fun with foreigners

I had to check out the new show on NBC called "outsourced".

The commercial advertising the show looked like it would be kind of funny.

The premise of the show is about an American novelty supply company (like "Spencer's gifts) that has been outsourced to India. I guess for the people who's jobs have been outsourced to another country may (or may not) find this concept funny. But the reality is that enough jobs have been outsourced out that in a twisted cheeky kind of way you just might find this funny.

My husband's company is in the process of being completely outsourced to India.

He just shrugs his shoulders.

At first glance, you might find this show racist but the humor lies on both cultures (American and Indian) colliding in what is "lost in translation".

I actually found the show to be bloody hilarious, in a twisted sort of way.

Comedy is funny if it is something you can understand and relate to.

(I never "got" "Seinfeld". I did not get the 'jokes". I hated the characters too. They were annoying, not funny nor endearing)

My husband is from another country and both of us inadvertantly fall into these "faux pas" of each other's cultures with some language barriers.

Thank God we can both laugh about it.

In the show "outsourced" one of the characters name is "Manmeet". (Say the name out loud so you know what I am talking about when I say names alone can cross the great divide what is funny in one culture and normal in another)

I remember having a dental patient with the name of "Won Hung Lo". I stammered to address him in the waiting room. I ended up just calling him "Mr. Lo."

When my husband was a little kid he went on an international field trip to London England with his school chums. They visited all the tourist-trap historical museums. One of the places of interests was to see the Royal crown jewels. When the tour guide announced they were going to see the crown jewels, the kids went into a uproarious fit of laughter.

The word "jewel" sounds like "joowh" which means: "penis".

When I was cut off by a idiot driver one day, I called the driver a "stupid F*&^!". My husband turned to me and laughed. The word "F*&^" means "melon" in his language. He thought it was funny that I would call someone a stupid melon.

I never gave this a second thought when I would see Buddha statues in people's gardens. My husband who is a real Buddhist (not one of thes phoney baloney Richard Gere types) was horrified to see a reverend Buddha statue on the ground used as a decoration much like a garden gnome. What was more horrifying to him was the prevelant use of just the Buddha's head planted in the dirt. I explained to him that Americans who do this genuinely thinking that they are being open minded about other cultures by having a Buddha statue.

He was still offended. If he goes in a store with decorative Buddha statues he will walk out. This is an example of what is "lost in translation". Most Americans do not have a clue that they are being offensive.

When I first met his Mum,the first thing she said to me was "how she just loved Micheal Jackson's" and started to do this little dance.

I stood there speechless.

Really?!?

She felt that by gushing about what she percieved as an "American icon" that she would bond with me.

I was horrified to think that this is what foreigners percieve Americans to be like, that we all listen and dance to Micheal Jackson.

Gag.

He's a creepy, scary, clown and a pedophile freak who was popular way back in, ahhh, 1980 (?).

I felt embarassed and ashamed.

Micheal F*&^%ing Jackson.

You've got to be kidding me.

The bottom line is foriegners have this percieved stereotype of what all Americans are like. I guess we do the same thing as well without even realizing it.

What is interesting that in each state within the USA is like their own little country with their own expressions and culture.

As I mentioned before, years ago in Florida, I had a hard time understanding the Floridian accent. Just their food and drink alone was a little different too. As soon as I opened my mouth and also by the way I dress they could tell I was from Boston.

Yes, as our world becomes more globalized we will inadvertantly clash culturally with people abroad.

Hopefully, we can all just keep an open mind about us with a humorous outlook and just laugh at our "faux pas".