German can be a "harsh" language when you hear it spoken by non-native speakers, sure. But it's really not nearly as bad as the rap it gets. Sure, it doesn't ooze out of your mouth the way Italian or Spanish does, but it's not really as throaty as everyone thinks.
I think most people in the US hear German being made fun of more than they hear actual German, and because of that they have an exaggerated viewpoint of the language. That "throaty" sound that everyone equates with German is not even part of the language, rather there are two different possible sounds that both take place in the back of the mouth - farther back than english speaking Americans are used to. So, it does sound different and relatively "throaty," hence the exaggeration whenever anyone makes fun of the German language. And since there aren't many opportunities to hear actual German, Americans are used to the exaggerated German they hear from fake German characters in shows, etc.
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