COMBATING "POLACK" JOKES

Yes.
And more pity for these creatures.

If this makes you feel better... :)))
Btw, what's your nationality? :)

Interesting post Paulina. There may be something to what you say about the dynamics of how the West sees the East and that the more Eastern you are perhaps the more silly ignorance/negative perception there is.

I know some Poles who say that they think some of the anti-Polish Bias out there could possible root from an anti-Slavic/East European bias. The Poles being the largest Slavic group in the US made them a target (although its less today then 30 years ago). At least that's what some say.

I notice that even reporting on Slavic countries like Ukraine and Russia, the media reporting is not exactly positive.

After Russia didn't do so good in the Olympics recently and it was reported that the Russians were depressed about it, there were some late night people making fun of the Russians. One guy made a "joke", in so many words, that Russia can only do well in the Olympics when "Russia's women athletes look like men". I thought that was tasteless and disrepecful to Russians, especially when in my opinion some of the most talented and prettiest female athletes are the Slavic/Russian iceskaters like Oskana Domina (not to mention Russian female tennis players).

Anyone who makes fun of the looks of Russian women athletes are ignorant of the pretty Russian female athletes like Oskana Domnina.

In my family, we generally have an appreciation for other Slavic groups :)

MediaWatch you are not Polish. Why do you keep this up?

You remind me of kids I went to school with who claimed to be "Italian" because of their last names. You don't speak Polish, haven't even BEEN to Poland. Your obsession with this issue is pathological.

Well Beezy actually I speak a little Polish but I just can't really hold an in depth conversation in Polish. I just know basic phrases and comments.

But Beez don't you know that there are a lot of Americans who consider themselves to be Polish, German, Italian, Jewish, etc who have never been to those countries?

What about our pal Ed Koch? He was born in the Bronx, USA but he loves talking about how he is Jewish and is a proud Jew. That seems to be the first thing he identifies himself with, no? At least that's all I hear from him and many other Jewish Americans. And that's fine.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch

What about the thousands at the St. Patrick Day parade who say they are proud Irish people? Do you really think most of them were born in Ireland or even visited Ireland? lol

What about those kids on that MTV show "The Jersey Shore"? These kids like to identify themselves as being Italian and they're not from Italy.

If you were born in America you are American. You are not Polish. You may have Polish ancestors but you are American. Just like black people born in the USA are not African-American. They are American. Some people have some need to try and be part of some specific group when it fits a social or psychological need for them but it doesn't change facts...and the facts here are you are not Polish and you look ridiculous moaning about this like you have some deep connection to it.

I still imagine you to be 14 or 15...you are acting like a kid who wants so badly to belong to something..and for some reason you picked Poland even though you really know nothing about life there.

I agree. Even though redneck jokes are pretty "regional" too. New Yorkers and other yankees love those jokes but you don't hear them often in Georgia, Alabama, etc.

To me jokes are just jokes. Some can be distasteful and even disgusting but to look for a conspiracy is just silly. I've always heard Arabs are the kings (or sultans?) of conspiracy theories but I wonder if the Polish might actually excel in that arena? LOL


Agree. You're American of Polish, Swedish, etc ancestry. When it comes to races, American with black heritage, etc. I hate the "African-American" nonsense. American should always come first and then you can "fill in the blanks" if you want.

Additionally, I view myself as an American by choice. I wasn't born in the US but am now a citizen thus I'm an American.

I think that if MediaWatch feels connection to Poland and Polish people because of his/her roots he/she has right to feel in this way. Even if he's/she's rather odd ;)

There are a lot of Poles and people with Polish roots outside Poland and we feel connected to them. We call them "Polonia":

In Polish:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonia

In English:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonia


Why do you think so? I doubt Poles (at least in Poland) create any conspiracy theories behind jokes.
I simply wrote how I feel about those jokes. And explained to beelzebub why Poles may be sensitive about them.


Well, I don't know, it's hard for me to tell. I suspect that it's probably more "the white Anglo-Saxon vs. all the rest" ;))) I doubt people in USA know what a "Slav" is ;) Or do they?

