1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,000 What generalizations does the rest 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:03,520 of the world make about Germany? 3 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,160 I've picked out five German stereotypes, 4 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:07,560 how much truth is in them, 5 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:08,840 and where did they come from. 6 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:09,600 But first of all, 7 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:11,440 which ones annoy Germans the most? 8 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:35,800 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 9 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:36,240 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:36,290 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:36,290 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 12 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:36,360 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 13 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,160 Romanticized images of Germany often 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,120 include a woman dressed like this. 15 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,600 This is a dirndl, and the male equivalent 16 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,360 is lederhosen, literally, leather trousers. 17 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:47,440 These types of folk clothing are very 18 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:48,840 specifically linked to the southern 19 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,080 state of Bavaria and neighboring Austria. 20 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:52,640 You might come across people wearing them 21 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:53,720 day-to-day in Bavaria, 22 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,760 but it's most common on special occasions 23 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,640 and during festivals like Oktoberfest. 24 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,680 The dirndl is just one example 25 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,080 of folk costume in Germany. 26 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,280 Most traditional dress, known as Tracht, 27 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,440 started out as work clothes for peasants. 28 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,320 Various aspects of traditional idealized 29 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,200 German culture, including Tracht, 30 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,000 were later used in Nazi propaganda. 31 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,080 The dirndl even got a bit of a makeover 32 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,440 under the Nazi regime, a lower neckline, 33 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:18,640 a slightly shorter skirt, 34 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:19,640 and a tighter waist. 35 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,360 The designs seen today vary 36 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,640 from very traditional to very modern. 37 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:25,640 And apparently, 38 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,440 the position of the apron's bow 39 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,320 can indicate relationship status. 40 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,160 For example, tied on the right means 41 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,320 married or engaged, 42 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,160 and on the left means single. 43 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,600 The stereotypical image of a German also 44 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,480 tends to include a beer in the hand, 45 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,320 usually in one of these enormous glasses. 46 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,280 In fact, the mass is another element 47 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:46,200 of Bavarian culture that has somehow come 48 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,080 to dominate the image of Germans abroad. 49 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,040 Germany actually has an impressive range 50 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,080 of glassware, sometimes with a specific 51 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,200 glass to go with a specific type of beer, 52 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,280 like this kölsch glass from Cologne. 53 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,240 Of course, not all Germans like beer, 54 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,280 but it is an important part of the culture 55 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,240 overall, with different beers also 56 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:05,920 connected to regional identities. 57 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,680 Traditional brews which follow the rules 58 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,760 of the Beer Purity Law still dominate, 59 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:10,920 but the country has seen 60 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:12,600 a boom in craft varieties too. 61 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,880 And the popularity of non-alcoholic beer 62 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,760 shows that the Germans' taste for beer 63 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:19,640 is more than just a thirst for alcohol. 64 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,120 Cheers to that. 65 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,760 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] so goes the German saying 66 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,560 which means that punctuality in Germany 67 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,120 means arriving five minutes early. 68 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,600 Well, whoever decided this 69 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:32,880 forgot to tell the trains. 70 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:34,680 It's practically a national sport 71 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,400 here to moan about train delays. 72 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:37,960 And after four years of commuting, 73 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,240 I'm well and truly on board, so to speak. 74 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,360 But a lot of German people do pride 75 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:43,760 themselves on being on time, 76 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:45,760 and punctuality is a characteristic you 77 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:46,680 see again and again 78 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:47,920 attributed to the Germans. 79 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:49,320 So, where did this punctual 80 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:50,480 reputation come from? 81 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:51,880 Let's talk to a time expert. 82 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:52,240 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 83 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:52,320 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 84 00:02:52,360 --> 00:03:21,960 [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] 85 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,360 That brings us on to the next stereotype, 86 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,160 German efficiency, which gets 87 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:26,600 a big thumbs down from me. 88 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,120 A dictionary definition of efficient is 89 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,960 working or operating quickly 90 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,880 and effectively in an organized way. 91 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:34,920 Okay, so the Germans might have 92 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:36,400 the organization part down, 93 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,760 but speed and effectiveness, not so much. 94 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,320 Did you know it took 632 years to finish 95 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,100 building the Cologne Cathedral? 