Who does the term “Euro trash” refer to?
I have a faint impression of an Italian gigolo in a polyester shirt and Raybans pocketing hors d’oeuvres at a Cannes fashion show. Am I even close?
Before the grammar police jump down my throat:
“To whom does the term “Euro trash” refer?”
Euro Trash is the new Unit of currency, isn’t it?
Seriously…it refers to the horde of trashy european socialites that descended upon the discos of New York City in the late 70’s and early eighties. Cracker has that great song, ‘Eurotrash Girl’
A piece of Eurotrash is one of those relative things - as the judge said of obscenity, “I know it when I see it”.
The aforementioned eye-talian in poly and Raybans, scarfing munchies at a fashion show? Yes, he could very well be Eurotrash; though I’d have to see his body language and hear him speak to know for sure, you see.
Eurotrash to ME means a certain snotty Continental-ness wrapped in complicated clothing. A specific arrogance is required … I think the subject’s attitude, here, is the most important thing in determining whether a person is Eurotrash or no.
UKers? The Brits are never Eurotrash. The French - they are usually not Eurotrash, they’re just “French”; they get a pass. Same with the Italians and Spanish … in general (but not the Portuguese).
Dutch, Belgians, Germans, Swiss, Austrians; PRIME Eurotrash nations. Prime. The vast majority of the Eurotrash you encounter will come from those countries, I think.
Scandinavians - not generally, unless they try and rub that higher-culture/better-society crap in your face; then they are definitely Eurotrash.
Eastern Euros - typically too pathetic to be Eurotrash … Though the Czechs havs gotten pretty big for their britches in the past 10 years; they think they are very cool because they are Czech. So Eurotrashiness might certainly be found among their populace.
I hope this has been of some service.
I’m a loner, Dottie … a rebel.
Was somebody calling me? Oh… never mind.
An infinite number of rednecks in an infinite number of pickup trucks shooting an infinite number of shotguns at an infinite number of road signs will eventually produce all the world’s great works of literature in Braille.
I’d generally agree with RTA, but for the inclusion of “Portuguese ?”
I always thought it tended to refer to the pretentious types (think Mike Myers in his SNL skit “Shprockets”) who could talk about whatever subject in this philosophically aloof, emotionally detached kind of way… few Latins meet the definition.
Think some oh-so-thin people puffing Gauloises from a holder, speaking “knowledgeably” and dispassionately about the plight of Haitian artists, or the US crime rate, with no personal experience of either, maintaining an ironic distance from everything in a snide kind of way, yet espousing nothing (“Yah, I am only using your controlled substances to fulfill your petty need for self-validation through counter-cultural examples of barter goods no less materialistic than those of the culture you wish to deny by using them, which you don’t understand but I do, because I reject this facade…schnluurrp !”).
Perhaps amoral touches on it too.
I have some first hand experience with Euro Trash - courtesy of my sister in law. This excreable creature lived in France and Italy for more than a decade, and became very sophisticated and cultured - as she will gladly explain to you, carefully avoiding any long or difficult words you provincials wouldn’t understand. Her life revolves around her mirror, which restaurant to go to, what to wear, and complaining about how difficult it is to find good help. (She really said that - I always thought that saying was a joke, but she is serious.) She never went to college, and basically lived off one boyfriend or another from the age of 17 to 33. Something, by the way, she is quite proud of. She tells my daughter that if things got bad, she simply found another boyfriend and moved in with him. After living in both France and Italy for years, did not know what the Bastille was (as in Bastille Day!) and thought that Garibaldi liberated and unified South America. People laugh when she speaks Italian - She says it is because her accent is so good, but my mother in law says because it is so bad.(in her defense - she is perfectly understandable, but silly sounding)Tecnically she is not Euro-Trash, as she was born an American (well,in theory, she was actually born in California), but if she had her way, she would be right back with those idiots. I really think that these guys are simply jealous that the whole world wants to be Americans, and they ain’t. Maybe the best way to describe Euro-Trash is they are exactly the kind of useless, arrogant, self -congratulatory parasitic people our ancestors got on the boat to get the hell away from.
A typical Euro-trash scam:
“Eskooz me, pleas. I doo noht havf any mohney for petrol for my automobeel and I must get to Miami to see de opening uff my brahther’s new discotheque. Coold chu pohssibly spahre a few hundret dohllars for some petrol and a nice new silk shirt? Dahnk you veery much!”
http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005647.html
I’d generally agree with RTA’s description, but would add that the French can definately be Eurotrash (though they can be simply French as well, a subtle but important distinction). Brits and Americans can be Eurotrash, or much worse wannabe Eurotrash, by copying the annoying manners, dress and other bad habits of the true continental brethren. jwg’s sister-in-law seems to be ther perfect example of true American Eurotrash.
