Manta joke

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Opel Manta B from film Manta, Manta Opel Manta B 6.jpg
Opel Manta B from film Manta, Manta

In German humour, a Manta joke (German : Mantawitz) is a joke cycle about the Mantafahrer ("Manta driver"), the male owner of an Opel Manta, who is an aggressive driver, lower class, macho, of lower intelligence, and infatuated with both his car and his blonde hairdresser girlfriend. [1]

Jokes poke fun at a stereotype of the working class owner of a second-tier muscle car, typified by the Manta. [2] Mantas were targeted at buyers who yearned for a sports car but could not afford a status car such as a BMW or Mercedes. Proud Manta owners often decorated them with chrome, racing stripes, alloy wheels, racing tyres, or high beams to mimic the exclusiveness of race cars. [3] [1] [4]

Example jokes are:

The popularity of such jokes spawned two successful comedy films - Manta – Der Film  [ de ] and Manta, Manta , the latter starring Til Schweiger as a Mantafahrer. [3]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Metonymy in Language and Thought, 1999, ISBN   9027223564, p. 325
  2. 1 2 3 Breakdown, Breakup, Breakthrough: Germany's Difficult Passage to Modernity, 1999, ISBN   1571812113, pp.172-173
  3. 1 2 That was the Wild East: Film Culture, Unification, and the "new" Germany, p. 167
  4. 1 2 Adorno-Ampel und Schwebebahnelefant: 222 kleine Verkehrsanekdoten zu allem, was uns bewegt, 2010, ISBN   3833495847, p. 7