So Finnish culture and stereotypes about Finns

I'm trying to write an essay about Finnish culture for sake of practicing writing essays in english, but I'm drawing blank on this :P Its surprisingly hard to remember stuff I've heard from different classes so can anyone give me useful notes on this subjects?

Like what were stereotypes about Finns again and what is different about Finnish culture when compared to other cultures?

I couldn't tell you about Finnish stereotypes. Because I also can't remember any of them.

The only one I can remember is being a drunk.

Yeaaaah, why the heck it is hard to tell about our own culture anyway?

So can you figure anything about Finnish drinking culture? I heard its apparently similar to russian drinking culture

Here's some links on Finnish stereotypes.

You could check out Scandinavia and the World comics tagged "Finland" (edit: [1]).

edited 31st Dec '12 5:18:35 AM by Telcontar

Lotsa forest. That's about all I can think of.

Finland in Scandinavia and the World is pretty similar to how Finnish people are sometimes stereotyped in Scandinavian countries, yeah. A long time ago, there was made several Finnish television dramas that portrayed Finnish people as dark and miserable drunkards living in isolated cabins in the woods, and somehow this portrayal still sticks around this day.

More modern stereotypes include that they're all metal-fans, drunk and/or say "perkele".

^Wait, was that Swedish/Norwegian/other Scandinavian or Finnish stereotype about Finns? .-. Since you said "Finnish television dramas"...

edited 31st Dec '12 6:12:07 AM by SpookyMask

The television dramas were made in Finland and then exported to the Scandinavian countries, where they helped create stereotypes. I don't know if they fit the kind of stereotype the Finnish attribute to themselves.

edited 31st Dec '12 7:09:05 AM by Lemurian

A common American stereotype of Finland is that they're all parts of metal bands with really long hair, because the most prominent Finnish thing in the US is a metal band (I can't remember their names, unfortunately).

I would say that most people I know don't even have any stereotypes about Finns specifically, they're just lumped in with Scandinavia. In which case the stereotypes are that they're all incredibly hot tall and blond people named Sven or Helga that like skiing. Also the metal thing. I think the famous band is HIM, though there's a lot of them.

edited 31st Dec '12 8:51:27 AM by wuggles

^I wonder how many foreigners can tell instantly that that guy is doing nothing but swearing

Though better question would be who can't guess it from tone of his voice xD

edited 31st Dec '12 8:56:45 AM by SpookyMask

The metal band I know the most about from Finland is Children of Bodom. Seen them live twice.

Finnish metal kicks ludicrous amounts of ass.

The only Finnish stereotype I can think of is the affinity to saunas.

I know right?

I had to be told that Canadians saying "Eh" was a stereotype.

The read of the Canadian trope page was very confusing at first.

They seem to be much better at motor racing than the rest of us... As is reflected by the fact that out of 7 Finnish F1 drivers 3 have been world champion, and that A Finnish driver has been World Rally Champion either 13 or 14 times, depending on how you count it.

This song defines your entire culture!

Ensiferum? Korpiklaani? Finntroll? Children Of Bodom? Norther?

Anyway, Finland's population-to-distance ratio is too low for us Dutch people to have stereotypes about you. Sorry

I think Finland, I think people who just don't give a fuck.

"Yeah, our suicide stats are really high. Because we don't lie about them." *quaffs booze, doesn't break eye contact*

I also think of kids learning to read from watching English tv with Finnish subtitles, clueless Swedish noblemen in funny hats bossing people around, and various conjugations of the word vittu.

... and Scandinavia And The World. ^_^; Sister Finland kinda looks like me with shorter hair.

Basically, from a Canadian point of view, Sweden and Finland are both Canada: the Platinum Package. All the same beautiful scenery and free health care, but with a government that's less fucked up and a school system that can brag about more than just being better than America's.

Generally I think of unspoiled wilderness, tall people with a lean towards blonde or red hair, universal healthcare, and free higher education (for a given value of "free", at least).

Three stereotypes about Finland:

• Incomprehensible language.
• Power metal.
• PERRRRKELE!

Marc: Where are you from in Canada? I've said "eh" all my life.

At the topic at hand:

From my experience with Finns, and my knowledge of Finland...

Short people (I'm 6 feet even; I've yet to meet a Finn taller than 5'7" - they're short to me ), long hair on everybody, metal fans, very relaxed but also very blunt. I have yet to meet a single Finnish person that didn't love alcohol, so the "drunk" stereotype carries on, I suppose, too.

And every Finnish person I've met seems to like Nightwish less than the rest of the world does, despite the fact Nightwish is Finland's biggest band ever.

Ah, I remembered something! Your musicians really hate playing Paranoid, because it's requested all the time!

Yeaaaaah, apparently Paranoid thing is some kind of meme here

But yeah, thanks for the posts guys, I'm currently trying to write the essay to end with problems xD Like that I can't figure out a good way to write better beginning for it, but I'll figure out something I think

@Grimview: What. I'm 185 meters(6 feet is according to google 182 something) and my big brother is over 190 And I know lots of people around my height or bit shorter or taller so I think that height thing doesn't make sense

Wait, you have met only long haired heavy metal people? That makes sense, every long haired heavy metal people I have met has been shorter than me

edited 5th Jan '13 2:55:05 AM by SpookyMask