Some Russian people think that people in the West consider Slavic people as inferior or something.
But I don't think that's the case :P
I think people in the West probably look down upon all countries East of them - Slavic or non-Slavic. It's the case with all poor and not as developed (in many areas) countries as their own. Another thing is the fact that the Eastern countries were behind the Iron Curtain. So the West and the East have different experience and different problems.

And don't know much about each other as they were divided for 50 years.
I guess for people living in the Western countries everything that lies East of them is a land where dragons live, there's an eternal winter and polar bears walk the streets ;))) In the US probably the more so ;)

Also, in the Eastern countries dominate the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. In the West either protestant churches or atheism, and in some countries - Catholic Church.

Remember that Roman Empire reached only Germania (so Romans stopped in the middle of today's Poland, I guess). I'm not a historian but it probably had it's influence. Romans introduced in their colonies Roman law and Latin. In Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia Latin alphabet is used, in Serbia - both Latin and Cyrillic alphabet, but in Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Russia - only the Cyrillic. The West is a Roman culture, and most of the East - Byzantium culture.

So despite the fall of the Iron Curtain there is a division into the West and the East. Those are different cultures. And some think that this what is different is worse and thus dislike it and mock it. But I think such people are probably in minority on both sides ;)


Ukraine is struggling, has many problems right now, so it can't be very positive.
And Russia... well... Russia hasn't got good press in Poland either ;) But that's another story.


Yes, I agree with you.
Maybe seeing Russian athletes in this way in the US is a remnant of the Cold War era. In the times of communism female athletes from the East Germany (GDR - German Democratic Republic) were famous for taking steroids (and God knows what else ;P) and they indeed looked masculine. Simply in communist states sport was an important propaganda tool and athletes had to win whatever the cost. Even if their health was at stake.


Ahhh, I'm a fan of figure skating :)))
In this free dance Maxim and Oksana skate, among others, to the music of Zbigniew Preisner from the movie "Double Life of Veronique" directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski :)

It's one of my favourite films :)


Well, I try to appreciate all ethnic groups and nations ;)

Polak jokes are harmless. If you have a problem with someone telling Polak jokes at work tell him/her to shut up and go talk to HR. BTW, stop being so sensitive.

Well if i hear a Polish joke i will laugh at it..if its funny , but i will also laugh at any joke told against my country or people..if its funny...

Jokes are usually based on the truth , but of course blown out of proportion with a few lies thrown in to make them funny....

I have not heard any Polish jokes while i was living in the UK , oh actually i can remember one , but i have heard a few while living in Poland , from Polish friends...

I am pretty sure i could get away with telling Polish jokes even among my Polish friends , because they know i would not wish to insult them..but i certainly would not make a regular habit of it , or tell such jokes to strangers who may be offended...

Polish people do have a sense of humour , and can even laugh at themselves , but if you are going to laugh at them , its best done among friends...

yeah and?

jersey shore" that one fight the guy made fun of him for pushing his girl, then they show the other girl fighting and then them rolling around and then he has a black eye with no explanation, i live here so this stuff is what it is heh.

saturday nit live made fun of russians big time last weekend, funny they dont make fun of jews, i was boycotting nbc but they had pearl jam on.

any german that differs with a pole is a nazi and any pole that differs with a jew is anti semetic, yawn*

Took the words right out of my mouth. nuff said. lol

No you don't - you're a jew hater. The jokes you quoted are not the issue. The issue is the distasteful comments you always make about them.

Such as:

Stop Polish jokes? Well, I think the best way will be when Poland is better off than Western Europe. Which is coming quite soon. Considering than Poland has more GDP growth than anywhere in Western Europe & Is getting the Dell Factories that Made Ireland rich.

I actually think Western Europeans are on the Verge of being left behind. Poles & Slavs are the future of the Technology boom.
We saw similar things with Finland. Where Swedes used to see Finns as poor nomadic peasants & now Finns are outproducing Swedes with Technology.

