Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:45 pm

---

How do you feel about the way new zealanders are portrayed in television ads?

Take the pineapple lumps ad for example. Portraying a nzer to be lazy and slept in, not wearing a suit and tie like everybody else is, and opting for the less valuable of pocessions.

Or other kiwiana ads which claim the important things in our lives and watties sauce or sandals? maybe the buzzy bee or tui?

Are we as New Zealanders degrading ourselves???

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:49 pm

---

no, i think that we coz we're so laid back etc that we can poke fun at ourself and have a laugh, but i do think that we are culturally lacking. unless your maori or directly from another country, i think that heritage is whats lacking.

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:00 pm

---

heritage? lacking? If there is one thing that new zealanders push too much its culture. Do you see australians do a native aboriginal dance before each rugby game? no. do you see canadains do a native indian dance for a hockey game? no.

But yes I do agree with nzers being laid back. But I feel if we want to develop as a country we need to look at the image of ourselves that we portray to the rest of the world.

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:28 pm

---

then maybe a better word for it would be identity. we are a multicultural society and thats one of the things that makes us really unique and a desirable place to live like i cldnt imagine living anywhere else, but even though i feel a sence of ownership over things such as the haka and such, and call it my own as any nzer would. But im not part of the maori culture i cant call myself maori because im not. So whats the rest of us left with other than the culture of the country that our parents an grandparents migrated from? buzzy bees and stubbies? thats not culture. and its seems like thats the stereotype the rest of us live with in substitution of culture and an world wide recognized identity

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:07 pm

---

your right, new zealand is made up of lots of different cultures. The native people of new zealand have the maori culture. The rest of us, who have migrated here, have our own ancestors which have their own cultures. Like my grandparents are from England, they have their own little cultural things they do. Just like the maoris have theirs. Everyone has their own culture, so there is no excuse for claiming these kiwiana items to be yours. These kiwiana items are just things which are collectively common amongst people living in new zealand.

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:28 pm

---

i think u miss my point. Okay well im second generation dutch. i have a dutch passport we keep in contact with family in holland etc. But being born a new zealander thats what i am, a kiwi. and when i grow up and have kids etc what culture can i bring to them?i can teach them the language and traditions etc, but what relevance will it have to them? what culture do we as new zealand europeans have to pass onto them? as the generations go downward the dutch will eventually be bred out.

Im not saying that we dnt have ancestory and outside cultures all brought to the table, because thats what new zealand is, but we collectively as a nation dont have one solid identity. Some might argue that thats a good thing and thats fine. But i guess what im trying to say is that all that kiwianna crap such as jandals and bbqs on xmas day that we get stuck with a a collective label is misleading, but in saying that is it all that we have to our name as kiwis?

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:48 pm

---

You and your family should try hard to maintain your traditions as should other families, even if it's just on special occassions. We have made a culture for ourselves, and what I'm saying is I think we should look twice at ourselves and ask ourselves as a nation, is this how we wish to be seen?

Some may think this laid back lifestyle is great, but everything needs moderation. Being laid back is great and I enjoy it, but there are times when things to need to be taken more seriously.

As for the things we have to our name, I'm not too sure. I'm not sure how the rest of the world perceives us, it would be interesting to ask someone in the USA or England perhaps.

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:04 pm

---

anyone from there who knows?

what does everyone else think?

RE: Dumb NZers?
Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 12:41 am

---

This is an automatic reply stating that Muzic Bot has closed this thread due to inactivity.

This means that there have been no posts made to this thread for a period of 12 months and the thread has been locked.

Now that this thread is locked, you will not be able to make any further posts to it.