Positive stereotypes of foreign nations.

Question

Stereotypes of foreign countries are usually negative and uncomplimentary. Let us instead think of a few positive stereotypes. I have just returned from Spain, and will contribute a couple of positive stereotypes concerning the inhabitants of this beautiful and interesting country:-
1. If you want to know how to run a first-class hotel, ask a Spaniard. (Arecognition of the high standards the hotels in Spain now have).
2. Place a Spaniard in front of a mountain, and leave him there. Six monthslater, you will find a tunnel has been dug through the mountain, the two sides of which are now connected by a motorway. (An expression of my admiration for the many spectacular civil engineering projects that have been undertaken by Spain in recent years).
If you wish to contribute, the national stereotype must be positive, and must be about any country other than your own, please.

Richard Chambers Leeds UK.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Stereotypes of foreign countries are usually negative and uncomplimentary. Let us instead think of a few positive stereotypes. I have just returned from Spain, and will contribute a couple of positive stereotypesconcerning the inhabitants of this beautiful and interesting country:-[/nq]
Wow this is wonderful. What a beautiful example of diversity and multiculturalism. You should try the website www.blackpeopleloveus.com.
[nq:1]If you wish to contribute, the national stereotype must be positive, and must be about any country other than your own, please.[/nq]
I was just thinking about how black people are so "articulate". And the Jews possess a great talent for economics.
Let us rejoice and embrace the light of diversity. And death to everyone who lives in the darkness of bigotry.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Stereotypes of foreign countries are usually negative and uncomplimentary. Let us instead think of a few positive stereotypes.. If you wish to contribute, the national stereotype must be positive, and must be about any country other than your own, please.[/nq]
There must be thousands of positive ones.
Greek woman often have lovely black hair.
Southern Italian women, *** bless them, too.
Germans are expert in making great sausages.
Japanese people are exceptionally polite.
The French appreciate good food more than most, and know how to prepare the best in the world, in many people's opinion. The Germans and the Japanese are good, brave fighters. Korean women have little to no pubic hair.
Russians appreciate good vodka and surely know how to make it. Italians are the best opera composers.
Germans are the best composers, in general.
Japanese people are law abiding.
The Greeks and the Africans are excellent folk dancers, the Russians great ballet dancers.
African men, many of them, have larger-than-average dicks. France, Italy, and Spain have produced more than their fair share of great artists.
Germans are hard workers.
Scandinavians and the Dutch are clean.
Many oriental men hardly need bother with shaving, if at all. The Russians are great mathematicians, oodles of them. Swedish women are often ravishingly beautiful.
Japanese women have small, firm *******.
Oriental people have unusually clear skin.
The Dutch are honest.
Russians are great chess players, compared to the average lot. Japanese women are tight.
Scottish men are both large and strong.
Scottish people have a huge beer-carrying capacity. English people are both talented and unusually inventive with their own language.
Welsh men, being mean little ********, are very good at budgeting. Belgians, being shitheads known Europe-wide, make the French look even greater than they already are, which is admirable.

(I was being somewhat opinionated in the last two.)
Charles Riggs
For email, take the air out of aircom
and replace with eir

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Stereotypes of foreign countries are usually negative and uncomplimentary.[/nq]
You're English, I presume?
Jan

Usenet · Answer

writes a superb Ode to Diversity:
[nq:1]Greek woman often have lovely black hair. Southern Italian women, *** bless them, too. Germans are expert in making great ... no pubic hair. Russians appreciate good vodka and surely know how to make it. Italians are the best opera composers.[/nq]
I disagree with the last line: The French are the best opera composers.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Italians are the best opera composers.[/nq]
[nq:1]I disagree with the last line: The French are the best opera composers.[/nq]
J.J. Rousseau, these days known more for other things, was both a composer and music critic. He had a theory that the music of a people grows out of the spoken language. It was for this reason, he claimed, that the French will never have worthwhile music.

Martin Ambuhl

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I disagree with the last line: The French are the best opera composers.[/nq]
[nq:1]J.J. Rousseau, these days known more for other things, was both a composer and music critic. He had a theory that the music of a people grows out of the spoken language.[/nq]
According to this theory, Germans should have no national music and Sibelius was 100% Italian.
[nq:1]It was for this reason, he claimed, that the French will never have worthwhile music.[/nq]
That was before Bizet, Saint Saens, Lalo, Ravel, Enesco, Debussy etc.

To paraphrase JJR, all languages are musical, but it's the people who use them that corrupts their musicality.

Usenet · Answer

Okay, so this one time? In band camp? Arcadian Rises was all, like:
[nq:2]It was for this reason, he claimed, that the French will never have worthwhile music.[/nq]
[nq:1]That was before Bizet, Saint Saens, Lalo, Ravel, Enesco, Debussy etc.[/nq]
I thought your fifth entry was Romanian...in fact, he'd better have been; I once asked a Romanian colleague for the names of their greatest composers and got him as the only answer...(I may have phrased the question in the form "Finland is to Sibelius as Poland is to Chopin as Hungary is to Bartok as Romania is to whom?")..
Isn't it odd that several of the best-known French composers (Bizet, Ravel, Chabrier) are best known for works that present themselves as Spanish?...r

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]J.J. Rousseau, these days known more for other things, was both a composer and music critic. He had a theory ... out of the spoken language. It was for this reason, he claimed, that the French will never have worthwhile music.[/nq]
What about G&S? Is their output not counted as opera?

wrmst rgrds
Robin Bignall
Quiet part of Hertfordshire
England
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/docrobin/homepage.htm

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Isn't it odd that several of the best-known French composers (Bizet, Ravel, Chabrier) are best known for works that present themselves as Spanish?...r[/nq]
Also Eduard Lalo, and his famous violin Concerto called "Spanish Symphonie".

Usenet · Answer

Ahem. Old Bach thought enough of Couperin's work to borrow it on occasion.

Michael West
Melbourne, Australia
(Expat yank)

Positive stereotypes of foreign nations.

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