Over the last centuries, Europe brought to humanity many of the greatest breakthroughs. Think about the telephone, the printed press, cinema, the world wide web or the telescope… Or inventions impacting our daily lives such as eyeglasses, toothpaste or soft contact lenses...
They’re here to save the day. They have superpowers. They are strong and colorful. And they wear pants over their tights… Europeans also have the right to be ridiculous in very-tight superheroes’ costumes...
Naughty children face the same threat across Europe: terrifying beings may come at night to scare, kidnap or even eat them if they misbehave. But in Spain, a hairy hand will grab their feet. In Luxembourg, a Kropemann will drown them in the bathroom...
Snooty French, stiff Brits, shy Finns and humourless Germans: Europeans love their conceptions about their neighbours to be well-defined, if not necessarily true. Even if stereotypes don’t teach us much about who our European neighbours really are, they do teach us a lot about how they are perceived.
Tintin, Asterix or Spirou are without doubt comics with international fame, and not only in Europe. But did you notice that each European country has developped over decades its own national comics art?
What makes Europeans laugh? Which comedy films do they watch? Southern European countries likes to have a good laugh at their own sexuality. In the North, you will be more likely to laugh about social and societal issues.
Humor is all about language and culture. It seems logical then that Stand-Up comedians make a carrier in their country or the countries in which they share the same language. How much do we know about our neighbours' sense of humour?
When Picasso meets Turner or Delacroix, when Rembrandt appears next to Munch or Bruegel, when Klee goes with Klimt, this is the expression of a vivid common European heritage. Have a look at some of the most famous European paintings.
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