Getting to know another culture is a rewarding and insightful experience, and can also be extremely hilarious to witness. Recently various videos have begun popping up on YouTube introducing Americans to various aspects of Irish culture, such as the Try Guys attempting to learn Riverdance, and the reactions and comments from the participants are just the laugh needed to get through the work day. Take a break for a few minutes and see if you can relate to any of these experiences when talking with your friends.
Irish names definitely have their own method of madness when it comes to pronunciation, though to someone raised with an Irish background they may seem as common as John might be in the US. To the unsuspecting American however, these names are as foreign as trying to read Chinese calligraphy. So when a group of Americans try to pronounce traditional Irish names, it is sure to generate some comedic outtakes.
Just trying to sound out the letters proved difficult for many, leading to comments such as “these combination of letters are just so strange,” and “this looks like Portuguese.” After completely butchering the majority of names, the individual reactions to hearing the correct pronunciation are perfect. One exclaimed “I’m sorry what? I am not getting that from this!” Others tried to reason with the camera, asking “why is the E in there if there’s no purpose“ or simply trying to put the name in context. “Mairéad? It’s like a male parade.”
Asking Americans to watch Irish sports proves just as comical, such as the video below, where viewers experience hurling for the first time.
Comparing it to soccer, field hockey, and a variety of other sports, the viewers try to use their common sports knowledge to make sense of the game. “It’s like field hockey except they beat the crap out of each other.” But they can’t contain their reactions when seeing how rough the sport is. “He is just like smacking him with that, that’s not very nice!”
These type of experiences go both ways though, and watching Irish people experience baseball for the first time is amusing as well.
The statistics box proved extremely confusing as they tried to make sense of pitch counts, strikes, and balls. “You have to get a few of those small points to get a main point.” Upon seeing a homer over the fence, one asked “Is that good now is it, because they can’t get the ball back.” Apparently it wasn’t fast paced enough, as after the first half in the first inning they were impatient for more home runs. But then again, who isn’t while watching baseball?
For more cultural comedy, check out Facts, an Irish YouTube page dedicated to Irish people trying a wide range of foreign things, such American snacks, history trivia, and watching football. After all, what good is having a wide variety of iconic cultural experiences and foods, if people from all over can’t laugh at themselves when giving new things a try!
What would you like to try, or have your friends try to do?