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Hollywood's Craziest Foreign Country Stereotypes
Stereotyping is the language of hate, ignorance, and comedy.
Unfortunately, growing up in America, I had very little international exposure and my early impression of the outside world was sadly constructed of Hollywood stereotypes. It wasn't until I finally left the country in my early 20s that I realized that most Swedes don't look like the Swedish Bikini Team and that Australians don't regularly throw a shrimp on the barbie.
Perpetuating stereotypes is always good for an easy laugh in Hollywood, but far too many Americans simply buy into the stereotype and consider it reality (and are therefore rather disappointed when they finally visit Sweden).
So what are the worst stereotypes my fellow Americans have grown up believing?
The following is a YouTube collection of perhaps the most iconic. Having now been to nearly every country lambasted below, I can confirm that none of them lived up to their Hollywood portrayal. Except, perhaps, the Canadians (I'm joking, folks!).
Unfortunately, growing up in America, I had very little international exposure and my early impression of the outside world was sadly constructed of Hollywood stereotypes. It wasn't until I finally left the country in my early 20s that I realized that most Swedes don't look like the Swedish Bikini Team and that Australians don't regularly throw a shrimp on the barbie.
Perpetuating stereotypes is always good for an easy laugh in Hollywood, but far too many Americans simply buy into the stereotype and consider it reality (and are therefore rather disappointed when they finally visit Sweden).
So what are the worst stereotypes my fellow Americans have grown up believing?
The following is a YouTube collection of perhaps the most iconic. Having now been to nearly every country lambasted below, I can confirm that none of them lived up to their Hollywood portrayal. Except, perhaps, the Canadians (I'm joking, folks!).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
A. Teiper Mar 5th 2009 8:16PM
"as American as apple pie"? So English or Dutch then?
By the way the English and/or Dutch were the first to make Apple Pies (as far as we know)...the English ones are sweeter by the way and the type commonly found in the US).
And yes most USians are not portrayed as "overly macho gun fanatics", they seem mostly to be portrayed as tourists in most countries I know of...at least in Europe...the Islamic world probably has a different view of Uncle Sam.
scott Sep 28th 2007 2:12PM
Love it...
jesse Oct 6th 2007 8:56PM
idiot a lot of these aren't american.
Brittany Oct 6th 2007 9:12PM
I miss the hosers, eh?
phil Oct 6th 2007 10:09PM
You have a reasonable observation. Unfortunately, it has been my observation that comedians are just reflecting what is out in the general populace. The reason that stereotyping is an easy laugh is that the stereotype is alive and well and livng among us. As long as segments of our culture continue to act like a "stereotype" there will be those that use them for comedy.
smarteepantz Oct 6th 2007 10:32PM
Give me a break, like Americans aren't portrayed in foreign media as overly macho gun fanatics...
BTW:
Bob and Doug McKenzie are from SCTV (aka Second City TV) is Canadian, NOT American.
Crocodile Dundee is an Australian film, NOT American.
Borat is a creation of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who is British, NOT American.
Austin Powers was written by Mike Myers, who is Canadian, NOT American.
The Frenchmen from The Holy Grail is from Monty Python, which is British, NOT American.
Sheesh...
Janice Oct 6th 2007 10:52PM
Please..spare me. Stereotyping in Hollywood is as American as apple pie...Ever try traveling outside of the US as a black american woman, and explaining that you are not a "ho" and have never been arrested and are not dating a gangsta and actually were married to your children's father and you "talk funny" because you don't sound like the videos. In Europe, Brazil or Canada, in fact anywhere American TV shows or movies are shown and few black people live/visit it's a crapshoot how you'll be treated.
Mark Oct 6th 2007 10:58PM
That Apu is crazy funny. They should have named him Habib, almost every towel head convenience store, clerk or owner is named Habib! I love stereotypes, what better way to celebrate our diversity!
keith Oct 7th 2007 8:56AM
"f" the politically correct "bs" if we all had a sense of humor and laughed at ourselves,, there would be no problems
Keith "daddio" Papa
yeah I'm a greaseball Italian handsome funny musician, I love everyone , judge each individually!!!!
IRONBLUEEYES Oct 6th 2007 11:37PM
This is hilarious, libs on their usual white guilt trip forget that all whites are not american. No one has ever accused liberals of being too bright.
Carol Oct 7th 2007 12:29AM
Anyone who thinks Borat represents a stereotype of anything other than a tasteless, disgusting idiot is an idiot.
Marknew91 Oct 7th 2007 1:17AM
Hey! You're stereotyping liberals. Oh well. All conservatives always stereotype liberals.
Jess Oct 7th 2007 12:48PM
Stereo type means type that is all around. Stereotypes are based on correctly or incorrectly perceived commonalities. They are hardly "the language of hate." Do we all - the world over - make fun of each other. You betcha. Are everyone's assessments inaccurate? Of course. Does it matter? Not usually. When the stereotypes are silly and an expression of our own myopia and discomfort with the different, who cares? The few that are harmful - Jews and money, Blacks and criminality, Gays and pedophilia - get lost in the endless breast-beating of the brain-dead, liberal left that is really a reaction to everyone's hurt feelings. (Oh, no!! A stereotype! Eeeeeek!) If not that, then the truly hurtful crap gets tangled in the right-wing hate-fest of "boo-hiss to them that ain't us". A pox on both your houses. Thinking is not the province of either left or right. It is most frequently practiced by those who do not feel the need to attack other's identity, only their ideas.
Jess Oct 7th 2007 3:22AM
Stereo type means type that is all around. Stereotypes are based on correctly or incorrectly perceived commonalities. They are hardly "the language of hate." Do we all - the world over - make fun of each other. You betcha. Are everyone's assessments inaccurate? Of course. Does it matter? Not usually. When the stereotypes are silly and an expression of our own myopia and discomfort with the different, who cares? The few that are harmful - Jews and money, Blacks and criminality, Gays and pedophilia - get lost in the endless breast-beating of the brain-dead, liberal left that is really a reaction to everyone's hurt feelings. (Oh, no!! A stereotype! Eeeeeek!) If not that, then the truly hurtful crap gets tangled in the right-wing hate-fest of "boo-hiss to them that ain't us". A pox on both your houses. Thinking is not the province of either left or right. It is most frequently practiced by those who do not feel the need to attack other's identity, only their ideas.
bowtothax Oct 7th 2007 4:02AM
I find it funny how you forgot to mention the stereotyping of robots or aliens. There's never been many movies that hollywood portrayed either as something good. When in everyday life robots make our life better and easier (besides some jobstealing in the 80s). And we wonder why aliens don't make themselves known? Would you make yourself known if you were portrayed in movies as abductors and mutilaters and world destroyers?? Don't even get me started on the stereotyping of ghosts either.
Pendulum Nov 3rd 2007 1:04AM
smarteepantz:
Americans are in fact, rarely portrayed as "overly macho gun fanatics" in foreign countries. I've lived in Europe for most of my life, and from what I've seen and heard, Americans are mostly portrayed as simply, stupid. Now there's no need to argue that one ;)