Sooty

[QUOTE=Jenney & Mark]Here are my fave comments from the article's readers:

I honestly think its all about the tone and volume. Americans are always WAH WAH WAH on the train, in the restaurants. You can hear them a mile off. Its as irritating as when someone is talking on their mobile loudly in a train. It gives the impression they are better than everyone else. What I would advise Americans to do is to talk less, listen more, and talk more softly. Don't get me wrong, I love Americans, I never generalise, but I have met many arrogant ones and it is such a shame they give this impression.
Stevo, London, UK

(Emphasis added by me above to show how he totally contradicts himself!)

Spot on. I'm a bit of a cultural half-jack myself (British mum/American dad) and I split time between the states and London. Over the years I've noticed that Americans who are quiet, good listeners, and quick to laugh at themselves not only fit in very well in the UK, but seem to belong there. The loud-mouthed, self-centered, over-bearing ones are fish out of water.

cabritpop

I looked up 'Republicans' in the dictionary and that was part of the description.

Elvira

Having snooped around the UK Yanks Forum, I'd say you're probably right...

TruBrit

[QUOTE=Sooty][QUOTE=Jenney & Mark]

Over the years I've noticed that Americans who are quiet, good listeners, and quick to laugh at themselves not only fit in very well in the UK, but seem to belong there. QUOTE]

well you've described my hubs pretty good... and yeah he fits into the uk so well, we'll end up back there one of these days for good

Giantaxe

She says she doesn't agree agree with Bush's policies but then says she defends him? Can't say I have much time for people like that.

Just Jenney

Maybe it's because I've been in her shoes before, but I can sort of understand where she was coming from. The way I read her comments, it's not so much that she's supporting Bush as it's very difficult to be a position where one is being made to justify and be held accountable for the actions of one's government, especially if you don't agree with it.

I'm even having a hard time articulating the point here myself, when there's nobody in my face, putting me on the spot, etc. But I'll give it a shot...

When I lived in Chile there were many times where conversations with my Chilean friends would turn into anti-American rants. A common criticism was about how their country was becoming "Little America" because of all the McDonald's and Burger King restaurants, the Levis jeans, the American movies, etc. That Americans were not only taking over Chilean culture, but were actually trying to eradicate it. One lady even said that she doesn't believe smoking causes cancer, but rather thinks it's a myth invented by the American medical establishment to try to make non-American doctors look stupid! (To this day that argument STILL makes NO sense to me.)

And they would put me on the spot, expecting me to be able to justify it all to them, simply because I am an American.

Even though I happened to agree with them on SOME points, it still made me feel very uneasy because I knew that no matter what I said, my comments would be greeted with skepticism. They had already made up their minds -- Chileans=good, Americans=bad -- so there was no way that my comments would be seen in an objective light. The only way that would happen would be if I agreed with them 100%, but I didn't. So instead of focusing on our shared opinions, ultimately I just felt defensive and defeated at the same time, and it just became a pointless discussion.

When I would try to point out to them, for instance, that no one was forcing them to eat at McD's or Burger King, or wear Levi's jeans or watch American movies, they wouldn't listen. It didn't matter that my comments were completely valid; if they had come from a Chilean they would have been much more likely to have at least CONSIDERED it. But because I was American, they had already decided before I ever opened my mouth that whatever I said was to be disregarded or looked at cynically. It was the equivalent of someone covering their ears with their hands, closing their eyes and shouting, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

And if I ever expressed any sort of patriotism -- such as mentioning how we were planning on celebrating July 4th -- FORGET IT! Then I was considered a total loony!

So anyway... I guess I'm just trying to say that it's hard to find that balance when some people simply don't have any interest in actually hearing YOUR side of things. I say this from an American perspective because that's the topic of this thread, but honestly it can be applied to any situation where one group has prejudice against another.

~ Jenney

Lothianlad

I live in Edinburgh and we see Americans here all the time, all the year round, and it is great for the city because of the dosh they bring in for the tourist economy. OK some of the Americans act a we bit stupid with some of the really stupid things they say and how they dress and talk loudly, but I've never heard any of my fellow Scots say they hate them. They take the piss out of them sometimes, but certainly don't hate them. It's not right to blame ordinary people just because we think they have a stupid President who acts like a clown.

Cheers

Lothianlad

16 April 2006

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...16/wtour16.xml

Lothianlad

Like the two Americans I heard when I was on the top of a bus here a wee while back....it was the woman who was talking top decibels and the whole bus, even downstairs, could hear her bleating off, but we're used to it. It's often the American female voice you hear above everything else. I reckon a woman's voice carries a lot further than a bloke's. :scared:

Rompers

You don't have to justify the actions of your Government.

Too many people see Bush and America as one and the same. I've noticed that many Americans interpret criticism of Bush as anti-Americanism which is as ridiculous as berating some poor American tourist over Bush's foreign policy.

Jenney, I wouldn't let them do this. Patiently explain that although the office of the President is one that all Americans should respect, more than 60% of Americans, including yourself (?) disapprove of the current incumbent and so you can find common ground criticizing Bush.

You could also explain that the US is a vast, diverse country, that California is as different from Alabama as England is from Greece and that to judge all 300 million of its occupants by the actions of one man isn't really fair.

Happy Easter

Angry White Pyjamas

Which is pretty similar to having a complete stranger come up to you in a shop and start - in a very loud voice - saying "Hey you're a Brit...whats with that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Whatshername!? Why aren't they blah blah blah blah blah!!" And when you say you dont know or care you get berated for not caring about the royal family and not knowing every intimate detail as if you were part of them.

elfman

I would have thought that anti-Americanism in Chile would also have something to do with the 1973 coup that the CIA organised to overthrow Chile's elected government in favour of Pinochet's military dictatorship.

Elvira

But you see, Americans do not understand the concept of 'taking the piss'. They interpret this as 'hate'!

Elvira

Quite. A rather glaring omission...

BigDavyG

We are all victims nowadays Elvira