Welcome To Sweden - General Discussion

[henripootel]

This show feels like it's laughing at me as an American, which clearly means I am a pretentious, self-righteous jerk with no regard for other people or reality.

 

This is, for me, the point, and probably why this isn't funny.  It isn't funny to us.  And maybe it wasn't supposed to be as it seems to be written for Swedes.

 

Let me explain.  Comedy isn't about conflict, it's about attitude.  I think the attitude that's being skewered here ('self-involved douchbag who thinks lesser beings should kiss his ass') kinda works for us when it's the hyper version, namely the american celebs that Bruce deals with.  Even we think those guys are over the top and it's funny because of Bruce's attitude towards them: he puts up with them because he had to before, and he can't seem to resolve these relationships (much to his dismay).  But Bruce's attitude only harms himself, so it amuses.

 

The problem is Bruce is very much like the celebs he hates, entitled and blithely sure that others should conform to him.  This is thrown into sharp relief when Bruce is amongst kind people, and his attitude is aimed at perfectly nice Swedes who've done nothing to warrant his douchery.  We're supposed to identify with Bruce and his plight, but this makes it hard to find the humor when he's being patronizing and even mean-spirited.  Here Bruce's attitude harms others, so it's not all that funny, which is a problem since this is the meat of the show.

 

So who would find it funny?  Well, I think, Swedes, who see Bruce as sporting an (American) inflated sense of self-importance, much as we think celebs do.  So this chuffed-up idiot keeps coming up against good old-fashioned Swedish no-nonsensism, and fails.  He thinks he's a big noise and so better than the locals, but he can't even get a driver's license or keep up with how much money he has.  I could see my laconic swedish friends laughing at this, or more accurately, smiling slightly. 

Edited August 2, 2014 by henripootel

[Mama No Life]

Watched this show for the first time last night b/c nothing else was on.   I didn't find any of the characters likeable.  Is this normal?

[Grammaeryn]

Yeah, I have been a big cheerleader for this show but this episode man... First off, I was an accountant and that profession is not at all important or essential. I've been laid off several times and I would have killed for a department that hands out jobs. Even cleaning toilets! Ugh, Bruce is not making fun of Americans, he is his own kind of Ugly American. He should have asked for a job at that cafe. I think I'll just watch the show to hear Swedish and look at pretty landscapes.

[Lawgiver]

I'd like a job giving tours in Stockholm. If only it were so easy...

 

I agree that Bruce is a jerk, but that's obviously the point. He's expecting it to be like America, and it isn't.  He made an impulsive move and is paying for it. 

 

Swedish is an interesting language to listen to and I'll be sticking around.

[sjohnson]

Yes the contrast between what Bruce is and his "attitude" (to quote henripootel) is quite striking. 

The cognitive dissonance is funny to me. A defense mechanism I suppose. 

Edited August 2, 2014 by sjohnson

[annzeepark914]

I missed the show on Thursday night so last night I tried to watch it online.  About one minute of watching that schmuck messily eating the semlor despite the fact that he didn't have the money to pay for it was all I could take.  All the characters are irritating in one way or another.  As a Swedish-American (2nd generation), I thought it would be fun to watch this show.  What is it with the Poehler siblings?  He's as obnoxious as his sister.  Two ugly Americans showing the world how ugly some Swedes can also be.

[mushb0ne]

This show is not without its charm but the more I see of Bruce, the more tiresome I find him.  I don't mind him being hapless or even whiney, but he's sufficiently unpleasant that I don't see why anybody really likes him.  A little charm goes a long way with me, and Bruce seems devoid of it.

 

Am enjoying the apparently endless supply of excellent small-part character actors they keep producing.  And I'm really wanting to visit Sweden, if only to find Bruce and give him a sharp smack.

 

ETA: Okay, I stuck it out till episode 6.  I think I can understand why the Swedes love this show (all the Americans are insufferable boobs) but it's not getting any better.  I'm done. 

 

I would go a bit further -- Greg Poehler's character is an insufferable asshole. He's cowardly, selfish, arrogant, thoughtless and whiny. Seriously, who could tolerate this douchebag for more than a couple of minutes? If the purpose of this show is to reinforce negative impressions of Americans held by non-Americans and fuel their hatred toward us, then it's doing it's job. After seeing 4 episodes of Welcome to Sweden, I hate Americans, too.

 

And ... Swedes? If this is how you really feel about Americans, please get over yourselves. You're no better.

