The Hard Work series is accused of giving a stereotypical image of Sweden Finns

Hard work is produced by Lina Puranen and Nanna Marjo Huolman. After the first season, which describes the hard work that many of the Finnish immigrants did when they came to Sweden in the 50s, 60s and 70s, the second season focuses on social problems among the Swedes, such as alcoholism and loneliness.

Following the premiere of the second season, the series has been reported to the review board ten times and received hundreds of comments on Swedish-Finnish forums in social media. Critical voices mean that the series reproduces a stereotype of Swedish Finns as alcoholics.

“Is there anything else to tell us about Swedes' fines other than alcoholism? It's time to turn the page and portray us in a positive way. "And" Now it will be enough to put similarities between Swedes and alcoholism. "Are some examples of comments in social media.

- We were prepared that it would provoke reactions. This is a topic that is partly taboo, it is sensitive to talk about alcohol, says Lina Puranen, one of the producers behind Hard Work.

The stereotypical image of the superb Swedish Finn has been reproduced several times in Sweden through history, for example in the Grotesco gang's sketches about alcoholic fins, Robert Gustafsson's imitations and SVT's 90s duo Tratten and Finkel.

An image that many Swedes find has suffered, says many of the series' critics, who also believe that positive depictions of Swedes are needed.

- A lot of the criticism has been about people wondering why we don't tell about "us hard working Finns". That the entire first season was about exactly that, many have passed, says Lina Puranen.

Several of the people involved in the series tell themselves about how they wrestled with alcohol stigma and had to endure racist comments. Lina Puranen believes it is important to continue to elucidate the problems that migration and immigration can bring.

- I can understand that people react strongly and that it is very sensitive, but at the same time I think we must dare to talk about human problems that migration brings, such as alcohol and loneliness. And that is not specific to Swedish Finns. This is a series about the subjects, not about how the Swedes are.