Why do Ausralians get mad when people talk to them about crocodiles?

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Dustin

Most probably because they're a poor country and therefore find it embarrassing to be associated with anything that represents the effects of poverty - roaming animals, huts, poor lifestyles.
I go to UCLA. We have a study group that yearly travels the "Third World" in the Asian Pacific region. Australia is on that list.

I Live In Paradise

lets talk about the USA

Money -- broke
Wealth -- None these days
Military Power -- when was the last time you won a war
Political Power -- in your dreams USA has no respect around the world
Mcdonalds -- mac fat USA
Hollywood -- not as big as Bollywood (India)
USA Car Industry -- broke

come back and lets have another go USA mouth

Azuriel855

because they seem to think those things are representative of australians in general ... after telling visitors for the first 500 times that no, there aren't any cros or roos on the main street in sydney, you need to go to a wildlife park to see one if you don't want to get out of the city, it starts to get annoying ...

it's like, if i went to america, and kept asking when the next terrorist bombing was going to happen, because it's something associated with america, people would prolly beat me up too ...

rugratshd

I have travelled all around Australia and never come across an attitude such as you describe!

Duke B

Lol its because they all grew up wrestling crocs, and sticking their thumbs up their bums...

Plus i'd probably talk to you yanks about fat slobs, crappy tv, how they rip off everything British and change it slightly to suit their fat american lives... and how ignorant you all are. Would that get you cross?

sandgroper

Who says aussies get mad when you talk to them about their icons. Ive never heard so much rubbish, you can tell you are a septic tank.

BS1

We don't get mad we just get bored with those Americans who are incapable of of rational and intelligent conversation.
Also America's incapability in understanding that China and India are the future and they are the past

molly

The Aussies you met must have a thin skin and no sense of humour which is a rare thing for one of us.
One thing though the things I associate USA with are basketball,baseball, war,the gun culture and school killings so I suppose we see ourselves through different eyes.

bellaboo

What u ask is not true. Just like I can say all Americans are arrogant, ignorant smart alec thinks they are the greatest gift to the world when in actual fact if they treated other nations with some respect instead of looking down their noses you would probably get fed up. get the picture. Your attitude like a lot of yanks (think u are the greatest) irritates most Australians. It is like when we tell u the kangaroos hop down the main street and u believe us. U lot think u are so intelligent. so gullible.

Elizabeth

It could have more to do with how you ask Aussies the question rather than the question itself. What I do get really annoyed about is when people don't have the decency to spell Australians correctly.

Most of the items you've mentioned are what foreigners think represent us, Australia and Australians.
They are not necessarily what we think represents us.

It's the same as the items on the list that you think define the USA. Most of them wouldn't make a list put together by the rest of the world.

Make sense?

You didn't have to add the "I'm an American" bit.
I think we all worked that out by ourselves.

(HELLCAT2)1 W0NT BE S1L3NC3D

What are you talknig about mate??

I'm an Aussie and i can't remember getting angry about somebody talking about crocodiles......but then again i am an AUSTRALIAN...Ausralians may be different.

Who got mad at you and in what context, was it a travel agent? They are d1ckheads and wouldn't know about Australia anyway.

And Americans aren't known for wealth and military power, they are known as..............................

ruffryderx911

because people are ignorant. its like when i get asked if i know the queen. ive also been asked several other stupid things like if england is the capital of london. not pointing any fingers tho *cough americans*

also as for millitary power friendly fire is easy theres no power in it at all.

Veronica

We dont like to be steroetyped.

I laugh how you talk about America with all good things, Australia has money and wealth (in case you didn't realise) and no we don't ride to school on kangaroos.

besides, you guys are FAT AS ****

oh and did i mention how incredibly ignorant america is

DharmaSIM

We don't.

But go ahead and claim all the good stuff - money, wealth, power - for your country!

arokh72

I've never gotten angry when people ask questions about these things in regard to Australia.

"There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers."

robbob

No, I don't get mad about that.

Bella B

I'm sure there are some (note some) who get mad, but I'd say most who "bite" are just sick to death of having the same dumba** questions and assumptions. I've seen more questions on here than I care to remember for example asking "We met some Australians the other day and they didn't talk like Steve Irwin and wrestle crocodiles?" Umm because only Steve Irwin talks like that and wrestles crocodiles!!!

