Things you've noticed about other countries/communities from movies/TV?

[Laura Corin]

I was thinking about this the other day when I re-watched North by Northwest.  The famous scene with the plane and the field of maize.  When I first saw it, the landscape didn't really click in my brain as farmland: it just looked barren to my eyes and the corn seemed an anomaly.  It was so different from the farmland I had grown up around that my brain couldn't make sense of it.

What have you learned tangentially from films/telly?

Edited September 3, 2023 by Laura Corin

[saraha]

That I desperately want to go to the UK. 😆 We like to watch several British shows and I am always amazed at the distinct lack of trees in the portrayals of Ireland and Scotland. The couple of shows I’ve seen set in Australia also have landscape so very different from where we live. Also, it seems that most Canadians don’t sound like what I thought Canadians would sound like. My Michigan and Wisconsin relatives seem to have more of an accent.

[stephanier.1765]

That there are a lot of British crime shows and a lot of them are really good. I've noticed over the years of being able to stream British programing that a lot of British words and slang have worked their way into my vocabulary.

[Laura Corin]

33 minutes ago, saraha said:

That I desperately want to go to the UK. 😆 We like to watch several British shows and I am always amazed at the distinct lack of trees in the portrayals of Ireland and Scotland. 

In Scotland,  it depends where you are. Lowland Scotland has quite a lot of trees, but the Highlands and Islands have many fewer. I took this photo recently of tree regeneration - the dark trees on the right are a commercial plantation, but the young native species woodland in the centre has been planted by an environmental charity. We have way too many deer - all the apex predators were eliminated  - so the regenerated area is surrounded by 9 foot deer fences.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Laura Corin

[Faith-manor]

I have wanted to visit the Dales ever since seeing the first BBC All Creatures Great and Small series as a teen. Something about that landscape really calls to me. Ideally, I would like to visit there as well as numerous places in Scotland.

[Dmmetler]

We went to NYC recently, and I was surprised as to how familiar it was. I guess I've watched enough shows and read enough books set in Manhattan that it felt like I'd been there before...even though I hadn't. 

[HomeAgain]

That other countries have vastly different laws and police culture.  I watched Akademia, a Russian series similar to maybe Bones or CSI.  The way they handled different aspects was very different to the way they would have been handled in the U.S., with different emphasis on personal rights in each country.

[Hannah]

I lived in Holland for a year in my mid-twenties and understand the language although I've become very rusty speaking it.  I like to watch Dutch television and I'm reminded of all of the things I enjoyed while living there.

- Bicycling culture - from cradle to grave, everyone cycles.  My neighbour was 88 and still cycled to go and get her shopping daily.

- The direct way in which people speak their mind that also goes with tolerance of other's opinions.

- How much nudity and sexuality are normal - some very open-minded TV shows shocked me at age 25 as it was completely different to the very conservative environment I'd grown up in.

- Traditions such as hanging a school bag and a flag out on a student's last day of high school, or putting a straw doll at the front door for a 50th.  The Dutch really like celebrating holidays and changing of the seasons too. 

- The undrawn curtains and people not caring that you can look into their windows at night.

- Sports culture, especially football (soccer). 

- The Dutch don't dub any programs, so you always hear the original language with sub-titles.

[wintermom]

4 hours ago, saraha said:

Also, it seems that most Canadians don’t sound like what I thought Canadians would sound like. My Michigan and Wisconsin relatives seem to have more of an accent.

That's interesting. What kind of accent were you expecting? When I met up with some Americans while travelling in Europe, they loved making fun of my pronounciation of "aboot." I don't hear it in myself, rather I hear Scottish people saying "aboot."  

American TV let me to believe that Americans sound just like Canadians when they talk. Nope. Not at all. Many actors hide their accents with great skill. US TV scripts also don't seem to include other local expressions, such as a cashier saying "Do you want a sack for that?"  A what? You mean a bag? 🤣 

[Laura Corin]

6 minutes ago, wintermom said:

That's interesting. What kind of accent were you expecting? When I met up with some Americans while travelling in Europe, they loved making fun of my pronounciation of "aboot." I don't hear it in myself, rather I hear Scottish people saying "aboot."  

American TV let me to believe that Americans sound just like Canadians when they talk. Nope. Not at all. Many actors hide their accents with great skill. US TV scripts also don't seem to include other local expressions, such as a cashier saying "Do you want a sack for that?"  A what? You mean a bag? 🤣 

My - Canadian  - boss's boss definitely says 'aboot', but I also hear it from a lot of Scots.

Brits sometimes think I sound Canadian, but that just means 'unidentifiably a bit North American' - the product of my living with an American for 35 years and spending a lot of time in expatriate society. 