Edited August 4, 2014 by mushb0ne

[Shermie]

We're supposed to identify with Bruce and his plight

 

What plight?

He has education and skills to get a good job - which he refuses to do even when offered.

He needs to drive to increase his employment opportunities - which he is apparently to stupid to do. Even in the States, you don't turn right on a red light without stopping and looking first.

Even though he is an accountant, he apparently has no money and is so dumb he doesn't even know that. Where did all his money go so fast? Paying to ship huge pieces of furniture thousands of mikes and then getting rid of them?

He's married to (or are they still dating?) a beautiful woman with a good job that can support them both, even though I see absolutely no chemistry there. I can't even imagine them as a couple, it's more like he is her idiot cousin visiting from America. They don't seem to discuss anything - furniture, employment, money - so weird.

He is living in Sweden, a beautiful, smart, tolerant country (it's like the geographical equivalent of the perfect spouse) and he's blowing opportunities at every turn.

The show is just exaggerating the Ugly American Abroad stereotype. That's why Swedes love it; it's confirming what they already think. That's why Americans hate it; it is exaggerating a truth that does exist. As a Canadian (a mashup of Americans and Swedes, to be honest) I find it both annoying and amusing.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Shermie

[annzeepark914]

I've encountered the Ugly Canadian on two separate visits to the Maritime Provinces (NS & NB).  We all have our unpleasant citizens; fortunately they're in the minority!  I have a feeling this show is a big hit in Sweden because first, they love being the focus of American TV. Second, from what I've seen of TV in Scandinavian countries, this has to be really exciting and novel for them (could not believe all the ancient American re-runs playing over there, especially on Norwegian TV stations a few summers ago--mostly those cool, handsome detectives hopping into fast cars, screeching around corners, etc).

[FozzyBear]

At this point the show is a bad car accident with pretty scenery. There is so much to dislike...a supposedly competent accountant who has no idea he has no money in his account? He moves to another country and has done zero research into their culture and laws? Even I know about the driving laws in Sweden and the zero death objective. There was a huge article on it in the NY Times. I don't even like the key relationship. There is zero chemistry between these 2 actors. Not sure if I can go on with this show, hoping for more Lena Olin and Claes Mansson. (Sorry, I have no umlauts or knowledge of how to make them appear.)

The out of money thing bugged me so much! Not just that he had spent more than he intended, but that he didn't even have a couple of bucks for a snack? An accountant is dead broke and has no idea? And the two leads act like they just met each other.

[Kromm]

Wow. Apparently the key to horrible shows being renewed is to have a production deal in another country paying for them, so it costs the American network close to zilch.

Wait. Hasn't that failed for some Canadian and UK produced shows?

[trow125]

I'm actually happy about it, despite Season 1's flaws, because I read in the Swedish press that they have some new writers coming in.

 

Speaking of the Swedish media: one story that got some coverage over there involved Greg's feud with a Swedish TV critic who wrote a negative review of WtS. Greg posted several nasty comments about the critic under a pseudonym, and the IP address used to post the comments (which were described as "personal attacks") were traced back to him. There's a story about it here in case anyone is curious enough to run it through Google Translate. When confronted, Greg said he had made a very bad decision and called the situation "a nightmare." 

[Kromm]

I'm actually happy about it, despite Season 1's flaws, because I read in the Swedish press that they have some new writers coming in.

What they need is a new lead (or at least some seriously intense acting lessons for the current one).

[henripootel]

When confronted, Greg said he had made a very bad decision and called the situation "a nightmare."

Hee - I especially liked the part where he seems to give as extenuating circumstances (allowing for google translate) that 'people usually don't check' IP addresses.  Ha ha - suck it, douchebag.

 

I also had a go at the review that got Greg's dander up and it seemed like many of the critics points are shared by us here.  One interesting bit - Greg seems to be taking credit for inventing the tv romcom, apparently thinking that Swedes are unaware of the long history of such on American tv.  So some evidence that Bruce's douchbaggery is really Greg's douchbaggery.  Vilken överraskning.

Edited August 5, 2014 by henripootel

[Kromm]

Wow. I guess the previously untarnished Amy Poehler is probably starting to regret helping out little brother.

Or maybe not.  Renewed is renewed, and the bad press probably hasn't really crossed into the US media.

[henripootel]

God, how did this get renewed?  Confession time - I hate to leave anything undone so I watched the rest of season 1.  Exponential decay from a so-so first episode to a truly unfunny episode 10.  Why did I watch this piece of shit?  Why?

[annzeepark914]

Why did I watch this piece of shit?  Why?

