chat, feelings, and random discussion thread

[Taliesin]

So your associations with Germany and Germans are the same?

 

[rahvin]

So your associations with Germany and Germans are the same?

You asked what was "typically german", so I took it to mean you wanted us to include both the country and the population. If you wanted to ask about the people, I guess the Black Forest has to go.

 

[Kovenant84]

This seemed like a good enough place to pose the thought. I often wonder how much of the misunderstandings and drama here are caused by regional differences in views on humor v. personal views. I figured it might be a good topic starter. I know in this day and age, especially through this medium, any humorous statement can be indicated as such with a variety of smiley faces, but I also know that many of us here tend to shy away from that, and rely on our ability to communicate our feelings through simple text on a screen. I know alot can get lost, especially humor, through such a sterile medium, but I wanted to hear other people's opinions on it.

~kov.

 

[rahvin]

Personally, I think I'm at my funniest when posting pictures of a Nazi parade in reply to a German poster, collapsing Twin Towers right after an American, belligerant declarations from Turkish parties in reply to a Greek, a "bad smell" joke if a French person posts, and just about anything in reply to Italians because they can't understand English anyway. Oh, and the Finns get a "too many vowels, lol" joke as a happy bonus just because I love them.

Edit: Sorry for not taking this seriously, Kov. But I'm boring when I'm serious.

 

[Kovenant84]

Actually, I think you made quite the observant reply, in your own way, at least.

And I loved the Finnish part, hehe.

~kov.

 

[Taliesin]

So you turned lame insults into lame humour.. I fail to see where it gets significantly better

 

[hyena]

@kov: well, interesting question. but no, i don't think there is a regional factor that can cause divisions, because in this day and age it is more about class than nation. we are more or less in the same social bracket: white people between 20 and 30, with fairly affluent families, fairly good educational background, fairly good jobs, fair amount of free time, and a decent experience of travel (maybe more international travel for the europeans, but that's just because we have small countries). this makes us more alike than differences in nationality can make us different. of course there are exceptions: LBRH is teh archetipe of a very rich (and obnoxiously so) kid, for example, and there are at least a couple of people with genuine working class backgrounds, but in general we are more or less the smart, white, "enlightened" (yeah right) middle class of the world.

 

[rahvin]

So you turned lame insults into lame humour.. I fail to see where it gets significantly better

Because what I described is what I usually do in order to make a funny on the Internet, right?

Someone has his irony radar turned off today...

 

[Kovenant84]

Good point, hyena. From that perspective, though, I felt we could rule out class as the source of our humor differences. As in, I notice the differences in humor style (Rahvin's irony, above, as an example) and figure that chances are they can't be explained by class, for the reason that we all approach humor so differently. Well, we can all be sarcastic, I think, but that's more of a generational thing than anything else, I believe.

I was looking at it also from the point of view of the types of jokes or humor used in a region that people in another region simply might not find funny. I'm failing to come up with an example right now, but perhaps the excess of vulgarity in certain humor from the states might work? I might not be a good example of that here on the boards, because it's more of a verbal thing - I know at least here I don't hear a single person make it through a day without cursing at least four times - it's just part of the language in NYC.

~kov.

 

[plintus]

I might not be a good example of that here on the boards, because it's more of a verbal thing - I know at least here I don't hear a single person make it through a day without cursing at least four times - it's just part of the language in NYC.

In Ruskian one can speak in obscenities and make a lot of sense, while constant use of "fucking" makes little.

And I pretend like rahvin is always serious. And always right. And Jewish.

 

[rahvin]

And Jewish.

For some reason, thinking of me being Jewish is both appropriate and hilarious. I think I oddly look the part, but it's up to people who met me to give a final opinion.

 

[hyena]

your nose is definitely un-jewish, so you cannot be a sephardite jew.
you could be an ashkenazi jew, maybe, also on account of the color of your eyes, but your skin is a mite too dark for that.
rather than a jew, i think that you look like a berber (for those who don't know who berbers are, think the footballer zidane)

 

[rahvin]

your nose is definitely un-jewish, so you cannot be a sephardite jew.

For real? My misconceptions of the possibilities of my nose will be the end of me!

 

[plintus]

For some reason, thinking of me being Jewish is both appropriate and hilarious. I think I oddly look the part, but it's up to people who met me to give a final opinion.

Nah, I was just referring to your nickname: "rahvin" in Ruskian can be interpreted as "rabbi" (раввин - [ravvin]). I hardly go all origin-and-race online. If you are not German, of course. Or black.

 

[hyena]

rahvin - i just found out that there actually are jewish berber communities. this settles the matter, you can be a jew all you want and still stick to your basic ethnic identification. ;p

 

[Kovenant84]

This suddenly took a distinctively odd turn .

I was wondering as to why Plintus thought that - of course, when I see 'rahvin', I think, "Damn, you totally got owned by Rand, that whiny little bitch, and erased from the fabric of time. That sucks. But then, you tried to kill Mat. So I guess you had it coming."

~kov.

 

[fireangel]

If you wanted to ask about the people, I guess the Black Forest has to go.

By parodizing a typical answer, that everybody knows anyhow, you made it just very clear that you are not even remotely interested in finding some sort of serious information. You think you are oh-so-sophisticated, but your re-play of the standard reactions is not more than average; it doesn´t give the impression that you really wish to enlarge your knowledge or see another perspective.

In fact, it would be quite interesting if we could discuss here the subject of what is typical for a nation, seeing as we have people from everywhere on this board, of whom many travelled a lot, but I mean discuss and exchange opinions, not fight about. Aswell, even people from the same country don´t agree about what is "characteristic" for their own nation and also not about their perception of other countries.
Actually, you, as wanting to represent an intellectual, just shot yourself in the foot.

 

[Taliesin]

Actually, I dont think there really is anything outstanding and widespread enough to be called characteristic for a group as large a nation.
I wanted to know what people think is typically german, or typical for whatever other nation, if anyone wants to go into that.

 

[Kovenant84]

I agree with you Tale - I really don't think you can qualify distinguishing factors to an entire nation, really, which is why I said 'regional' in my original post. Even with european nations being smaller than the US, they're still to big to necessarily have over-arching qualities. Of course, certain values or the like might be applied, or one could make defining statements about those in a nation-wide political group, but as a whole, nations are just too mixed.

To answer your question, though, the typical stereotypes of one who has never set foot in the country spring to mind. Beer, food, Rammstein, that kind of thing. I do tend to think of smaller regions or cities, like Berlin, as places like Boston rather than New York. Good sized cities, with large student populations, and a lot of history to them. But then again, I think of most European capitals that way. In my mind's eye, really only the architecture and language changes.

~kov.

 

[rahvin]

By parodizing a typical answer, that everybody knows anyhow, you made it just very clear that you are not even remotely interested in finding some sort of serious information. You think you are oh-so-sophisticated, but your re-play of the standard reactions is not more than average; it doesn´t give the impression that you really wish to enlarge your knowledge or see another perspective.

In fact, it would be quite interesting if we could discuss here the subject of what is typical for a nation, seeing as we have people from everywhere on this board, of whom many travelled a lot, but I mean discuss and exchange opinions, not fight about. Aswell, even people from the same country don´t agree about what is "characteristic" for their own nation and also not about their perception of other countries.
Actually, you, as wanting to represent an intellectual, just shot yourself in the foot.

What exactly did you drink, young lady? The pictures I posted were intended as a mock-selection of stereotypical "German" things. Why would I want to fight about any nation? I have the utmost respect for all.

Try being "remotely interested" in reading comprehension. Or go for longer walks.