Stereotypes
"Once a year the reputation of Germans as an orderly, obedient, sober, rational and humourless people gets severely damaged. The time of year in question is known as the 'fifth season' and people everywhere go barking mad, so it seems"
So starts a BBC article on the seasonal German carnival! It's a bit rough really. I wonder why the German's have got this reputation? It isn't true.
posted by Chris Tilling @ 11:07 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Thanks, Chris! It's been one of my missions since moving to the UK from Germany in 2000 to convince the English that somewhere, hidden away deep down, we DO have a sense of humour - mixed results in this endeavour so far, but I keep trying.
I have to say, though, that when I went back to my old church in Hamburg last year to speak there twice on a Sunday, a couple of people asked me whether it was de rigueur in England to start every sermon with a joke!
if it's German humor you are looking for, check out the (admittedly low key) entry by Mischa Meier, "apopoudobalia" in Der Neue Pauly. Then eat a schocko-Berliner before they disappear on Wednesday... (Prof. Lichtenberger brought copies of that entry to Colloquium last week).
If you want German humour, listen to Willy Astor.
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