 

Because you were truly hoping it would eventually "right itself" and become something interesting, decent, fun, whatever (that's why I watched 3 episodes before I quit...or was it 2-1/2 episodes??).  Right from the start the main character was OTT irritating...I just wanted to reach through the screen and punch his wide-eyed face (and I'm not a violent person...honest!)  I'm just relieved to know that Swedish critics found it as crappy as we did.

[Dagny]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/07/welcome_to_sweden_vs_real_life_sweden_ace_of_base_edition.html

 

At Slate, the American writer has been watching the show with his Swedish born wife. Apparently a lot of the things that bugged the girlfriend did bug the writer's wife.

[BoogieBurns]

The President interrupted the episode, so we will never know how it ends. I do appreciate that he didn't interrupt the whole episode, just the last 2 minutes.

[ottoDbusdriver]

The President interrupted the episode, so we will never know how it ends. I do appreciate that he didn't interrupt the whole episode, just the last 2 minutes.

 

Bruce's parents (played by Patrick Duffy and Ileana Douglas) called in the middle of the night to tell Bruce that they have booked a vacation cruise and they would be coming to Sweden.

 

I didn't think is was possible for Bruce to be an even bigger asshole than last week, but he managed to top himself.

Making fun of the way his wife and her friends talk like the Swedish chef was particularly low.

[alt0233]

Ugh, Bruce is every definition of ugly American, and it's bugging me. You can do the first out of water thing without making the fish a total jerk! But the things he did that were jerky would be jerky if someone did that on the US, too - the way he acted at the coffee shop, and the refusing to pay for the spa treatment. Her friends don't dislike him because they're uncomfortable speaking English, they dislike him because he's a self-important jerk, and not even in a way that's entertaining way to watch.

Edit: Okay, I watched two episodes at once so I think I combined them just now? But my point stands about why the friends don't like him, even if he did some of the stuff in a previous episode.

Edited August 8, 2014 by alt0233

[trow125]

Aagh, how could they cast the fabulous Illeana Douglas, who is 49, to play 39-year-old Greg Poehler's mom? At least Lena Olin is 59 and could credibly be the mother to Josephine Bornebusch (who is in her early 30s).

[Quickbeam]

Just more awful and squirm inducing every week. The "negotiating" over the foot massage was embarrassing, as it would be anywhere in the US outside of NY. The exterior shots of Sweden were lovely. No Claes Mansson this week :( . I also missed the ending as Obama couldn't wait another minute. 

 

I did like the Ace of Base riff...Ace of Base!... And how you need to be proud of hometown heroes despite the actual worth of their accomplishments. 

Edited August 8, 2014 by Quickbeam

[tominboston]

I initially thought that this show had promise, and maybe it will still come together, but I agree with the comments above that Bruce is turning into an arrogant jerk in many of his dealings with the Swedes. Clueless and good-natured can be funny, like Bruce's dealings with the Iraqi guy, but I can totally do without the Ugly American attitude. Hey, you're in a lovely country with your lovely girlfriend. Lighten up, man.

[Roaster]

Does this show have a deal with Apple to place Apple products?  Maybe it's my igamination, but I certainly remember seeing that logo.  Stockholm comes across as cool and stylish to Americans; maybe Apple is trying to ride on that.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Does this show have a deal with Apple to place Apple products?  Maybe it's my igamination, but I certainly remember seeing that logo.  Stockholm comes across as cool and stylish to Americans; maybe Apple is trying to ride on that.

 

It could be worse -- they could be force-feeding product placements for Surface Pro tablets (like they do on 'Under the Dumb').

[Dagny]

Does this show have a deal with Apple to place Apple products?

 

Ah, flashbacks to favorite moments in TV. "Quick, lets jump in the F150" to chase the bad guys. "Wow, this car has nice handling and blind spot warnings."

 

Hey, next thing you know they'll be driving a Volvo, praising the ability to drive through tight spots and the gas mileage.  

 

In Sweden, do the hosts hide everyone's shoes when they take it off upon entering the house?  In Hawaii, you usually have to navigate everyone's shoes that are left outside the front door and I've seen loads of shoes at the foyer at other Asian households.  Did the girlfriend take off her shoes upon entering the house? Bruce, the clueless, oblivious, self-absorbed American.

[candall]

Wow, it's getting hard to watch that guy become a bigger and more inflamed asshole each week.

 

I'm worried about how this show is such a big hit in Sweden.  Please tell me they aren't laughing at "The Typical American" they've all met before.