[wintermom]

I lived in Norway for 4 years, and when I watch Norwegian crime series on Netflix I notice that Norwegian TV works really hard to make Norway seem like a dark and dangerous place to live. It is a bright and happy place with very pleasant people, with very little crime that I experienced outside Oslo. 

I like how most Canadian TV series known outside of Canada are comedies. We'd have to work really hard to try and create a dark and dangerous place to live here, too. 😉 

[maize]

14 minutes ago, wintermom said:

 Many actors hide their accents with great skill.

I don't think hiding an accent is an accurate description; it's impossible to speak without some accent or other.  Maybe what you mean is that many actors adopt a particular common accent?

[maize]

7 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

My - Canadian  - boss's boss definitely says 'aboot', but I also hear it from a lot of Scots.

Brits sometimes think I sound Canadian, but that just means 'unidentifiably a bit North American' - the product of my living with an American for 35 years and spending a lot of time in expatriate society. 

When I moved back to the US for college after years living overseas I apparently had a "something not quite identifiable but definitely not from around here" accent. People would comment on it and ask me where I was from-- which was an impossible question to answer!

Edited September 3, 2023 by maize

[wintermom]

I grew up watching and American/Swiss TV series called "George" about a pampered St. Bernard who left a big American city to live in the Alps of Switzerland. I expected Switzerland to be gorgeous, with mountains and chalets on the mountainsides, and when I went to visit Zurich as a young adult, it looked exactly as I saw on TV. 

 

[fairfarmhand]

4 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

In Scotland,  it depends where you are. Lowland Scotland has quite a lot of trees, but the Highlands and Islands have many fewer. I took this photo recently of tree regeneration - the dark trees on the right are a commercial plantation, but the young native species woodland in the centre has been planted by an environmental charity. We have way too many deer - all the apex predators were eliminated  - so the regenerated area is surrounded by 9 foot deer fences.

This looks exactly like middle Tennessee. 

[Laura Corin]

3 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

This looks exactly like middle Tennessee. 

It's Perthshire, on the edge of the Highlands,  so it's not very high or bleak.

[Dmmetler]

8 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

This looks exactly like middle Tennessee. 

Especially if you do the outer loop and pass by the castle....

[SKL]

That unless things have changed recently, European kids are given way more credit than American kids for being able to suck it up.  😛

[TechWife]

49 minutes ago, maize said:

I don't think hiding an accent is an accurate description; it's impossible to speak without some accent or other.  Maybe what you mean is that many actors adopt a particular common accent?

There’s a standard “broadcast English” that American newscasters have adopted. It’s beginning to vary a bit as the field diversifies, but learning to speak in “Broadcast English” was expected for decades for those serious about a career in the news. It’s pretty flat with very careful enunciation. 

 

[Terabith]

Makes sense that Scotland and Tennessee look a lot alike.  They were attached geologically, and the mountain ranges in each are from the same original system.  Also, many of the original Appalachian settlers are Scotch-Irish in origin.  

[wathe]

5 hours ago, saraha said:

 Also, it seems that most Canadians don’t sound like what I thought Canadians would sound like. My Michigan and Wisconsin relatives seem to have more of an accent.

I read somewhere that Central and Western Canadian accents are famously "neutral" (as in broadcast neutral; I know that there isn't really really such thing as a neutral accent).  This partially accounts for why so many Canadian actors have success in the US.

But, really, there is no such thing as a Canadian accent.  There are multiple regional accents.  Newfoundland being the most famous.  But Newfoundland accent sounds different that Maritime, than Montreal Anglo than Toronto than prairies than West Coast than many Indigenous communities who have their own distinct accents.  And variation between ethnic groups (not referring to ESL speakers).

ETA:

Plus lots of regional vocabulary differences.   It's a very diverse place, linguistically.   

Wikipedian entry on Canadian English is pretty good.

Edited September 3, 2023 by wathe

[wathe]

4 minutes ago, wathe said:

 

Oops, quoted when meant to edit.

Edited September 3, 2023 by wathe

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

This looks exactly like middle Tennessee. 

Interesting.   There are so many Scottish folks who have settled in middle Tennessee.   They have lived in middle Tenn. for generations now.

Edited September 3, 2023 by DawnM

[DawnM]

I don't know about television, but a friend married a Turkish man and once she posted pictures from their visit to his family, I was surprised by several things.   I was surprised by how colorful they had their markets and outdoor areas.   I was surprised by how modern the cities were.   And I was surprised that for the most part she got on just speaking English.

I just have never been to that area of the world and honestly it hasn't ever been on any bucket list of mine, so I hadn't paid attention.   I thought it looked very inviting and interesting.

