Living on this side of the pond, I can add a couple to his list:
1) British people are all clever. This misconception arises because of the accent. It’s amazing how many stupid things sound intelligent when said with a British accent. Certainly, there are some very clever Brits; but there are also some amazingly intellectually-challenged Brits. I’ve been trying to disabuse the Americans of this idea for the last 20 years. Those that know me are catching on I think. :) Oh, and the Americans would LOVE your Scottish accent like you wouldn’t believe!
2) British food is bland. I just give them a spoonful of Colmans’s English Mustard and have their taste buds call me in the morning when, maybe, they’ve recovered.
3) British TV sucks. Excuse me? Doctor Who? I think it takes about 60 years of American TV to even begin to compete with 50 years of the great Time Lord.
I’ve never heard an American claim that British TV sucks, I’m fortunate to only really cross paths with the geek crowd who adore our dramas and sci-fi. If I did, I think I’d get involved in a lengthy debate (because, let’s be fair, there have been some amazing American-born shows that might not have had a leg here: Game of Thrones, The Wire, Lost, 24) while quietly seething.
I can understand the bland food one, because watching the Food Network… wow, the variety out there is stunning. We don’t even have a local Mexican and the nearest Japanese restaurant is a good 100 miles away. I’m completely jealous of how diverse the cuisine is, if I ever get to go to America I will be a complete food tourist.
Colin says
Living on this side of the pond, I can add a couple to his list:
1) British people are all clever. This misconception arises because of the accent. It’s amazing how many stupid things sound intelligent when said with a British accent. Certainly, there are some very clever Brits; but there are also some amazingly intellectually-challenged Brits. I’ve been trying to disabuse the Americans of this idea for the last 20 years. Those that know me are catching on I think. :) Oh, and the Americans would LOVE your Scottish accent like you wouldn’t believe!
2) British food is bland. I just give them a spoonful of Colmans’s English Mustard and have their taste buds call me in the morning when, maybe, they’ve recovered.
3) British TV sucks. Excuse me? Doctor Who? I think it takes about 60 years of American TV to even begin to compete with 50 years of the great Time Lord.
Fun stuff. Thanks for sharing! :)
E.Maree says
I’ve never heard an American claim that British TV sucks, I’m fortunate to only really cross paths with the geek crowd who adore our dramas and sci-fi. If I did, I think I’d get involved in a lengthy debate (because, let’s be fair, there have been some amazing American-born shows that might not have had a leg here: Game of Thrones, The Wire, Lost, 24) while quietly seething.
I can understand the bland food one, because watching the Food Network… wow, the variety out there is stunning. We don’t even have a local Mexican and the nearest Japanese restaurant is a good 100 miles away. I’m completely jealous of how diverse the cuisine is, if I ever get to go to America I will be a complete food tourist.