Denmark is a quiet and peaceful country. You rarely witness violent crime here. This is excellent news for all residents, but it makes life tricky for newspaper and TV reporters focusing on local events.
A good example is a Danish reality show, called Politistationen (“Police Station”). It’s just like the US show Cops, with the minor difference that while Cops usually involves adrenaline-laden car chases and firearm-laden standoffs, Politistationen is about police officers having polite conversations with mildly inebriated teenagers who fall off their bikes.
One episode of Politistationen followed two cops who engaged in the following perilous activities:
- Shooing away a small herd of cows that kept two girls scared and “trapped” atop a haystack in the middle of a field.
- Asking a dog owner to consider not tying his dog too close to a supermarket entrance to avoid scaring other shoppers.
- Patiently explaining to an elderly lady that there’s nothing illegal about her neighbour masturbating in his own apartment across the street from hers and that instead of calling the cops she might want to consider closing her curtains or, perhaps, not staring at her neighbour masturbating in his own goddamn apartment.
Roll the credits. Just another day on the job.
Unrelated picture of a man just sitting there, reading totally non-pornographic material
This relatively tranquil state of domestic affairs also redefines the concept of a “slow news day”. When every day is low on any substantial news, Danish newspapers struggle to fill their front pages with anything truly sensational. Oh, but they try.
This is why I hereby proudly announce a new and hopefully recurring blog feature: “Nest Digest”. In this feature I, in a totally biased and selective manner, pick out random headlines that have made the front pages of Danish newspapers. Then I “responsibly” and “impartially” do “my best” to “point out” why these stories have no place on the front page. I have no idea why “point out” was in quotes, because that part is completely accurate. Ah well, there’s nothing I can do to fix it now, is there?
These are the criteria for a story to make it to the already instantly famous “Nest Digest” column:
- Be from a Danish newspaper typically from one of the free daily newspapers – MetroXpress and 24timer
- Be on the front page of these newspapers
- Be completely not news worthy (in my humble and objective opinion)
Today I’ll start you off easy with just two stories, both taken from the same front page of MetroXpress of Monday the 11th. For later editions I expect to amass a larger number of headlines.
Translation: Phobia of mathematics is widespread
The article blurb goes on to explain that, according to “sources”, many Danes are suffering from this math-phobia and go as far as to call it an “ailment”.
You know, back in my day we also had people with a phobia of mathematics. We just called it “being shitty with numbers”. Look, there may indeed be a diagnosed condition called “mathematical anxiety“, but please stop implying that the whole of Denmark is currently cowering under their beds because their alarm clocks are displaying cryptic and scary symbols. Find yourself some real news, like lost chocolate candy or something.
Translation: New wolf suspected seen in Denmark
Full blurb translation: “A female driver from mid-Jutland claims that a wolf ran in front of her car yesterday morning. Her son also saw it.”
Holy shit, really?! Why haven’t the authorities been alerted by now? Why are people allowed to leave their houses at all when there are feral wolves roaming around freely. Well, one wolf. Maybe.
I especially love the solemn addition of the last sentence – “You guys, really! We’re not just talking a single witness here. The son has corroborated her story. It’s all legit!”
So there you have it, world: while you’re busy with riots and criminals keep in mind that here in Denmark we’ve got wolves! Well, one wolf. Maybe.
Nest Expressed 
This was great! It’s easy to laugh at, livimg in the Detroit area, where there is a smorgasborg of violent crime on a daily basis, but I think I would love to live in Denmark! I feel more relaxed even thinking about it. More headlines for sure! It will be a great stress reliever 🙂
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Ha, no doubt! As you said – it’s fun to make fun of it, but I wouldn’t change it. I love my wolf danger!
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Haha, that’s hilarious. I honestly never watch or read the news. Occasionally I will catch a story on Yahoo News, but mostly I try to avoid it. I like to pretend that the world is a wonderful place and everything is hunky-dory, and watching or reading the news (American at least) tends to really destroy that fantasy, lol.
On a side note I want to test my Danish. Jutland… does that have something to do with giants? I’m writing some Norse inspired fiction.
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Well in Denmark you’re apparently always living in fantasty land anyways 😀
As for Jutland – it’s just a peninsula that’s a part of Denmark now. I never thought it had any more to do with giants than the rest of DK, but according to Wikipedia the “Jutes” people were in some interpretations called “giants” aka “enemies”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jutes
Live and learn!
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Nice! I just know that in Icelandic Jötun means giant, so I was curious if there was some correlation with Jut/Jutes in your language, and it appears there is. Thanks Daniel
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My, half-assed brother-in-law is from Denmark. (he doesn’t have half an ass, he’s just not legally my broth-in-law. But pretty damned close.)
I’m shocked that a nation with such a love for eel and mustard on rye bread, chased with multiple shots of Akvavit, can’t come up with any better news than that. I know after 4 shots of Akvavit, I get pretty newsworthy!
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Sounds like you need to drop by Copenhagen soon. You and your Akvavit could be on the front page already tomorrow!
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Ah Denmark, the land of mad cows, self-abuse, girls cavorting on on haystacks, geriatric voyeurism, canine bondage, number neurosis and a wolf terrorizing the Little Red Riding Hoods of the road. I want to visit, damn soon!
Great post; I look forward to the next installment of the Nest Digest.
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Ha, that pretty much summed it up! It’s a land of fairy tales and some such! Glad you enjoyed the post, I’ll try and make sure the next installment doesn’t disappoint!
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Holy Shiznit! You know what wolf sightings mean? Vampires….
That’s some Twighlight stuff you’re working over there!
If you see brooding teenagers avoiding the daylight, beware…
WG
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Holy shit man, indeed! What if her son is like that kid from “6th Sense” and he can see dead people?! Dead werewolves in this case! Man, now I’m actually worried
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I wish my city was as boring as your country. Crime is obnoxious.
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No doubt about it…I only kid, but I wouldn’t turn it around for anything!
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Nothing like a little excitement with the morning news. Of course, after having to read about near daily shootings, I might take a wolf sighting or two. Then again, when I was in Copenhagen a couple years ago, I saw the famous Little Mermaid. I bet she could tell a tale or two. Perhaps you Danes are just better at keeping secrets?…
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…..my lips are sealed!
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That’s what the mermaid’s bronze lips said too…
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Ha! Didn’t know you visited in CPH, by the way – hoidays?
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I suffer from being “shitty with numbers”, but agree that maybe the front page is not the best place for this story. But,how fortunate for you that you live in such a country where there are not more sensational headlines.
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Very true, and I appreciate it. Yet that has never stopped me from making fun of things before 😉
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By all means make fun, after all that is the real joy in life, isn’t it? 🙂
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