Stereotype

[Aussie Troy]

When someone finds out where I am from, one thing that I get asked the most is "do you have kangaroos and kuala bears in your yard?" Always get a laugh when I hear that. And no, I do not know how to make the boomerang go around.

Some Australians that I had spoken to think Canada is covered in snow all year long and the majority still live in igloos. They were so disappointed when I told them the truth.

What are some of the stereotypical things you have said or heard before?

 

[PinkLady]

Never heard of Vancouver.

A lot of foreigners have not heard of Vancouver, only Toronto. After awhile a lot of foreigners, who do not know geography, just think of left coasters as being from L.A.

 

[5punki]

do you have dingo's in your backyard? j/k

 

[captnsavaho]

People thought I lived off BBQ'ed schimp- do you know when you throw a schrimp in the barby- it actually falls through the grill and gets all burnt!

And no I do not sit out in the sun and drink beer all day- although sometimes I wished I did. . .

 

[wolverine]

Are you Aussies proud of your convict ancestry?

 

[OTR2]

When someone finds out where I am from, one thing that I get asked the most is "do you have kangaroos and kuala bears in your yard?"

Psssst...hey Oz...they're called Koala bears.

 

[captnsavaho]

Convict ancestry- hell ya we're proud of it mate! Mind you, at the time, most of the people convicted and sent out to Australia were sent there for such minor crimes ie. stealing a loaf of bread to feed your starving family in London. All the real bad asses had thier heads lopped of before they could be so lucky be sent to a colony.

So in a nutshell, Aussyland was populated initially by petty criminals. There is a definite mindset of cheering for the little badass bloke who made it. Seems you have to have done something wrong or been a drunk there to gain public approval.

 

[captnsavaho]

Sorry- the British preferred to hang people- they were not so barbaric to behead someone (that is not so funny in todays state in Iraq). Sorry for any offence to anyone. I think I need to go study my history books again.

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

So in a nutshell, Aussyland was populated initially by petty criminals. There is a definite mindset of cheering for the little badass bloke who made it. Seems you have to have done something wrong or been a drunk there to gain public approval.

Not sure if this is a stereotype, but I get the impression they're more genuine and direct, and less tolerant of phony people. The anti-sex trade feminists and religious zealots would probably be ignored or laughed at in Aus, as opposed to North America where we take them seriously.

 

[LonelyGhost]

Sorry- the British preferred to hang people- they were not so barbaric to behead someone (that is not so funny in todays state in Iraq). Sorry for any offence to anyone. I think I need to go study my history books again.

Commoners were hung, aristocrats were beheaded.

 

[captnsavaho]

" Not sure if this is a stereotype, but I get the impression they're more genuine and direct, and less tolerant of phony people. The anti-sex trade feminists and religious zealots would probably be ignored or laughed at in Aus, as opposed to North America where we take them seriously. "

Thanks for correcting me everyone- the first 1000 or so people were the criminals- but everyone there claims to be related to some kind of criminal. Seems they could only build little boats back then and half of them died off after travelling half way round the planet.

Zealots and the sort tend to get flogged.

 

[schizo_man]

Sorry- the British preferred to hang people- they were not so barbaric to behead someone (that is not so funny in todays state in Iraq). Sorry for any offence to anyone. I think I need to go study my history books again.

Actually it depended on the crime.... It was quite common for people to be beheaded and have their heads impaled on spikes at the top of the tower of london as a warning to those who entered the city. There were often public beheadings.

both commoners and astrisocrates were beheaded.

 

[zlmmm]

Most Europeans think that, as an American, I actually personally control who is in the White House...

 

[wolverine]

You people realize that I was just joking about the convict thing, right?

 

[captnsavaho]

I wasn't joking about the convict thing {:>

Ponder what a cool place Canada would be if we came from a boat load of criminals. It seemed to have created a very lax, laid back society down under- or maybe all the heatstroke had something to do with it.

Did you know they actually have a ski season there- very pitiful but true.