stereotypes, when does it stop ?

Wook

when will people stop labeling others on what country there from ?
Why do some people constantly think theyre right to almost insult others by ignoring them, make nasty remarks (almost racism) and just be plain ignorant ?

I mean , my girlfriend and i are in Ireland for almost 5 years and both have proffesional lives, we work , pay taxes and try to mingle as much as possible with you natives We dont dislike irish, we don't dislike anyone in fact on the basis of where they were born once. My sweet girlfriend is German, and that's it..once you said it, half of you go 'aaaaah' like it explains everything ?!

If somebody could explain this to me ?! How would you react when people almost avoid you at work because of your nationality ? what would you say or do ? Irish are also labeled a lot right ?

simu

Yes, Irish people get stereotyped abroad as well. I hate this as my personality is very different from the one attributed to Irish people in stereotypes.

Why does this happen? Well, most people are stupid and lazy and they cling to stereotypes instead of getting to grips with a more complex reality.

If people are really getting to you, tell them you're sick of their pathetic attemps at making conversation or being funny or even try the Des Bishop approach and say you wished their ancestors had died in the famine!

keu

Irish are also labeled a lot right ?

I would think the Irish have more labels than any other nation.
Stupid, drunk, terrorist, catholic farmers and so on...it's not new, in fact it spawned a particular breed of comedy.
I doubt many Irish people take it to heart (if the same racist attitude was directed toward any other nationality there would be an outcry)....until recently.
Perhaps this generation has had enough of the BS labels.
So don't expect any sympathy.

mike65

German eh?

Mike.

keu

oh...wait..i'm Irish, you can take the p!ss out of me, insult my intelligence and make derogatory remarks about my country, I'm too stupid to be offended.

Victor

People tend to attach labels to explain what they are talking about, then others define the subjects by those labels. There is a certain element of laziness, but also just plain ignorance and bigotry. It stretches from "Woman killed in car crash" (are we meant to have more sympathy for a woman?) to "French woman killed in car crash" (did being french cuase the accident?) to ..... "Irish man killed in car crash in France" (probably acceptable as it brings the local news angle to the global).

Wook wrote:

my girlfriend

Isn't this labelling also? Is she really a girl or is she a woman? Many German-speaking people find the terms girl-/boyfriend demeaning, not respecting the person as an adult, part of an adult relationship. Whats wrong with "my woman", "my friend", "my partner", "my significant other"? Well, whats wrong is that sometimes girlfriend is the right word.

mike65

Victor wrote:

There is a certain element of laziness, but also just plain ignorance and bigotry. It stretches from "Woman killed in car crash" (are we meant to have more sympathy for a woman?) to "French woman killed in car crash" (did being french cuase the accident?) to ..... "Irish man killed in car crash in France" (probably acceptable as it brings the local news angle to the global).

My favourite is Irish Woman Killed by English Bus, but I bet thats apocryphal.

Mike.

pretty-in-pink

tagging is common, not saying its right, but its common.


as for the german thing..........im sure your g/f is lovely, but not all of us have had the experience of tourists or new irish people being so nice, its much more common for them to over analyse us and being all "oh this wouldnt happen in germany/austria etc" on us

so that could be it

Kell

Wook wrote:

My sweet girlfriend is German, and that's it..once you said it, half of you go 'aaaaah' like it explains everything ?!

Thats gentle oirish ribbing as opposed to an open insult and generally means that people are quite open to warming to you.

I dont necessarily agree with it though. The worst I have witnessed was a barman continuing to serve other people rather than a coloured bloke at a bar in Galway who was stood there for about ten minutes. It took me telling the barman to serve the guy before he got anywhere.

K-

Specky

but I bet thats apocryphal.

...but that didn't happen in Greece did it...?

mike65

Specky wrote:

...but that didn't happen in Greece did it...?

Grrrrooaan........

Mike.

Specky

Grrrrooaan........

Drrrrrrrrr....tishhhhhh!

Thank you, thank you...here 'til Tuesday....try the veal.... :cool:

pretty-in-pink

slagging people is an irish way of life. if we didnt it just wouldnt be right

if say a tourist or someone who has moved here recently and doesnt get slagged they moan , if they do get slagged they moan

what can we do?

dont take life so seriously

Beruthiel

Wook wrote:

half of you go 'aaaaah' like it explains everything ?!

it took my french b/f a little while to get the irish humour, once you explain that us irish use humour as an ice breaker or just humour for everything, it gets easier. Once I explained that you just come back with your own smart arse comment you will instantly be taken as a grand lad or whatever

so for example - if you g/f had quiped up 'yup I'm german and I've towelled those chairs over there' – then she’s basically backfired their little comment, my b/f goes around telling everyone he’s a cheese eating surrender monkey if you can laugh at yourself us irish appreciate you