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Gunboat82 — 15 years ago(October 16, 2010 03:10 AM)
In fairness, if you want to gripe about how American movies haven't stopped stereotyping the British, it makes more sense to choose a movie that wasn't released twenty years ago. I don't doubt that such stereotypes still exist here, but a movie that is two decades old is not the best example.
Actually, I don't even need to turn to American movies to foment my British stereotypes. After watching Eden Lake, I am thoroughly convinced that all British teenagers are "chavs," and their parents are amoral deadbeats who draw their inspiration from A Clockwork Orange. -
adampearce96 — 15 years ago(October 27, 2010 09:41 AM)
Honestly, i've seen much worse British stereotypes than this. I laughed at these, if there were any. If you're gonna moan about it then do it on a board where the movie did more than made you notice them.
Last Movies Seen
Red - 7
Highlander - 8
Big Fat Important Movie/American Carol - 6 -
Mini_Griff — 15 years ago(October 30, 2010 12:24 PM)
What has any thing in your above post got to do with the stereotyping in this film? It's more to do with you stereotyping American's as stupid?
And didn't your first post mention that everyone thinks England is just a mass of countryside, yet saying that London is the only city anyone knows anything about? How does that work? -
Mini_Griff — 15 years ago(October 30, 2010 01:39 PM)
But why are you getting offended? It's their problem. We know England isn't really like that. So what if it's what people believe?
There are always going to be stereotypes. But I found the ones in this film quite funny. Especially the farmer and his voice (I'm from Bristol/Gloucester and everyone expects me to talk like him. I don't!). -
AutoexecBatman — 15 years ago(November 28, 2010 04:40 PM)
I have done a lot of traveling all over the world, you know what the first thing I got asked by nearly everyone I met the last time I was in the UK?
'How far do you live from the Statue of Liberty?' I live more than 3,000 miles away from New York, yet every person I met seemed to think that the US consisted of New York City and little else. -
monique79-1 — 15 years ago(December 03, 2010 10:03 PM)
The original poster comes across very arrogant. Visiting America a few times does not make one an expert on the culture or people of America.
I agree, many people I speak with whether from the UK, Australia, or other countries, I have to correct THEIR stereotypes as well as educate them on the geography of America. America has more than two cities meaning New York City and Los Angeles. -
CavalorCumano — 15 years ago(January 05, 2011 08:53 AM)
I've seen "Texas-style" deep dish pizza at Tesco! Should I repeatedly complain to the company that it's Chicago known for their deep dish, not Texas, and there is no "Texas-style" pizza? No. It's pointless, as they don't care. The entire US is lumped into a single culture in the UK, although the 50 states are as diverse, or probably even more so, than the four countries of the UK.
If I were to complain to every British "American" or "Mexican" restaurant about their unauthentic menus, I'd be writing letters all day (vegetarian chilli con carne and chilli con queso without cheese are just two examples).
It's extremely common in the UK to encounter people that are utterly confused about the US (and other countries), too, yet you keep bringing up the prevalence American ignorance. You keep saying that you hate stereotypes, yet you keep referring to ignorant stereotypes regarding the apparently widespread stupidity of Americans. If you disliked stereotypes, you wouldn't repeatedly refer to your limited experience with Americans.
At least they didn't slap the Bandera de Mxico on the pizza and call it Mexican! Anyway, you are starting to split hairs here. Using ridiculous examples in an attempt to contradict mine. Vegetarian Chilli con Carne is for, ummm, let me see, oh that's it - people who are vegetarians! As for Chilli con Queso without cheese. Many people are not allowed cheese due to medication (such as my late Gran). And a lot more people are health conscious. They don't want to consume vast amounts of saturated fat. There is also a growing market for vegetarian black pudding and haggis. I do NOT have a problem with that. The same way I don't have any gripes with restaurants mixing food from other cultures. At least they don't lie about doing so. You were no doubt referring to my beef with Jungle Jim's. They are marketing Scottish as English!! Which is a great big lie!!
It's not just my "limited experience with Americans". Everybody I know and have spoken to say the same. It is England this, the English that. It is very seldom Britain or British. There are dozens of threads about this subject on numerous message boards. People target America more than other countries because it is more prevalent there than anywhere else. This is NOT stereotyping - it is (like it or not) FACT.
Maybe she should find smarter friends.
Finally - something we can agree on.
You haven't travelled much, have you? I'd say the countries I've been to in which the people are the most out of touch with the rest of the world would be Cambodia, Nepal and Mongolia, but I didn't call them stupid or ignorant, as you have done repeatedly, because I don't find them to be either.
They don't know any better because they have extremely poor (and sometimes non-existent) educational systems. Do tell me why, that with America having as many fine schools and universities (as you pointed out), that you will more often that not, hear England instead of Britain? You can say what you like, but based on the thousands of hours of television/films I have watched, and with my many months of travelling there, most Americans do NOT know the difference between Britain, the United Kingdom and England. Yes, I have travelled quite a bit actually. I could list all the countries I've been to, but you'll just have a go at me anyway.
Just using your policy of stereotyping entire nationalities, the British are notorious for refusing to leave their culture whilst travelling and refusing to mingle with the local people. They go on package holidays on planes full of Brits to beaches full of even more Brits, where they eat British food! How is that being knowledgeable about the world?
I am only criticizing the Americans for not being knowledgeable about the rest of the world because that is how they come across. You can say that television and film should not be a reference guide, but if writers (who have presumably gone through further education and extensive training for their chosen career) can not get things right, then what does that say about the education of the 'Average Joe'? However, I can also agree that some Brits are clueless on holiday. But, there is also a perfectly valid reason for eating British food. A friend would always take her own, but the one time she didn't (while in Turkey), she became extremely ill with E-coli. Almost died in fact. That was due to the country having (in general) poorer hygiene standards. Before you have a go at me for stereotyping Turkey, you should Google Turkey and E-coli. There are plenty of horror stories.
First of all, most Canadians (that aren't French Canadian) don't have accents. They sound the same as Americans. The ones with accents sound the same as someone from North Dakota or Minnesota. So, you want Shenae Grimes (Canadian) on 90210 to play a Canadian? How would that work into the storyline?
It would ruin the story-line in many shows and wouldn't make sense if non-American actors with non-North American accents were