In one episode of ‘Family Guy’, the family is at the company picnic. Peter runs off to avoid getting shot by a tranquilizer dart from Mr. Weed, his boss. As he scurries into the woods, Stewie comments, “He runs like a Welshman!”
What exactly does Stewie mean? I’m sure there are Welsh stereotypes out there, but being on the far, far end of the pond (California) I’m a little clueless on what jokes people make about the Welsh.
Any idea?
There’s the old slur that the Welsh are thieves (“Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief”). Perhaps it’s related–“he’s running into the woods like a thief.”
Being a Welshman I was frankly puzzled myself when I heard Stewie make this remark. Any reference to us Welsh or Wales is practically non existent within popular culture, unless it’s rugby, singing or music, and that usually is only from the Uk. Outside of the Uk, the Welsh have little or no identity, unlike the Scots or Irish (that is to say how others see us).
There has in the past been much negative views of the Welsh propagated by the English, as we have always refused to be absorbed in to the wider Anglo Saxon culture, preserving our own language, and Welsh culture, which rejects all things English. So… If you can’t assimilate a people you attempt to vilify and destroy them. Propaganda is a useful tool in this aim. The reference to “running like a Welshman” I think refers to the Welsh being thieves. Quite ironic really, as the English stole all our coal iron, copper and other natural resources. The proceeds of which were taken to England. So… There has always been a degree of antipathy on some unconscious level between these two countries.
So to answer your question, it’s a negative reference to the welsh being dishonest thieves ( from a purely English perspective). I have only encountered this kind of hatred from some types of provincial English people, nowhere else.
mmmm… Zombie Welshmen!
Of course, it’s the Family Guy. Most of the jokes are meaningless throwaways.
You don’t have to write a college thesis on the existential crisis surrounding a Conway Twitty cut away or subtle feminist subtext of an extended chicken fight. Sometimes a greased up deaf guy is just a greased up deaf guy.
…can you understand what they’re saying?
Imagine That twist on a certain AMC show…