american people, who are they ? :-p

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Jon Starr said:
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So, you like Canadian Bacon, eh? How do you have internet if you live in an igloo? Is it aboot, or about? You got a pet moose? Ever seen the movie Canadian Bacon? or they sing, "Blame Canada!" from south park. *sigh*

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Yes actually I do find that funny. All of the sterotypes. You didn't even mention hockey for crying out loud. Nor fishing nor drinking beer while ice fishing and playing hockey at the same time.
I take it you don't know how to catch a lobster then? Unless it's in a fish tank at a restaurant. (that's a joke.)



We Canadians don't take ourselves that seriously. Seriously.

//edit: Oh, I see your from Montreal. I guess that would explain the outpouring patriotism. You guys still a part of Canada or did you pick up and leave yet? Cause I got a buddy in Quebec that owes me 5 bucks and I need it.
 
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I don't take offense to it, I just don't like it when it's the first thing an American says to me or a group of us when we visit the US. Maybe it's just happened so often it's like a bad joke being repeated on a record. We get it, are we supposed to laugh every time?

Montreal wants to stay with Canada, the rest of Quebec can leave. ;)
 
Jawa Ex Machina said:
When Europeans make movies, they're about what they're about. When Americans make movies, they're about a metaphore for what they're about.

In other words, in European cinema, what you see is what you get.
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That's funny, I would say the opposite- more metaphor and symbolism in "European film" (ie Bergman), much more literal, direct storytelling in US films.
Or using one dual-citizen (British/American) director as an example: Christopher Nolan.
I would say Memento is more "European", Batman more American.

Egg Born Son said:
The most interesting belgian film I saw was a while ago (late 90s i think), called "the wall" in english. I think it was about a cultural divide between the french-speaking and non-french speaking population.
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Funny, that film is reality with the French vs Flemish divide in Belgium today.

As for Canada, I feel sorry for you guys having to deal with the cultural behemoth to your south.
I do, however, like Neil Young, Blue Rodeo and Joni Mitchell, and that great filmmaker, the Canadian Orson Welles, uhhh... what'shisname??? ;^)

And regarding New York/Texas vs Europe, while there are regional differences (and NY and Texas have some of the strongest regional identities) there is definitely a sense of "being American" culturally.

People from all over the world have come to and contributed to the US, but there is still a national identity.
Though some feel threatened by immigration, it is a pluralistic (diversity of views) society, which is why one US motto is "E pluribus unum"- out of many, one.

But Jawa and Dre, I wish you guys had your country locations listed- one of the coolest things about this forum is being able to share thoughts on film and other topics with people of all backgrounds around the world- I still marvel at it sometimes... :beer:

Edit- I meant to post this interesting map that shows how all of Europe fits in less than one half of the US.

http://goeurope.about.com/od/europeanmaps/l/bl-country-size-comparison-map.htm

Not saying bigger is better, but that there's many more cultures in the much smaller area of Europe, which may be why the EU is having such a hard time uniting...

Gord- Rush, yes. Gordon, no.
 
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...I do, however, like Neil Young, Blue Rodeo and Joni Mitchell, and that great filmmaker, the Canadian Orson Welles, uhhh... what'shisname??? ;^)...
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I uberstand but given the shape I'm in I must point out that you missed mentioning the band "Rush" and the great folk writer/singer "Gordon Lightfoot".
All said and done, I'll give you a passing grade anyways. Well done. -beers.
 
dre83 said:
And I always thought Amercian and Canadian and Australian and Azien people saw "Europe" as one piece and not as "every single country".

I also see "America" as "one piece" and not Texas, Californie, .... But I do know that an Texas guy is not a New York guy...
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The way we generalize is probably pretty similar. The Americans I know think of it with some specifics. So we have distinct views of Britain (though we don't fully understand how England, Scotland and Wales are related), Ireland, Norway, France and also the rest of Western Europe somewhere in that mess. That last part tends to be a bit vague in most people's minds and gets categorized as generic European. But Europe is too big to generalize on the whole.

