What is the reason for POLISH jokes ?

lol, that's what a double standard! so when there's a stereotype about OTHER ethnicities, it's rooted in reality, but if there's one about Polish people, it can't be?

they are all false. there are as many stupid Polacks as there is stupid Irish, or stupid Chinese.


i think i have to agree with D for the first time ever

ok, question then, if Polish people are so incredibly disliked and picked on by the Americans, name one thing that happened in the past that was some kind of wide-spread and well-publicized (or even government-sponsored) action against them? Like against the Japanese, for example, or people from India or Pakistan, or the Irish?

And every country has its own stereotypes. America might have dumb Polack stereotypes, we have dumb Paddy stereotypes, France has dumb Arab stereotypes, Germany has dumb Turk stereotypes, Poland has dumb America/Russia stereotypes, the list goes on.

Heck, even within Poland, people from the West routinely call the Easterns "stupid".

It's all stereotypes and none of it is real.


Are they? From what I hear on the streets here, Poles feel betrayed by the Americans, but they certainly don't feel disliked or picked on by them. And given that the opposition leader is very pro-US - surely they can't be that bad?

Just seems like offence for the sake of offence to me.

you know that's misleading. some folks went for an easier better life. they weren't idiots.

well, let's think about it. if America is just such a bunch of idiots, how come it's one of the most successful countries, where the standard of living is much higher than so many other places, including Poland, and is a leader in many areas, scientifically, culturally, and militarily? What about all those people who were telling me, No, don't go to Poland, you'll be miserable there, when i mentioned this idea? How about those who left, learned something, and came back? Are they stupid for leaving or smart for coming back? Some of the most backwards countries are the ones that close their borders for people coming in (although I don't see all that many people trying to move to Poland as out of it), and leaving. It's simple, if you don't exchange ideas, you fall backwards, and there are many things that people outside Poland have figured out better and/or faster. Are you proposing everyone in Poland stays put and tries to reinvent the wheel? You yourself mentioned in other posts that Poland is way behind as far as economic development. There is nothing wrong about copying the best ideas out there, but you won't know them without leaving your country. As evidenced by a number of people here, if you haven't lived elsewhere, you have a pretty dim idea of how things work there and why people do what they do. What about the people who leave for better life and, subsequently, make life better for people they left behind in the "old country."

To say that only stupid people leave is such a load of bs, I can't imagine anyone with half a brain would actually say it out loud. You should be happy that some people are brave and enterprising, and open-minded enough to find out what's going on in other countries, because otherwise you wouldn't have a job.

Can be. Show me. Find me some sources showing that Poland exported mostly idiots, not like any other country. 'Obviously' other countries kept their lowly uneducated to themselves, right? Or they didn't have any, so they got rid of criminals, drunks etc. Etc. including delphiandomine.


The question, in the topic, is 'reason for...'. Means 'why'. Seems simple enough. You got an answer?

i wasn't trying to prove that the Polish stereotype is correct, on the contrary, i was saying all stereotypes are wrong, you can't attribute one adjective to any large group of people.

anyway, what's your answer as to why?

Oh, you can, and you should. Helps a lot in everyday life. Provided the stereotype has some sense in it.

Two Somalians travel by car. Who's driving? A cop. That's just an observation, popular wisdom. Wouldn't work for people from Ghana, wouldn't work outside the UK. In London it's just common sense.


Orchestrated Anti-Polish campaign, general answer. Since I see no actual reasons to consider Poles significantly more stupid than all other immigrants to the USA. Granted, Poles were not amongst the pioneers, but there were lots of other nations that jumped the wagon rather late.

Italians did their share in creating their stereotype, Cosa Nostra was a fact. Mexicans are mostly illegal in the USA, hence the stereotype. The Irish love a drink, and are proud of it in a way. Why Poles stupid, then? Poles like a drink too.

The current stereotype of Poles in the UK: builders, cleaners, kitchen porters, they put ketchup on everything. Based on reality, no problem with it. And hardly any jokes, even good-humoured. I don't know a single one, actually. A bit disappointed, in fact.

I agree with this. Seems it was all built on a intentionally false stereotype.

But what's this about?...


Members and Guests will be pleased to know that three pages of off topic posts have been removed from this thread.

a British stereotype of Poles :) We put ketchup on everything. And it's based on sound foundations. Ketchup helps you to actually eat English food. Lots of ketchup. Helps a lot.

There's one exception, though, fish and chips. They got good fish here.


I think you would. Only it's me who's asking. Not that I am trying to be difficult, I just can't see a natural reason, so I'm assuming a reasonable explanation. Like, was there a channel, or a program, specialising in Italian jokes?

This reasonable explanation of mine is not the answer still. Still we do not know the reason for this campaign, do we? Although some ideas may lurk around.


