Nationality Stereotypes

[TRI]

I'm from MA, but I know no MA stereotypes.

My entire mother's side of my family comes from Massachusetts* so I can give you a couple, and I don't mean Boston stereotypes either:

You are thrifty string-savers.

You are fishermen.

You drive in groups of five or six cars.

You are Irish Catholic.

You call soda "tonic."

You say things are "wicked."

You have fish-like features and worship Dagon.

Semi-Boston related:

You say "ar" as "ah". As in "wheah'd I pahk the cah? Oh wait, it's ovah theah by the Stah Mahket!"

And actually my aunt really does talk like that, and there are several noted string-savers in my family. But no professional fishermen, although my grandpa fishes and my uncle catches lobsters as hobbies.

*Possibly for several hundred years: we went to the Salem witch museum and found that somebody with the same last name was hanged there . . . well technically they were hanged in West Salem.

[Turnsky]

We talk like Steve Erwin. (Not even Steve talks like Steve when he's playing to Australian audiences.)

And whenever you want to take him back, please do, by all means. He was funny for a while, but then he got his own movie...

Do something about Britney and we'll talk.

- Joel Fagin

he speaks the truth, we gave Rolf Harris to the brits, after all.

[Dutch!]

Victoria is a poor man's New South Wales.

Maybe...but we're nicer and play real football.

Oh...and Queenslanders eat pumpkin scones.

[Mo]

Germans are well-organized, always on time, narrow-minded, good craftsmen, eat sauerkraut all the time, love beer and listen to Die Flippers (German folk music). They're very strict, overly bureaucratic, power-hungry and pronounce the English "th" as "z".

According to that list, I'm as un-German as you can ever imagine.

Bavarian stereotypes (Robin beware): Bavarian Germans all wear dirndl and lederhosen, drink huge pints of beer every day, are happy-go-lucky, the men are fat and have moustaches, the women have large breasts, and they all speak with a really weird accent.

Since ich bin ein Berliner, here are the Berlin stereotypes (as the rest of Germany sees us) from what I recall: Berliners are opinionated, rude, blunt, sardonic, and can never stop talking.

Norwegians.... I've never actually heard anyone say something about Norwegian stereotypes, so my guess is people don't really know or believe they exist.
But, if I should guess, here's what stereotypes I can think of:

- All Norwegians kill whales, live in the middle of nowhere, and are really barbaric vikings at heart. And some people seem to think all Norwegian people are rich.

Our Scandinavian neighbours would probably say Norwegians are unfriendly, antisocial, lazy, and get drunk every weekend.

[Tim]

You call soda "tonic."

You say things are "wicked."

You say "ar" as "ah". As in "wheah'd I pahk the cah? Oh wait, it's ovah theah by the Stah Mahket!"

But these aren't stereotypes! I do them too

[Biev]

I'm from Quebec. As far as I can tell:

from the Canadian's point of view:
- We can't make up our mind about anything
- We mainly feed off of poutine
- We're all drunks
- We eat frogs

from the American's point of view, or at least the ones who believe we exist:
- We speak english (-_-);
- We say aboot
- All our males are gay
- We all wish we were american
- We all look like we've never seen a comb

from the French's point of view:
- We don't speak "real" French (-_-);
- We have no culture
- We all live in a huge forest
- We're all farmers
- There's only like, 5 of us ;o)

[Rock_dash]

Dutch people all raise tulips, wear wooden shoes and fly around when they don't have thier fingers stuck in dykes.

ETHNIC INSESITIVITY +1!

[Sortelli]

The only American stereotype I know of is the one where we all trip over each other to talk about American stereotypes.

Me, I'm French. I've been to France. The image that is locked into my mind when I think of France is leathery women who dye their hair bright red. I know this is not a common stereotype, but I sure saw a LOT of it last time I was in Arles. All that topless sunbathing turned these creatures into walking handbags with fright wigs.

[TRI]

You call soda "tonic."

You say things are "wicked."

You say "ar" as "ah". As in "wheah'd I pahk the cah? Oh wait, it's ovah theah by the Stah Mahket!"

But these aren't stereotypes! I do them too

Well, just cause they're true....


Actually I was tempted to include "you use the word 'evap,'" but since no one outside of Massachusetts seems to know what evap even is I didn't think it was justified.

