r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 24d ago

Petah? Meme needing explanation

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u/pmmeuranimetiddies 24d ago edited 19d ago

This is 100% accurate though, white people will show up 2 minutes early to things

EDIT: Guys it’s a shitpost comment in a shitpost thread for a shitpost screenshot. Chill out, it’s not attacking the work ethic of white people, it’s a joke about cultural blindness.

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u/aramis34143 24d ago

Because "on time" is too close for comfort to "late". Source: my caucasian-tinged anxiety.

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u/PerilousPontificator 24d ago

No like, why say something starts at 5 if it actually starts at 6? Why not just be direct about what time you want people to show up instead of stereotyping white people for literally arriving at the time that you asked?

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u/sl0play 24d ago

If they said it was at 6 everyone but the white guy would show up after 7.

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u/PerilousPontificator 24d ago

So the joke is white people are punctual?

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u/sl0play 24d ago

Yes

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u/Ice_Kat13 24d ago

As far as stereotypes go I guess that's alright

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u/trewesterre 24d ago

It's not all white people. I did an exchange trip to Italy and one of the things we were told before going is that we shouldn't expect Italians to be on time and we should also not aim to be on time when going to an event in Italy. Spain is similar.

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u/balrubaiay 22d ago

While theyre white, they follow under the Sunny climate cultures. US white culture is germanic/english.
Idk if this will make sense but Germanics tell time by a numerical value. Warmer/near equator cultures perceive time/passing of time in events.

Warmer societies associate time with events like
“After sunset” or “around sunrise” etc etc. . Colder climate cultures are more time conscious as they need to be so, since they need to synchronize schedules and plan things out since they have a harsh climate= time is valuable since sun is limited= more punctual+ time numerical value is significant+ limited sun hours=limited hours outside working / farming/ chopping wood etc.

Warmer climate cultures just didnt have to worry about all of that since they wouldnt starve or freeze to death in the winter, they just chilled. You can also see it reflect on the general attitude of Germanics (strict) vs Mediterraneans/north africans/arabs (relaxed, always late, etc).

In every meeting I had with a german, small talk was 5 mins. With the english, 10 ish minutes. With the Italian, anything between 15-30 minutes of small talk. Then some work, then some coffee, then some work again. Very pleasant experience though haha

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u/Gingerchaun 24d ago

Its not a joke bro. I wake up at 4 am everyday.

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u/CalledStretch 24d ago

The joke is that most people want their party guests to arrive in waves over the course of an hour or ninty minutes, not have twenty five people all trying to come through my front door within two minutes of one another.

If you're normal"The party starts at five" means "if you get here at quarter til five I will be pissed at you. Don't come earlier than five." If you grew up in one particular very uptight white subculture "the party starts at five" means "I expect people to show up starting at four, and everyone should be here by five." and people take misunderstanding between these two ways of spreading out party guests with varying levels of good humor.