American-British Q&A

[eggy32]

Question to both the English and the Americans;

Do you see Northern Ireland as a part of Ireland or the UK?

Also, thoughts and opinions on us?

Speaking as someone from Northern Ireland, it's obviously part of the UK.
I don't understand how Northern Irish people don't understand this.

I do understand this, I love being part of the UK, and I dislike Ireland as a whole.. (look at me, generalising..!)

But most English people are like "OMG YER IRISH?" and I'm just sighing and complaining..

What county you from by the way?

Thank God, someone else who understands, that makes about 3 of us in total.
I'm from Down, yourself?

 

[JDKJ]

This pretty much. Having lived in both, it's a night and day difference imho. The people act different, they talk different, they value different things. For instance, the gun control thing, that's a southern thing. Most people in the north would rather them gone. Especially between north and south, and even east and west. Californians are much different than Virginians culturally.
Also, you consider Virginia the "deep" south? Where the hell is the regular southern middle then lol? I take it you're from New England/Great Lakes region since your profile just says you're American.

Hell, yeah, Virginia's the Deep South. Maybe not geographically, but certainly culturally and politically. Are you forgetting that it was the seat of the Confederacy? The home of General Lee? And one of the last states in the country to stop resisting the desegregation of its public schools? It's as "South" as the South can get.

Funny I've lived there almost my whole life and no one talks with the stereotyped southern accent or says y'all ever. Actually, saying "y'all" would have gotten you laughed at in school and was commonly used as a joke. Then again, so was "yous" so we're probably just elitest douchebags where I come from lol. Unless of course you travel out to the rural areas in the southern part of the state closer to North Carolina. Richmond and DC are only 2 and a half hours apart. Also, politically they voted for the party typically favored by the north, and culturally, well most people live near DC where I am and we are NOT like the people living in the Appalachian Mountains.

Thanks for telling me about Virginia. I went law school in D.C. for three years and would go mountain biking in Monongahela almost every other weekend and, if you ask me, you get up into them lil' towns like Lynchburg and you're in the middle of DEEP SOUTH REDNECK COUNTRY.

Well, yeah, lol. But that's just southern culture. You were just experiencing a culture shock. I experienced it too when I left the DC metro area enclave for college in southern VA. Why are people driving 10 under the speed limit on a one lane highway! WTF GET OUT OF MY WAY JACKASS! I'm used to having people pass me on a double yellow when I'm going 10 over! lol Most people in Virginia consider the "deep south" to be states bordering the gulf and also the states bordering them. That said I have met a few "the south will rise again!" nut jobs while in the southern part of the state... yeah, I'd hate to see there be a really bad economic collapse. Nutjobs would be coming out of the woodwork for Am. civil war 2.0

Well, then fine. Don't be looking at me all crazy when I say that Virginia's the Deep South. You can say the same thing about Atlanta. It's a major metropolitan city, populated by Blacks more than anything else, with a history of electing Black officials, etc., etc., and not at all what I'd call a "redneck town." But drive your ass 30 minutes in any direction outta Atlanta and your ass will end up in KKK Kountry.

 

[Shadie777]

For Americans:
Do you think that British comedy is different than American comedy?
What are the most popular British comedians in America?

 

[JDKJ]

Question to both the English and the Americans;

Do you see Northern Ireland as a part of Ireland or the UK?

Also, thoughts and opinions on us?

The UK doesn't see the Northern Irish as part of the UK. Why should we? : P

 

[JDKJ]

For Americans:
Do you think that British comedy is different than American comedy?
What are the most popular British comedians in America?

Benny Hill. And that annoying-ass Russell Brand. Can one of you guys come here and take Russell back with you?

 

[eggy32]

Question to both the English and the Americans;

Do you see Northern Ireland as a part of Ireland or the UK?

Also, thoughts and opinions on us?

Speaking as someone from Northern Ireland, it's obviously part of the UK.
I don't understand how Northern Irish people don't understand this.

I do understand this, I love being part of the UK, and I dislike Ireland as a whole.. (look at me, generalising..!)

But most English people are like "OMG YER IRISH?" and I'm just sighing and complaining..

What county you from by the way?

Thank God, someone else who understands, that makes about 3 of us in total.
I'm from Down, yourself?

Ohh, almost all my friends agree that we should stick with UK, must be the further north the more common sense you have..

Antrim, but I lived in Gilford for 4 years, that's near Down.. I also went to Banbridge High School for 3 years ;D

It sucked =-="

Nice to see you have sensible friends. Many of my friends come from down south, what with me being right on the border here in Newry. When we had to sign our forms for our National Insurance card in school(that Abbey Grammar, in case you were wondering) only me and one other person but ourselves down as British. I got lots of shit from my friends that day.

 

[SadakoMoose]

For Americans:
Do you think that British comedy is different than American comedy?
What are the most popular British comedians in America?

Yeah I'd say so on the first one.
Usually it's guys like Rowan Atkinson, Russel Brand, Pierce Morgan (he's a comedian/clown right?) Eddie Izzard and any of the Pythons.
The only Young One to even come close to making a name for himself in the US was Rik Mayall.
Sadly.

 

[Agayek]

For Americans:
Do you think that British comedy is different than American comedy?
What are the most popular British comedians in America?

It's quite a bit different. A lot drier than most American humor.

At the moment, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Before them, Monty Python.