[JennyD]

Watching TV/movies from other countries or communities always reminds me how universal the human condition is.   People are people, no matter where or when they live.  

 

[SKL]

On the flip side, I found it surprising to discover what certain people from foreign countries thought they knew about the USA just based on watching our movies and hearing sound bites.  For example, it was obvious that the US has no virgins over the age of 13, and American women (and teens) enjoy being groped without permission by men they don't know.  In addition, nearly all Americans are functionally illiterate in both language and math.

I will note this was 30+ years ago, before there was internet, and hopefully that makes a big difference.

[wintermom]

6 hours ago, wathe said:

I read somewhere that Central and Western Canadian accents are famously "neutral" (as in broadcast neutral; I know that there isn't really really such thing as a neutral accent).  This partially accounts for why so many Canadian actors have success in the US.

But, really, there is no such thing as a Canadian accent.  There are multiple regional accents.  Newfoundland being the most famous.  But Newfoundland accent sounds different that Maritime, than Montreal Anglo than Toronto than prairies than West Coast than many Indigenous communities who have their own distinct accents.  And variation between ethnic groups (not referring to ESL speakers).

ETA:

Plus lots of regional vocabulary differences.   It's a very diverse place, linguistically.   

Wikipedian entry on Canadian English is pretty good.

I'm going disagree with the regional English accents apart from NF, PEI and Cape Breton for the 21 century. Maybe way back when few people travelled, but you'd have to look pretty hard to find a recognizable regional accent now. Maybe there are places people say "yous guys" but that's a bit limited to warrent a unique dialect. Just kidding! I haven't heard anyone say that in ages. 😉 

I speak with people from all over Canada regularly, and you can't tell where anyone comes from unless you ask because we all sound the same (apart from the maritime areas mentioned above). 

Edited September 4, 2023 by wintermom

[Melissa Louise]

It's always windy on the Shetland Islands and it's hard to get a phone signal. 

Also, very murdery.

[Junie]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

I'm going disagree with the regional English accents apart from NF, PEI and Cape Breton for the 21 century. Maybe way back when few people travelled, but you'd have to look pretty hard to find a recognizable regional accent now. Maybe there are places people say "yous guys" but that's a bit limited to warrent a unique dialect. Just kidding! I haven't heard anyone say that in ages. 😉 

I speak with people from all over Canada regularly, and you can't tell where anyone comes from unless you ask because we all sound the same (apart from the maritime areas mentioned above). 

South central Pennsylvania. It's where I grew up. :) But I haven't lived there in 20+ years, so maybe it doesn't exist there anymore?

[TravelingChris]

Indian police do not have interegation  rooms.    They also don't tell you your rights.  But most countries do.

[TechWife]

10 hours ago, DawnM said:

Interesting.   There are so many Scottish folks who have settled in middle Tennessee.   They have lived in middle Tenn. for generations now.

Bluegrass music is derived from the music the Scotch people brought with them to Appalachia. The book Wayfaring Strangers by Fiona Ritchie is about this part of music history. 

[Jaybee]

3 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

It's always windy on the Shetland Islands and it's hard to get a phone signal. 

Also, very murdery.

Yes. I have learned from British crime shows that it is very dangerous to live in small villages pretty much anywhere in Great Britain. Somebody is knocked off almost every week in those villages, especially in the ones by the coast.😉 I think that is why the villages continue to have such small populations; they just can't grow with all the murders that take place. 

[Carrie12345]

11 hours ago, SKL said:

In addition, nearly all Americans are functionally illiterate in both language and math.

I’d give a pass to anyone who thinks that. When the stats say more than half of Americans read below a 6th grade level, what are they supposed to think? We could get picky and focus on the definition of functionally illiterate, but the stats still stink and give a certain vibe!

[MEmama]

15 hours ago, SKL said:

On the flip side, I found it surprising to discover what certain people from foreign countries thought they knew about the USA just based on watching our movies and hearing sound bites.  For example, it was obvious that the US has no virgins over the age of 13, and American women (and teens) enjoy being groped without permission by men they don't know.  In addition, nearly all Americans are functionally illiterate in both language and math.

I will note this was 30+ years ago, before there was internet, and hopefully that makes a big difference.

Stereotypes and uh..misinformation..will always exist. We read them all the time here on the board--The US is like this, Canadians are like that,--and they are almost always wrong. Lol. 
 

[MEmama]

9 hours ago, Junie said:

South central Pennsylvania. It's where I grew up. 🙂 But I haven't lived there in 20+ years, so maybe it doesn't exist there anymore?

New Brunswick for sure. And Minnesota--that's where I first heard it, it used to make my skin crawl. (I'm over it, lol). It's used in certain parts of Maine, too, and my good friend from Nova Scotia uses it all the time.

