A typical Swede has a very ambivalent relationship with the church.
May 22, 2013 8:42 AM Subscribe
Swedishness. What it says on the tin. (SLYT.)
The microphone is shaped like a meatball.
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 8:58 AM on May 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 8:58 AM on May 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I miss Sweden.
But they should have had some kind of joke about missing your own wedding because you've accidentally double-booked yourself for a wash/dry time-slot in your communal apt. laundry instead.
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:00 AM on May 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
But they should have had some kind of joke about missing your own wedding because you've accidentally double-booked yourself for a wash/dry time-slot in your communal apt. laundry instead.
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:00 AM on May 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
I have to say, the fact that this video includes the actual Prime Minister of Sweden is extraordinarily impressive.
Yes, that's actually him. The video was made for the Eurovision Song Contest and he did a cameo.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:04 AM on May 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Yes, that's actually him. The video was made for the Eurovision Song Contest and he did a cameo.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:04 AM on May 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Also is this a place where I can complain that Radio Sweden's announcers are English? Because I did not tune in to hear the news, people. I tuned in to hear the Swedish accent.
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:09 AM on May 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:09 AM on May 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
IIRC this was part one of the Eurovision. . . halftime show? I don't know what to call it.
this was part two.
posted by KathrynT at 9:10 AM on May 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
this was part two.
posted by KathrynT at 9:10 AM on May 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also is this a place where I can complain that Radio Sweden's announcers are English? Because I did not tune in to hear the news, people. I tuned in to hear the Swedish accent.
Never mind that the announcers are English - the main knock against Scandinavians, I keep hearing, is their appallingly good English.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:19 AM on May 22, 2013
Never mind that the announcers are English - the main knock against Scandinavians, I keep hearing, is their appallingly good English.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 9:19 AM on May 22, 2013
ts;dr it's getting more and more similar to Paris every day, not just in the design of Karlavägen.
posted by dabitch at 9:36 AM on May 22, 2013
posted by dabitch at 9:36 AM on May 22, 2013
Never mind that the announcers are English - the main knock against Scandinavians, I keep hearing, is their appallingly good English.
Yes! They have better 'proper' English than a lot of the people I grew up around in the South. It made it hard to practice my Swedish, actually, because they would hear me struggling along and switch to English.
(I asked a guy in a gas station to call a taxi for me once in Swedish because I'd arrived with my luggage and decided to walk to my hostel not realizing it was basically STRAIGHT UPHILL for two miles and he looked at me like I'd grown an extra head and said, "Sure. You just got here, didn't you?" in gorgeous English and man did I blush. Didn't help that he was the typical college-age male Swede, a billion feet tall and prettier than me.)
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:39 AM on May 22, 2013
Yes! They have better 'proper' English than a lot of the people I grew up around in the South. It made it hard to practice my Swedish, actually, because they would hear me struggling along and switch to English.
(I asked a guy in a gas station to call a taxi for me once in Swedish because I'd arrived with my luggage and decided to walk to my hostel not realizing it was basically STRAIGHT UPHILL for two miles and he looked at me like I'd grown an extra head and said, "Sure. You just got here, didn't you?" in gorgeous English and man did I blush. Didn't help that he was the typical college-age male Swede, a billion feet tall and prettier than me.)
posted by WidgetAlley at 9:39 AM on May 22, 2013
Never mind that the announcers are English - the main knock against Scandinavians, I keep hearing, is their appallingly good English.
All hail subtitled TV shows. (Not entirely thanks to them, but it sure does help to hear spoken English on just about a daily basis ever since you're a kid.)
posted by jklaiho at 9:55 AM on May 22, 2013
All hail subtitled TV shows. (Not entirely thanks to them, but it sure does help to hear spoken English on just about a daily basis ever since you're a kid.)
posted by jklaiho at 9:55 AM on May 22, 2013
Please watch also KathrynT's link, it's pretty great too. It's maybe interesting to note that both Swedish Eurovision half time shows were also about Sweden. The Swedes seem peculiar to us neighbours in that they are so very proud being Swedish (of course, they have good reason to be, every time I go to Stockholm I find myself thinking "this is like Helsinki, but lite bättre").
posted by ikalliom at 10:15 AM on May 22, 2013
posted by ikalliom at 10:15 AM on May 22, 2013
Never mind that the announcers are English - the main knock against Scandinavians, I keep hearing, is their appallingly good English.
