If I had to name it I would say the difference between US patriotism and Euro patriotism is that for the US it's more like "I'm proud of my country" and in Europe it's more "I'm proud to represent my country" as we take way less pride in our nations themselves. In fact, most of us are pretty negative about our countries. We take pride in heritage and kinship with our fellow countrymen, but not so much in the country itself, and the USA seems to be really proud of just being the USA first and foremost.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
June Wrasslin' |OT| Powered by Bluekaveli
- Thread starter blackaroni
- Start date
British Monsoon
Member
That's a good point and New Japan did make a lot of the fact that Ospreay could be the first Brit to win the Super Jr's - UK wrestlers have been very under-represented in New Japan over the years, only Ospreay, PAC & Tony St. Clair in the past 15 years!
I mean you said the 'support our troops' stuff, but 'God Save The Queen' is about the most 'I'm proud of my country' thing I've ever heard. Americans have just as many issues with the nation themselves, it's why we have multiple political parties and subsects within those groups.
I mean, it's hard to take guff about our 'national pride' from a country that still worships a royal family in 2016.
Serpentine
Banned
In the same breath WWE will do that "We are a global corporation with fans all over the world!" thing, right as they do 100% American-centric stories or segments.
FlammableD
Banned
This very much. If you've ever looked at Sabre's twitter:
you know he's a dirty lefty that dislikes a lot of things about this country and the people who are usually associated with union jack waving
God Save The Queen is more about the royals trying to make their royal claims valid by associating themselves as being chosen by God themselves to rule the country. It's a remnant of a time where Faith was important to people.
Hey, the fact that the Netherlands is a monarchy annoys the ever loving shit out of me to this day. Even made a thread about how annoyed I am that monarchy's are still a thing in this day and age, so you won't get any challenge from me there.
Also, you asked why people get so annoyed by American patriotism, we're just telling you why, the US exudes a massive ego over its own country, that's all there's to it. When watching WWE we're constantly reminded about you are a "great country" and that kind of stuff works on people from said country, but it does nothing for people that also live in "great countries". All there's to it, justified or not, that's why imo.
Lightning Count
Member
Also pick a street in a US town how many houses have US flags flying there is usually at least a few.
Do the same thing anywhere else you will hardly see any flags
Do the same thing anywhere else you will hardly see any flags
Empyrean Heaven
Member
I think what's blowing my mind right now is that Datazord is American o_o I always thought he was british too.
Lightning Count
Member
In related news,
Alberto 2 Rios is still my favorite wrestling name. It's Joey Samoey good.
Brazilian? Nice might have to check this out.
Lightning Count
Member
Now watching Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama from AJPW - 24th July 98
Lightning Count
Member
Yeah I mentioned that earlier, it's outright indoctrination and pretty disturbing in many ways.
British Monsoon
Member
The royals are an incredibly divisive subject, tbh. I doubt you'd find many people who give much a shit about them, let alone worship them - especially amongst the younger generations. You're more likely to find people who think of them as little more than a tourist attraction, or as sponges who benefit far too much from the British taxpayer, regardless of the words to our national anthem.
I don't use the u key often enough
Right, which is the exact same thing that could be said for Americans.
slightconfuse
Banned
Nobody says the pledge of allegiance
Certainly. I would be proud of my heritage, I'm happy to represent my culture and history, that's as far as it goes.
Lightning Count
Member
Got some proof to back this up?
Not really, no. No one "worships" the monarchy, even if they are supporters, but a huge number of you do worship the US flag. It's the first thing non-Americans notice.
look pal i've seen enough american movies to tell you for sure : you guys only eat mcdonalds and say the pledge of allegiance at least once a day
Overly enthusiastic patriotic americans are kinda like the fans who chant "we are awesome" at wrestling shows.
Based on what? You speak that decisively like you can speak for both nationalities or such. I'm sure there are people that "worship" the monarchy just as much as there are poeple that "worship" the US flag.
Lightning Count
Member
I have never heard anyone here call it that except when specifically referring to the past.
Similar to how there are people that watch TNA, and there are people who watch WWE. It's an accurate statement, but it misses the greater context.
Also, I say this as a United States citizen, our patriotism and level of national pride does get pretty sick at times. Too many people in this country pretend it's the middle of the 20th century when the US actually had more claim to being one of the best countries in the world. And in hindsight shit like the pledge of allegiance is kind of disturbing.
To further drive home how ridiculous American patriotism gets at times, we still have a large contingent of people in the south who still wave around the flag of a never-actually-existed country that lost its only war.
To further drive home how ridiculous American patriotism gets at times, we still have a large contingent of people in the south who still wave around the flag of a never-actually-existed country that lost its only war.
slightconfuse
Banned
Do you guys really,think Americans get up in the morning and praise a Flag??
WTF
WTF
I don't recall anyone saying that.