[Shermie]

I find it odd that taking off one's shoes seems odd to people. You walk all over the outdoors and then track that all over people's floors? Yuck. It's one thing if the host says, "It's okay, leave them on" but taking off your shoes when you enter someone's home should be automatic. If you want a nice outfit for a party, then bring a clean pair along. Shoe bags were invented for a reason.

 

Regarding Bruce the jerk, oy. Why did he agree to move to Sweden anyway? It's one thing (not acceptable, but understandable) to be in a country that is less than what you're used to, Third World countries come to mind, and be critical and whiney. But Sweden is arguably superior to America in many ways, so Bruce's refusal to integrate, grates.

 

Illeana Douglas reminds me of Maya Rudolph; they could play sisters. Why was Bruce so panicked about his parents visiting? Embarrassment that he hasn't accomplished anything? Or are they kind of weird? (Have they been in previous eps, I haven't seen all of them)

[trow125]

@Shermie, this was the first appearance by Bruce's parents so we don't know why he's panicked. I did love the reveal of Patrick Duffy -- their scene was shot so that his head was obscured by Illeana's until the very end. "Dallas" was huger than huge in Sweden, so I'm sure they did that on purpose so everyone would be super excited when they found out that it was Duffy.

 

Incidentally, next week there will be a two hour long episode of "Last Comic Standing" so "WtS" will return on the 21st with "Föräldrar"/"Parents!"

[annzeepark914]

"Dallas" was huger than huge in Sweden, so I'm sure they did that on purpose so everyone would be super excited when they found out that it was Duffy.

 

Another TV oldie featuring some OTT Americans--so no wonder WtS is a big hit over there.  Bruce remains self-absorbed, oblivious--like someone who's never left his little ol' home town out in the middle of nowhere, not a professional who lived & worked (quite successfully!) in Manhattan.  He's become a cartoon character. I'm beginning to really wonder about the Swedes who love this show.

 

Count me in as one of the anti-shoe removal folks.   I can understand when there's snow on the ground (w/ salt or sand on the driveway & front walk) but the rest of the year? IMO that's rude (and why we have vacuum cleaners).  

[ottoDbusdriver]

Emma tells Bruce that she believes she is pregnant.

 

I doubt that Emma is pregnant, but can you imagine Bruce as a parent ? He can barely take care of himself.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Count me in as one of the anti-shoe removal folks.   I can understand when there's snow on the ground (w/ salt or sand on the driveway & front walk) but the rest of the year? IMO that's rude (and why we have vacuum cleaners).

 

Unless Bruce had stones glued to the bottoms of his shoes and then proceeded to drag them across that hardwood, there's no way he could have made those deep scratches anyway (they were extra big so that they would show up on camera), especially without noticing what he had done (unless he truly is oblivious to EVERYTHING going on around him).  I guess this was supposed to be funny.

Edited August 8, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[dcalley]

I find it odd that taking off one's shoes seems odd to people.

It's pretty standard in the Pacific Northwest, in my experience.

 

This is the second episode I've skipped and just read about. I guess I'll check in with the next season to see if it's improved, but I do not have high hopes. What a disappointment.

[henripootel]

I find it odd that taking off one's shoes seems odd to people.

What I found odd was the host being a total asshole about it, and that we're expected to find all this funny.  Total assholery can be funny but it doesn't thus follow that total assholery is always funny.  More from the 'point the camera at Greg Poehler's empty, befuddled face and comedy gold pours out!' school of lazy writing.

 

And not for nothing but unless the Bruce is wearing horseshoes or the guy planked his house in balsa wood, no way you'd leave those scratches.  Odd that I can suspend disbelief that Emma likes Bruce for some reason, but not for the premise for this lame gag.  

[henripootel]

This episode was painful.  I appreciate that Duffy and Douglas were giving it the old college try but ... so bad.  So bad.

[Kenz]

Now I'm just watching the show for views of lovely Sweden and some of the funny Swedish actors. Otherwise, it's painful. Why, oh, why, would the intelligent, beautiful Emma stay with such a complete dufus like Bruce?

[sjohnson]

The mother taking notes on Emma alone was worth the price of admission. Also, I think it explains the source of Bruce's appeal for Emma.

[henripootel]

Also, I think it explains the source of Bruce's appeal for Emma.

Not disagreeing but would you care to spin this out a bit, sjohnson?  I kinda think you're right but I'd be hard pressed to articulate it.  I did think that Emma's and her mom's relationship was wonderful to behold, mad and contentious.  

