By Isa - 15/05/2012 06:48 - United States

Today, my boss at my new job asked whether I was fitting in OK. The company is Swedish, so as a joke, I said that at home I now serve all my food as a smorgasbord, chew on fermented herring and Daim chocolate bars, and buy all my furniture at Ikea. She didn't see the funny side. FML
I agree, your life sucks 7 401
You deserved it 35 170

Same thing different taste

Top comments

I think your boss was looking for just a yes or no answer

Comments

You NEVER make fun of another person's home country.

VasilisaUzhasnaj 29

Especially if it's your boss.

It's ok OP, some people just have absolutely no filter for what they say, causing them to make fools of themselves.

It's not so much making fun of the country but doing it without knowing the person well enough to know that they would take it. I have some Swedish clients who would be OK with this but I've known them for 10 years. Edit - that was @ 4

Stupid OP, I know that if I had an employee telling me that his pet koala was going well, he now consisted of a diet of lamingtons and had no trouble riding the kangaroo to work, i'd get pretty annoyed (btw I'm Australian).

86, That would make you a douche. I am Australian too, but I have the ability to understand that it was meant in jest and not as an attack on me or my country of origin. Perhaps if you lack such observational, analytical and critical thinking skills you shouldn't be in management. Those are all fairly standard requirements for any managerial role. It is also worth noting that it says the company is Swedish, not their boss.

Don't be surprised when Rey start making jokes about Americans.

Im swedish and i just lold on the subway. Ppl need to stop taking themselves too seriously.

I live in Sweden too! Found it kinda funny haha!

Obviously you nor OP's new boss have a sense of humour. OP's boss should get over herself and laugh a stereotypes. For example, I will admit that I'm a shit driver with a below average sized dick because I'm half-Asian. Do I care? No. Do I laugh? Yes. Look at the Irish and their Irish jokes if you want further proof.

Just because you're okay with the stereotyping of a country, doesn't mean everyone else is. You don't represent an entire group of people. Also, everyone has a different sense of humour, so what may be funny to you is not so entertaining for someone else.

janelly16 7

Yeah that, or maybe shes just bad at joking around.

Or maybe she didn't find the stereotyping of her people funny.

Bloody hell. It's a joke, not a dick, so don't take it so hard. If something as minor as this offends someone then they need to eat a bag of cement and harden up.

How long have you been waiting to use that one 87? It's not about how you meant the joke to come out, but how the other person takes it. Lots of people will take that stuff way too seriously and you just have to be careful.

51, Yes that is very true, she doesn't have to find it entertaining, but she could feign amusement because she knows the intent behind it was not negative. Roll your eyes internally sure, its no different to any other situation where someone makes a lame joke at work. I realise it was a stupid idea to make the joke in the first place without knowing how it would be received, this doesn't really change the fact that the woman has to lighten the **** up.

I'm Swedish and I wouldn't get offended or anything but I'm not sure I'd laugh since the joke is pretty bad in my opinion.

janelly16 7

I'm not disagreeing with that? I'm just saying some people are bad at making things sound humorous.

I don't think it's funny either. Not because I'm offended on behalf of Swedish people but just because it's not funny. Don't assume just because someone's sense of humour doesn't jibe with yours that they don't have one.

I still don't get it :p and with all the comments already posted, I was sure there would be an answer.. I guess I just haven't heard many Swedish stereotypes haha

mowmowlife 21

Why not? It's a genuine question, it seemed to me that OP was just trying to be friendly

Joey_Bellows 1

So you made a racist joke in a new job... smooth.

I think your boss was looking for just a yes or no answer

reddudeover 2

I think it was a pretty clear (albeit awkward and insulting) no.

HULK_SMASH_ 7

You copy Hulk? Now Hulk will smash everything!!!

Ugh! Just realized someone already posted this. And damn you, anti-flood protection!

nofearjenshere 12

10- I read that in the hulk voice and it fit perfectly. Haha.

KiddNYC1O 20

*Eric* Bana or Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo. Damn there are almost as many Hulks as there are Bonds. And, yes, I'm slightly embarrassed that I know all of them, too.

I would start looking for a new job. At the rate you're going you won't have this one for long.

Scandinavians don't do humor like western Europe/US people.. Especially when you're taking the piss out of them!

Most swedes would laugh at this, but bosses in general aren't really famous for their sense of humor, might be the problem. And humor is pretty individual, not sure if you could label It by country, but hey that's just me, and btw swedes joke about ourselves all the time,

No you are right scandinavian humor is better!

We don't? Thanks for telling me, the Scandinavian girl.

I'm Scandinavian and I thought it was funny :/

Not true...? I'm swedish and i'm pretty sure that my humor is better than yours...

Just to make clear I wouldn't say either culture's humour is better/worse, more plentiful/lesser.. I've known a few scandinavians, mainly Norge, and yeh we could have a laugh but it seemed like they found some types of things less amusing/some more so.. Not to say all Scandinavians have identical senses of humour either!

Devin91 20

That's their culture of course she isn't going to find it funny.

Seriously, imagine if you asked your boss a question about American living, and she said, "Well now I eat eighteen cheeseburgers a day, I sue everything that I possibly can, and I find all airbrushed models to be true reality of what I should look like. And I sleep with my cousin on occasion."

Im american and I found that very funny

Americans have awesome senses of humor :) haha

mattykent3 4

Granted they might insult you back, but they wont mean it

Or like an American in a European situation might say "yeah, now I talk like I have something stuck in the roof of my mouth and don't wear a bra.

Devin91 20

46:Thats not like that at all.. Go to Europe before you say stuff like that.

24 - I'm American and I know enough people who seem to validate that stereotype.

24- that was the funniest thing I read all day lol

puppyshoes 4

Well i'm swedish too, I got the joke though it wasn't really that funny... Though your boss might be a bit stuck up or just had a bad day an wanted a yes/no answer

Our culture? Really? Ikea is not the only furniture shop we have.

VasilisaUzhasnaj 29

At what point did you think listing off every ignorant Swedish stereotype to your new boss would be a cute idea? YDI, dumbass.

That's not the definition of being a tool...

Mister_Triangle 21

Right back at ya, good buddy