Monday, June 18, 2012

Swedish advertising in English Fail - Pussi edition

I've blogged before about how more and more Swedish companies are using English in their slogans (Hemmakwell I am talking to you) but this is one of the old classic Swenglish mistake companies back for more punishment.


How is this for cat food?

Pussi - As good as it looks!

Ah yes, because this bag full of meat and gravy really looks appetizing. But then there is the fact that Pussi's old slogan used to be:

Pussi - Whisker lickin good

So they seem to be pretty aware of the double entendre. I mean, who markets cat food based on appearance. And their whisker lickin good products made quite a run on Swedish/English blogs.

Until then, if your cat is looking for some good looking food, try Pussi!

Friday, June 15, 2012

You better be subscribed to @sweden by now

Ok, I know I have blogged about @sweden way too much, but I love the idea. And, this week's Swedish ambassador has really got amazing things to say about Swedish culture.

If you haven't signed up to follow them, you should do it! (Unless of course you don't have twitter, which I totally support. I still can never get up the motivation to tweet)

Here are a few of my favorites from this week


If someone likes Justin Bieber in Sweden, we dont care. We let them. We dont call him "gay" if we mean "he sucks". We say "he sucks".

The dinner was horrible. It felt like eating your way through a shaved vikings chest, while he's trying to kill you.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

@sweden gives insight into Swedes views on Jews

So @sweden - the official Swedish twitter that switches 'Swedes' on a weekly basis and gives them free rein over the twitter channel made international news again today for comments @sweden made about Jews.

Apparently the current Sweden - Sonja, a twenty something mother of two - wondered about what a Jew actually is, how you tell someone is Jewish and what it really means in an exceedingly naive discussion that quickly blew up in her face.

What I like about it? I think Sonja's comments are not so off base for a lot of Swedes when it comes to Judaism. Here are some things I have heard Swedes say about Jews over the years:

My SFI teacher, to a Jewish student while we were having drinks at a bar "Oh, you are Jewish? I hate arabs too"

A lawyer I know "You cannot ignore the fact that when a Jew walks into a room, they carry a certain 'pondus' (a natural authority).

"Never trust a Dane or a Jew with your money," a former colleague.

"Don't be such a Jew" Some idiot trying to 'buy' a cigarette from me. They weren't my cigarettes, a friend left them on the table. I gave a randomly high price.

I have a lot of examples like this from people that I wouldn't consider 'anti-Semitic' or racist, but who really have maybe met one Jewish person in their lives. Combine this with a general dislike of the state of Israel, and you have a bit of insight into how, I think any way, many Swedes view Jews.

I am very happy @sweden made her bit of a public blunder. It is about time someone other than Ilmar Reepalu, the annoying Malmö mayor who walks a thin line of flirting with Muslim voters he for some reason seems to believe are highly anti-Semitic, and trying to insist that he never said anything like anything he is ever quoted as saying about the Jews.

I had actually planned to post a bit more about Reepalu in the future, but since @sweden piped up, had to start tackling the issue now.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Happy Swedish National Day - How to become Swedish

It is time for Swedish National Day, a day off in which Swedes celebrate their country by doing nothing in particular. And a day that most Swedes will not be able to tell you why it specifically is Sweden's national day.

Don't be fooled. Swedes are proud of their country. But they are proud in a Swedish way and not a 'USA,USA,USA' sort of way.

Swedes are pretty sure their country is the best in the world and wouldn't trade it for much (except for maybe if they could move the whole thing to a warmer location, but not too warm because heat is uncomfortable, too). They just show it by complaining about the idiocy of other countries instead of waving flags.

In honor of Sweden and all of the wonderful things that are Swedish I present this video, for all of you wannabe Swedes out there, all of you new Swedes out there -

Have a great National Day!