Accents and regional phrases/words are fun. Especially when when an individual can't hear them but someone else can. 🙂 

[wintermom]

21 hours ago, maize said:

I don't think hiding an accent is an accurate description; it's impossible to speak without some accent or other.  Maybe what you mean is that many actors adopt a particular common accent?

Yes, that is probably the theatre lingo. I was pretty surprised to see Judy Dench sporting a Newfoundland accent in a movie set there ("The Shipping News"). It really threw me off, actually. It was ok, but you could tell it wasn't the real deal. Just not quite as relaxed and genuine and the folks actually speak. She was working it.

Edited September 4, 2023 by wintermom

[elegantlion]

When I'm watching Scandinavian shows, even the average people seem to have a wall of bookcases. 

[SKL]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:38 AM, Carrie12345 said:

I’d give a pass to anyone who thinks that. When the stats say more than half of Americans read below a 6th grade level, what are they supposed to think? We could get picky and focus on the definition of functionally illiterate, but the stats still stink and give a certain vibe!

Well considering it came from someone whose country at that time had a 36% official literacy rate ....

[Laura Corin]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:52 AM, Jaybee said:

Yes. I have learned from British crime shows that it is very dangerous to live in small villages pretty much anywhere in Great Britain. Somebody is knocked off almost every week in those villages, especially in the ones by the coast.😉 I think that is why the villages continue to have such small populations; they just can't grow with all the murders that take place. 

Looks nervously round her small village seven miles from the sea.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Looks nervously round her small village seven miles from the sea.

Make sure you check in daily so we know you're ok. ☺️

[wintermom]

On 9/4/2023 at 2:01 PM, elegantlion said:

When I'm watching Scandinavian shows, even the average people seem to have a wall of bookcases. 

That's because they do! Upon returning to North American after 4 years in Norway, the living room displays in IKEA made me feel exactly like I was back in Norway. 

[Jaybee]

2 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Looks nervously round her small village seven miles from the sea.

There, there, I'm not sure it counts unless you walk by the sea every day. But if that is the case, yes, please do check in periodically!

[Laura Corin]

11 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

There, there, I'm not sure it counts unless you walk by the sea every day. But if that is the case, yes, please do check in periodically!

My office is on a cliff next to a ruined castle.  I work to the lonely cry of gulls. I'm starting to question my life choices.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Laura Corin

[Pawz4me]

48 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

My office is on a cliff next to a ruined castle.  I work to the lonely cry of gulls. I'm starting to question my life choices.

As you should. We're all gonna fear for you now.

ETA: And FWIW I don't even really watch TV. This has become one of those cultural knowledge things. 😉 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Pawz4me

[Melissa in Australia]

That things are greener in other countries. I mean the trees and grasses. I thought movies had enhanced the green.. Until I travelled to Canada and saw that it is greener. Here in Australia trees and grasses are more of a khaki green 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Melissa in Australia

[Garga]

On 9/3/2023 at 11:54 PM, Junie said:

South central Pennsylvania. It's where I grew up. 🙂 But I haven't lived there in 20+ years, so maybe it doesn't exist there anymore?

I’m in south central PA and haven’t noticed the “yous guys”. You guys, sure, but not with the -s on the end. 

18 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

That things are greener in other countries. I mean the trees and grasses. I thought movies had enhanced the green.. Until I travelled to Canada and saw that it is greener. Here in Australia trees and grasses are more of a khaki green 

I’ve noticed that about Australia from watching shows from Australia! 

[Jaybee]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

My office is on a cliff next to a ruined castle.  I work to the lonely cry of gulls. I'm starting to question my life choices.

Oh my🫢

[Junie]

1 hour ago, Garga said:

I’m in south central PA and haven’t noticed the “yous guys”. You guys, sure, but not with the -s on the end. 

 

I haven't been "home" often in recent years, but when I lived there the -s was very prominent, like  "How are youz guyz doin'?" Or "What do youz want to eat?"

 

[Rosie_0801]

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

That things are greener in other countries. I mean the trees and grasses. I thought movies had enhanced the green.. Until I travelled to Canada and saw that it is greener. Here in Australia trees and grasses are more of a khaki green 

I didn't teach my kids to colour grass green. Around here it's mostly yellow.

I also coloured trees khaki in art class one year and argued the teacher into submission. Really, if she thought the bush looked bright and organised, she needed to get out more. 

Perhaps she limited her television viewing to British, in which case she would assure @Laura Corin that the entire llocal church population of retirement aged women will know within minutes if anyone clobbers her, so there's a good chance she'll be saved. 

[Melissa in Australia]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