 

[liquidangry]

Well, then fine. Don't be looking at me all crazy when I say that Virginia's the Deep South. You can say the same thing about Atlanta. It's a major metropolitan city, populated by Blacks more than anything else, with a history of electing Black officials, etc., etc., and not at all what I'd call a "redneck town." But drive your ass 30 minutes in any direction outta Atlanta and your ass will end up in KKK Kountry.

I think what we're really discussing is rural vs. urban cultures rather than south vs north, but that topic in itself needs its own thread.

Also, british humor is hilarious. Love it.

 

[JDKJ]

Well, then fine. Don't be looking at me all crazy when I say that Virginia's the Deep South. You can say the same thing about Atlanta. It's a major metropolitan city, populated by Blacks more than anything else, with a history of electing Black officials, etc., etc., and not at all what I'd call a "redneck town." But drive your ass 30 minutes in any direction outta Atlanta and your ass will end up in KKK Kountry.

I think what we're really discussing is rural vs. urban cultures rather than south vs north, but that topic in itself needs its own thread.

Also, british humor is hilarious. Love it.

That's why I said long ago that while Virginia may not be "southern" in a geographic sense, it is in the cultural and political senses a part of the Deep South.

 

[BoredDragon]

For Americans:
Do you think that British comedy is different than American comedy?
What are the most popular British comedians in America?

the styles of comedy is definitely different, but I can't think any comedians off hand that are British unless you count John Oliver

 

[BoredDragon]

Question to both the English and the Americans;

Do you see Northern Ireland as a part of Ireland or the UK?

Also, thoughts and opinions on us?

I never thought about it really. I guess part of Ireland unless that's some kind of misconception. As for what I think of you guys, I try to avoid forming opinions of people based on their stereotypes and I haven't really met any Irish people, so again idk

 

[liquidangry]

That's why I said long ago that while Virginia may not be "southern" in a geographic sense, it is in the cultural and political senses a part of the Deep South.

Fine, but I'm still confused as to what you consider just the south and southern culture then. What? Everything below New Jersey is the south?

Question to both the English and the Americans;

Do you see Northern Ireland as a part of Ireland or the UK?

Also, thoughts and opinions on us?

Informative video time!

The correct opinion!

 

[BoredDragon]

I have a question about America: How big is celeb culture over there? I'd imagine that it's pretty big, but is it as rediculous as it is over here (for some reason our magazines are obsessed with what annoying talentless people's relationship status' are and what they had for breakfast this morning)?

We have "news shows" like TMZ that only report on celebrities, but I don't really follow those kinds of celebrities so I'm not sure the entire scope of how big it is.

 

[Katana314]

Ok heres a question for t=you Americans.

Why are you so crazy for guns? and why are you so resistant to gun control reforms that might help prevent repeats of the Arizona senetor gettin shot, Virginia tech shootings, or Colombine. I realise that not everyone over there is a gun nut or a member of the NRA (I also know these guys have some serious lobbying muscle). Its just strange to see so much gun crime and such a Laize fair reaction to it

I have been to America and fired a gun, it was great fun! but still just wondered is all.

Along with what the previous guy said, it's been found that only when SOME people have a gun that you have problems. When NO ONE has a gun (Britain) you have no problems, and when EVERYONE has a gun (Southern USA countryside) you have no problems. I mean, a criminal wanting to do something violent would suddenly be in the ironsights of at least 3 other bystanders. I won't deny I'd prefer the first option, no guns, but if half of people already have guns, you might as well take it all the way to make things safer.

 

[yndsu]

You have to think of some context.

When I was a small kid, I lived with my hippy god-parents in the mountains of California. Hippy god-parents are not the type that you'd think of as being gun nuts...but they had guns. Why? Because there are wild and dangerous animals in the mountains of California. There were coyotes that tried and did kill our livestock. There were rattlesnakes, and sometimes we needed to kill squirrels for dinner.

While the UK and Europe are basically devoid of dangerous predators, great parts of the US still have bunches of dangerous animals. Heck even in an urban place like Los Angeles, in the Hollywood Hills, sometimes mountain lions come down from the hills and attack things. So there are still practical reasons to need guns in many parts of the country.

The second thing is that we are much closer to a time when guns were generally carried everywhere and necessary as a sidearm. I mean, the "Wild West" was only 120 years ago--and still carries on in different parts of the country. This country still has cowboys and the like. Nature is still not "civilized."

There is protection from large predators, there is hunting, and there is general violence.
The UK has a lot of knife crime, we have a lot of gun crime.

Also, because we are a country borne out of a revolution...out of people using guns...it is quite important to our country's genetics.

And also, we are a young country. When England was 230 years old it was quite violent as well...just that people were attacking each other with swords.

Well, actually Northern Europe like Finland, Sweden, Norway and even Estonia have a lot of wild animals. And ever year they do go out to hunt for bears, wolves and moose (for the meat) and so on. So just to say that even though there arent that many wild animals left in the southern and western European countries doesnt mean that there arent wild animals in Europe.

 

[JDKJ]

That's why I said long ago that while Virginia may not be "southern" in a geographic sense, it is in the cultural and political senses a part of the Deep South.

Fine, but I'm still confused as to what you consider just the south and southern culture then. What? Everything below New Jersey is the south?

No, a 'lil lower than that. Virginia on the East Coast, stretching south-west to include West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, etc., and all points below and stopping at the mid-west and south-west states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. It's what I imagine most people envision when you say "the south-east United States."