It is both difficult and easy to define typical Americans. Probably, a classic way to start this blog since most of my friends know I admire certain things that the Americans do and equally get disgusted by some. 'Wall Street' and 'Hollywood', of course, are a couple of things which amazes me, while I silently ponder does it reflect good on me to be in awe for the likes of Warren Buffet and other 'gamblers' like Dick Fuld considering the increasing scandals out there. On the other hand, their view about football, among many others, makes me wonder how they built Wall Street in the first place. This might seem a little exaggeration but please have a look at The New Yorker article about the 'real' football:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists/2010/07/soccer-tips.html#entry-more. Funny, yes definitely, but allowing a slice of rational thinking would make you realize you are actually laughing at the fact that their view about what the rest of the world views normal is different and unconventional.
To begin with, it is good Mankoff starts it off quoting ''world's most popular sport'' but please do not underestimate Americans. When they put things within double quotes, it either means it is important and deserve attention or that they are being sarcastic. Most of the times, the latter is true.
Buying a vuvuzela made him less popular among his neighbours. It was a nice touch (the American way to say it was clever. We can't get rid of them, can we?) using semi-syllogistic approach towards liking football and it is self explanatory why he did not feel American buying a vuvuzela. Perhaps he would have felt American if he had bought a computer with a catalogue with customer service number printed in bold, which when called usually finds a yawning, bored and intelligent engineering graduate in India picking up the call and faking American accent. Yes it is frustrating when a match ends with a goalless draw and it was even more frustrating when it was about to happen in the world cup finals, thanks to Iniesta for saving the awkward scenario leading to another such serious but lousy effort by an American at mocking the game. Mocking is good but mocking football because it has its players using foot and not hands is lousiest at its best. It is 'FOOT'ball for God's sake!
I like American Humour and the way it differs from the rest of the world's. Friends, for instance, was the funniest sitcom I have seen, which I openly admit ignoring people who call me a loser when I say that, and Chandler and Charlie Brown were once my heroes. I also like the way they say 'just kidding' after every joke though when the statement is outrageously and plainly ironic. Ending with 'just kidding' in America makes sense assuming they all own guns and use them on a regular basis (just kidding). What I do not like, perhaps, is my tendency to often slip into irrelevance. Anyway let us get back to business.
Mandoff's chauvinistic, jingoistic, Americanistic, obnoxistic suggestion of removing the goalie would have been funny to Americans and even to British but wasn't to me. Growing up in India where sport equals time-waste, I often was a part of a bunch of losers at primary school who did not know what football is and played with fifteen boys in a team, each using every body part possible to gain a competitive advantage devoid of restrictions, without a goal-keeper at either end! The suggestion made me relive those moments and it gave me smile rather than a chance to laugh my ass out.
Point of this post?
Well, as usual there is no point! I just wonder how things including emotions are handled in a different way at different places and the way people from one part of world perceive things differ from the other. That is what makes mother Earth special and human beings the most interesting of all species ever evolved/intelligently designed by The Creator (you see, I am unbiased towards the never ending debatable-theories of evolution and creationism. May be you would now call me a typical Indian!). While all other things differ, one opinion/fact (I am leaving it to the language freaks who manage to find slightest variations of meaning in words in certain contexts to pick one) remains common through out: ''THE GREATEST SPORT ON EARTH''. By far there has not been another one to oppose this opinion/fact, leaving the statement valid to perpetuity!
Cheers,
Gautam.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists/2010/07/soccer-tips.html#entry-more. Funny, yes definitely, but allowing a slice of rational thinking would make you realize you are actually laughing at the fact that their view about what the rest of the world views normal is different and unconventional.
To begin with, it is good Mankoff starts it off quoting ''world's most popular sport'' but please do not underestimate Americans. When they put things within double quotes, it either means it is important and deserve attention or that they are being sarcastic. Most of the times, the latter is true.
Buying a vuvuzela made him less popular among his neighbours. It was a nice touch (the American way to say it was clever. We can't get rid of them, can we?) using semi-syllogistic approach towards liking football and it is self explanatory why he did not feel American buying a vuvuzela. Perhaps he would have felt American if he had bought a computer with a catalogue with customer service number printed in bold, which when called usually finds a yawning, bored and intelligent engineering graduate in India picking up the call and faking American accent. Yes it is frustrating when a match ends with a goalless draw and it was even more frustrating when it was about to happen in the world cup finals, thanks to Iniesta for saving the awkward scenario leading to another such serious but lousy effort by an American at mocking the game. Mocking is good but mocking football because it has its players using foot and not hands is lousiest at its best. It is 'FOOT'ball for God's sake!
I like American Humour and the way it differs from the rest of the world's. Friends, for instance, was the funniest sitcom I have seen, which I openly admit ignoring people who call me a loser when I say that, and Chandler and Charlie Brown were once my heroes. I also like the way they say 'just kidding' after every joke though when the statement is outrageously and plainly ironic. Ending with 'just kidding' in America makes sense assuming they all own guns and use them on a regular basis (just kidding). What I do not like, perhaps, is my tendency to often slip into irrelevance. Anyway let us get back to business.
Mandoff's chauvinistic, jingoistic, Americanistic, obnoxistic suggestion of removing the goalie would have been funny to Americans and even to British but wasn't to me. Growing up in India where sport equals time-waste, I often was a part of a bunch of losers at primary school who did not know what football is and played with fifteen boys in a team, each using every body part possible to gain a competitive advantage devoid of restrictions, without a goal-keeper at either end! The suggestion made me relive those moments and it gave me smile rather than a chance to laugh my ass out.
Point of this post?
Well, as usual there is no point! I just wonder how things including emotions are handled in a different way at different places and the way people from one part of world perceive things differ from the other. That is what makes mother Earth special and human beings the most interesting of all species ever evolved/intelligently designed by The Creator (you see, I am unbiased towards the never ending debatable-theories of evolution and creationism. May be you would now call me a typical Indian!). While all other things differ, one opinion/fact (I am leaving it to the language freaks who manage to find slightest variations of meaning in words in certain contexts to pick one) remains common through out: ''THE GREATEST SPORT ON EARTH''. By far there has not been another one to oppose this opinion/fact, leaving the statement valid to perpetuity!
Cheers,
Gautam.