Poland already has a much higher college graduate rate & higher literacy rate than Germany.
It is only time.

It is also only time untill we gain more recognition as a people.

Considering we have been ahead in some of the greatest technology.

For Example is how the First Patented Color Television was by Jan Szczepanik

The Internet was first invented by Polish Paul Baran.

Of course the Personal Computer by Polish Steven Wozniac.

Or how the First Blue Lazer Semi Conductor made in Europe was made in Poland?

Or how Polish Astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan is the first to discover the planets outside of our solar system & pulsar planets.

Allso Polish ethnic Jack W. Szostak invented the first Artificial Yeast Chromosome which directly lead to the cracking of the Human Genome project.

Also Pole Stephanie Kwolek invented Nylon & Kevlar.

Of course the Lunar Rover was invented by Polish Mieczysław G. Bekker

These are some of the most important inventions of the modern world.

Not to mention Polish Copernicus creating Modern Astronomy with the Center Solar system model.

As well as Polish Ignacy Lukasiewicz inventing the first Oil wells, Oil Refinery, Oil Distallation process of Seep Oil & The Kerosene lamp.

True, but you mention Ireland getting rich, don't forget that the Irish were considered "the Blacks of Europe" (If you believe the Commitments film) and there are legions of jokes about them. BUT this kind of thing arguably helped make education important in Ireland. Likewise, the hardships of Poland have arguably made education an important thing (OK, they tried to mess it up with Giertych a few years ago).

Yes, the West will get left behind becasue it often smugly sits on it's laurels and thinks the world should accept what it gives. The British had this with Japan. There were once over 50 makes of British motorcycle... and now?

BTW, Arnold Schwarzenegger made millions from real-estate deals before he became a film star. Part of the reason, he's said, was because many American businessmen just thought he was some thick meathead from the Austrian mountains, and they dropped their guard.

So let the Polack jokes continue and you'll be able to dominate the world!

were? :)

I'm raised in Sweden and have tons of Finnish friends. In fact my live-in girlfriend at the time was from Finland (or Suomi ;). Where did you get you views on Swedes' perception of Finland? Surprising to me. Thousands of Swedes died volunteering to defend Finland from the Soviet invasion as we view the two coutries as brothers (or sisters).

Now, there's a perception in Sweden that Finns drink way too much and get violent when they drink (Koskenkorva & yxa = finne or "Finnish vodka and an axe = Finn"). Of course, that's baloney, Swedes drink just as much. However I've never heard of this "poor nomadic peasants" view - so what makes you say that?

I don't know if it is still, but certainly in 19th Century it was thought Finnish was a peasant language. This was one of the reasons why Lonrott's kalevala was so important, because it showed Finns had a long culture and the language was capable of handling an epic poem.

Yet you fail to show how is my comment distasteful by simply pointing to the article written by Jew about Poles and others. Have you read the statements in it made by a Jew? It's there for all to see and to make their own judgment. You on the other hand make an empty accusation


If you only had the guts to admit as to what really bothers you a world would be much more of a happy place. I would laugh at your Polish Jokes and you at my Jewish Jokes


But they are, you just have a hard time to admit to it, besides you still have not explained if Jokes about Poles are funny why jokes about Jews are not?

Untrue, even very. He patented a theoretical system of colour reproduction in 1897. This system he described (but never built) was subsequently proved to be a fantasy.


No it wasn't. Baran (who is actually Jewish and moved to the US when he was 2 years old) worked on switching techniques for US military use, just before Vietnam :-( - this technology among many many others was subsequently developed by others and put to use for the internet many years later. You can just as easily say that that the person who invented electricity invented the internet.


The American Stephanie Kwolek did not invent Nylon (Wallace Carothers did), nor does she or anyone else claim that she did. If she had, it would have been a truly remarkable feat - she was 12 years old when Nylon was invented! :-))))

That's just three picked at random from your list. How many other lies are there? If you want to talk about Polish achievements (and most on your list are actually American) then use some genuine ones. Making false claims just looks corny and cheap.


The same Martha Stewart who was jailed for serious financial crimes?