Yeah, it's a pain in the ass to get yourself to learn a language when everyone understands you otherwise.
It's a common and true enough meme that it's the first one to come up in this extremely accurate humorous skit :P
posted by palbo at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yeah, it's a pain in the ass to get yourself to learn a language when everyone understands you otherwise.
It's a common and true enough meme that it's the first one to come up in this extremely accurate humorous skit :P
posted by palbo at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Please watch also KathrynT's link, it's pretty great too. It's maybe interesting to note that both Swedish Eurovision half time shows were also about Sweden. The Swedes seem peculiar to us neighbours in that they are so very proud being Swedish (of course, they have good reason to be, every time I go to Stockholm I find myself thinking "this is like Helsinki, but lite bättre").
There was a tv show a few years ago hosted by Fredrik Lindström (he's a very famous comedian, author, linguist and popular historian; think Stephen Fry but better looking and with academic credentials) called "Världens modernaste land" ("The world's most modern country") which deeply examined the concept of "Swedishness" and the Swedish national character.
One of the most interesting insights I learned in that program (one of those things which you realize is true the instant you hear it) was that Swedes are both among the most nationalist and anti-nationalist countries in the world, at the same time. Take the words "Swedish" and "unswedish". The word "Swedish" is in Sweden almost universally a positive thing. For instance, if another country is said to have a "Swedish-style system of education" (or healthcare, or government, or system of justice, or whatever), that's seen as a huge plus for that country.
But, and here's the funny thing: the opposite word, "unswedish" ("osvensk") is also almost always a positive thing. For instance, if you say about a person "He's so unswedish!", that generally means that they are out-going, nice, pleasant to be around and open and generous. When you use that word in basically any context, what you mean is "I'm so tired of us Swedes, and it's such a breath of fresh air to experience something/someone that is different!"
Compare that to the word "unamerican". How often is that word used in American to refer to a positive thing?
So yes, we are indeed very proud of being Swedish. But we're also very, very ashamed of our Swedishness.
posted by gkhan at 2:03 PM on May 22, 2013 [14 favorites]
There was a tv show a few years ago hosted by Fredrik Lindström (he's a very famous comedian, author, linguist and popular historian; think Stephen Fry but better looking and with academic credentials) called "Världens modernaste land" ("The world's most modern country") which deeply examined the concept of "Swedishness" and the Swedish national character.
One of the most interesting insights I learned in that program (one of those things which you realize is true the instant you hear it) was that Swedes are both among the most nationalist and anti-nationalist countries in the world, at the same time. Take the words "Swedish" and "unswedish". The word "Swedish" is in Sweden almost universally a positive thing. For instance, if another country is said to have a "Swedish-style system of education" (or healthcare, or government, or system of justice, or whatever), that's seen as a huge plus for that country.
But, and here's the funny thing: the opposite word, "unswedish" ("osvensk") is also almost always a positive thing. For instance, if you say about a person "He's so unswedish!", that generally means that they are out-going, nice, pleasant to be around and open and generous. When you use that word in basically any context, what you mean is "I'm so tired of us Swedes, and it's such a breath of fresh air to experience something/someone that is different!"
Compare that to the word "unamerican". How often is that word used in American to refer to a positive thing?
So yes, we are indeed very proud of being Swedish. But we're also very, very ashamed of our Swedishness.
posted by gkhan at 2:03 PM on May 22, 2013 [14 favorites]
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posted by Sys Rq at 8:55 AM on May 22, 2013 [2 favorites]