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I don't doubt for a minute that Western media is filled with all kinds of ridiculous apocrypha about Russia. At the same time, I've never encountered this kind

I don't doubt for a minute that Western media is filled with all kinds of ridiculous apocrypha about Russia. At the same time, I've never encountered this kind of ridiculous sensitivity about a country's perception before. Do you think every American drives a pickup truck and owns 12 guns? You probably don't, because you're not a fool; similarly, most Americans don't think that Russians live their lives swizzling vodka in Chechen restaurants. Le Carré is a novelist, not a biographer.

anticodon 3y ago
> I don't doubt for a minute that Western media is filled with all kinds of ridiculous apocrypha about Russia. At the same time, I've never encountered this kind of ridiculous sensitivity about a country's perception before. You won't find many Russian authors vilifying USA habits and culture. Not among popular ones, for sure. Nor the Russian movies. That makes a difference. When there's a Russian in the US movie, I mentally prepare myself for a cringe. Usually, it would be a unreasonably aggressive person, killer or terrorist, or just a bad person. Drinking vodka like water, beating women, etc, etc. You'd have hard time finding anything resembling this in Russian books or movies about USA.
- deleted 3y ago
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foverzar 3y ago
> this kind of ridiculous sensitivity about a country's perception before What's up with these emotive labels? Lots of people (myself included) enjoy klyukva - it's an awesome source of hilariously absurd content. But you'd be surprised how often it actually leaks into supposedly serious reasoning, constantly making you question exactly how far (not even "if") the person you are talking to is detached from objective reality and what are their assumptions. There are quite a few examples of this even in this comment section. Obviously this is not really unique - likely an extremely common view of foreign cultures people aren't really exposed to. The example with Americans isn't representative though since we are all exposed to this particular culture.
- bcatanzaro 3y ago
  I'd say the anecdote about Sarah Palin saying "I can see Russia from my house" is related. Plenty of Americans think she actually said it even though it came from SNL. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sarah-palin-russia-house/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sarah-palin-russia-house/
- Rapzid 3y ago
  > But you'd be surprised how often it actually leaks into supposedly serious reasoning I live in Texas and let me tell you I believe I know exactly how you feel. A lot of people's entire perception of this state is based on agitprop headlines they consume. To the point where the other day, on HN, everyone is an expert on Texas energy production and policy desperate to dunk on the state based on a headline about a temporary spike in wholesale energy prices.
  - nocoiner 3y ago
    But if I live here, then I automatically hold a “Texas energy production expert” card, right? Actually, surely it’d be a badge. Anyway, I automatically get the badge… right, pardner?
    - Rapzid 3y ago
      Yes, it's a badge. My point isn't about being an expert or not, it's about the ability to have honest, reasoned, and researched conversations.
      - nocoiner 3y ago
        I hear you, buddy. Though this place is generally a pretty good spot to find at least a few folks looking for conversations like that.

anticodon 3y ago

> I don't doubt for a minute that Western media is filled with all kinds of ridiculous apocrypha about Russia. At the same time, I've never encountered this kind of ridiculous sensitivity about a country's perception before. You won't find many Russian authors vilifying USA habits and culture. Not among popular ones, for sure. Nor the Russian movies. That makes a difference. When there's a Russian in the US movie, I mentally prepare myself for a cringe. Usually, it would be a unreasonably aggressive person, killer or terrorist, or just a bad person. Drinking vodka like water, beating women, etc, etc. You'd have hard time finding anything resembling this in Russian books or movies about USA.

deleted 3y ago
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foverzar 3y ago

> this kind of ridiculous sensitivity about a country's perception before What's up with these emotive labels? Lots of people (myself included) enjoy klyukva - it's an awesome source of hilariously absurd content. But you'd be surprised how often it actually leaks into supposedly serious reasoning, constantly making you question exactly how far (not even "if") the person you are talking to is detached from objective reality and what are their assumptions. There are quite a few examples of this even in this comment section. Obviously this is not really unique - likely an extremely common view of foreign cultures people aren't really exposed to. The example with Americans isn't representative though since we are all exposed to this particular culture.

bcatanzaro 3y ago
I'd say the anecdote about Sarah Palin saying "I can see Russia from my house" is related. Plenty of Americans think she actually said it even though it came from SNL. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sarah-palin-russia-house/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sarah-palin-russia-house/
Rapzid 3y ago
> But you'd be surprised how often it actually leaks into supposedly serious reasoning I live in Texas and let me tell you I believe I know exactly how you feel. A lot of people's entire perception of this state is based on agitprop headlines they consume. To the point where the other day, on HN, everyone is an expert on Texas energy production and policy desperate to dunk on the state based on a headline about a temporary spike in wholesale energy prices.
- nocoiner 3y ago
  But if I live here, then I automatically hold a “Texas energy production expert” card, right? Actually, surely it’d be a badge. Anyway, I automatically get the badge… right, pardner?
  - Rapzid 3y ago
    Yes, it's a badge. My point isn't about being an expert or not, it's about the ability to have honest, reasoned, and researched conversations.
    - nocoiner 3y ago
      I hear you, buddy. Though this place is generally a pretty good spot to find at least a few folks looking for conversations like that.