Seriously though, of those four - which is the least bright? Did you say the Irish fellow? Shame on you. You're not allowed to say that anymore. It's racist. The Irish have their own box now to tick on forms. You can't have said Scottish or English because they have different cultural stereotypes. So it must have been the Welsh guy. He must be the stupid one.
The thick Welshman was a new stereotype for me when I came over here. I had no idea. But it's pervasive. I once had a long, long conversation in the first class smoking carriage of a train to York with a Welsh fellow. We traded secrets about how we'd played on our regional accents (I can still sound Southern if I want to) acted dumb and gotten away with - if not murder - then free bus fares and out of traffic tickets and used it to gain advantage in sales. How we laughed. How we garnered the sulking, resentful looks of the English on the train. Surely, they didn't think the Welsh really were that stupid, surely they must have had some suspicions all along?
In an age of offense, there do still remain some groups it's ok to pick at. Groups which it's still OK to make fun of - like Redneck Southerners or Welshmen from the Valleys. Hey, it's all for a laugh right?
Apparently so. The Adverstising Standards Agency has rejected a series of complaints about an ad which cast less than flattering light upon the Welsh intellect:
The advertising watchdog has rejected 21 complaints about a commercial which featured a Welsh team in a quiz show. Complainants said the advert for Welsh firm Brecon Five's vodka presented Welsh people as of low intelligence.
It showed a woman called Jones getting a question about a philosopher right, before a voiceover that said: "That's not what you'd expect from Wales".
Hardy, har, har.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled it was light-hearted and unlikely to cause widespread offence.
Well, it's not likely to cause widespread offense outside Wales, I guess. I mean, I admit - I'm not offended and my mother's maiden name is Welsh and all.
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And in other news from Wales, this story also struck me funny.
Warren Gatland [the new Welsh rugby coach] has dismissed the notion that there is a widespread drinking culture in Welsh rugby.
Mwwwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. ROFL, LMAO
That's not what I'd expect from Wales. Or rugby players.
3 comments:
A Scotsman walked out of a bar.
Think about it. It could happen.
I've taked advantage of the dumb, naive, uncultured, [insert adjective here] Southerner stereotype to garner good will and get a free pass on many of my domestic travels. I think I was playing a part.
Considering my last name, which is derived from a highly caricatured region of England, I suppose I'm genetically immune to such ridicule.
I learned more about the foolishness of some of my own prejudices by observing the foolishness of other people's prejudices. Culture is funny that way.
Who hates the Welsh? Tom Jones, Christian Bale, Terry Jones, Richard Burton? They seem to be a talented, funny bunch of people and they don't get as crazy with spelling and vowels as the Czechs do anyways.
You know the Brits can kiss my Southern, Irish butt-wait I'm protected now right?
saraclark
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