The ad has since been pulled:
Sociologist Karen Sjoerup said the ad suggested "you can lure fast, blonde Danish women home without a condom."Or was it very well thought out — and pulling the ad was part of the promotion scheme? It got me to embed it. The controversy itself is part of the virus.
Economy Minister Lene Espersen said the video presented "a not very well-thought-out picture of the country." Espersen also holds the government's tourism portfolio.
"I regret that the film has offended so many people," VisitDenmark manager Dorte Kiilerich said, explaining that intent had been to tell "a nice and sweet story about a grown-up woman who lives in a free society and accepts the consequences of her actions."
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57 comments:
They've always said: "There's no such thing as bad publicity."
I think YouTube is quickly disproving that theory and Denmark should be ashamed of itself.
An incredibly demeaning portrayal of Denmark's strongest women and mothers.
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
In-fucking-credible. Who was "lost" again, in that story? Europeans kill me with their bullshit.
And, y'know, it's just starting to dawn on me that, between Europeans and NewAgers, my adulthood is now getting to be as dark as the pathologies of ghetto life rendered my childhood, with the "adults" still trying to act like it's all normal - pastels! That kid without a father will be better with pastels! - when any idiot (that would be me) can see the life they've created is one of those "Fractured Fairytales" I always used to see on T.V..
Cheers to the Danes for exposing themselves like this. Best cynical laugh I've had all day.
Hopefully, it'll be the last.
The Macho Response
That this is "about a grown-up woman who lives in a free society and accepts the consequences of her actions" is not completely true.
Everyone else in Denmark is also partially accepting the consequences of her actions, because she, as a single mother in a very expensive place, obviously cannot afford to raise that child on her own.
I once knew a PhD researcher at the Max Planck Institute who found herself in a similar situation, and SHE could not afford to raise her son in Germany from her own resources, so don't tell me that this bimbo—she may not be a bimbo in real life, but she plays one on YouTube—could pay the bills to raise this kid decently.
The rest of society, through the Government of Denmark, will.
Now, this may have worked well enough for a while in small, relatively coherent Scandinavian countries, where society pretends to be one, big, happy (as Nordics ever get) family.
Of course things such as marriage and the Christian religion, whose practical functions are now replaced by the State, have become odd hobbies for misfits.
I nearly married a Dutch woman all those years ago, so I'm very familiar with the thinking of this young woman, if not the details of her accent. My girlfriend was also genuinely NOT a bimbo, but some of the things that came between us in the end were her inability to look at religion as anything other than historical reenactment, and her distaste for living in a country where you had to take responsibility for so many of your actions.
She enjoyed the freedoms of the U.S., but could not understand why we didn't have universal health care, why there wasn't an allowance for housing, why we didn't have bicycle lanes everywhere, why the trains were allowed to be so bad, why people were allowed to have actual guns (horrors), etc., etc. You know the drill.
I tried over time to explain to her that we had a low-tax, low-impact philosophy of government in the U.S., that allowed people like me to set up as, for example, a musical instrument maker, without the numerous licenses, fees, and regulations, not to mention taxes, common in Europe. It was called "freedom," and it had a price.
Well, we used to think that way in the U.S. Now, being in my business is just about as harassed and taxed and bled by obligatory costs that might as well be taxes— I'm talking health insurance— as in Europe.
We'll see where that goes.
As for most of Europe, I wish them well as their populations crash and societies degenerate. There's some very nice real estate over there I'm sure less suicidal people will appreciate some day.
If this was truely an ad to promote tourism in Denmark, I'm packing my bags.
Denmark, here I come!
And well-said, Crack and Theo.
When man marries the state and shrugs off the family, the result is atomization, entropy, and ultimately, societal failure.
A more patriarchal culture is fast overtaking the Danes as we speak.
VW: hodom. Seriously.
In all seriousness, AllenS, Denmark is a wonderful place to visit. The Danes are very hospitable (though maybe not in ways people have been led to believe). Of course, I did visit in the summer. They told me as pleasant as it was in the summer, it was every bit as depressing in the winter.
Crimso,
Yeah, winter can be depressing sometimes, even here in Wisconsin, but, in Denmark there looks to be a good chance at being able to bang a hot chick all winter long. Or, maybe just for one night.
From the article: The video clip, nearly 3 minutes long, shows a young, blond woman cradling a dark-skinned infant
A "dark-skinned" infant? That baby looks exactly like its "mother". The Huffington Post is clearly desperate to see racism everywhere.
wtf?
There are many young Danish women like her. Very nice, but incredibly naive. I bet she'll be a good mom though.
I can imagine the guy humming this during his early morning escape.
It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin on
Don't think twice, its all right
I also didn't see any dark-skinnish to the infant, and in fact was thinking as I watched it that it would be more virally if the kid was obviously bi-racial.