It's like asking you which gang you belong to or whether you belong to the mafia or such and imagine EVERYBODY asks you that.

Ozmaniac

You've compared things that you DO want to represent your country to things that we DON'T want to represent ours.

We don't get mad, but we do get annoyed that people think that things like crocodiles,Steve Irwin, khakis, huts and dingos represent our country - because they don't and people who think they do are very mistaken. Most Australians will never see a crocodile or a dingo or a kangaroo in the wild, have never worn khaki or lived in a hut and you would be amazed at how many of us found Irwin to be an embarrassing fool.
You wouldn't like it if we were always going on to you about things that we mistakenly thought represent your country. How about if we thought that you were all members of the Ku Klux Klan or that every American woman was like the ones on 'Sex in the City' or that every city and town was what we see in 'Miami Vice'?

Yours is not the only first world, clean, free, democratic, highly educated, wealthy country in the world. We have an enormous amount more to show and offer the world than the stereotypes you expect us to wear and it's about time that Americans accepted that.

Power Flower

I'll talk about anything with anyone...... khakis and huts though? Don't know how they're representative of Australia.

chuchu_me

Ha ha, not all Australians get mad, i personally would have a great conversation with you about crocodiles and kangaroos if you cared to listen. I have to confess that a lot of us are tempted to try and suggest that we all see kangaroos everyday and that we all have pet koalas ha ha .
You must have just met some mean Aussies .i promise we are not all intolerant about being asked about the stuff that you guys see on tv, but at the same time there is more to australia than just those things.

lovee_story.

Well. I've never met a fellow Australian that actually isn't proud of their own country .... but, if you say so. (:
I'm not sure about this question - maybe the person gets angry because when you guys mention crocodiles, everyone's mind jumps to either Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin. They could be angry out of respect for Steve's memory since he passed away 3 years ago, or they could just be sick of everyone thinking of crocodiles and khaki shorts every time Australia comes up.

JM33

Dont Worry, Its Crocodile Tears!

Katey

Id hardly be excited about macdonalds, i did a coach tour around Europe with american, english and aussies. Every single town and city we stopped in and bought a meal, the americans went to macdonalds...every time.!! even in Germany, we all lined up to try traditional bratwurst sausgaes, they went into maccas. what the??? also, nothing to be proud of but last july, australia overtook america as the most obese (%) country in the world. It was discussed on the biggest loser this week, on ch 10.

littlehaba

Suppose it's a bit like when people ask teh British if we know the Queen - yawn.... lol. x

Ruby

because 99.9% of people live on the coasts and dont experience things sch as dingo's, kangaroo's etc. A more accurate view of australia would be more beaches, sunburn, thongs (flipflops as americans call them) cricket and afl, beer. i suppose we dont like to be associated with representations that are not even close to how most of us live.

dwetzlerbed

Khakis, Hut??? Huh??? I have never worn Khakis ick!! and a hut? Never lived in a hut or stayed in one. As for dingos last one I saw was well at a zoo. Kangaroos? Not where I live I had to travel out to the country to see that. Saw one a Abercrombie caves out of Bathurst, saw some travelling out to Moree. Crocodiles? Never seen one except at the Reptile Park. Steve Irwin? Well I am NOT Steve Irwin, not like him, don't want to be.. do love his kids they are gorgeous. bindi is so charismatic and interesting to watch.

It is not that we get angry or incensed at questions or things associated with Australia. It is the constant thought that we all do these things. I do not associated Huts or khakis with Australia. Nor to associate Mcdonalds or political power with Americans. What I do associate with America is the thought that you think you are the world. Hello you have a world series for a game that no other country is involved in!! How does that work?? So it goes to show that you think you are the world. And this may come as a surprise... but I don't give a damn about American politics..

Tinkerbell

Probably because we aren't all bogans and most of us have eaten crocodiles rather than set out to protect them...

Nah, Aussies love to rip the piss on ourselves - we'll pick on us before anyone else gets a chance to... I don't know anyone that gets mad - perhaps sarcastically... not many people get our humour (or our spelling)

There's so much more to Australia - it's a civilised country - we don't all live in shanties and hang out barefoot in th bush, trying to hunt for our food....

Maybe it's just the typical generalisation that doesn't sit well... I love it when people ask me to say things so they can hear me talk like an aussie..

MadMike

Because they like to put the shrimp on the barbie

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