If you want to be taken seriously, don't quote such laughable examples. Instead of criticising Polish jokes (whatever they are) you merely come across as one.

Martha Stewart committed a SERIOUS CRIME??? LOL!!!!

That was a witch hunt against Martha Stewart and everyone knows it. Who did she hurt??

She was never charged with inside-trading since she was not an insider. Talk about trumped up charges. Her only "crime" was she denied letting the prosecutors know how well she knew the owner of the Bio-tech company she had stock in.

And even if she was guilty of some MILD OBSCURE stock market trading charge, she more then paid for her crime.

What about ALL the good things Martha Stewart has done? Can we talk about all the good she has done? Certainly anything "bad" she has done is dwarfed by all the good she has done.

But since you have a grudge against Polish people you're not going to ever focus on anything good they have done.

You're just another Polish-Hater putting a magnifying glass on anything negative about Poles to try to bash them.

Yes. She was indicted by the US government on nine counts including charges of securities fraud and obstruction of justice. She was jailed for this.


By whom and for why?


The other stockholders and potentially the company's employees and creditors.


Actually she sold the stock on the basis of insider information the day before it fell 16%. And then lied about it to her own government. Being a billionaire brings responsibilities.


Yes, she was guilty.


What makes you think that? Because I pointed out that Martha Stewart is a criminal and not a good example to cite?


What a strange and laughable thing to say!


So you're happy for Poles to be judged by false examples?



Your odd use of capitals shows you up to be a nut.

So he was Jewish? First I hear of it, he was born in Poland and moved with his family to Boston in 1928. Besides he can’t be a Jew since it is your argument that one can’t be Polish because he is in America.


Using your own logic, if someone born in some other country is simply that then a Jew born in Poland is not a Jew but a Pole, neither a Jew born in America or anywhere else in the world can call himself a Jew. so to paraphrase you making false claims just looks corny and cheap.


How quick and noble of you to point out someone’s simple mistake yet failing to show her to some of us who might not be aware of her achievements as to who she really was, a recipient and co-recipient of no less than 17 U.S. patents, but that’s such an underachievement by any standard.


Didn’t you know that selling your own stock is a serious crime in Jewish mind because it generates profit to someone other than a Jew? LOL. Now a Jew like a Bernie Madoff orchestrator of a $65 billion Ponzi scheme hurting tens of thousands in the process is a victim of anti-Semitism because people want to have their money back.

How pathetic of the Jewish community on PF to call me


when someone points out to them that they stop at nothing to discredit, to demean and to lie about anything Polish or having to do with Poland while it’s positive. It makes you look like a Joke in my eyes.

Check it out


Who said that? Not me.


Polish is a nationality, Jewish is a nationality and a religion and a discrete ethnic group.


Or simple lie.


That would be very off-topic and liable for deletion. But if you learnt how to use the search facility you would find a thread about Polish women scientists, in which every poster was "failing to show" this person's achievements.


Selling it as a result of insider information the day before it falls 16% is a crime in most people's minds, as well as in the statute books of her country.

Pwned!

WELL that's proof that Martha Stewart is a guilty horrible person then eh???

Jonni do you know that there are quite a few innocent people found guilty of serious crimes in the US by the US government who spend 10, 15, 20 years etc in prison for crimes they didn't commit? I'm always hearing about innocent people being released from prison for crimes they didn't commit after spending many years in prison.

So just because you see words like someone was "Indicted and found guilty by the US Government" it doesn't always make them guilty. Its not like we're looking at a 911 terrorist here.

Martha Stewart in the end was found guilty basically for something along the lines of "Obstruction of Justice" and not the original insider trading charges leveled at her. She could have fought/appealed these charges but she knew it wouldn't have been worth it since it would only drag out things and it would only give fuel for the media to keep bashing her.

Martha Stewart was mostly tried in the media and the media was totally demonizing her, especially in proportion to her alleged crime. Many Serial Killers never got the beating in the media that she got.

