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Whoa!! Do you truly think that Europeans feel Americans are Fat and Stupid?? Maybe fat but certainly not stupid.
He is right, but don't be offended by stereotypes. Remember American stereotypes about Russians - we just laugh at them, although they are a lot worse than just stupid
People often don't think I'm American for the simple fact that I speak more than one language. They often think I'm Canadian. Then again, a lot of Americans here think I'm Canadian too, lol.
For Russians Americans are fat, stupid (or VERY stupid), and megalomaniac. Two of those stereotypes seem to apply to most Americans, although I haven't seen them all, of course.
Many also believe that Americans and other westerners are quite rich. That's not true.
Oh, and Russian immigrants in America are fraudsters and just plain scum. This stereotype is often true
In Soviet Union Russians believed that all Americans wear expensive designer clothing. This stereotype died soon after the U.S. lifted the embargo.
What embargo?
Russians believed all Americans wear designer clothes a) because they believed all Americans are rich and b) Russians love designer clothes. Russians in America shop in the designer outlet stores where they can buy designer clothes at affordable prices. In Russia, they buy their clothes in the public markets, where they can buy Italian fashion at affordable prices. Most people in the developed world don't dress this way because it's expensive.
About Russian immigrants in America being fraudsters or scum. Who said this, where did you get the idea this is a stereotype? (Too bad you missed Grey Karast's thread on stereotypes, it was a good one.) i'm just wondering. I've never heard any Americans say this. Few Americans come into contact with Russian immigrants. On TV they're portrayed as mafia (the men) or prostitutes (the women). This is very sad. This image has only been created since the fall of the USSR, though. Russian immigrants have been in the US in significant numbers since the end of WWII. Some managed to get visas for the US after the Revolution, but mostly they went to Paris and China after the Revolution, and tried to get American visas from there, later. American films during the Cold War portrayed Russians as spies (both the men and women). Even children's cartoons had a "Boris and Natasha" spy team. This is ridiculous, of course.
There's a very big difference between those early generations of immigrants and today's Russian immigrants. Why are today's Russian immigrants of a completely different character than the earlier ones? I think the Soviet system really did a number on the Russian character, especially the young immigrants. I don't recognize these young people as Russians. They don't think or behave in any way like Russians. The good qualities are gone. In place of those qualities is a disturbing cynicism.
Americans have become fat, no argument. However, Russians were always known for being fat, those who were middle-aged or older. If you think about it, you'll realize this is true. Russian food is wonderful, but as a steady diet it tends to make people fat. All that sour cream, it's very rich. Heart disease has always been a serious problem in Russian communities both in Russia and in emigration.
"Megalomaniac"? Perhaps Russia has watched too many episodes of "Dallas". This was a very popular show in Romania at one time. Of course everyone assumed all Americans lived and behaved the way the characters in the show did.
Russonline, if you want to continue this discussion, I suggest you find the earlier thread on Stereotypes of Russians and Americans. This is a good topic.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 06-09-2012 at 10:33 AM..
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^ In Southeast Asia I saw tons of Russian tourists, mostly middle aged, and mostly very fat. In fact it was quite shocking, never seen quite the prevalence of overweight/obese people in Australia or the States.
Reminds me of the Cuban case. Early Cuban refugees were product of the former "capitalist hell", were qualified, were used to the market economy and prospered in the US.
White Russians, Russian Jews and Religious refugees from Russia that arrived from the 20's to the 70's also prospered, because they still preserved the spirit of old Russia, or were raised by parents of the old Russia. As to food, Russian restaurants were the most expensive in Europe before the revolution, and Russian food was considered very varied and interesting, all that disappeared with communism.
The communist system produces shameless cynics and low lifes except for people that received another influence from the family. The "New Man" is not new at all, is just a ruthless and amoral individual.
That's interesting that some Russians are always watch only the Hollywood films and they've say that almost all the Hollywood films are very stupid, but then why they don't watch only the Russian films.
Because they have been watching Russian and East european movies during 70 years and they are kind of tired. The only Hollywood movies screened during communism were those with some ideological background they could use, such as Spartacus (announced as a soviet movie starred by a Russian actor) or any movie about Indians or Blacks being lynched and killed.
I guess that diehard communists hate American movies without any black being lynched, or without a mad American general riding on top of a nuclear bomb.
Reminds me of the Cuban case. Early Cuban refugees were product of the former "capitalist hell", were qualified, were used to the market economy and prospered in the US.
White Russians, Russian Jews and Religious refugees from Russia that arrived from the 20's to the 70's also prospered, because they still preserved the spirit of old Russia, or were raised by parents of the old Russia. As to food, Russian restaurants were the most expensive in Europe before the revolution, and Russian food was considered very varied and interesting, all that disappeared with communism.
The communist system produces shameless cynics and low lifes except for people that received another influence from the family. The "New Man" is not new at all, is just a ruthless and amoral individual.
Thank you. You're absolutely right about the difference between old and new Russians. It's a very touching post. It's not quite so simple, though, to say that the communist system produced lowlifes and cynics, with such a sweeping generalization. Well I suppose the reason it's so widespread among immigrants who have arrived since 1990 is that the generations of people who lived in the old Russia or who were raised by pre-revolutionary Russians are gone, and today's young people were raised by people who were raised entirely by the Soviet system, no influence from a bygone era.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 06-09-2012 at 11:02 AM..
Because they have been watching Russian and East european movies during 70 years and they are kind of tired. The only Hollywood movies screened during communism were those with some ideological background they could use, such as Spartacus (announced as a soviet movie starred by a Russian actor) or any movie about Indians or Blacks being lynched and killed.
I guess that diehard communists hate American movies without any black being lynched, or without a mad American general riding on top of a nuclear bomb.
hahaha! I remember that film! The whole thing was satire, I wonder if the officials who approved it understood that. It's sort of a cult classic, even now. It was poking fun at the Cold War mentality.
I remember they allowed "The Sound of Music" to be shown in theaters, because it had an anti-Nazi theme. There always had to be an ideological justification for allowing foreign films.
The problem with the way "Amerika" was elevated in the Russian imagination until recently is that it was assumed that everything in America was better. So there was confusion and disappointment when it was discovered that American things aren't better. For example people rushed to buy Coca Cola, only to discover that the taste is awful. Russia's own soft drinks are much better, and more natural. The same with films. Hollywood isn't better, just different (certainly more action-packed than Soviet films, but that's not necessarily a good thing). US independent films are very good, though.
People that left the USSR during the 70's were mostly political refugees. They were raised by people that were probably dissidents, they moved in circles that were dissident, they were probably high bureaucrats and intellectuals.
When capitalism came, many people that came were "criminal lumpen". The same thing happened in East Europe. The "New Man" laughs at any ideas that are not practical to get hard currency.
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