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1. Private education is often perceived, both in the United States and Latin America, as providing a superior education; in some Latin American countries and even parts of the United States (especially inner cities), parents send their children to private schools as soon as they can afford it. However, both of my friends in Mexico went to public schools, despite being from comfortable middle-class backgrounds. When I asked one of them about private schools, they said those who misbehave or "problem children" go there.
This was totally contradictory to my past experience, as I thought that public education in Latin Americans countries is generally bad enough or at least perceived as bad enough that middle-class and above parents generally shell out the money for private school.
What's up with this? Are middle-class kids educated along with the poor at public schools, or are my friends exceptions?
2. I am surprised with my Mexican friends' lack of knowledge about other cultures. Despite their intelligence, one of my friends could not tell the difference asked me if a song in French was in Portuguese and confused Vietnamese food with Indian food. Another one asked me if India was in Africa when eating at an Indian restaurant! Keep in mind that these aren't average people, they were either college students or college graduates in "Informatica" at the time. One of my friend's fathers, despite being very educated about Mexican history, told me he had difficulty distinguishing between Romance languages.
On the other hand, Mexicans seem to have an excellent grasp of U.S. geography. For example, while waiting at a bus stand in Merida, a guy asked where I was from, and I said "Minnesota", and he knew where that was. Also, at a sort of post-carnival event in Tuxtla Gutierrez, one of my friend's aunts told the DJ where I was from, and he said "hay gente de Tabasco, hay gente de (random Mexican states), hay gente de Minnesota".
Does Mexican culture tend to be inward-looking, as American culture is? Or are my friends and their families exceptional cases?
3. When I went to the cinema (Cinepolis) with my friend, at least half of the movies were animated features. When she tells me she went to a movie and I ask her what it was, it's often an animated movie. And her friends, college students, often announce they want to see cartoons.
Are animated movies / cartoons more popular in Mexico than in the United States?
I think your firends lack sens of globalization and did not educate themselves well. I went to a private university (the most expensive university in LatAm, which is supposed to be also the best) and I can tell you that many public universities are actually good. In Mexico some (not many) people still have that feeling or sentiment against people with more money.
About the US territory, yes, Mexican people in general are somewhat aware of geografical fatures of the U.S., probably because we learn from the World Map while children and we see Mexio and the U.S. together all the time. Also because most U.S. states are mentioned lots of times during our lives because of mexicans who have friend or relatives working up there, or because Mexicans tend to travel to the U.S. (instead of other countries) if they travel abroad.
Mexican private schools are excellent and the parents who can afford it send their kids to private school. Almost all private schools require fluency in English.
Most of the movies here are from the U.S. with Spanish subtitles. Some people in the U.S. like animated movies and obviously your friends do also. Mexicans watch the same movies that everyone else watches.
Your Mexican friends aren't any different than kids in the U.S. who are ignorant of certain foods and cultures.
The average Mexican probably knows more about the U.S. and Canada than the better educated U.S. and Canadian citizen does about Mexico.
Most of the movies here are from the U.S. with Spanish subtitles. Some people in the U.S. like animated movies and obviously your friends do also. Mexicans watch the same movies that everyone else watches.
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Come on, ajijiic, admit it. The Mexican sense of humor is extremely childish compared that that of Americans or Britons. Turn on prime time Mexican TV and see what people are laughing at. People falling down, pies in faces, screeching voices, fat men dressed like babies, over-exaggerated facial expression, and outrageously contorted voices that in American productions can only be found in cartoons. Absolutely nothing is subtle. You live there, you know what I'm talking about.
There are actually some Mexican movies (lke "Amores Perros") that go over the top even by American standards for gritty reality, but in general, the Mexican adult audience is still pretty much at the Spongebob Squarepants level of sophistication.
There are actually some Mexican movies (lke "Amores Perros") that go over the top even by American standards for gritty reality, but in general, the Mexican adult audience is still pretty much at the Spongebob Squarepants level of sophistication.
That doesn't mean all the movies in the cinemas of Mexico are cartoons or for childs, not even the half Yes mexicans likes movies from Pixar the same way americans like to go to movies to have fun no matter the quality of the film.
The assistance charts are very similar in Mexico and USA. Just go the webpage of Cinepolis and see the movies they offer, is almost the same as USA.
And the youtube video, el chavo del ocho is OLD....boys from 10 years old not even know or like that show.
Come on, ajijiic, admit it. The Mexican sense of humor is extremely childish compared that that of Americans or Britons. Turn on prime time Mexican TV and see what people are laughing at. People falling down, pies in faces, screeching voices, fat men dressed like babies, over-exaggerated facial expression, and outrageously contorted voices that in American productions can only be found in cartoons. Absolutely nothing is subtle. You live there, you know what I'm talking about.
This is actually a parody of Mexican "light drama", but you can get the idea from it:
There are actually some Mexican movies (lke "Amores Perros") that go over the top even by American standards for gritty reality, but in general, the Mexican adult audience is still pretty much at the Spongebob Squarepants level of sophistication.
Since my Spanish is limited, I don't watch much Mexican TV. I have noticed on the talk shows the female hosts are required to dance all the time. It's unnerving to see them hoocie coo constantly while the male host stands still. The women even dance while sitting. Very sexists and stupid.
They do have shows with over the top dramatics but so does the U.S. with Jerry Springer.
I admit their taste in TV is not ours but how can we explain all the very large and expensive cinema complexes showing the same movies we watch that all came from the U.S.? They can't rely on foreigners to pay all the overhead.
Since my Spanish is limited, I don't watch much Mexican TV. I have noticed on the talk shows the female hosts are required to dance all the time. It's unnerving to see them hoocie coo constantly while the male host stands still. The women even dance while sitting. Very sexists and stupid.
They do have shows with over the top dramatics but so does the U.S. with Jerry Springer.
I admit their taste in TV is not ours but how can we explain all the very large and expensive cinema complexes showing the same movies we watch that all came from the U.S.? They can't rely on foreigners to pay all the overhead.
I used to watch plenty of Mexican TV and it was alright. I do agree with the previous poster that Mexican humor would be considered childish in the U.S. but it is what it is. Different society. Just like American humor revolves around toilet related activities and how many cuss words and racism you can inject in one sentence, and British humor revolves around funny situations and short, witty lines.
As for female vs male hosts on TV, Latin American society is still macho, and likely will be even after we die.
As for female vs male hosts on TV, Latin American society is still macho, and likely will be even after we die.
So was U.S. society until women said "enough is enough." When Mexican women decide to become less dependent on men, Mexican society will be less macho, if it can be really be described as macho. Men only act like jerks if we let them.
So was U.S. society until women said "enough is enough." When Mexican women decide to become less dependent on men, Mexican society will be less macho, if it can be really be described as macho. Men only act like jerks if we let them.
I meant macho as in male centric, not a society where women are treated as baby making machines like in Iran and Saudi Arabia. I think what's on Hispanic TV regarding women isn't bad at all, and it's not being exploitative as you may be suggesting. The women willingfully go along with it. They certainly don't have to.
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Yes mexicans likes movies from Pixar the same way americans like to go to movies to have fun no matter the quality of the film.
