Why do North Americans laugh at the famine so much?

snotboogie

For a place where the media is usually so politically correct (Look as Suey Park and CancelColbert) why do they feel free to take such liberties making fun of the Great Famine? This is currently trending on reddit http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/2l3cbn/classic_irishmans_dilemma/
which is a liberal forum where PC values are typically strongly enforced (at least in popular topics) by the community. Substitute any other ethnicity and their negative stereotypes into that joke and it becomes an absolute no no.

Omackeral

How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?

None.

CrazyRabbit

What is they say about tragedy + time?

...and mountains + molehills?

kneemos

Omackeral wrote: »

How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?

None.

That's all I saw.Was there more?

Scoundrels.

Doc

I don't think Americans laugh at the famine much if at all. Most of them wouldn't even know about it to laugh at it and if they did know about it wouldn't find much to laugh at.

They laugh at the stereotype of a drunken Irishman who eats potatoes. Or at the Frenchman who stinks of garlic and will surrender at the sound of a cork popping. Or at the Englishman in a three piece suit drinking tea his butler has made for him getting upset at the people having fun. Or at the Mexican trying to sneak across the boarder in his sombrero. Just like people might laugh at the fat loud American tourist stereotype.

Qualitymark

Because they haven't experienced famine themselves for a few hundred years. And because they're a little dim.

kneemos

Qualitymark wrote: »

Because they haven't experienced famine themselves for a few hundred years. And because they're a little dim.

Snap.

J Mysterio

That link has nothing to do with the famine. It's about Irish 'being drunks' and 'loving potatoes'.

DoYouEvenLift

Taking Americans seriously is your first problem.

gazzamc

So what, I love my potatoes and my drink, it beats Big Macs and scooters any day...

We bring the craic, they bring "democracy" (If you happen to have oil) :P

Paulownia

Most Americans know nothing of the rest of the world, the educational system is skewed towards introspection rather than a world view.
Ireland is green and it rains a lot and Saint Patrick,
This is the problem when they start to interface with other countries.
Many Americans believe all Muslims are terrorists for example, they have irrational fears of the unknown

Sunnyisland

Paulownia wrote: »

Most Americans know nothing of the rest of the world, the educational system is skewed towards introspection rather than a world view.
Ireland is green and it rains a lot and Saint Patrick,
This is the problem when they start to interface with other countries.
Many Americans believe all Muslims are terrorists for example, they have irrational fears of the unknown

Is the above not just a stereotype in what a lot of Irish see about Americans, Any Americans that I have met in Europe,which be quite a few,are well educated and are very much informed of the countries there visiting.

Paulownia

realies wrote: »

Is the above not just a stereotype in what a lot of Irish see about Americans, Any Americans that I have met in Europe,which be quite a few,are well educated and are very much informed of the countries there visiting.

Those are the ones who travel, 80 0/0 of Americans have never had a passport.
Try visiting America outside of the main cities, I have!

The J Stands for Jay

The classic American's dilemma "If I eat 5 big macs in one sitting, is there still room for a mcflurry with a crushed up apple pie desert?

cloud493

McGaggs wrote: »

The classic American's dilemma "If I eat 5 big macs in one sitting, is there still room for a mcflurry with a crushed up apple pie desert?

Don't be saying that your making me hungry

Paulownia

cloud493 wrote: »

Don't be saying that your making me hungry

Most middle class Americans think that poor people are only poor because they are too lazy to work, even politicians say it

cloud493

Paulownia wrote: »

Most middle class Americans think that poor people are only poor because they are too lazy to work, even politicians say it

Yes, I was more referring to the idea of a mcflurry with a crushed up apple pie in it. Sounds delicious :pac:

Sunnyisland

Paulownia wrote: »

Those are the ones who travel, 80 0/0 of Americans have never had a passport.
Try visiting America outside of the main cities, I have!

Is that not to be said of any large country, India,Russia,Brazil ,try visting them countries outside of the main cities and see what they say about Ireland, which will be what...


You can blame the Irish tourist board for a lot of the images and opinions in America about Ireland,especially in the 60,s 70,s 80,s when they portrayed Ireland as green mystic land of saints and scholars with a top of the morning ta ya :-) and soft day thank God.

Paulownia

realies wrote: »

Is that not to be said of any large country, India,Russia,Brazil ,try visting them countries outside of the main cities and see what they say about Ireland, which will be what...


You can blame the Irish tourist board for a lot of the images and opinions in America about Ireland,especially in the 60,s 70,s 80,s when they portrayed Ireland as green mystic land of saints and scholars with a top of the morning ta ya :-) and soft day thank God.

That may well be true of India, Russia and Brazil but two of those are third world countries and Russia is a bit special too.
Anyway the thread was about Americans.
I have an Irish friend living outside NY who does volunteering work in the area of adult literacy and she finds that her middle class friends think she is mad that she spends her time doing that.
They fell if people can't read and write it is somehow their own fault.

Fratton Fred

Paulownia wrote: »

Those are the ones who travel, 80 0/0 of Americans have never had a passport.
Try visiting America outside of the main cities, I have!

If you didn't need a passport to travel within the eu at all, how many Europeans would have a passport?

BoJack Horseman

Aah Malory Archer.... You put it best

http://youtu.be/rOtls2ZvjE4

Paulownia

Fratton Fred wrote: »

If you didn't need a passport to travel within the eu at all, how many Europeans would have a passport?

Anyone who needed to visit the US for instance, I suppose

blackwhite

realies wrote: »

Is the above not just a stereotype in what a lot of Irish see about Americans, Any Americans that I have met in Europe,which be quite a few,are well educated and are very much informed of the countries there visiting.

In a thread complaining about Americans making "racist" jokes, there's a hell of a lot of racist generalisations about Americans - but apparently that's ok :rolleyes:

kneemos

They have a vast country on their doorstep and huge distances to travel before they'd even need a passport,so not comparable to Europe.

Fratton Fred

Paulownia wrote: »

Anyone who needed to visit the US for instance, I suppose

Which would be what, 20% of the European population?

smash

It's the same as the way we laugh at 911...





I'll get my coat!

kneemos

Europeans traditionally have them because of the borders everywhere.It's still the best form of ID.

MarkR

Can confirm. Am American, famine funniest thing since sliced bread.

Irish knock knock joke.

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Nobody, they all died in the famine.

I think I wet myself.

In reality, going by this thread, we all love the old bit of sweeping generalization. Get over it.

Paulownia

MarkR wrote: »

Can confirm. Am American, famine funniest thing since sliced bread.

Irish knock knock joke.

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Nobody, they all died in the famine.

I think I wet myself.

In reality, going by this thread, we all love the old bit of sweeping generalization. Get over it.

As an American then you know what I'm saying is correct!

nelly17

Man I could murder a spud right now

Scannal

I find it's more popular amongst British people to laugh and make fun of Irish people about the famine. Which is much worse considering who caused it.