# I Laughed At The Swedish Chef. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 27, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132 "2014-04-27T20:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/41 "2014-05-03T18:14:14Z")
> [@Mogle](#): > > No, he isn’t, even though it would have been hilarious if he had, before coming to these boards I had never even heard of the idea of referring to him as such. Ditto. The Swedish chef is and has always been known as _Den svenske kocken_ in Sweden, which means “The Swedish chef”. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/42 "2014-05-03T21:33:52Z")
I never thought of him as stereotypical, any more than I thought they were saying all frogs are swinophilics. Each of the muppets had his/her own personality and they were all quite obviously misfits. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/43 "2014-05-05T17:47:52Z")
Check out this [racist cartoon](http://www.straightdope.com/images/art/1996/961115.gif) that insults Italians and Italian-Americans. Really? Assino, Fuoco, Bango, Kicko :mad: The most disturbing thing is where I found this [vile filth](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1166/is-there-a-door-in-st-peters-basilica-thats-opened-once-every-100-years). ☹ Does anyone believe the SD needs to go back and cleanse this stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/44 "2014-05-05T17:55:09Z")
When will the decades of Swedish oppression end?! “Forget it Jake, its Swedetown” ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/45 "2014-05-05T17:56:37Z")
They might also say Miss Piggy is making fun of transgendered people because in real life Miss Piggy was voiced by a gay man (Frank Oz) doing a kind of drag queen thing. Hyyy Yahhh! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/46 "2014-05-05T18:00:39Z")
Oz created the character of Miss Piggy and as far as I can tell from he isn’t gay. So no, _they_ probably wouldn’t say that. Whoever they are. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/47 "2014-05-05T18:04:30Z")
Years ago “Pollack” jokes, making fun of Polish people, were pretty common yet I never hear them anymore. On the Swede thing. Now that American Indians have rose up and said they dont like Native Americans used as sports mascots many people of Nordic descent are complaining the same about using Vikings. Which is why in the past years new sports teams have quit using any mascot name that uses cultural icons. Its now almost all some sort of non-threatening term like the Colorado Rockies, Tennesse Titans, Kansas City Attack. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/48 "2014-05-05T18:19:22Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Years ago “Pollack” jokes, making fun of Polish people, were pretty common yet I never hear them anymore. > > On the Swede thing. Now that American Indians have rose up and said they dont like Native Americans used as sports mascots many people of Nordic descent are complaining the same about using Vikings. > > Which is why in the past years new sports teams have quit using any mascot name that uses cultural icons. Its now almost all some sort of non-threatening term like the Colorado Rockies, Tennesse Titans, Kansas City Attack. Titans? Cultural appropriation of Greek mythology! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/49 "2014-05-05T18:55:37Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > On the Swede thing. Now that American Indians have rose up and said they dont like Native Americans used as sports mascots many people of Nordic descent are complaining the same about using Vikings. No, they aren’t. I can find a few message board threads about it, but I don’t even know if they’re serious. If a significant number of people are upset by the name Vikings, they can try to get their views heard, but I don’t think that’s actually true. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/50 "2014-05-05T19:05:44Z")
I don’t mind the Boston Celtics, I just wish they’d learn to pronounce their name. . . ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/51 "2014-05-05T19:17:56Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I don’t mind the Boston Celtics, I just wish they’d learn to pronounce their name. . . Please pass the Celt. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hakuna07](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna07)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/52 "2014-05-09T19:46:12Z")
If it’s any consolation, asian kids make fun of the way English speakers sound. My wife speaks a Chinese (teochow) dialect from Malaysia. She says whenever they saw a foreigner they would assume they were English speaking and would imitate them making a “swish a swish a swish” sound. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/53 "2014-05-10T02:01:16Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Oh yeah, ye ole Danish-potato bit of bigotry. :mad: Racism is racism even when presented as a joke. Danephobia is everywhere, it must be dealt with by relentless self-censure. A bunch of pastry eating pornographers. So long and thanks for all the bacon… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/54 "2014-05-12T06:41:06Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Besides, the [Swedish Chef isn’t really Swedish](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iljHvsGWPkE). He’s speaking Mock Swedish but his native tongue is Mock Japanese. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/55 "2014-05-12T16:12:40Z")
Is the [Frito Bandito](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbYj7ZyqjYY) racist? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/56 "2014-05-12T16:38:35Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Is the [Frito Bandito](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbYj7ZyqjYY) racist? He is these days. The spic. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/57 "2014-05-12T19:18:12Z")
Howz about [Juan Valdez?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_INwKKJKK4) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/58 "2014-05-12T22:11:17Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Is the [Frito Bandito](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbYj7ZyqjYY) racist? Well, negative reactions from the Hispanic community caused Frito-Lay to retire him around 1971–and he was only created around 1966–so I would guess that he has been regarded as an inappropriate icon for a rather long time. > [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Howz about [Juan Valdez?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_INwKKJKK4) Unlike the Frito Bandito, a bandit assigned to a product by a North American company, Juan Valdez is a skilled farmer raising a crop who was chosen by the Colombian coffee _federación_, (although created by a Madison Avenue advertising company), to represent their own product. Their backgrounds (an imposed thief _vs_ a self-selected worker) indicate why one is considered offensive and the other is not. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132/59 "2014-05-14T16:37:24Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Ye Gods, by the time we are finished ethnically cleansing our language, George Orwell will be rolling in his grave and calling us all ninny zealots! Poppycock. And Balderdash, while I’m at it. He’ll be calling us _doubleplusunsmart_ zealots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-laughed-at-the-swedish-chef/687132.md?page=2)