Germans nostalgic for communist life

[Nie Trink Wasser]

veeeeery interesting....

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_5-9-2003_pg9_1

A third of people in eastern Germany regret that so much of daily life under their former communist regime has all but disappeared since the country was reunified, according to a survey. The poll found that a wave of nostalgia for the old days, highlighted by a series of recent films and television shows, is based on some reality.


The summer’s cinema hit Goodbye, Lenin, which poignantly recalls life in the German Democratic Republic - has been followed up by a string of TV programmes celebrating the fashions, food and everyday hassles that characterised life in the eastern part of the country, which was a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union between 1949 and 1989.

The latest, fronted by GDR golden girl Katarina Witt - a former Olympic ice skating champion, was watched on Wednesday night by some 6.5 million people. As the phenomenon grows, so does the debate as to whether it is appropriate to be sentimental about life under a regime which shot those who tried to escape its clutches, and persecuted those who disagreed with its ideology. However, despite the concessions and the criticisms, there is still a significant body of opinion that believes it right that East Germans are finally being allowed to reminisce in a positive fashion. —BBC

 

[Mendor]

[slight tangent]

The summer’s cinema hit Goodbye, Lenin, which poignantly recalls life in the German Democratic Republic

I've seen that. It's not that poignant; it paints everyday life in the DDR as pretty dull and grey, with crappy food and clothes that don't fit; and the scene where the protagonist is beaten and dragged away by riot police for being on a protest march doesn't exactly leave East Germany smelling of roses.

That said, it wasn't very complimentary of the sudden consumerist rush into East Berlin and the DDR after the Wall fell, either. It was a fairly balanced film, all in all. Quite funny, as well.

[/slight tangent]

 

[aerocontrols]

Somewhat related sign in a window in Bratislava Slovakia:

 

[wollery]

veeeeery interesting....

Why? What do you find interesting about it? Please comment!

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

germany at it again

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/05/depp.misquoted.reut/index.html

Depp, starring in the swashbuckling film "Pirates of the Caribbean," issued the statement a day after the German news magazine Stern published an interview in which he ridiculed Washington's confrontation with France, where he lives, over the U.S. war in Iraq.

The magazine quoted the actor as saying: "America is...like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive."

Explaining his comments a day later, Depp said he had been using a metaphor that was taken "radically out of context," adding, "There was no anti-American sentiment."

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

Somewhat related sign in a window in Bratislava Slovakia:

cool f'n pic !

 

[Crossbow]

Come now NTW and focus on your tennis ball for just a moment. OK now? Good!

All right then, what is popular in entertainment seldom reflects the desire of those enjoying the said entertainment.

Case in point, has anyone else besides me and 'The Fool' seen that old TV show Hogan's Heros? It was a popular 1960's comedy that was placed in a German Allied Prisioner of War camp. Just because the show was popular does not mean that those who watched it actually wanted to be in a German POW camp.

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

Come now NTW and focus on your tennis ball for just a moment. OK now? Good!

All right then, what is popular in entertainment seldom reflects the desire of those enjoying the said entertainment.

Case in point, has anyone else besides me and 'The Fool' seen that old TV show Hogan's Heros? It was a popular 1960's comedy that was placed in a German Allied Prisioner of War camp. Just because the show was popular does not mean that those who watched it actually wanted to be in a German POW camp.

you've missed the point, again.

A third of people in eastern Germany regret that so much of daily life under their former communist regime has all but disappeared since the country was reunified, according to a survey. The poll found that a wave of nostalgia for the old days, highlighted by a series of recent films and television shows, is based on some reality.

 

[CFLarsen]

you've missed the point, again.

So, why do you find this interesting?

 

[The Don]

Just because the show was popular does not mean that those who watched it actually wanted to be in a German POW camp.

Ah, but those people watching *ahem* "Adult" themed productions often wish to indulge in similar behaviour to that portrayed on screen

Which, BTW, goes to prove absolutely nothing

 

[Mr Manifesto]

Come now NTW and focus on your tennis ball for just a moment. OK now? Good!

All right then, what is popular in entertainment seldom reflects the desire of those enjoying the said entertainment.