Belgians, unfortunately, fit into 'generic European' most of the time, except when I'm buying a waffle maker. Really your nationality, at least from what I can think of, isn't very well represented and is treated as not really having an image. Like I said, generic European. Besides waffles and a love of chocolate. Of course, everyone has a different amount of worldly knowledge and their own set of stereotypes.

If you'd like some more information about Belgian culture I found this site to be useful:

http://www.goodnewsforliberaldemocracy.org/belgianantidefamationinstitute/
 
Cool! Can someone from Europe give your conception of the New York /Texas /California differences? That would be fun!
 
New York - gritty, cosmopolitan, educated and cultured, old world/established. California - laid back, superficial, comparatively socially advanced, newest and most flexible culturally. Texas - guns, inflexible, best and worst of the old world, isolated and insular, guns, big america, big money, militant and republican, guns.

I've never been to america, these I think are stereotypes you put on yourselves. I doubt the real Texas is anything like I imagine. New York and California have the greatest engagement with the rest of the world and I would expect them to match my expectations closely. I expect Texas and Washington probably have the biggest impact on the world but regular people (unless you are in the process of being democratised) engage with america primarily through entertainment.

Above all this the primary impression I have about america in general is the food. Everyone I know who has travelled for more than a week in america has gained at least 20lbs and (claim) not for the lack of trying to find healthy food. Topically at the moment (without wanting to start something political) it seems incomprehensible to the rest of us that americans on the one hand have this outpouring of charity and generosity for those less fortunate around the world but when it comes to helping and supporting each other with welfare programs and healthcare I see people more upset than against the russians in the cold war.

The strange thing is, even though i have often had cause to oppose the way america interacts with the world over the years the overwhelming thing i have found with americans, is that i have never met one american in person that i didn't end up liking. You are not your politics (in fact most of you don't even participate at all or take your leaders to task), you are not your guns, your fatty food and the so-called lack of culture (are people who say that kidding?! your culture is a major export). You are just so...nice. You think you're being mean and we're thinking...isn't that cute. So open and without guile. So ernest. So hospitable. You see the same crazy people with placards at home, inviting an idiot like Borat into their homes and treating him with respect no matter how vile his behavior. THAT's what I think america really is.
 
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The thing I always notice is that even in a foreign film with a budget, and especially a "European" film, the people look like real people. They're not made up and lit and enhanced in post to have the most perfect fake skin possible, they have the skin of real people. I remember thinking this when I was watching The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Also the take on sex is totally different and much more frank. "Skins" the UK version is notable to me in that minors are shown smoking, drinking, doing drugs and having sex without having to be "punished" for it as the plot of an American production would do.

The American Skins on MTV we won't discuss except to spit on its grave.
 
groveChuck said:
That's funny, I would say the opposite- more metaphor and symbolism in "European film" (ie Bergman), much more literal, direct storytelling in US films.
Or using one dual-citizen (British/American) director as an example: Christopher Nolan.
I would say Memento is more "European", Batman more American.
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Well, Bergman isn't really a typical example of European cinema in the same way Kubrick isn't an example of typical American cinema. Bergman isn't even an example of typical Swedish cinema. He's the one genious filmmaker we've had against every other Swedish filmmaker ever, making him pretty much the opposite of what a Swedish filmmaker is by pure definition.
Most Swedish films that are made are either kitchen sink dramas, bland comedies or cop dramas.
 
VEG-E-MITE!!!!! Thas what I nwwd now...vitamin B cos my heads goonna hurt tomorro. Just gto back from a quiz nigt to ssend a girll to cambodia to build wells por soemthing. 1982 beer rpices wooOO!!! I won r3d qwith my clevernesss. or matybe it Was becaos we had won non-drinkr on he team.
 
Goood call zazazazazaaaaahhhhhh Vegmite an toast...(who invnted the toastr ,,,friggin genus)...gona mke sim morwe

wheres the asdoprin? 1982 priceas man 1982! $5 piints, $10 jugs! wS drinkinf fasteer tham ui can earn the ,omney!!

i got prizes manm. quizz nights rock~!
 
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