Really annoying cultural/racial stereotypes

[Andy]

Hi, people. Remember the episode where Howard does a bad impersonation of Raj on the phone and Raj comments afterwards something along the lines of "Thanks for making me sound like a Simpsons character"? (Obviously Apu, for those of you who don't watch the Simpsons). Well, I got to thinking that it is obvious that there are people from many different places outside the U.S. who enjoy watching TBBT and using the whiteboard - Flo and I are from Northern Ireland, Samuel is from England, Veronica is Italian, Elaine is originally from Germany... so maybe from time to time, like when travelling outside your home country, we are attributed an annoying cultural/racial stereotype that just makes you grind your teeth?! For example, when people discover where I'm from, they can't seem to hold back from making references to the Irish dancing/Riverdance thing, the fiddly-dee music, the red hair and freckles, Guinness, Leprechauns, farming, boring food, Ireland winning the Eurovision Song Contest quite often, etc.etc.... really, it just goes on and on.
So get it off your chest...do you hate the ridiculous notions that associate Germans with sausages and sauerkraut, Italian men with bum-pinching, or the French with hating all things English?

[Kerryl]

YES!!!! My husband is Australian and I can't tell you how many times over the last twenty years we have heard the "Throw a shrimp on the barby" referece from the Come to Australia commercials from the 80's..... I think Alan would gladly strangle Paul Hogan if he could .The other REALLY annoying thing is all the waitresses/service people going, " Oh, where are you from?" and flirting shamelessly right in front of me. I love it when we go to Oz, and then I am the one who is the "Rock star" vocally. LOL

[Andy]

Hi Dearbhla. I didn't mean to imply that I'm not proud of where I'm from... it's just other people's reactions to it that are really tiresome. I've travelled a fair bit in the last few years and it seems that the first reaction is always the worst. At the risk of sounding big-headed I'd like to think that there's a bit more to me than just "being Irish".

[Sheldon's_girl]

It's not just cultural/racial stereotypes. Sometimes there are generalizations because of what city you are from.

The most annoying stereotype, though, has to be, regarding weight. People look at overweight people with disdain when you are grocery shopping or in a restaurant, even walking down the street.

They think overweight people are lazy, stupid and slovenly. I am overweight and am none of those.

One time I was in the store buying rolls ( I had to get extra because my sister and her family were visiting. This woman behind me looked at me with such disgust because I was buying a dozen rolls. I said to her, "I'm really hungry". The look on her face was priceless.)

[astrotech]

I am from New York City. People hear my accent and think I am some guido with the mob. One of my neighbors keeps calling me Tony (Soprano). I am Irish. Don't even look Italian.

By the way....Andy, great to see you again. Been awhile since you posted something. Missed having you around.

[Monica]

Try being from Texas. I will admit that when I write...I tend to use the most stereotypical Texan phrase of "yall" and "Fixin". I've had to try and explain a million times what "fixin" means to us. When I was in Philly a guy asked me if we all really ride horses to work. My response was "Every damn day, you should see out car washes!"

And diddo on missing Andy!

[Andy]

...and thanks to you too for the kind comments, Monica. I'm sorry but I'm another ignoramus on the list of people who don't know what "fixin'" means or what context you would use it in. But hey, am I not giving you the opportunity to give us all the definitive explanation? I would love to know. Pretty please?

[Monica]

EX: We're fixin to go eat!

Which basically means "we're about to go eat." The sentence has just been "countryfied." In short "fixin" usually means 'about to' or in some cases "i'm working on it or preparing to" ex: I'm fixin dinner right now.

It sucks, but back in the good ol' days when you're wrestlin up cattle, you don't have time to be proper, and everything gets shortened or made into slang.

[Andy]

yes, I get it now. kinda rolls off the tongue quite easily. I'm reading a book at the moment called Mother Tongue, which is about the English language, by Bill Bryson (born and raised in Iowa, now lives with his family in Yorkshire in the north of England.) There are many interesting and quirky facts about how the language has been adapted and changed in the various parts of the world where it is spoken either as a first or second language. highly recommended read.

[Andy]

Kind comments appreciated, my friend. You know I love all you guys. But I have to ask... how strong is your accent? Would you say "Noo Yawk"? I thought that for years that I had a typical Belfast accent until someone recently asked me was I a "Newtownabbey Boy"!! (Newtownabbey is only a 10 to 15 minute car ride from Belfast city centre and to my mind has no discernible difference in accent. Obviously I'm wrong!)

[karenS]

yeah, being from Texas.... well, don't even get me started. I have a love/hate relationship with it. We Texans are ferociously proud of our state, it's almost comical. I've begun a collection of photographs of various food products shaped in the state of Texas. Yes, sad but true. So far I have cheese, a frozen hamburger patty and crackers all shaped like Texas. I have seen other items in the past (tortilla chips, pasta), but haven't been able to locate them lately, so I can't snap a shot of them for my collection. Now tell me, what other state would or could do such an outrageous thing like that? My frustration is that we, as Texans, perpetuate these "types of stereos" (.....to quote The Boondocks). aaarrgghh

[Monica]

You make your fellow Texans proud!

[Monica]

One main stereotype I hated was when I told people that I used to live in Jamaica. OMG if I had one more person sya "ya man" to me.....I was going to stangle them.

Jamaica is pretty much what you think and at the same time its not. Around the resorts it is for tourist, but when you live 3 hours up a mountain in central Jamaica (mandaville) it's quite the opposite.