Thick Paddy in England has historical roots. Rather strong interaction and the need to denigrate the wronged nation. French and German stereotypes about Arabs and Turks (if it's true) come from the massive and troublesome recent migration. Polish jokes on dumb Russians are just a part of 'Russian jokes', and have easy to spot historical reasons too. America is a big, easy target for everybody, still the majority of jokes about Americans are not about their stupidity.

Poland and Poles, for Americans, were either non-existent or unimportant, few of them knew what this ethnicity was about. America never hand any contact with Poland, and Polish migration was incomparable with the recent Muslim deluge. Poles integrated just like any other nation. Poles didn't show any striking vice, like Italians, or the Irish - so they were hit by the ever handy 'stupid X' stereotype. The question is, why.

Unless you really can prove what you claim - that, unlike other countries, Poland exported a mass of idiots. Or that idiocy is national Polish characteristics, so there was nothing else to export.

What's funny is some of the debates about sketches like this... the Brits go on about how racist it is and the Poles love it.

...

pure badness !
it means you have chosen dark side of the power

:D

They got it pretty well. Pity those girls don't speak Polish :)

I think the blonde is actually British.

Both of them.

Doesn't matter much. The thing is amateurish, but well observed. If you know what I mean.


Brits are over-sensitive about racism. Unless in private, that is.

Well, it's for a primarily British audience, so it doesn't have to be exact. Considering some of the criticisms of the phone ads using mock Russian in Poland, I think it's OK.

Harry Enfield is pretty good with his observational stuff.


Indeed.

Insecurity!!!..Lack of self esteem!!

If you have ever attended a Polak wedding reception you would know the answer.

Well, here in Sweden, when something is of bad quality you sometime say " omg that thing was so polish ". Why? Because poles used to sell crappy things here. And the truth is a lot of poles have always complained about their own country giving other nationalities the "right" to joke.

Just take a look how polish people on this forum are bashing polish universities...

I like "The dark side of the moon" better

I suggest that you give back all polish things from your museums and castles, which will live them half empty! You can always replace them with Swedish things of highest quality from IKEA!


Striving for perfection even if only verbally!


Only to insecure morons !

I'm a pole living in Sweden but unfortunately I just can't keep my mouth shut about asking what Poland has that can compete with IKEA?


No, It's about whining. Poles are experts in whining about how bad things are.


Yea probably, but still, poles shouldn't give any reason for it.

delph,

Since the IQ of Poland is competitive with other European countries, I don't think Poles are giving anymore of a reason then any other group. You're just looking for these reasons.

Too bad you don't look for anything positive about Poland.

IQ of Poland and other European Countries: iqcomparisonsite.com/NationalIQs.aspx

Well, I don't think the IQ is the problem, rather is EQ.

HA . . . you should try being blonde AND Polish. . . talk about jokes . . . thank goodness I don't take any of them seriously! hahaha!

I couldn't care less about opinion of insecure morons.
As for Polish jokes, speaking seriously, there only two country's which have stereotyping jokes about Poles - USA and Germany!
What more, Germany has also few negative as well as positive stereotypes about Poles!Which is in a way understandable being enemies and all!
In case of USA you have only those jokes - that phenomena is interested in itself- question arise why mass media in U.S. did keep so called jokes alive and kicking for decades !

Well, maybe but I don't think that behavior of individual Poles translate to opinions about them abroad. Any given ethnicity has ample proportion of morons, criminals or as-holes, if you are ashamed of your nationality, .......!


Oh! Do you have intimate knowledge of other nationality's to compare and form an credible opinion?


What do you want to compare? I don't think that way !
I know that Sweden have nothing much to show in their museums than items and treasures they robbed in Poland in XVII century.

Unfortunately the IQ doesn't have much to do with one's ability to be successful in life.
You can't buy yourself even a candy simply because of your high IQ. It's still nice to have it but in most cases it's nothing but a "breadless art".

I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world, so yes I have a very good knowledge of other nationality's to compare. I know people from almost every country in the world.

I love Poland, she will always be in my heart thus there are things I can't deny.
Poles are special. They have so much pride but so not capable of showing it.

There are so many polish people in western world not admitting their descent.

Unfortunately, that's how the real world looks.

Very true. I wonder why?

What kind of people are you talking about? I don't see why they would go around calling themselves Polish if they weren't raised in the culture or don't speak the language.

You now individuals from every country in the world, but they are foreigners in foreign country, their are not typical specimen of their society, they alter they behavior to fit in!

I'm asking about society and country other than Poland that you know all the customs and ways intimately as well as the language to make a credible comparison !


Well, if someone is born in other county than Poland and spend all his life there I don't think there something unusual about that he/she doesn't consider himself/herself Polish!

No big deal!