The distinguishing characteristics of EuroTrash are that they simultaneously hate everything American and are obsessed by everything American.
Would you care to step over this line and say that?
If you want to see Eurotrash, see the Hellfish episode of the Simpsons. The guy at the end is even listening to Euro-trashy music!
In the movie Antz, there’s one scene where a pair of wasps (in both senses of the word) are talking to the ants (Zee and Atta; I may have the names wrong) in an extremely condescending way.
At one point, one of the ants (I forget which) clarifies that it’s actually PRINCESS Atta, to which one of the wasps says under his breath: “It’s worse than I thought. They’re Eurotrash.” Or words to that effect.
When it comes to Eurotrash in music it is usually the artsy fartsy types from the early eighties. When punk was getting big and everything was cutting edge. People who hate The Cure or The Smiths would probably call them Eurotrash. At home if I listen to anything that comes from Europe (generally the UK) my husband will call it Eurotrash no matter what year it was released. Does that help any?
My Date With A EuroTrash Speciman:
Time: early 80’s Scene: Yes, a Discotheque, the hottest one in town. Met a guy notable for good looks and fashionable expensive clothing, danced, exchanged phone numbers. He called, invited me to go back to the club with him, but could I pick him up at the dorm where he lived while attending the university? I did so. Twenty minutes passed while he primped and preened and examined his face in the mirror and styled his hair. On the way there, asked how he got around town without a car. Straight faced, he told me he had a car, a Porsche, but he didn’t like to park it in the club’s parking lot because of the awful potholes. I managed to keep my laughable American car on the road. At 10 he demanded I take him home because he was going on vacation to Mexico City in the morning. And that was my brush with EuroTrash Boy. So I agree a certain arrogance goes with the territory. BTW he was from Algeria, spoke with a very strong French accent, was studying political science. He looked a lot like the Indian boy, “Ed”, on Northern Exposure, only with big curly hair covered with a half a can of hair spray.
I’ll say it in front of that line, on top of that line, over that line, anywhere.
It’s not like being threatened by the Swiss is any cause for alarm … Perhaps one’s time is better spent counting their Nazi gold and anonymously hiring their banks out to whatever scumlord waves enough dollars in their face … RATHER than asserting that they are not Eurotrash?
As far as the Portuguese, I speak only of the artsy-fartsy, globalization-minded segments of their society, and not the farmers and fishermen et. al. who are, naturally, the salt of the earth.
Why I oughta… :mad:
Next time you try and put money in one of our banks, I’ll send word to my buddies over there, and we’ll make sure it’s hidden in the deepest vault. Good luck getting it back!
Well this thread definitely wins the prize for some of the most pathetic generalizations I have ever come across.
Another common use of Eurotrash, by the way, is when the unrefined talk in an envious way of those who happen to be European and have better manners/education/clothes/assets/etc. You could argue that this is incorrect usage, but it happens frequently.
Either way, I have come across exceedingly unpleasant and pretentious individuals in Europe and in N. America. The world is full of cretins, and in most places you live you will find them.
Incidentally, where do you get the impression that people are obsessed with the U.S.? I have lived all over the world and have yet to find a country that has a positive holistic opinion of the U.S., and I do not mean that as a slur in any way.
Abe
IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.
–Ambrose Bierce
“Eurotrash” has entered popular use for any arrogant swaggering European who thinks he or she is superior to vulgar colonials, but it was probably first used among the smart set for the countless titled nobility of Europe. There are all kinds of dukes, counts, countesses, princes, princesses, heirs to various thrones, rattling around the world. A lot of them don’t have a penny and they consider working for a living beneath their dignity. There are usually enough suck-holes and patrons around they can mooch off of and have their egos boosted by. The most offensive thing about them is that they truly believe they have superior “blood”. Calling them “Eurotrash” can be very satisfying because their day is gone. Historically World War I put an end to the aristocracy.
In fairness, there are probably a lot of European nobility doing good works and dedicated to humanitarian efforts, but the modern aristocracy - the truly wealthy by whatever means - still run into the “Eurotrash” version socially and look down on them, hence the snide “behind the back” slur of “Eurotrash”.