Goodness gracious me

[Drago]

I'm not so sure: we seem to have the edge on having extremely embarrassing attitudes toward other cultures. I generally avoid English tourists in Germany or Japan, but I find most other Europeans are easier to deal with.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0

 

[Andy in Germany]

I think it's more to do with the British sense of humour and how we can make a comedy out of any situation no matter how serious or untouchable.
You might remember 'Allo, 'Allo the comedy about the French Resistance and Nazi Gestapo. Around that time I worked for a German company and a trusted employee came over to oversee the operation. 'Allo, 'Allo was his favourite comedy on British TV.
Can you imagine a German comedy on the subject?

I was thinking more in terms of the behaviour of English people generally toward "foreigners". I'm reminded of the 2004 World Cup when it was in Germany: all the supporters got along most of the time, despite some rowdiness, but it was the England supporters who came along with mock "German army helmets" (Courtesy of a well known Tabloid) and chanted "Two World Wars and One World Cup... et c.

None of the other countries had to send their own police force to keep an eye on their football fans either.

 

[Andy in Germany]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0

Yeah, that sort of thing.

 

[Drago]

I was thinking more in terms of the behaviour of English people generally toward "foreigners". I'm reminded of the 2004 World Cup when it was in Germany: all the supporters got along most of the time, despite some rowdiness, but it was the England supporters who came along with mock "German army helmets" (Courtesy of a well known Tabloid) and chanted "Two World Wars and One World Cup... et c.

None of the other countries had to send their own police force to keep an eye on their football fans either.

To be fair, I seem to recall the German players were neither well behaved or actually invited at all when they popped into Poland in 1939. When a country does such a thing, and then goes on to lose the fisticuffs they had actually started, they can expect pith taking for centuries to come. We can't change history, and the cultural and historical stimuli are what they are.

Don't like it? Then don't start it, because you may then not get to choose when it finishes.

 

[Profpointy]

ex

Tribute to the show last night.
Brilliant


My favourite sketch..quality pizz take of the English.


View: https://youtu.be/CDXrhkm4sEI

It's right up there with "Four candles" or "Andre Preview on Morecambe and Wise,

As an aside a workmate (James) had married an Asian lady and her pals had seen the sketch started calling him Jam-es in fun. He found jt annoying, though it was not meant unkindly, but realised he had to smile till they got bored with it, as showing weakness by reacting would have made it worse.

And as another aside, an Indian workmate of mine always used to sweat if he ate a hot curry (we worked away together a lot, and invariably had curry) so I always teased him with "give me the blandest thing on the menu". He was a huge piss-taker who gave no quarter, nor expected any, so I had to get my digs i when I could

 

[Accy cyclist]

but it was the England supporters who came along with mock "German army helmets" (Courtesy of a well known Tabloid) and chanted "Two World Wars and One World Cup... et c.

I remember it well. They were selling those embarrassing plastic helmets in Sports Direct.

 

[Andy in Germany]

To be fair, I seem to recall the German players were neither well behaved or actually invited at all when they popped into Poland in 1939. When a country does such a thing, and then goes on to lose the fisticuffs they had actually started, they can expect pith taking for centuries to come. We can't change history, and the cultural and historical stimuli are what they are.

Don't like it? Then don't start it, because you may then not get to choose when it finishes.

The Polish fans were not behaving this way. Nor were the Czech, French, or Belgians. Even the Dutch, who historically haven't liked Germans at all, were fine. The rest of Europe had moved on. In fact, that was a cultural change because before then we rarely saw a German flag in Germany, and afterwards it became acceptable to have them again. It's like the younger German generation realised that as the rest of Europe was moving on, so could they.

Only the English haven't come with the rest of Europe, which is ironic because if there's one area where we are undisputed world champions, it is invading other people's countries.

 

[mudsticks]

The Polish fans were not behaving this way. Nor were the Czech, French, or Belgians. Even the Dutch, who historically haven't liked Germans at all, were fine. The rest of Europe had moved on. In fact, that was a cultural change because before then we rarely saw a German flag in Germany, and afterwards it became acceptable to have them again. It's like the younger German generation realised that as the rest of Europe was moving on, so could they.

Only the English behaved badly, which is ironic because if there's one area where we are undisputed world champions, it is invading other people's countries.

Yes but @Andy in Germany you mustn't forget the very selective historical memory that many Brits operate under.

All that oppressive colonialism, and Empire building??

It was Just a jolly japing mission to get some sugar and tea, and a bit of a smoke really..

And we 'gave' them some railways in return for all the robbing suppression and exploitation, so it's all OK and forgotten about now right...

 

[Moodyman]

Nope, never found it even remotely funny.

Agree. And the same for that Asian Alf Garnett, Citizen Khan.

Trouble with these sorts of shows is context; if you're not from the same background it can be difficult to get the humour. And if you are from the background, then it becomes a bit repetitive.

It's a bit like some Jewish humour, it's best understood if one has Jewish affiliation.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Agree. And the same for that Asian Alf Garnett, Citizen Khan.

It can be challenging being English

 

[Accy cyclist]

"German army helmets" (Courtesy of a well known Tabloid) and chanted "Two World Wars and One World Cup... et c.

When i posted last night about those stupid helmets i remembered/imagined them to be grey,but this morning i remembered they had an England flag covering the whole helmet. Even more embarrassing!!

 

[Andy in Germany]

I remember it well. They were selling those embarrassing plastic helmets in Sports Direct.

I'm still astonished that people paid for them: I thought they were being given out free as I saw a caetain newspaper logo on one.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm still astonished that people paid for them: I thought they were being given out free as I saw a caetain newspaper logo on one.

Some probably were free and i bet it was the shoot stirring 'The Sun' handing them out. I just remember the things being sold off for 50p in sports direct after the world cup.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Yes but @Andy in Germany you mustn't forget the very selective historical memory that many Brits operate under.

All that oppressive colonialism, and Empire building??

It was Just a jolly japing mission to get some sugar and tea, and a bit of a smoke really..

And we 'gave' them some railways in return for all the robbing suppression and exploitation, so it's all OK and forgotten about now right...

I think that the point to be honest: if we make The Germans into a sort of bogeyman then we can point at them and claim that somehow the UK wasn't all that bad: it avoids us dealing with the nastiness in our own history, not least that we were also happy to hate certain groups and invented some of the things the National Socialists honed to perfection.

Ironically, of course, Germany did try to deal with this history, and is continuing to do so in most cases. The modern, successful country that some parts of the British public love to hate is as a result of deliberately changing the culture after the second world war and rebuilding the country from the foundations.

 

[mudsticks]

I think that the point to be honest: if we make The Germans into a sort of bogeyman then we can point at them and claim that somehow the UK wasn't all that bad: it avoids us dealing with the nastiness in our own history, not least that we were also happy to hate certain groups and invented some of the things the National Socialists honed to perfection.

Ironically, of course, Germany did try to deal with this history, and is continuing to do so in most cases. The modern, successful country that some parts of the British public love to hate is as a result of deliberately changing the culture after the second world war and rebuilding the country from the foundations.

Well yes that's very annoying too, how good them pesky Germans have been at doing that..
Even through the reintegration of East Germany.

Being enthusiastic Europeans, knowing that yes trade with the neighbours is important, but that, ultimately its about so much more than just that..

We just don't seem to be able to pull it off in quite the sme way..