Q. Which Germans do you know besides [Dallas Maverick] Dirk Nowitzki?Let's not assume Butler was being dumb. I think a lot of Americans, trying to formulate an answer to that question, would think: Well, Hitler, of course. Everyone knows Hitler. And that would have been awkward. So coming up with Is David Hasselhoff German? and Okay, then only Dirk isn't so dumb. It might even be a smart joke. What's dumb is the question "Which Germans do you know?"
A. Is David Hasselhoff German?
I heard that you all like him.
Q. He's an American . . .
A. Okay, then only Dirk.
-- Wizards forward Caron Butler in an interview with the German tabloid Bild. The Wizards were in Berlin to play an exhibition game with the New Orleans Hornets.
October 16, 2008
Wizardry in Germany.
WaPo reports this amusing dialogue:
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This post is almost overshadowed by its triumphant tag salad: Germany, Hasselhoff, hitler, sports.
I once traveled to Viet Nam when I was 17 -- this was back in the early 90s -- and people were always asking me if I knew folks that they knew in the states. "You live in Minnesota? Do you know my cousin Anh in Ohio?"
Hitler was actually Austrian.
Nur Deutsche sind lebendig? Ich würde gesagt haben Anne Brendler! Und, natürlich, kanzler Merkel, Britta Steffen, Katarina Witt...
Martin said...
"Hitler was actually Austrian."
So was Einstein. They have to take the rough with the smooth.
Hitler is upset with Brett Favre.
Not as good as the Bear Stearns and Obama parodies, but still amusing.
He could have said BMW.
Best answer would have been:
Mercedes Benz
"Which Germans do you know?"
Frau Blucher
Correct spelling: Jacob Leinenkugel. I must have had too many of them last night.
That same scene has been done, brilliantly, for storm chasers. Here
"Angela Merkel, she's a down ass bitch. First female German chancellor, the next Maggie Thatcher, for realz. Reppin the CDU to the fullest, yo. Right wing politics is now back in the building. Hamburg bitches, whut!"
- Caron Butler, in a slightly alternate universe.
Are we sure of the identity of the interviewer? The interview almost ventures into "Vennnn vill you vear vigs?" territory.
What about Colonel Klink and Sgt Shultz?
And that 99 baloons girl.
That's balloons, sorry teacher.
That's funny, too. Also, Xbox, World of Warcraft parodies, no telling how many others.
If you watch the movie itself, Der Untergang, and listen to the director's talk, he says that these screaming fits were common. And could go on for hours and were petrifying.
--
And besides Merkel, there's the acting Israeli PM, and the presidents of Argentina and Chile are women.
I can't believe that Caron is dissing Detlef Schrempf like that.
Charles Windsor
Ann said:
I think a lot of Americans, trying to formulate an answer to that question, would think: Well, Hitler, of course. Everyone knows Hitler. And that would have been awkward.
Clearly he was trying to follow Basil Fawlty's advice and not mention the war.
Dieter from SNL's Sprockets
Wiener Schnitzel.
Lili Von Shtupp
Cedarford.
Lili Von Shtupp
The UW has apologized because a snippet from Blazing Saddles was shown -- I think the snippet was the railroad workers -- at some training event for students. Story here.
I still love that movie!
Q. Which Germans do you know besides [Dallas Maverick] Dirk Nowitzki?
I guess he hasn't met any McCain supporters. The NYTimes told me they were all Good Germans.
My aunt.... who was a small child during WWII. Her father was a brown shirt and disappeared at the end of the war. They had no idea what happened to him. Her mother used to tie her to the bicycle when they went shopping so no one would steal the bike. It was very valuable.
This post calls for the Hasselfoff regression
Foreigners are so funny. Especially in Europe. Their dumpy socialist dystopias produce nothing and no one of substance and then they laugh at know-nothings from the United States (where -- what? -- one in six people is famous?).
Marlene Deitrich.
Now that was some fine Teutonic tang there.
Seven,
Germany may not produce many people of substance, but they make some fine automobiles.
Silvio is from there, if I am not mistaken...but he is an American now, so maybe he doesn't count.
"Hitler was actually Austrian."
So was Einstein.
Are you sure about that? I'd always thought he was born in Germany, and Wikipedia claims he was born in Ulm
Don't forget the great biathlete Kati Wilhelm. Very popular in Germany.
Further evidence the Althouse blog attracts more gays and closeted gays like Trooper. (normal guy, works in a women's appareil shoppe - come on!).
No mentions of Heidi Klum.
No one brought up Natassia Kinski.
Steffi Graf? Katerina Witt? Claudia Shiffer. Stiffler's Mom? Sabine Ehrenfeld - the one who had the "It's all the O" commercials...
Guys like Schumacher?
We do tend to be America-centric. We do allow for famous Aussies and Brits. We have plenty of Canadian celebs, too...because we treat Canada as a good farm team.
The rest of the world is "out of luck" with our media..
Honestly, I'd have a hard time naming Germans, too.
Dirk Nowitzki doesn't sound like a German name. Seems sorta Polish.
Was Hitler Austrian or German? Even if he was born in Austria, didn't he do his best work in Germany? (Kaff.) Aren't Einstein and Oppenheimer and all those other krauts--well, weren't they really American?
Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog. They're pretty German. Wim Wenders. 'course, Klaus is dead, but don't Herzog, Wenders and even Nastassja Kinski live in the USA?
Hitler was born in Austria, but one of his parents was German.
What about famous composers? Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Wagner? Or are we only doing modern?
In addition to the point you make, I'd let Caron off the hook because the question is ambiguous. It could be understood as asking "Which Germans have you ever heard of?" But it could also be understood as asking "Which Germans are you personally acquainted with?" To be sure, if Caron and Hasselhoff aren't acquainted, Caron obviously understood the question in the former sense, but, for all I know, he does know Hasselhoff even in the latter sense.
What about Colonel Klink and Sgt Shultz?
Oddly enough, Werner Klemperer, the man who played Klink was German. John Banner, who played Schultz, was born in Austria and spent some time in a German concentration camp before they started killing people (though his family didn't make it).
Cedarford, sorry if I hurt your feelings man, it was just a joke.
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