| Date: | May 17, 2006 / year-entry #170 |
| Tags: | non-computer |
| Orig Link: | https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20060517-19/?p=31163 |
| Comments: | 14 |
| Summary: | The Germans is probably the most well-known episode of Fawlty Towers. Who better than John Cleese, therefore, to release the song Don't Mention the War, just in time for the World Cup. The purpose is to mend fences between Britain and Germany, but it might just make things worse, who knows. |
The Germans is probably the most well-known episode of Fawlty Towers. Who better than John Cleese, therefore, to release the song Don't Mention the War, just in time for the World Cup. The purpose is to mend fences between Britain and Germany, but it might just make things worse, who knows. |
Comments (14)
Comments are closed. |
Well, Monty Python and John Cleese are very popular in Germany – there even are a few German-language episodes of the flying circus.
The "the Germans" episode of fawlty towers is especially well-loved.
Won’t mend anything, but it might be fun to listen to it :D.
The German episodes are the best ever !
Still put a smile on my face even thinking about them.
Albrecht Dürer ! LOL
A common football chant from the England supporters is ‘Two world wars and one world cup!’. Maybe they’ll stop. Or not.
Yeah, you’re right. Don’t mention the war because is was about 61 years ago. It is not that we germans did not learn anything from it or something like this. It’s just… Do YOU like someone mentioning the fault you have once done over and over again??
Here’s the text of the whole song
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2180817,00.html
@Mark
I think we -should- mention the war. It’s kind of the idea by the constant reminders peppered around Europe as it is. It’s a reminder to those that choose not to learn history that we tend to screw up. And as far as World Wars go.. Germany doesn’t have a great track record. I expect the same thing with mistakes the US has made.
@Mark:
I still know living, breathing people that have numbers tattooed on their arms and can tell me all about where it was done and what happened there.
So tell me again how I should let it go. Even better, tell me how THEY should let it go.
@KristofU:
We’ve struck chicken!
The Worldcup (and the European soccer cup too) seems to be an extra episode to WW2 for many Englishmen. I think that is something a lot of Germans find very curios.
Apparently we all have learned different lessons.
wwii is over. we’re friends now.
Don’t mention the war … indeed but, really in these parts that should read..
"Don’t mention ‘GOOGLE’"… at least not too close to any heavy looking furninture !
"wwii is over. we’re friends now."
Indeed. Then why was there even a need for it after The Great War?
Since WitweBolt mentioned that curious connection between soccer and the war, I have to mention the comment reputedly made during the 1966 soccer world cup when it appeared that Germany might be able to gloat that they had beaten England at their national sport, to which the English answer was something like "Well never mind, we beat you twice at yours". Very politically incorrect, but certainly something I can imagine Basil muttering at his hotel in the episode!
> Yeah, you’re right. Don’t mention the war
You have to understand that
a) the English mainly do it to wind up the Germans (we don’t do it to the Italians, for example), and
b) we still mention the last successful invasion of Britain by a foreign power* so if you ask us to stop mentioning the much more recent WWII you’re on a hiding to nothing.
(Oh, and c) we do it "because we can" :-)
If you think "mentioning the war" is bad then never attend an England v. Scotland match.
By the way, you should think yourselves lucky. There are some Britons who think we should invade and retake the parts of France that "rightfully" belong to Britain :-) They’re joking. I think. Mostly.
* The phrase "1066 and all that" was originally a humourous book from the 30s, but the phrase has lived on far longer than that.
The last successful foreign invasion of Britain was 1688, not 1066.