Re: [Epic] Just how big is a BigMac

From: David Lado <lado_at_...>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:00:56 -0400 (EDT)

>
>Interesting, could you explain this joke, please. I understand
>"English are the cooks" but not the others. Don't worry I won't take
>it personally.
>
>Francois Bruntz
>Apprenti MIAGE (Universite Paris XII - IBM France)

Sure, but it really kills the humor to have to explain a joke...

>>"Hell is where:
>>
>>The Italians are the policemen

I think this is a poke at italian mafia and the generally disorganized
state of affairs in italy (from an american perspective). Common
comments by american visitors to Italy include "They're always on
strike" and "Nothing is ever open, how do they do buisiness?" and
stuff like that.

>>The Germans are the lovers

The german stereotype (and the joke is all about stereotypes) is of cold
efficiency (they never smile, but the trains run on time). Germans do
not have a reputation as great romantics like the italians and the
french. Plus, many americans think that the german language makes the
speaker sound angry.

>>The English are the cooks

Don't they eat wierd stuff like kidney pie and blood pudding ;).

>>The French are the shop-keepers"

just as the italians have a reputation for having a chaotic and
unorganized society, so do the french. The stereotype for the
french is they are more interested in chasing skirts than properly
running a society (I think thats as much admiration as critisism :).
Also, the french have a stereotype of not keeping "proper" buisness
hours (i.e. 9 to 5), and closing for a break when the whim suits
them.

There's also a flip side to the joke:

"Heaven is where:

The English are the shop-keepers.
The Germans are the police.
The French are the cooks.
The Italians are the lovers."

Though I might have switched the Italians and the French, since the
stereotypes are fairly interchangable on that count (good cooks and
lovers both).

Well, I never said it was a _funny_ joke (I don't know any of those).

Speaking of stereotypes, I just saw a new Foster's Lager commercial:

"How to speak Australian:"

Woman can't get into house (a dusty ramshackle house in the outback
of course). Big brawny man in typical "Australian outback" cloths
(tan hat, short sleeves rolled up, kacky shorts, boots, ect) rides
up in a truck. He gets out, walks onto the porch, goes up to the
door and headbutts it, the door crashes inward. The woman reaches
into her purse to get some money. The announcer and caption say
"Locksmith" (with thick australian accent of course :).

Boy, you guys are ruggid down under.

David
Received on Wed Jul 02 1997 - 15:00:56 UTC