Case in point, has anyone else besides me and 'The Fool' seen that old TV show Hogan's Heros? It was a popular 1960's comedy that was placed in a German Allied Prisioner of War camp. Just because the show was popular does not mean that those who watched it actually wanted to be in a German POW camp.

Gosh, I thought this was going to turn into a conversation about "Autofocus". I loved that movie. I mean, Greg Kinnear didn't have Bob Crane down in a method-acting sense, but he did a great characiture.

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

So, why do you find this interesting?

it's interesting because I have friends in Germany who talk about how passionate many Germans are about denouncing anything American......once again, it's en vogue !

I found the poll interesting juxtaposed with the german magazine grossly misquoting Johnny Depp.........

 

[CFLarsen]

it's interesting because I have friends in Germany who talk about how passionate many Germans are about denouncing anything American......once again, it's en vogue !

I found the poll interesting juxtaposed with the german magazine grossly misquoting Johnny Depp.........

Aha. You have friends?

 

[Crossbow]

you've missed the point, again.

Not at all!

Do you remember a week or so ago when you posted a story about Slave Repartitions. In reality, it turned out that this the root of this story involved a very small group that was not representative of anything except for a vocal, and very small, minority view.

It looks now like you are doing the same type of thing. You find one statistic that backs up your world view so you look at it as a validation of your world view.

My guess is that if you were to examine just how that poll was done you would find out that there were real problems with its methodology so unless the data is confirmed, I would say that its conclusions are in doubt (which is a polite way of saying these conclusions are stuff and nonsense).

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Originally posted by NieTrinkWasser


you've missed the point, again.

A third of people in eastern Germany regret that so much of daily life under their former communist regime has all but disappeared since the country was reunified, according to a survey. The poll found that a wave of nostalgia for the old days, highlighted by a series of recent films and television shows, is based on some reality.

That's nothing!

You should see how many people in the western part of Germany have a craving for the old days ....

 

[American]

It's mainly among the elderly, not young and middle-aged people who have busy lives over there. Of course the teenage-revolutionaries want a communist state, but that's another matter.

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

Not at all!

Do you remember a week or so ago when you posted a story about Slave Repartitions. In reality, it turned out that this the root of this story involved a very small group that was not representative of anything except for a vocal, and very small, minority view.

It looks now like you are doing the same type of thing. You find one statistic that backs up your world view so you look at it as a validation of your world view.

My guess is that if you were to examine just how that poll was done you would find out that there were real problems with its methodology so unless the data is confirmed, I would say that its conclusions are in doubt (which is a polite way of saying these conclusions are stuff and nonsense).

Crossdress, reading your write is a big-painful-moan.

you're always trying harder and harder to confuse things for the purpose of your spin.

for me you're just the annoying sock puppet that pops up from time to time with something to prove with verbiage.

 

[Crossbow]

I would like to add my personal story on this issue as well.

When I was in college, I had to take four semesters of a foreign language and I chose German.

In my Technical German class, the professor, and his family, came to the USA in 1945 when he was six years old but later they often made trips to Germany and he still had quite a bit of his extended family there.

Anyway, the Berlin Wall came down a couple of years before I took the class and he was able to tell us some of the things that they were saying in the former East Germany. He said that most liked the change, but there were a few who were liked the previous system since they did not have to do too much except wait in lines for things they needed where they would make an event of such things by bringing a lunch, some wine, a deck of cards, and so on. Apparently some people found that waiting in lines was great tool for social interaction and they missed it. They also liked the fact of the permanent employment, guaranteed pension, free health care, education, and so on.

Go figure!

 

[Nie Trink Wasser]

He said that most liked the change, but there were a few who were liked the previous system since they did not have to do too much except wait in lines for things they needed where they would make an event of such things by bringing a lunch, some wine, a deck of cards, and so on. Apparently some people found that waiting in lines was great tool for social interaction and they missed it. They also liked the fact of the permanent employment, guaranteed pension, free health care, education, and so on.

Go figure! [/B]

I'll take a note of that lil conviction, Crossdress.

 

[Crossbow]

I'll take a note of that lil conviction, Crossdress.

You are so sweet I will name my next kitten after you.