# Your nation's national personification! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358 "2006-12-08T16:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/1 "2006-12-08T16:58:20Z")
[Interesting list here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_personification) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/2 "2006-12-08T17:11:16Z")
I’m sorry… the Canadian entry in the list linked in the OP is inaccurate. None of the characters listed are a true national personification for Canada: Johnny Canuck is too forced, the Mountie is too political, and Big Joe Mufferaw is too regional. Instead, [we are the Beaver](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/We-Are-the-Beaver-lyrics-The-Arrogant-Worms/D946A89202A5AAC348256C6B000E0088). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/3 "2006-12-08T17:21:00Z")
For the US I suggest the addition of Gordon (“Greed is good!”) Gecco. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/4 "2006-12-08T17:46:17Z")
In the fifties, we had The Ugly American. I forget if he was the jingoist or the nice guy in the story, but that’s what we called jingoists. Glad that tag went away, if not the sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/5 "2006-12-08T17:59:00Z")
Hello Kitty is the personification of Japan??? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/6 "2006-12-08T18:08:11Z")
[QUOTE=if6was9] Hello Kitty is the personification of Japan??? :eek: [/QUOTE] That would explain a _lot_. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/7 "2006-12-08T18:11:36Z")
I’m just glad I’m not Swiss. Colin Tampon?! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/8 "2006-12-08T18:19:30Z")
[QUOTE=if6was9] Hello Kitty is the personification of Japan??? :eek: [/QUOTE] I would have picked Voltron. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/9 "2006-12-09T02:41:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Instead, [we are the Beaver](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/We-Are-the-Beaver-lyrics-The-Arrogant-Worms/D946A89202A5AAC348256C6B000E0088). 😃 [/QUOTE] You referenced The Arrogant Worms? Excuse me while I go crush in a majorly geeky way on you in this corner, please. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/10 "2006-12-09T02:56:52Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] You referenced The Arrogant Worms? [/QUOTE] Well, at least he didn’t say it was the last Saskatchewan pirate. History is made by stupid people, after all. 😃 Ahem. I’d take issue with Big Joe Mufferaw (not well enough known across the country), and Johnny Canuck (too old). Mounties, however, are pretty much it, I’d say. Most people I’ve met from around the world are familiar with the red-coated Mountie, and I’ve been asked many times how often I’ve seen these folks in the red coats–are they a common sight on the streets of Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver? (Answer: No. The red uniforms are their ceremonial uniforms. For everyday police work, they look just like regular police anywhere. But regardess, the Mounties in their red uniforms seem to symbolize Canada to everybody I’ve met around the world.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/11 "2006-12-09T03:35:31Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] You referenced The Arrogant Worms? Excuse me while I go crush in a majorly geeky way on you in this corner, please. [/QUOTE] :: blush :: ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/12 "2006-12-09T08:46:04Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] I would have picked Voltron. [/QUOTE] Was always partial to Ultraman myself. ---
**Author:** ![Severiane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@Severiane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severiane)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/13 "2006-12-09T08:50:31Z")
Wow… I’m afraid to say I don’t know Uncle François 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/14 "2006-12-09T11:14:10Z")
New Zealand’s personification isn’t on that list: it’s [Zealandia](http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/images/stories/saw/saw-036.jpg) , from back when we were a colony and wanted something like Brittania. She’s still on our [coat of arms.](http://www.mch.govt.nz/coat-of-arms.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-nations-national-personification/383358/15 "2006-12-09T13:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] New Zealand’s personification isn’t on that list: it’s [Zealandia](http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/images/stories/saw/saw-036.jpg) , from back when we were a colony and wanted something like Brittania. She’s still on our [coat of arms.](http://www.mch.govt.nz/coat-of-arms.htm) [/QUOTE] It occurs to me that “Ice Wolf” would be a pretty cool personification for somewhere. Baffin Island, maybe.