...if virally is a word :)
And what a great non-apology apology. I regret that the film has offended so many.... In other words, If only you were all open-minded like I!
Makes a very good audition tape for the actress.
Along with Jason and Madison Man, I'm not seeing a "dark-skinned infant."
Looking at the video on my Apple Cinema display in HQ from YouTube, I think the kid may not be "dark-skinned," but he is probably not of blonde, Nordic stock, either. His hair also looks digitally manipulated, but, again, who can believe their eyes when the world has been computerized.
All that is, however, profoundly beside the point.
What does the baby's what specific ethnic background matter? Europeans and people from the Middle East have moved around for centuries, and in many cases thoroughly interbred, so that there are relatively few pockets of "pure" ethnicity left in Europe, the Scandinavian countries being something of an exception.
Crying "racism" here is shouting, "Look! A Unicorn!" from those who don't want to directly face the larger issues of personal responsibility and society that this video raises.
That young woman could be a Klingon for all I care. I would still decry the degeneracy and stupidity of Klingons as much as I do some of our European cousins.
Of course, one must note that for a few centuries, Danes (along with the rest of the Norsemen) left many a young European lass wondering about her baby daddy's identity.
Come to Denmark, knock a girl up, then pay child support.
Hey, you know mark steyn is always going on about how europe is depopulating while america is growing in population. maybe they actually want us American studs to come over there and help. its like that old movie: "Mars Needs Women." How its "Denmark needs men."
Or was it very well thought out — and pulling the ad was part of the promotion scheme? It got me to embed it.
Yup. If the ad hasn't gone viral yet, it surely will soon. People who hadn't thought about touring Europe past the Tower of London ("And right here is where they sliced Anne Boleyn's head off!") and the Amsterdam red light district now have a new destination to consider. Tivoli Gardens, anyone?
Hah! This reminds me of the classic English folk song The Brisk Butcher by Maddy Prior and Tim Hart (of Steeleye Span fame). Give it a listen.
I laughed out loud when she said "I'm not a bimbo." Sorry, dear, but a girl who meets a guy at the beach, takes him home without finding out his name, gets drunk and has sex (without birth control) - um, that's pretty much the definition of a bimbo.
Even with all of her Danish ideological inculcation about how marriage is unimportant and fathers are unnecessary and women can have sex whenever and with whomever they choose without thinking twice about it (or even finding out the guy's name), I believe I detect a bit of an air of embarrassement on her part. Why would that be, I wonder?
MnMark: I believe I detect a bit of an air of embarrassement on her part. Why would that be, I wonder?
Because she is a convincing actress, that's why.
What's with the design books in the background?
Ten points for Peter.
I find it really hard to believe that a Danish woman in that situation didn't kill the baby before it was born. It's all the rage nowadays.
But if I were still single, I'd be on the next train to Denmark after seeing that video!! Yowza!
In addition to all of Demark’s shortcomings, so ably set forth above, might I respectfully add that the entire native population lives on a diet of nothing but smallish, stanky, boney fish.
Also, their furniture must be rubbed constantly with some sort of oily liquid, of undeclared and suspicious origin, or else it will all explode and leave a nasty residue all over the walls, but not the carpets, because they don't have any carpeting over there.
Henry asked what's with those books in the background.
All I see is another obstacle to this child's development. His mother got him an alphabet book with only four letters in it.
a nice and sweet story
It was "a nice and sweet story" with Katherine Hegel and Seth Rogen in Knocked Up because they got together and made a family, but this is neither nice nor sweet, assuming it's true. The kid won't ever know his father because his mother got drunk and had a one-night stand.
That is, by definition, tragic.
Joan wrote assuming it's true
READING COMPREHENSION, ANYONE!!!!!!!
peter hoh: Along with Jason and Madison Man, I'm not seeing a "dark-skinned infant."
Perhaps we are all racially colorblind.
"I know August is yours because I haven't been with anyone else since that night."
Hmm. That's a real challenge to the willing suspension of disbelief, given her story of how August came to be and the fact that this was made as a tourism ad.
But put all that aside and just take it on its own terms. Why are you all dumping on this nice, slightly dopey but very attractive young mom who decided to have her baby? It's the Bristol Palin story retold with a Danish accent. Let's hope that August's dad, if he ever shows up, is less of a dud than Levi.
Sooo, come have sex with one of our beautiful blonds...who does not use birth control and who will then hunt you down in an international internet ad when she gives birth to your child.
Damnit, G Joubert, you just ruined my day. I guess I'll have to unpack my suitcases.
What do you expect from a bunch of filthy Scandis? (N.B. This is not a racist statement. If it was racist it would be about health care.)
This is how civilization ends.
Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Pardon the puns
As for most of Europe, I wish them well as their populations crash and societies degenerate. There's some very nice real estate over there I'm sure less suicidal people will appreciate some day.
