Artist Puts Our Stereotypes on the Map

Innovative 'cartographer' outlines prejudices
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 22, 2010 5:11 AM CDT
Artist Puts Our Stereotypes on the Map
Americans' view of Europe in artist Yanko Tsvetkov's world.   (Alphadesigner)

Americans thinks the French are "smelly," the Italians "godfathers" and Russians "Commies." At least that's the view of a Bulgarian artist living in London who has created seven maps of different nations' stereotypes that have become an internet hit. In Yanko Tsvetkov's map of French stereotypes, for example, they consider Germans "our best friends" and the Poles "plumbers." Britain's view of the Irish? "Rascals."

Tsvetkov created his first map to amuse his friends during the gas row between the Ukraine and Russia last year. So many people enjoyed his map that he "decided to really focus on the project of mapping the stereotypes based on different places in Europe," he explains. "I was surprised by the reaction." Tsvetkov's site, Mapping Stereotypes, has been viewed by a half billion fans. You can see it here.
(More Europe stories.)

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