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Stereotypes about your country that's not true?

Det

Det

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My Russian friend said he is fed up with people thinking that he drink vodka like water and rides on dog sled in Siberia.

So, what cliches about your country or city makes you laugh or you would like to undone?
 
As a Brit: the accents.
The ones they use on American TV shows are ones I've never even heard of, even British actor's accents are heavily exaggerated for audiences.
Oh and the fact that people seem to forget Britain ISN'T just England.

Throw in the stereotype that we all love tea (the Irish actually drink more) and go fox hunting (something I'm firmly against) it gets very annoying.
 
^ Very true about the accents. I feel that the stereotype of we Brits as being posh stems from this. However, someone who is British could speak in one of any number of accents, and most of those certainly AREN'T posh. Have you ever heard a posh Welsh accent? It's more common to hear people from Eastenders or Jeremy Kyle than Downton Abbey. (I myself am posh BUT occasionally my West country accent slips out. Because it's rare it amuses those around me.)

I also don't understand the thing about people thinking that it rains all the time. Yes we get rain, but not constantly and mostly dry weather in summer just like many places in the Northern hemisphere.
 
The accents, oh the accents ... Hollywood British, as I like to think of it, exemplified by Kiera Knightley. It's either that or the smug Cockney, who for some reason will always be some kind of photographer or model manager. I think my favourite for flat-out stupidity had to be a Canadian character who supposedly picked up an accent while studying in Nottingham, exhibiting not an East Midland accent of any kind, but some kind of ridiculous southern RP.

An odd self-generated cliché is that Brits tend to like to think of themselves as being amusingly eccentric. I honestly don't think that we're much odder than any other nation, just odd in our own ways
 
We all love maple syrup, live in igloos, love beavers (and it's like we're the only country to have beavers), have heavy "Canadian" accents and say "eh" after almost every sentence. I hate maple syrup, the people in the territories don't even live in igloos, it's true our national animal is the beaver, but I don't like beavers that much. The only Canadians that have accents are Newfies (Newfoundlanders) and I think people from Nova Socita (I only know Newfies), but then my father's accent is just him dropping his hs when talking to his family, my grandfather from my father's side's accent is only really heavy when he's drunk and my grandmother from my mother's side lost hers a long time ago (she lives in BC). The only time I say "eh" is when I'm forgetting what saying at the time.
 
Well, I'm in the US and from California. There are plenty of California stereotypes such as

- It never snows
- It never gets cold (See: Northern California and Bay Area)
- Everyone is famous
- Everyone puts avacados on everything (Okay, that's mostly true)
- Everyone is progressive
- Everyone has tans
- Everyone knows how to surf (I don't).

So many stereotypes of California that aren't true in general.
 
For my specific area in coal region PA, we have the stereotype that we are all racists who want the Mexicans deported and will go to violent methods to achieve that. While certain people are like that, they're mostly in one town and even in that town the majority of people are not like that.
 
@touhougirl I do the like thing almost after every sentence, and I'm not even from California. I also grew up nowhere near California; it's something I picked up where I originally was from (Texas).

Speaking of which, I do not speak with a twang in my voice. The twang accent mostly comes from people who live in Northeast and East Texas. You won't believe how many people didn't believe I came from Texas when I moved out of state. Not everyone in Texas owns a ranch, rides a horse, wears boots and cowboy hats, or is uneducated about the world. It is true that we can take our state a little too seriously and barbeque dominates a lot of the state, but trust me, we aren't as obnoxious about it as what Hollywood would like you to believe.
 
Oh man, people say so many stupid things about Brazil I don't even know where to start

1- We speak spanish - No, we speak portugueses and were colonyzed by Portugal

2- Everybody loves soccer - Not really. I will not deny that t is still very strong in Brazil, but is usually the common sense populace that likes it. Nothing against, But I really hate soccer. And many others do.

3- Brazilians are latins, so they are hispanics - lol? I don't now neither what to comment about it, who say such thing is just ignorant. Also we don't call yourselves latins

4- Brazilians love carnival and naked people walk in the streets - I think if someone get naked in the streets, will be arrested. I like carnival just because of the holiday, cause i HATE samba. Carnival is famous internationally, but not such a big thing in most places.

5) Brazilians live in the jungle, mokeys and panters walk in the streets: WTF? I had never seen a panter except in zoo. I live in a big city like NY, and i never had been on Amazonia, and I would like to go just for tourism.

6) Brazil is a rustic and exotic place: Brazil is a bigger country but smaller than USA, so the landscapes are so variated as there. I don't know what to say when people mean here is exotic. There's beaches like California, big and urban centers and there's a rainforest, but not so much people live there, to be honest.

7) Brazilians are good dancers: Well... err....

8) Favelas are beautiful: Favelas are poor places in the RJ and a reason of shame for our country. Slums should not exist and give a better life for those who lives there.

9) Brazil is a big favela and is really violent: No, favela only exist in Rio de Janeiro, but the country is not so violent, the media exaggerate, but I agree that in the famous touristtic spots is not so safe.

9) Rio de Janeiro is the capital and most important city: Well, no. But tourists love there. Okay...

10) Dont snow : In the south is cold

11) Brazil is located in the continet called south america: South america is not a continent, dear

But I don't care if Brazil is portrayed like this, because a normal urban center is not interesting at all, so people need to exagerate or create things.
 
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Some New York stereotypes/misconceptions:
- Everyone is always in a rush
- Everyone on LI is white and rich
-Everyone has a huge ego
- Manhattan is the only place worth visiting in all of NY State
- Many people forget Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island also make up NYC
- It's always cold
- If you say you're from NY, many people will assume you mean Manhattan
- Everyone Upstate has a farm
 
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Chibster said:
Erm, South America is indeed one of the seven continents.
Click to expand...

America is one of the continents, not south America. There's only five continents, America, Eufrasia, Australia and Antartida.
There's political divisions the more used is: Europe, America, Asia, Oceania and Antartida.

South America and North America are subdvisions of the American continent, the same way people name certain amount of land Central America. It doesn't mean Central America is other continent at all. Just politics..

English language schools usually teach that there are seven continents, separating south america from north america. It is a choice, but a political division.
 
Oh sorry about that, I didn't mean to force my belief on you. We were just taught different things, that's all. It's always interesting to see what we're all taught about the world.:)
 
Chibster said:
Oh sorry about that, I didn't mean to force my belief on you. We were just taught different things, that's all. It's always interesting to see what we're all taught about the world.:)
Click to expand...
relax!
We are in a thread discussing about other cultures and forums are for interact with ´different people, so it happens, You no way offended neither forced your beliefs :)
 
Not everyone in Oklahoma :
Lives on a farm
Likes country music
Carries a gun
Goes hunting
Has native american heritage
Dips everything in ranch (I'm not sure how this one started)
Has at one point lived in a teepee
 
Not everyone in Korea:
- are crazy about idol singers
- are involved in at least one idol fandom
- has Gangnam Style on their playlist
- are good at League of Legends and similar online games
- always has to have kimchi at every single meal
- has ceramic pots full of kimchi
- are math maniacs/nerds by default
- learns Taekwondo and can perform martial arts like Bruce Lee or something.

I'll write more when I can think of them. Questions are welcome.
 
Please note: The thread is from 9 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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