not meant to be half as serious as you react. ;)

In fact you are the one who is generalizing. You think we germans are all america-hating, anti-bush, anti-guns, anti-war people? Because YOUR media tells you so? Of course the media will always tell negative and provocative things about other countries. One will never turn on the TV and see: "BREAKING NEWS: (put country-name here) IS THE NICEST COUNTRY ON EARTH!" But I am considering myself a well educated and open minded person who trys to look "behind" the facade the media (in any country) has build up. I never said anything against americans as whole. Why should I?

And about you voting for Bush: I bet you won't believe me, but buddy honestly I really don't care what you are voting for! ;) Maybe you think we germans have nothing better to do than hate america all day long. But reality is that a) most germans really like america (you don't have to agree with a political direction to like a country and their people) and b) we have our own problems! It's not like a german walks through the street and mumbles "America America America" all day long.

edit: to really make this clear: When I wrote "Americans can be so ignorant. They told me Austria is a part of Germany. They told me Germany is still split in two....." - With "they" I meant the americans I spoke with about such things . not americans as whole! ;)
 
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