Actually Theo, Europeans are rapidly being replaced by a demographic which tends to view suicide as a means to an end.
The more I watch where Europe is going, the more I liken them to the Eloi.
This pretty lady is a more or less average Danish girl. That alone should bring some tourists.
I married Dutch and have many Dutch relatives through marriage. They are accomplished people, most of them very diligent and hard working. Several have lived in the USA and a few have moved here. They like the USA and understand that in general economic opportunities are better here.
They simply can not understand why our health care is not universal and free.
On the other hand, when they have a serious problem, they come to the USA to have it treated if there is any way they can.
Speaking as someone of Irish ancestry, PAYBACK'S A BITCH, AIN'T IT!!!!!???
Somewhere, a businessman in Poughkeepsi is watching this video and thinking:
"Oh, crap. I knew I should have packed my connies when I took that trip to Denmark a year and a half ago. Crap.
You know, I could have sworn that that Danish chick was a ginger; but I was pretty crocked at the time.
Crap!"
Peter Hoh, like many reasonable people, I do my best to avoid the Huffington Post, but given your admonishment and G. Joubert's link, I overcame my aversion and click the link in the original post.
I confess I am a lazy commenter who failed to click the link after watching the nearly 3-minute video. Just lump me in with the great mass of people who will see the video without knowing that it was all staged.
The whole thing is so icky that I can't even figure out if I'm more repulsed by the fact that someone imagined that this would actually be good advertising for Denmark. I mean, who does that? "Boss, I've got it! We'll hire an actress to tell a one-night stand story, and plunk a cute, non-Danish-looking baby on her lap, and she can say she's looking for the dad! Yeah, that'll get people coming to Denmark in droves!"
Seriously, someone invented this scenario, and people all along the way -- scripting, casting, production, distribution -- signed off on it. WTF is wrong with those Danes?
They simply can not understand why our health care is not universal and free.
What is the tax rate in Denmark or Holland? It's not 'free', its paid for with tax dollars. I think we could have a lot of things for 'free' if we all thought a 50% tax rate was tolerable.
I mean how many of the frothing Obama lovers would still be getting that tingly feeling in thier loins when their paychecks start looking like they did when they were 16 working at McDonalds.
Joan, sorry to have singled you out. Your response was one of several today that assumed this story was real, even though Althouse says that it's an ad, and among the tags is "fake." One didn't have to go to the link.
But like I said, the actress did a heck of a job. It's a great 2 minute monologue.
The baby did good too. He owns that 9-month-old thing.
Denmark: Free whores and no child support!
So what is the Danish tradition they were talking about -- Huegel, or something like that -- that she mentions in the video? Was is that? Just being real friendly to strangers, or something?
I thought it was real and the Danish Government just gave it some money to run it. I did not realize they actually produced it. Wow.
Now that is pretty shameless!
So what is the Danish tradition they were talking about -- Huegel, or something like that
It's "hygge", which is an important part of Danish culture. It translates roughly to cozy, pleasant, nice.
Hoosier Daddy:
I don't know the Danish tax system but the Dutch system is brutal compared to ours. Strangely, they tax wages and salaries at the highest rate--up to 52% in the highest bracket on income above about 70,000 euros. Corporate taxes max out at 25% and the rate on dividends and interest is 30%. But if you own an interest of more than 5% in a company it's a 25% rate. Senior citizens get a considerably lower rate than others in lower brackets but not the top.
Dutch also have the usual VAT of about 15%, a "wealth tax" that is about 1.2% of wealth and you pay an insurance premium of 6.5% on the first 30,000 or so of Euros.
There is also inheritance tax. Not sure of the rate.
But it's also easier to evade taxes if you are Dutch. For example, There's no worldwide taxation as in USA system so you can move and avoid the tax man.
The Dutch understand that their medical care is not "free." They mean free in the sense that we call public education free--no direct charge.
I'm not defending the Dutch system in my prior post. My point was that if they are in a pinch, my Dutch relatives prefer American medicine to their own.
The Dutch have a comprehensive system of social services that far exceed our own. Prices are higher too, in part because of the tax cost that is leaning on the whole system.
Note that there are no "state" taxes in Holland. When you factor in state income taxes and sales taxes for high tax places like California and New York, the difference is not as great as the federal rate suggests.
This level of taxation is what we are looking at in this country if we follow the Obama path, I believe. It will be the most fundamental change in society since imposition of the income tax early in the last century.
Theo says the baby "is probably not of blonde, Nordic stock, either." There are plenty of brunettes in Danmark. Scandinavians don't all look like this actress.
sierra: That's absolutely true, which is why I made my point about there being so few pockets of "pure" European ethnicity.
