Check out this story from My Modern Met!
Sadly Germany and UK are not represented. Your countries certainly could not have pulled off anything more embarrassing than the USA contestant! I am laughing and crying I am so embarrassed! Eek! Just shoot me already and put me out of my misery!
What I love about the US is that we are many people. I love the diversity that makes this big country so interesting. The Indigenous Communities (First Nations) could have much better represented us than, ugh, Superman. Superman?!?!? Not only is he a fictional character, but probably my least favorite. And HELLO! Speaking of fictional characters there is literally one named "Captain America." Sheesh!
I need a stiff drink. Make it a double!
If the men of Mexico want to dress like that more often I might be inclined to move down South, way south. Japan, kawaii! and also finding Poland rather handsome.
If this guy needs a US national costume than "Uncle Sam" the personification of the US Federal government would have been the most accurate. Or you know, a pair of boxer shorts made out of American flag patterned material.
Here is the link for your perusal. There are two pages of man meat to ogle.
Male Beauty Pageant Promotes Cultural Dress and a Charitable Spirit (mymodernmet.com)
And heaven knows I love ogling men dear.
ReplyDeleteOn this I believe that the majority of us can agree is a rather fine pastime. :)
DeleteI've always fancied exploring Haiti... Jx
ReplyDeleteOh really? Not the one I would have expected you to pick, not that I had any specifically in mind for you, but interesting!
DeleteOh, hello Mr Sri Lanka! Mr Guam and Mr Panama would make for some decadent Safety Gays (to coin a phrase from Jon)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think that if Mr UK existed, he'd be decked out as a Knight of the Round Table, or at the very least in a swish suit with an umbrella, Bowler hat and briefcase. However, I fear that he'd just look like a chav. Or a bag of chips...
Oh, I can't take full credit - "safety gays" is a phrase first coined by "The All-Father/Mother of Bloggers" Thombeau [wherever he may be these days, as he certainly isn't on Blogger any more...].
DeleteIf "Mr UK" was on there, I am certain he would probably look like this. Jx
One of you will have to define what you mean by "Safety Gay" as I have not context to work with. Does this mean you are sure the man is gay? Or that he can protect you from your enemies? Something else entirely?
DeleteI love a man in a kilt! I was sad that Scotland was not represented in any capacity.
It did not escape my attention that Taiwan was able to participate to represent itself aside from China. I'm sure Big Brother Mainland is carefully noting every perceived infraction its independent little brother does. My support is with Taiwan to be its own. I like the idea of the bowler hat with briefcase (and umbrella in the other).
Jon: Your example , we'll call him Uncle Jack would look the part alongside Uncle Sam. Usually when I see the Union Jack its on a pair of underwear so I guess our countries are relatedly bawdy.
DeleteWhen a song-and-dance diva (of which there are gazillions; the likes of Cher, Mitzi Gaynor, Dalida, Raffaella Carra, Lola Falana, Joey Heatherton, Leslie Uggams, Regine, and even the saintly Miss Ross come to mind) is accompanied by a bevy of dancing boys who are obviously a bit light-in-their loafers, who "carry" said diva's routine by their mimicking of and/or supporting roles in the choreography, thus the epithet "safety gays" was born. As I say, I have an eternal debt to the wondrous and much-missed blog pioneer Thombeau (not least for actually providing the inspiration to me to create my own blog) for coining the phrase. Jx
Delete"Uncle Jack"? He's well-known as "John Bull".
DeleteUnion Jack underwear? Surely such things are only bought/worn by tourists... Jx
Jon, Ah, I see. I'm learning so much from you guys! I didn't know what the personified name of Britain was. There is a big gap in my understanding of British history. I know a lot about WWI and II and Anglo-Saxon history and that's pretty much it. I also know which places were once colonies of Britain, ie Hong Kong, India etc.
DeleteMelanie, was Uncle Sam based on a real person?