[ottoDbusdriver]

Despite being recently renewed, people are finally starting to realize that this show sucks and deciding to watch something else -- down 29% from the previous week, coming in 4th in the ratings.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/08/08/thursday-final-ratings-final-numbers-for-big-brother-rookie-blue-welcome-to-sweden-more/291564/

[candall]

The shoe discussion is interesting.  Shoes in the house are pretty standard in the US.  In Norway, I remember to remove my shoes, but can't get used to the raised threshold at the bottom of all the interior doorways, so I stub the hell out of my toes at least once a day.

 

I'm becoming more proficient at cursing in Norsk.

[sjohnson]

Not disagreeing but would you care to spin this out a bit, sjohnson?  I kinda think you're right but I'd be hard pressed to articulate it.  I did think that Emma's and her mom's relationship was wonderful to behold, mad and contentious.  

Mom has kept her under scrutiny and analyzed her every move.Mom has interrogated her. It's hard to be grown up when everything young about you is still there with you. But Bruce? Bruce doesn't analyze. He doesn't remember. He doesn't poke and pry. If he was Swedish this might be perceived as indifference, but being a foreigner, Bruce's blank incomprehension is just a culture barrier. Emma can be who she wants. Occasionally it's annoying to be misunderstood but there's always Mom to supply understanding, wholesale.

 

That's the way I see it anyhow.

[Silje]

The shoe discussion is interesting.  Shoes in the house are pretty standard in the US.  In Norway, I remember to remove my shoes, but can't get used to the raised threshold at the bottom of all the interior doorways, so I stub the hell out of my toes at least once a day.

 

I'm becoming more proficient at cursing in Norsk.

 

Faen i helvete da, @candall! Lift your feet when you walk, din jævla latsabb*. ;)

 

I always (with a very few exceptions I can think of) take off my shoes when I get in the door. I even take them off in hotel rooms! Having to take off your shoes can also be a very fun party game when everyone's leaving the pre-party. 'Where's my other shoe!?'

 

*Said with all the love in the world.

[alexa]

I can't stand having shoes worn all over the house.  Once you switch to no shoes in the house it is hard to go back.  There is something very comforting about being able to go barefoot or wear socks and not be picking up random pieces of dirt and such while walking around the house.  If I go to someone's house where they sometimes wear shoes, and I don't have shoes on, it always feels gross so I tend to put my shoes on all of the time (not that I think their house is gross..it just feels weird to me not to have clean floors).  

 

Plus it is so nice not to have to be continually cleaning floors.....love to save myself some cleaning time and use it for something more fun!  For the most part, guests get used to not wearing shoes in our house...plus the light carpeting tends to deter them anyway.  People get worried about getting carpet dirty :-)

Agree with the above, my family does it in hotel rooms too :-)  Makes it feel homier for us while we are there.

[Shermie]

Plus, it's so much more comfortable (and healthy) for your feet to get out of shoes - even if they're comfortable shoes.

 

So is the "wear outdoor footwear in the house" a thing all over the U.S. or more of a Southern thing (where they don't get snow and slush) and/or urban thing (where everything is paved over and shoes are not as likely to track in dirt/gravel/sand)? 

[Shermie]

It hasn't aired yet, has it?

 

And why would his parents be "shocked by his life in Sweden"? Because he is being so helpless? Because he's not trying to fit in? Because he acts like a douche to these nice people?

[Dagny]

So is the "wear outdoor footwear in the house" a thing all over the U.S. or more of a Southern thing (where they don't get snow and slush) and/or urban thing (where everything is paved over and shoes are not as likely to track in dirt/gravel/sand)?

 

In most Asian American homes, you ditch the shoes in the entryway of the house. Second & third generation, it depends on how long you are going to be there.

 

In Hawaii, you always ditched the shoes outside of the house. I think part of it was the culture of the the huge Asian population of the islands and also you don't want to track all of the red dirt into the house.  The running joke is that a small party has only a couple of slippers (flip flops) outside the door, but a big party has tons of slippers outside  the door.

[Quickbeam]

Bruce a father? I doubt he can make change. 

[The Crazed Spruce]

It could be because of the Northern climate.  Here in Labrador we also usually take our shoes off at the door.  We also have a good three to six inches of snow on the ground for about half the year.  I'm pretty sure those two facts are related.

 

[Athena]

In Asia, even in areas where there are not much snow or particularly dirty, you take your shoes off and put some slippers on when you go through the door of your home or another's.