Lois and Ida do "Traditional" Tinikling Folk Dance Malcolm in the middle

Malcolms mom and Grandma do their traditional folk dance to celebrate St. Grotus day While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However, an episode which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Malcolm
• Middle
• Lois
• Croatia
• Folk
• Dance

[wickedpinoy]

this is a filipino dance called "tinikling"

[mitziebitzie]

@wickedpinoy MAny thanks for letting me know, its good to be able to put a name to the dance :)

[shadowC10ne]

There's hardly dances like these in Croatia, trust me. They just wanted to show that Lois and Lois's mom (who are both really... angry like dragon) come from eastern Europe (and that's a stereotype which tries to show that eastern Europeans are crude). I don't know are there any dances like these which use knives and are dangerous for woman performer. My guess is there is none and if there is, it shouldn't exist.

[mitziebitzie]

The show is based on a teenage american boys view of life and so quite often stereotypes are portrayed albeit comically and to great effect as the show is a comedy this works.

No particular part of society or nation is targeted with everyone within this teenage boys scope of life and his journey through being open to comedic interpretation.

I know that there are no dances like this in croatia but must admit I have seen crazy outfits that Ida and lois are wearing throughout most of Europe!

[shadowC10ne]

Yes it's funny and I know - use of stereotypes and exaggerations does results in more comedy. Maybe I didn't express myself good before because english isn't my native language. The show is great and doesn't insults anybody. I was thinking on whole media tendancy to show eastern people like this. Croatians aren't crude people... in general. ;D

As for the outfit it is very similar to slavonic (north/north-eastern part of Croatia) and in many lands up north, too.

[mitziebitzie]

Yes, well I agree with you!! As a Scottish person we are usually depicted wearing kilts, drinking, fighting and generally being quite aggressive.

Yes there maybe some truth in that we do enjoy a good drink, but we also take it as good humour as a nation we can laugh at ourselves, we consider it quite an honour that people worldwide regard us as a fearless yet joyous nation with a firm grip on our national identity :)

Long Live Bonnie Scotland!

[abelhenry]

Definitely a mix of different cultures. Though my first impression was it was inspired by Romania, as Lois and Ida say "noroc" when they have their shot (after the first dank) and because of the colors of the costumes (showing mixes of blue, yellow and red). Interesting comments about the filipino dance :)

[Pteromandias]

@Ahnentreue There is a German version of Malcolm in the Middle?? I'm American and I just now watched the show. I didn't even know about it.

And you mean Otto Mannkusser, the guy with the dude ranch? I thought he was funny.

[elizabethbeatles]

The dance performed in the end of the episode is originally from the Philippines. It is performed with bamboo sticks. --- This is what imdb says...

[josipbihhr]

I'm proud to be croat when such a little country has there own club in an american tv show =D

[Saunielle]

@MaryJoMcCormic 

[Crumphorn]

I think the 'knives' is a throwback to Scottish sabre dancing in which kids do a highland reel over a pair of crossed sabres. The swords don't actually move but the kid's footwork is never suppused to touch the blades.

[leon600958]

There's such a dance in Panama, called something like "jumping theTeca and the Meca'"which are 2 kinds of very hard woods and you jump around the sticks in complicated steps. The dance goes faster and faster as the jumps become more complicated. But no knives.