My Swedish colleagues have each individually asked me if that is how Swedes sound to me! 
If the sound of the lead singer of Volbeat is any indication, the Swedish chef is actually Danish.
That’s Icelandic.
I think it’s safe to laugh at the Swedish chef because:
-
There’s no history in America of REAL discrimination against Swedes. Most Swedish-Americans came to the USA 150 years ago or more, and hey’ve been wholly integrated into American society for almost all of that time. Jews and blacks are sensitive to stereotypes because they’ve suffered genuine racism and intolerance. Swedes haven’t, so they can generally laugh off old stereotypes.
-
Nowadays, you’ll never hear an old-fashioned Swedish accent in real life. Most Swedes today speak flawless English. You won’t recognize a Swede by his funny accent but by his complete lack of ANY kind of accent at all. Swedes speak English just a little TOO perfectly to pass for American.
Sportscenter is also racist!
I laughed.
Someone has never watched Deadwood.
Its ok to laugh at people in power
Or The Long Riders for that matter. Still, not a slur that has had much traction in a long time or in most of the country.
Funny-accent humor does fall into a weird space and it’s hard to figure out what might make one character acceptable and another prejudiced. Nobody will call you a bigot for doing an Irish accent, for example, perhaps because we’re far enough removed from the mistreatment of Irish-Americans that it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Laughing at mispronunciation linked to a particular accent is different from stereotyping a nationality, and I think that counts for something. In some contexts, like Inspector Clouseau, I think the humor might be innocent enough that it’s not hateful to do it. And when I say innocent, I mean it’s the kind of thing kids will sometimes laugh at. Ostracizing someone based on national origin or an accent is terrible, but I wouldn’t think a child was mean if they laughed at Clouseau. I’d put the Swedish Chef in that category. These are characters with funny voices and I don’t think that needs to be excused.
I love Chico Marx, but nobody thinks he sounds like an Italian. The story has always gone that he started doing an Italian accent to fool neighborhood bullies in the Yorkville neighborhood where the Marx Brothers were born, but if he ever tricked anyone, those people were either very dumb or had never spent one minute listening to actual Italian. Or both. Clouseau is hilarious but I suppose you could say the character himself is an idiot who happens to be French, not a French stereotype. Groundskeeper Willie is one of my favorite Simpsons characters, but most people reject the notion that he sounds anything like any Scotsman.
And I think those things are different from doing “me rikey egg rorr” because that treads on ugly stereotypes and not just a voice. I admit there may not be a firm line here, but I’d hesitate to lump them all together.
I always thought Moroney had a great accent. (is that an accent… or just a play on words? Now I’m confused). Whatever it is, always made me laugh.
The last time I did was in 1974 when I worked for Greyhound. Mom and Dad were living in Rockford, IL, which had a lot of (generations) of Swedish residents and the sing-song, “yah, sure” accent was still common. They talked like that. Junior and Sis came visiting from The Old Country and sounded Generic Central or Northern European. Coulda been from anywhere. Nowadays most Scandinavians speak better English than me. Er, than I. It’s embarrassing.
Swedes were on the receiving end of discrimination when they first arrived just like any other group of immigrants.
The Swedish accent is the basis of the Minneapolis accent parodied to such great effect in Fargo. Sarah Palin was also mocked for her similar sounding accent.
Accent humor is funny and hurts no one. There are many problems in this world but too many people laughing and enjoying themselves is not one of them. Some people need to take the stick out of their bums and find a sense of humor.
There is a bit of history there, though. Swedes and Norwegians have a (these days, fairly friendly) rivalry that probably dates back to the union of the two countries.
This is plausible. If he just enunciated less clearly, he could be the Danish chef.
I think he does speak Danish in one episode. You know, the one where he has an accident while cooking and ends up with a whole potato stuck in his throat 
Um … no.
Also, there is no “lack of accent” as that itself defines an accent, as I am sure you really know.
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.
Interestingly, there used to be anti-Swedish prejudice in North America that has since died out so thoroughly that it has been more or less totally forgotten, except by historians.
For the record, the stereotype was that Swedes were supposed to be incredibly dumb, backwards and guillible hicks - no doubt a reflection of rural immigrants from Sweden settling in America.
Anyone recall The Flintstones episode with Ollie, Ingmar and Sven Erickson?
(Yeah I Googled for Ingmar and the last name, but recall “I am Sven.” “Ya. And I am Ollie.”)
Not too flattering of the Swedes in the 1960s!
Heh, that’s a bit late for the stereotype to still be thought funny!
Robert Service wrote a poem based on the stereotype, entitled “Dumb Swede”, in which two Americal slicks try to take advantage of a “dumb Swede” (and he turns the tables on them). Note the gratuitous and casual use of the n-word …