She thought she'd cut her losses short and stop fueling media sentiment against her so she didn't appeal anything and agreed to go to jail for 6 months. Most people thought this was an outrageous amount of time for someone to do in jail for such minor charges.

And who did she hurt? You still haven't provided the names of people who said they were hurt by her.

Martha Stewart after doing jail time for trumped up bogus charges, easily was able to continue her TV show and sell her products. That would NOT be the case if most people found her to be as terrible as her prosecutors and the media were saying she is.

You want to talk about jokes, the prosecution of Martha Stewart had to be the biggest joke of that time.

After Martha Stewart was sentenced to 6 months in jail there were jokes about how stupid the whole prosecution of Martha Stewart was.

There were jokes at that time about how "Martha Stewart must be put in jail for as long as possible since she is such a terrible threat to society" LOL

"Oh my God, lock your doors if that Martha Stewart is not put in jail" LOL

Martha Stewart in general has made contributions to American society.

I'm sure that even if she didn't have this stock trading scandal, you would still be knocking her for something.

If that's the case than 99% of the Wall Street is guilty of the same crime and no one ever prosecuted; besides she was never convicted of insider trading but lying to an investigator about a stock sale. Government charges people under this statute if it cannot find any other charge that will stick (No real evidence) yet still set an example. Hell of a difference of being suspected of insider trading and actually being convicted of. I suspect 100% of those on Wall Street of doing the same, yet have no evidence to back it up. Who's Pawned!! Now punk.

AMEN!

If most of these Wall Street Guys were judged by the standards that the PC police in the media were judging Martha Stewart, most of them would be doing over 30 years in prison.

Where is all the Martha Stewart like negative media coverage for these idiots at Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and all these other big banks that recently helped trash our economy with their stupid derivative products and shady deals?

Why doesn't former "Federal Reserve" fool Alan Greenspan get investigated by the media for making stupid Fed policies that contributed greatly to ruining our economy???

Where is the Martha Stewart like media demonization for them????????

These lunatics with their stupid corrupt policies have thrown millions of Americans into unemployment.

YET MARTHA STEWART is the devil in comparison to these Wall Street Bankers according to the media.

Here in Poland and everywhere else too. She however was guilty. Big crime, small crime, whatever.


She lives in 'the media' and has made millions (you say billions) from being a media personality. Trial by media should be no surprise to her.


I don't think she had much choice in the matter! :-)))


Read my post. Insider trading hurts the other shareholders, the employees and the creditors. You want me to "provide the names" of their payroll?


Why do you say that? I've neither seen her TV show or read her books, but generally like what I've heard. However she is an unknown here in Poland.


Somewhat less. If that were true though, what does it say about Wall Street.


Are you mad? How many people a year are prosecuted? Many. Governments take it seriously.


That makes it better?


And they made it stick. Conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators. All of them done by her own free will.


You!!

I don't really have any Polish jokes. I'm sure I could dig some up but I usually hear more jokes about French than anything. Also many "work" related jokes. Polack jokes just don't do it for me... Neither do the Jew jokes but I'm OK with them as long as they don't get disgusting and racist.


There are many jokes and some are funny and some are not. However, some things should never be made fun of, holocaust being one of them. As far "Polak Jokes" - my main contention was that they're not as common as some people here seemed to believe.


Never been a Jew but if I was I wouldn't be ashamed of it so I take it as a compliment. I'm a Lutheran and most of my family members are Catholics but again wouldn't be ashamed if I was. Your attitude toward Jews today is similar to how many Southerners in the US felt (and some still do) toward the blacks. I think both approaches were wrong and that's why I speak out.

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Well, I like Martha and respected her for creating a very successful business empire in her field. However, the only reason she got slapped on her wrists for the insider trading is because she's a woman and has such a following the authorities wanted to settle the case quickly. Insider trading usually carries very long prison sentences.

She definitely broke the law and got away with it. I like her but lost respect for her unethical behavior.

LOL

Martha Stewart's alleged insider trading "crime" hurt other shareholders, employees, creditors as much as someone littering by throwing a candy wrapper on the ground hurts other people with pollution.