Sonic Youth Gossip - happy st patricks day!

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- - happy st patricks day! (http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/showthread.php?t=11416)

Quote:

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

oy, porks, it's quite easy to agree with the obvious. that sopranos episode when pauly refuses the food and asks for some "gravy" is absolutely hilarious. i agree with that post too for what it's worth. and let me add that from the point of view of latin americans, u.s. "hispanics" are a bunch of uncultured freaks who are destroying the spanish language.

however--

you can't regulate from an internet pulpit how millions of people choose to think about themselves. the chicago river will be dyed green every year regardless of what you or toilet or other english people think--

the thing is, your logic doesn't travel well across the atlantic, because you guys don't understand america & americans. sure your logic is correct within the confines of your context and experience, but why do english people assume that everyone else shares their point of view? it's a matter of perspective, not of absolutes, and it takes a bit more than good rhethorical abilities to comprehend that. now im not saying that americans are great at understanding anyone else's perspective either. they suck at it! but this provides me an opportunity for many laughs. in any case, millions of people who have never even set foot in ireland still call themselves "irish" today and, while this seems absurd to you, it makes perfect sense to them.

Yes, and the logic doesn't travel well the other way obviously. If people can't understand why in this country, and no doubt many others, you would be ridiculed for claiming to be Irish simply because your great grandparents were Irish.

I'm in the boat with Pokkeherrie and Savage in that I find it odd that people have either pride or shame about where they are from.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain

I'm in the boat with Pokkeherrie and Savage in that I find it odd that people have either pride or shame about where they are from.

ha ha, me too actually-- i'd rather be judged by my actions rather than... my longitude, latitude and genes?? but a lot of people i care about happen to be on the other side of the fence on this one. i still can't see what's the big deal though, ha ha, but they remain adamant, and i have to respect their choices.

I'm for that too and in fact it really bugs me when people says they act like this or that just because they are from some place.I can't take people like them seriously, no matter how hard i try.

but on the other hand it would be madness to say that the environment or culture you grow up in doesn't influence your behaviour

Yeah, unless you are invisible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage Clone

Dead.
On.

You have nothing to do with where you are born; it's just a given. Big deal.
And yes, I think it's ridiculous for a fifth-generation American to be talking about their hot temper being attributed to "being Italian" or their love of drink to "being Irish." There is a point at which you are simply too far removed from the "old country" to have any real claim on it.

i don't know why anyone would attribute any shitty part of their personality to their geography. i've seen fat slobs on the street all over the world, but does that mean that they were american?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

but on the other hand it would be madness to say that the environment or culture you grow up in doesn't influence your behaviour

i agree with this and i am not contradicting the statement i made above in my agreement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

i don't know why anyone would attribute any shitty part of their personality to their geography.

Indeed. Weirder still is the impulse to attribute any part of your personality to your great-great-grandparents' geography, but a lot of Americans do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage Clone

Indeed. Weirder still is the impulse to attribute any part of your personality to your great-great-grandparents' geography, but a lot of Americans do it.

recently, this old gringo dude asked me where i was from.

i answered with the name of a certain south american country that shall remain anonymous

the guy, seeing as to how i did not fit the physical stereotype associated with said country, asked me

"but what is your heritage"

without skipping a beat, i said "i come from a proud long line of mutts"

now, i meant to say mongrels, meaning, all manner of peoples who have fucked in the past to bring me forth, but what the fuck, the english language plays tricks on me at times. regardless, the guy shut the fucked up which was my #1 objective.

Happy Americans-Pretending-They-Have-Some-Tenuous-Link-To-Ireland-Apart-From-Their-Surname Day!

youre talking to yourself, youre halfway to being Irish already.