DeleteHoH - It turns out the answer is yes! And I did not know that either, so I learned something new! Per this website https://iron-set.com/us/users-questions/is-uncle-sam-based-on-a-real-person: Uncle Sam is based on a real person named Samuel Wilson, who lived in Troy, New York. He owned a meat packing business with his brother. During the War of 1812, he supplied food for the American soldiers. Apparently there was once also a female personification named Columbia. I didn't know that either!
DeleteGot here at last. UK would have worn a tracksuit or some garment filched from somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteYes, you need to come by more often!
DeleteDo Brits where a lot of tracksuits? I usually associate them with Eastern Europeans from Poland, Ukraine or Russia.
When I picture a generic British man he looks a lot like someone who could also be from the state of Maine. Sweater (Jumper), Slacks (what we call nice pressed pants) and a peacoat. Umbrella optional.
Ah, you're picturing the middle classes.
DeleteIn fact the tracksuit thing has birthed a whole gay fetish scene!
Interesting! I can't say I know much of anything about the common British person, which is why its such a pleasure getting to know all of you! I guess when I think of a regular British bloke I've really only got English punk bands from the 1980s as a reference, like Sex Pistols and Billy Idol, etc.
DeleteOne thing that disgusts me is that apparently "The Jerry Springer Show" is shown a lot in Middle Eastern countries as being a depiction of what real Americans are like and the majority of us are not like that at all! The show is staged and makes us look like the cesspool of humanity. No wonder devout Muslims want to kill us. If that was my only frame of reference about a countries people, I wouldn't like them either. I spent two months in India and it was crazy the kinds of stereotypes they believed about Americans, particularly American Women. Like apparently we just run around the globe having sex with all men. I partially blame AC/DC, The Guess Who, and David Bowie for making us legendary sex fiends in songs! So much for don't kiss and tell!
That is a cool reference point.
DeleteI do know what you mean about Jerry Springer. Personally I would be terribly tempted to tell them that John Waters's films are more realistic!
Meanwhile in Britain we used to have Jeremy Kyle...
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/most-shocking-brummies-appear-infamous-13173821
It is funny that the three bands/artists you cite are Australian, Canadian and British - I would assume they were being somewhat satirical in their lyrics about a country that was not their own? America's own home-grown cultural imperialism (TV/movies/music), as well as military and economic predominance, is possibly a factor.
DeleteForce-feed the world a diet of Madonna, Britney, Kardashians, "Real Housewives", "Jersey Shore", "The Bachelor"/ variations on "dating" shows, Megan Thee Stallion, sex, sex, and more sex, and that is inevitably what one gets. Jx
Jon surely the US got both imperialism and puritanism-seen-as-suppressed-sex from, ahem, us? That's the obvious source. 🤣
DeleteWell, Puritans were the original pioneer settlers in the States, I agree - from the Netherlands, Germany and Eastern Europe as well as the UK - but their attitude to sex wouldn't account for what Melanie's referring to; the "US girls are easy" stereotype. That's more a cultural phenomenon, given the predominance of US music and media worldwide. Jx
DeleteYou missed my point that it's the Puritan thing inverted, which would be the popular image precisely because a Puritan is bound to burst out at some point and end up marrying a horse.
DeleteJon, I looked them up behand to reconfirm and Wikipedia which told me they were English bands! I assume if they are English bands they from England and not just "English-speaking bands." Hmm
DeleteHoH & Jon, Yes, I do wish all of our American shit wasn't peddled so hard in other countries. There is also a geographic distinctions among this big ass country. We're more prudish up here in the North, for one, because its flippin' cold! Its a bit of a culture shock for us when we visit Florida and everyone's everything is practically hanging out for all the world to see. On the flipside, we're considered too laidback because we don't really dress up around here. We like jeans and a t-shirt or a sweater and our kids go everywhere we go, into pubs, fancy restaurants, and whatnot and other Americans think its weird. Our kids are well-behaved and relaxed like their parents though. We don't serve minors alcohol, the drinking age is 21 (or 19 across the border in BC Canada). If there is a problem, its usually a not chill adult causing it.
I'm only here to fling LUV at Mr. Japan. Something about that stance and those eyes is hotter than wasabi, man.
Delete