96 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:46,440 A more modern case study that brought 97 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,480 global visions of German efficiency 98 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,320 crashing down was the new BER Airport 99 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,240 in Berlin, a project plagued 100 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,560 with problems from the get-go. 101 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:56,720 It finally opened in 2020, 102 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,520 billions of euros over budget and 10 years 103 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:00,360 behind schedule, 104 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,560 just in time for the coronavirus to hit, 105 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,560 bringing most air traffic to a standstill. 106 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:05,720 Interestingly, 107 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:07,840 it often seems that the Germans' love 108 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:09,120 of precision and planning 109 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:10,760 actually gets in their way. 110 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,640 If Germany ever wants to live up to its 111 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,600 efficient reputation, it's gonna 112 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,200 have to break up with bureaucracy. 113 00:04:18,280 --> 00:04:21,280 What was it Mark Twain apparently said? 114 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,400 "A German joke is no laughing matter." 115 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,760 Bit harsh, Mark. 116 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:28,480 Personally, I know plenty of funny 117 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,000 Germans, and I think most people 118 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,520 appreciate good comedy, right? [APPLAUSE] 119 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,280 However, what is sometimes missing 120 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,240 from the comedic toolbox here is 121 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:40,600 the ability to take things a little less 122 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,080 seriously and have a good 123 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,200 old laugh at yourself. 124 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,160 But don't take my word for it. 125 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,280 Let's talk to someone who knows a lot 126 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,200 about the German relationship with humor. 127 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:50,880 Gayle Tufts is a comedian 128 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,320 from the United States who's been 129 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,320 in Germany for more than 30 years. 130 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,400 This country is the size of Texas, 131 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,800 but it is incredibly regional, 132 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:00,360 and not just with accents, 133 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:01,760 but also with what they eat, 134 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,960 what they drink, and when they laugh. 135 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:04,920 The people who live, 136 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:06,000 come from the Rhineland, 137 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:07,080 they're, they're ready to laugh. 138 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,200 They're ready to have a good time. 139 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,000 They're the party people of this country. 140 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,160 And then the Berliners have seen 141 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:13,760 everything because it is 142 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,440 the cultural capital of this country. 143 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,080 So, they'll all sit back and say, 144 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:18,400 "Well, tell me about it. 145 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:19,080 Hmm?" 146 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,400 And the North Germans 147 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,640 are incredibly dry, but really smart. 148 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:26,960 And in the South, 149 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:28,400 there's a warmheartedness. 150 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:29,960 In Stuttgart, 151 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,720 for example, talk about food. 152 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:32,880 You can do a 20-minute 153 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:33,720 monolog about bread. 154 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:34,720 They will be rolling 155 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,040 in the aisles in Stuttgart. 156 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:37,160 So, where does the no sense 157 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:38,400 of humor reputation come from? 158 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:39,720 You have to kind of go back 159 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,240 to the Second World War. 160 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:42,680 In those glorious 161 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,280 the golden '20s where there was so much 162 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,080 entertainment and so much theater, 163 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,160 a lot of the Germans that were 164 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:49,600 involved in that were Jewish. 165 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,520 And they were either exterminated 166 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,040 and murdered, or they fled to the States. 167 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,280 And after the war, of course, 168 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:58,840 things weren't that funny because 169 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,800 where does comedy come from? 170 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:01,080 It comes from my experience, 171 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,160 my storytelling. 172 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,800 And I think there was an entire generation 173 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,000 that it was very difficult 174 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:08,960 to find the humor in anything. 175 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,880 Although once the '50s, '60s started, 176 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,600 there were some great, 177 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,360 great German comedians. 178 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:17,680 Loriot, for example. 179 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:19,960 In the '90s and the 2000s, 180 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:20,600 all of a sudden, 181 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,840 comedy clubs started popping up, 182 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,280 and mic shows where there would be 183 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:25,800 four different comedians a night. 184 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,680 And now you've got a, 185 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,760 a comedian for every taste. 186 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:31,440 Germans do have a sense of humor, 187 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,160 and thankfully, it's thriving because in 188 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,360 these times, we all need a sense of humor. [APPLAUSE] 189 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,040 I'd love to know how many of these things 190 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:39,600 are part of your image of Germany 191 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,360 and which stereotypes from your 192 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,160 country get on your nerves the most. 193 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:44,120 Leave us a comment.