[Laemkral]

Canada could have been the greatest country ever with American technology, British culture, and French cuisine. Instead, they ended up getting French technology, American culture, and British cuisine.

[Cat42]

You call soda "tonic."

You say things are "wicked."

You say "ar" as "ah". As in "wheah'd I pahk the cah? Oh wait, it's ovah theah by the Stah Mahket!"

But these aren't stereotypes! I do them too

Well, just cause they're true....


Actually I was tempted to include "you use the word 'evap,'" but since no one outside of Massachusetts seems to know what evap even is I didn't think it was justified.

What the hell isw evap, I've never heard anyone outside of movies references the 20's and before hand use the word "Tonic", and I will admit, I've used wicked myself, but I do not, and rarely have ever, heard anyone pronounce "ar" as "ah", even in boston.

Then again, I'm unobservant, and spend most of my time there at an Art School with students that come from all over the world.

[Lozza]

They also believe that the Earth was created 8,000 years ago and that God planted fossil evidence to trick humanity, or that Evolution is a theory made by satanists to make children hate God. They drive SUVs but complain about gas prices. They all wear cowboy hats and own 6-shooters and rifles, which they hide under their beds. They eat apple pie every day.

I always assumed that was just Bush.

Okay - English stereotypes.

We all have a public schoolboy accent.
We either live in London, or some charming thatched cottage in the countryside.
We have bad teeth.
We never show our emotions.
Britain=England (Well, more of a misconception than a stereotype, but meh.).

[KittyKatBlack]

America has been done to death, so I won't go on about that.

However, I guess I will elaborate on California, since a lot of people, even those from the US have large misconceptions about it:

1. Everyone in California lives in LA. EVERYONE. I've been to LA once in my life and it was a 6 hour drive. But we went to Universal Studios, so it was worth it.

2. There are palm trees everywhere. There aren't. Actually, I rarely ever see them. There is, however a ton of other trees. We practicly live in a forest.

3. There are earthquakes. Like someone brought up before, they rarely happen, and those that do maybe last 2 seconds and do no damage. Honestly, as far as natural disasters go, California is probably the safest place on the entire planet. We have no Tsunamis, rarely ever have floods, no tornados, hurricanes or wind related disasters of any kind. In all honesty, the biggest problem we have are rogue brush fires.

4. We all drink Starbucks, eat at McDonald's and shop at The Gap/Old Navy. I've ordered a chocolate milk from starbucks once. They called it an 'iced hot chocolate'. Their idiocy made me decide never to go there again. I refuse to eat anything from McDonald's that's not on the breakfast menu, and I only do that if there is no other option available at the time. And I don't think I've even set foot inside a Gap/Old Navy store, ever.

I think my favorite stereotype is that we're all gluttonous fastfood junkies who are also liberal vegeterian health nuts who carry around bottled water and Power Bars 24/7.

[Jackhass]

Canadians - World's greatest lovers.

Or at least I am.

[Blackaby]

Take into consideration that Joel lives in a city (albeit Perth) and I live in country Victoria. Therefore others actually DO talk like me.

Zwuh is 'bout as country as you, y'know. What with being like a million miles from the nearest city, coming from a teeny tiny village that tourist people go to to point at the locals.



The Irish are drunks! Did Doll get here before me to poke that one?

[Locster]

Dutch people all raise tulips, wear wooden shoes and fly around when they don't have thier fingers stuck in dykes.

ETHNIC INSESITIVITY +1!

Don't forget the raping and pillaging

[Dutch!]

Take into consideration that Joel lives in a city (albeit Perth) and I live in country Victoria. Therefore others actually DO talk like me.

Zwuh is 'bout as country as you, y'know. What with being like a million miles from the nearest city, coming from a teeny tiny village that tourist people go to to point at the locals.

He has tourists? We have cattle.

[Killbert-Robby]

"Where are you from?"

"Holland."

"Ooooooooh hahahahahahahahahahah(for an hour) so you smoke the (holds invisible joint up to mouth)"

"*sigh*"



Basically, when I say I'm Dutch People think :

I eat cheese
I have a pair of clogs
I smoke weed
I use whores
I'm a liberal (Which is true)

[The Mortician]

uh...

No, that's NJ Huff (EmergencyExit), not a state you MA person.

[Jim North]

Damn Yankees!