BBC News Magazine: The German stereotypes that turn out to be myths

[Gerald]

Germans are hard-working people and the humor is there also.My trips to Germany has made me see the other pages of the country.

Hard-working, efficient, humourless. There are many dubious stereotypes about Germany and its people. The build-up to this month's celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth helped Stephen Evans realise how often he got it wrong.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22560833

Note: 25 May 2013 Last updated at 23:09 GMT

[Herr-Berbunch]

This line caught my eye -


Submarines capable of delivering nuclear warheads to Israel.

[MH]

Now that is stereotype :haha:

[nikimcbee]

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/people/David_Hasselhoff/images/group37/SPX-031132.jpg

Fact: Germans are still crazy for The Hoff.

[Tchocky]

German humour is no laughing matter.

[Catfish]

"If you see me running, make sure you catch up."
:O:

[nikimcbee]

German humour is no laughing matter.

http://www.humordevil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/german.png

[nikimcbee]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc4itfBxB01qmh8s1o1_500.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JX10r.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qbUJh.jpg

[Jimbuna]

German humour is no laughing matter.

LOL :)

Schroeder is certainly an exception :cool:

[Schroeder]

LOL :)

Schroeder is certainly an exception :cool:
Hey, I'm a good German! i don't even know what hoomour means (let alone how to spell it!)!:shifty:

[Skybird]

Somebody is please giving me a hint when to laugh here. Because different to a widespread misunderstanding, Schroeder is not funny at all and thus should not be taken as a clue.

[Catfish]

As a paleontologist, i found that humerus.
Sry, not funny. But then it is an english joke :oops:

[Dan D]

Sombody: "hint"

What do you call a Blind German?
"a Not see"

How do Germans tie their shoes?
"With little knotsies"

[Penguin]

You have to develop some sense of humor when you live under das Merkel regime - one of the biggest jokes we contributed to the world.
Sadly none of those dumb foreigners really gets it - just like our porn.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4460/merkelsm.png

[Skybird]

Merkel: Honnecker's late revenge against the BRD.

She has destroyed political conservatism. German politics have destroyed the principle of democratic representation and legitimation, the rule of law in politics, and state reason.

Wait until after the election. The the following months miraculous agreements why it is needed to now haircut Greece and transfer even more of German savings to Spain and accept higher inflation will emerge, as if by magic.

No matter whom German vote for (if they are really that dulled that they still participated in this farce) - it will become the most costly and expensive vote for their private purses that they have ever given since WWII. With left winners (socialists, Green), it will happen fast. With slightly less-left winners (Merkelists, carricature liberals) it will happen slightly slower.

[Jimbuna]

Hey, I'm a good German! i don't even know what hoomour means (let alone how to spell it!)!:shifty:

LOL :)

[STEED]

Wasn't there some poll in the last two weeks found Germans to be the Nice's people in Europe.

[Jimbuna]

Wasn't there some poll in the last two weeks found Germans to be the Nice's people in Europe.

Probably but only until they see sunbeds by a hotel pool :)

[Catfish]

Wasn't there some poll in the last two weeks found Germans to be the Nice's people in Europe.


Now this was a good joke ..


Regarding sunbeds, of course there are no clichés about germans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIJqF8av6I

Dam ! :O:

[soopaman2]

My only problem with Germany is they got great actors like Cristoph Waltz, and you idolize David Hasselhoff, who cannot act his way out of a wet paper bag.

Trust me, I watched Knight Rider, and Baywatch, as a kid, and he sucked. What made you like him? You oughta be ashamed.

[Skybird]

Christoph Waltz is a brilliant actor, and he is Austrian. Originally he acted at and now directs at the famous Vienna Burg Theatre. He starred in several German TV films, often in very good roles. But he is as Austrian as Ahnold once was.

Happens often in history that Austrians are taken for Germans, for better or for worse. :D

Hasselhoff is some kind of a stereotype about germans, too. While he has a crowd around him when he lands here, that is a fan group, and in a fan group you have - fans. I never met or spoke to a single German who would not think that his Rambazamba circus show is ridiculous. I do not know a single fan of him. Instead I heard a lot of jokes being made about him - at his cost.

It'S a bit like Sauerkraut. Americans tend to think that German love Sauerkraut. It's not true - most of us hate it. It only became popular during the war, as a means to conserve cheap nutrition for long time without refrigerators. It'S not a thing of liking it, but its a thing of poverty and times of suffering.

[vienna]

http://ih2.redbubble.net/image.11044960.2587/sticker,375x360.u1.png

<O>

[Catfish]

^ hehe classic.
But then Monty P. is how old now ? 30 years ?

But then i think Monty Pythons is more like german humour than the tart-throwing jokes often heard nowadays - sometimes very twisted, or gallows humour, close to some jiddisch jokes. And make no mistake, despite 'the war' jewish culture had and has a great influence on Germany.

I always have to laugh when i read the guidelines of e.g. the CIA or just economy strategies for managers to deal with those strange germans. It seems they really have no clue at all lol.

Since most people nowadays speak english it almost automatically means they heard of Monty Pythons, but how many people speak german and would make the effort to try to understand their jokes, even if they would be able to speak german. There are so much puns and twists relating to current occurences, undercurrences, or the german past, that this would be almost impossible to understand unless you spoke it really really good, and make an effort to understand. But, to quote an american friend: "What for?" :haha:

More recent examples of the british kind would be 'Little Britain', which gives some good hints of the self-understanding of british life, to foreigners. Some phantastic (in a good sense) ideas there, but imho it never really came close to Monty Pythons .. which was simply hilarious.

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish


P.S. regarding Ms Merkel being mentioned here:

It is not over until the fat lady sings ..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/penaeus/Fatladysings.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/penaeus/media/Fatladysings.jpg.html)

[vienna]

^ hehe classic.
But then Monty P. is how old now ? 30 years ?

Actually, the reference I made was to the John Cleese TV series "Fawlty Towers", a program he starred in as Basil Fawlty after the Pytons had moved on to other projects...

OH, and the Pytons last broadcast an original episode in 1974, so they are actually over 40 years since their BBC debut in 1969...

Here's the "Don't Mention The War Clip" for those interested...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1O41RIKKDo

<O>

[Stealhead]

Hasselhoff is some kind of a stereotype about germans, too. While he has a crowd around him when he lands here, that is a fan group, and in a fan group you have - fans. I never met or spoke to a single German who would not think that his Rambazamba circus show is ridiculous. I do not know a single fan of him. Instead I heard a lot of jokes being made about him - at his cost.

I spent several years in Germany and met many Germans not a single one was a fan of Hasselhoff.Not even my super "butch" lesbian landlord.