I and half Spanish, for example, and some of my relatives in Asturias had red hair and green eyes, relics, no doubt of the Celts who inhabited the area for a long time. My 6'2" Spanish grandfather looked like a prototypical Scotsman, again partly a relic of his Celtic and Basque ancestry. If you look at a modern pictures of the elementary school in my grandmother's village, there are plenty of kids with dirty blonde hair and big, blue eyes, descendents, no doubt of the Visigoths who showed up to replace the Romans.
And then there were the Greeks, Phonecians, Jews, Arabs, and the odd African who drifted through the place in the ancient world.
This very isolated part of Europe has obvious descendants of just about everybody who was floating around the Roman Empire and its immediate aftermath. And most of the rest of Europe does too.
Plus, the Apostle James is supposedly buried up the road in Santiago de Compostela.
So much for sangre limpia.
The same holds true for Scandinavia, but, it's my impression from my travels there that a rather high proportion of people have the blue eyes, blonde hair and general ethnic cast traditionally associated with Nordics.
That will of course change if it's true that Danish society has now produced blonde bimbos who readily bang anonymous tourists without a condom.
But you know how tourist agencies always exaggerate.
wv = trysting
I am not making this up.
Theo says the baby "is probably not of blonde, Nordic stock, either." There are plenty of brunettes in Danmark. Scandinavians don't all look like this actress.
My sample size of one guy I dated in high school who was from denmark says otherwise :)
"Visit Denmark. Our women are sluts"...I like to think that this is an area where America can compete for the tourist dollar.
That should be "I am" in the above comment. My wife is an editor who spots typos at 40 meters. I don't.
Anyway, I'd like to second David's excellent comments upthread. He followed through and married a Dutch wife, while I decided it really wouldn't work with my Dutch girlfriend. David's description of his Dutch relatives is also very true of my girlfriend's extended family, many of whom lived and worked in the States at various times. He sounds like he has had very much the same experiences I did.
I think the world of the Dutch. As David says, they are hardworking, tolerant, fun, smart, and, from what I've seen, in many ways they have the most "American" outlook of Continental Europeans. But it's also true that I've never met one who really understood American life in a deep way. In point of fact, I've never met ANY Continental European who got this country. We live in a very odd place by world standards, and for all its problems, I personally want to keep it that way. Yes, solve our problems, but keep the American character.
The Dutch healthcare system is typically impenetrable, obscure and complex, and, like many things in Holland, I think only works because of native Dutch goodwill and patience. Look at this chart, and tell me how it functions. Boring politics and tedious bureaucracy have been the norm in Holland for hundreds of years, but it's allowed them to have a country where no one quite knows how anything works, but somehow it does. I suppose as an American I return the favor, and don't quite "get" Holland, either, preferring robust simplicity.
My big fear is that the closest thing Obamacare resembles is, in fact, the Dutch system, with its hard-to-fathom web of relationships between private public sectors. The Dutch can make this sort of thing work tolerably well, but, as an American, I'm almost certain we won't. Given the history of American medicine, and the native inefficiencies of American bureaucracies, it's very likely to not save a penny in the end.
My own personal favorite is the French system. But there are so many antecedents and bits of history that go into the health care systems of various countries, that it's very hard to copy what may work elsewhere. The French system is very dependent on French sociology and the French history of nation-sustaining bureaucracy. In other words, it's a French system for the French. I have no idea, despite everything, what an appropriate American health care system should look like, and I suspect a lot of other people don't either. Which is why Obama needed to go slowly, and build an actual consensus, rather than selling snake oil with the frightening sideshow act we've seen so far.
Also, David is exactly right about taxes. If you count State and local taxes, not to mention mandatory fixed costs, such as that famous health insurance we all have to have, plus a private 401(K) or IRA of some kind, the average middle-class American, especially if he or she owns a small business, is already paying the equivalent of European levels of taxation. And we certainly are not getting European levels of social services, just more government that has created "swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Ask anyone who has tried to start or run a small business lately.
Now I'm not opposed to public financing of health care in this country. It's just that we have to be very clear-eyed about it, very certain of the financing, and damned certain it is an American system based on American experience and principles.
Oherwise, I suggest all those who get dewey-eyed about being taken care of in the European manner move to Holland or Denmark, and report back in a few years how it has worked out. In the mean time, that might allow the rest of us to work out something that might actually be suited to this country.
That was deeply weird.
that danish actress has saggy
mommy tits and already is showing
wrinkles with that thin freckly skin
and being not as young as
they want you to think
plus you really don t wan to
see the stretch marks
i m an expert in nubile having
been a lech in my last life
hitting on all my grad students
now in this life as far as danish is
concerned i m content to hit on the
nice uneated bite dad dropped
behind the counter yesterday a m
on his way out the door
Is that really her own baby or was the relationship acted as well? She doesn't seem to be terribly familiar with it.
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