Lightning Count
Member
Worse still is that they do it fully aware of the negative racial connotations associated with said flag and they are still proud of it.
avengers23
Banned
Bro, two of your most notable guys wear Union Flags all over their jocks
I don't see Ricochet running around in America trunks. Obviously John Cena wears a lot of American flag apparel because it's part of his gimmick as a fake marine or whatever the fuck. Beyond that, who else does it? Swagger doesn't do it anymore and when he did, it was portraying him as a bad guy. Kurt has been doing that shit since the 90s, and it's part of his Olympic gimmick.
I don't see Gable running around with USA garb everywhere. The only people wearing USA tights other than that now are all heels.
I don't see why that matters in a Japanese company.
You know why gaijin like the Brits can get away with wearing the Union Jack in Japan while Americans would get shit on if they tried it?
You know why patriotic American gimmicks get heel heat these days?
Wrestling, like everything else, in the context of culture. And America is a heel these days.
FlammableD
Banned
There's an entire sub-rant I could go on about how Japanese people should be angry at their own government for Hiroshima instead of being angry at Americans, but that's a discussion for another time. America in general has plenty of heel heat from other things (see: the post above)
Steiners wore their flag tights in Japan all the time. Giving them guff about something that happened 50 years ago that had nothing to do with them and before they were even alive in Japan would be beyond dumb. No Japanese person is going to boo an American wrestler for wearing their flag because their country got nuked.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
You still had your part, though.
I mean, I could point to slavery being an American thing, but we Dutch had our part in that, so did the UK, Spain and France. We're all assholes here.
The thing I want to know most in wrestling, and likely never will, are receipts for wrestlers in the 70s and 80s in Japan.
Specifically, I want to know how much guys like Mil Mascaras, Bruiser Brody, Andre , and Hogan and the like were making. I always hear about 'Andre money' from older guys of that era when they're talking about working Japan. But like, I wonder how much Mil made for example. Did he make as much as Hansen? More? Less? Hansen had a longer legacy there, but Mil was in it much earlier and was CRAZY over when he showed up. I saw two dudes getting in a fight in the audience over his entrance mask.
'Quiet respectful Japanese crowd', getting in a fight over Mil's mask.
Specifically, I want to know how much guys like Mil Mascaras, Bruiser Brody, Andre , and Hogan and the like were making. I always hear about 'Andre money' from older guys of that era when they're talking about working Japan. But like, I wonder how much Mil made for example. Did he make as much as Hansen? More? Less? Hansen had a longer legacy there, but Mil was in it much earlier and was CRAZY over when he showed up. I saw two dudes getting in a fight in the audience over his entrance mask.
'Quiet respectful Japanese crowd', getting in a fight over Mil's mask.
avengers23
Banned
A cursory GIS for "Steiners in Japan" and "Steiners wrestling Japan" shows them in their neon zebra striped singlets. Unless you're referring to the stars and stripes singlets from the Steiner Screwdriver gif:
Rikidozan's whole thing was that he was the Japanese hero putting down foreign, specifically American heels. Anti-American heat is practically built into puro.
✓ liberated everyone from evil
✓ won the vietnam war
✓ destroyed terrorism
Lightning Count
Member
Wrong on all counts.
*Shrug* There's logic behind the idea that Hiroshima in the big picture saved lives, because every single historian worth a grain of salt all say that a ground incursion into WW2 Japan would have been one of the biggest bloodbaths in the history of the human world.
Yeah, I've never been comfortable with how revisionist the US story of WW2 has gotten. I mean, sure, we definitely helped but most of the heavy lifting the US did in WW2 was in the Pacific.
A cursory GIS for "Steiners in Japan" and "Steiners wrestling Japan" shows them in their neon zebra striped singlets. Unless you're referring to the stars and stripes singlets from the Steiner Screwdriver gif:
Rikidozan's whole thing was that he was the Japanese hero putting down foreign, specifically American heels. Anti-American heat is practically built into puro.
Rikidozan's era was a lot different than the 80s and 90s because it was still close to the events of WW2. That stuff's as dated as stuff like The Orient Express. Jumbo wasn't rolling through evil Americans. Dr Death, Hansen, Brody, and the likes weren't playing evil American heels.
I mean, you do know how over American boy Terry Funk was in Japan in the 80s, right?
Every morning I wake up and do the Pledge of Allegiance while Real American is blasting. My neighbors have complained, but brother they are just jealous of my patriotism.
https://youtu.be/-paa3wwGWww
https://youtu.be/-paa3wwGWww
TarpitCarnivore
Member
It's one of those things I saw as a shirt and thought it was the most ridiculous American thing ever. I only reference it in conversations like this where it turns into a bit of dick waving contest about country pride.
Lightning Count
Member
OK let's see what I do that is stereotypically Scottish.
I only wear kilts at weddings.
I eat haggis like once a year.
I am not a heavy drinker I stop after about two drinks.
I only wear kilts at weddings.
I eat haggis like once a year.
I am not a heavy drinker I stop after about two drinks.