The European View on all things American

[freakyHippo]

I do agree that its irksome when Americans claim their 'Irish' or 'Italian' or whatever when they have little or no connection to the place other than Family ancestry. My families ancestry is French (or so i'm told) yet i wouldn't consider myself French. I'm English (i might say i'm of French and Dutch decent when pushed but i'm defiantly English first)

Being American is different from being French or English though--everyone except Native Americans have been here for less than 500 years. In fact, even the differences in ancestry among English settlers has made a difference in American history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion's_Seed
http://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-Cultural/dp/0195069056

I shall put it down to an irksome clash of cultures that i may never truely understand.

 

[Corpse XxX]

Americas reputation under the Bush administration has plumitted down the drain world wide

Hopefully Obama can lift the nation up to what i once was, a nation not of war and shadow games, but in a nation wich we can trust..
He's come off to a good start, closing down Guantanamo and with the restriction on polution laws for car manufacturers.

 

[AllHailTheAltmer]

I think Obama is going to be a lot to help relieve anti-American sentiments, but it will take much time for the wounds of the Iraq War to heal.

Now I'm a Brit, but am something of an American at heart. I wouldn't necessarily like to live there, and I don't agree with a lot of the things that the government does and things that people believe in, but in terms of culture and entertainment, the US o' A is beyond comparison.

Firstly, there's the fact that my three favourite video games - Oblivion, Half-Life 2 and BioShock - were made by American developers, not to mention that my favourite console, the 360, is American. Then there's the fact that like 90% of the music on my iTunes is from American bands. Sure, Britain has Radiohead and Pink Floyd, and Japan has Envy and Mono, but so many of my favourite bands (Thrice, At the Drive-In, Sparta, The Mars Volta, Circa Survive etc.) are American. Thirdly, there's sport. Now I love a good game of footy, but to me no sport compares to american football. It's the highlight of my autumn/winter to be able to watch the NFL every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (have to record the late games to watch next day). Shame my Colts got knocked out so early, but 2009 is going to be fascinating for us.

Also worth mentioning that the best holiday of my life was to the USA. Went to Chicago, Indianapolis (saw a Colts game - AMAZING!), Canton, Ohio (NFL HoF, also amazing), Connecticut and NYC. Incredible holiday.

 

[SkinnySlim]

Wow, a brit colt fan? I've heard it all, now!

But yet, I am distressed once again that this is primarily a "let's hate on america" forum. It is so predictable that this devolves into beer/sports/bush/etc. bash fest. Come for a visit, you do yourself a disservice by buying into idiot stereotypes, it's an awesome place.

 

[WolfThomas]

Why is this always the "European (blank)" what about us Australians and New Zealanders opinions? I mean we are citizens of Unamerica too.

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/a/ad/Mapofunamerica.jpg

American beer is like making love in a canoe, f**king close to water.

 

[Berethond]

dno how americans think of us... but when i see americans strolling around its a insta facepalm... they all just seem so big and loud its anoying!

No only the rich ones are loud and annoying and fat.

While a lot of Americans ARE obese, saying they all seems big and loud is extreme generalization. I don't say all Brits sit around sipping tea and eating crumpets and scones.

 

[Zeke the Freak]

America:
1: America has the better army, thats for sure.

2: Any one can become president if they try for it.

3: Democracy is pretty awsome as well, winning rights and such through having a shit ton of people agree with you.

4: LOLWEPWNNAZIS4ULMAO!!!!!!11!!! lol nah im just kidding. i saw that up there and couldnt resist.

5:http://www.cracked.com/article_16935_why-america-still-awesome.html
just to solidify my argument.

Europe:
1: Alcohol, man that ale was good

2: and the candy, oh LORD the candy

3: Tv is fucking awsome (But japans is waaaaay better lol)

4: the European's Amercan stereotype actually makes me look better.

5: Im not gonna lie. Youve got some hot ass women over there lol.

And thats what i beleive. However, can we keep the country bashing to a minimum. When some one said: "how can you pledge allegence to a rag" a little bit of my soul died. Thats the equivalent of me calling the queen "just an old hag". though god forbid i ever do say that.

 

[jabmops]

how is that even comparable?
so what you're saying is that these glaswegians actually consider themselves to live in another continent?

People don't always interpret the question "where are you from" as "where do you live." They figure if you wanted to know where they live, you'd ask "where do you live." From=asking about ancestry. Live=where your reside.

Once again, not really an excuse.
We were in a bar drinking, not at a family reunion so why would we talk about ancestry when we don't even know what part of America he is from yet.

 

[jabmops]

America:

2: Any one can become president if they try for it.

When some one said: "how can you pledge allegence to a rag" a little bit of my soul died. Thats the equivalent of me calling the queen "just an old hag". though god forbid i ever do say that.

Iceland has a lesbian Prime minister. I'd like to see America have a gay President in the near future, no funnier scenario will ever occur.

If that was the equivalent, then I got the feeling people from the UK wont actually care.
The royal family are a drain on tax payers money and all they ever seem to do is embarrass the nation when it comes to foreign affairs.
The reason they're still around is probably because we like to laugh at some of Prince Phillip's gaffes

 

[r4ndom]

I also heard Americans are troubled with the concept of irony also.

That is a grossly ignorant statement, and it is no more true of americans than it is of britains, french, spaniards, etc etc.

I'm not calling you ignorant, but rather the people who told you so. It's a clichéd and a embarrassingly superior joke that should be forgotten and left to the pages of history.

(I'm Welsh incidentally, so this isn't an American defending his country)

 

[goater24]

I also heard Americans are troubled with the concept of irony also.

That is a grossly ignorant statement, and it is no more true of americans than it is of britains, french, spaniards, etc etc.

I'm not calling you ignorant, but rather the people who told you so. It's a clichéd and a embarrassingly superior joke that should be forgotten and left to the pages of history.

(I'm Welsh incidentally, so this isn't an American defending his country)

LOL you have failed to see the joke. I don't believe in thore arcaic stereotypes any more than I believe americans need a royal familt instead of there flag. I think you've jumped the gun squire.

But how could I as a true englishman expect a little boy'O from the valleys to understand me.

EDIT: You get the gist right????

 

[r4ndom]

But how could I as a true englishman expect a little boy'O from the valleys to understand me.

EDIT: You get the gist right????

Tone is very difficult to ascertain through text, and I apologise for seeming a little... overzealous, shall we say?

I stand by my statement though, and by the looks of it, so do you, which is always a good thing. And to clear things up, i'm not a 'valleys' boy or a 'little boy', and i'm gladly a pure Welshman. You know we'd take you in a war, so quit being mean

 

[Serge Drago]

I also heard Americans are troubled with the concept of irony also.

The problem with the word irony in America is that people started using it in the wrong situations, like substituting it for the word coincidence. While I can't speak for all of America, in my circle of friends I seem to be the only one that bothered to take the time to find out Webster's opinion of the word irony.

I do have one question about the difference in the school systems between America, Britain, and the rest of Europe. Here we have the misfortune of having the teacher's unions, do you guy's across the pond suffer the same pestilence?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

[
I do have one question about the difference in the school systems between America, Britain, and the rest of Europe. Here we have the misfortune of having the teacher's unions, do you guy's across the pond suffer the same pestilence?

The NUT(National Union of Teachers) and the PTA(Parent Teacher Association) are fond of ruining a lot of perfectly good education.

 

[slamm]

I'm from America and the one thing I usually wonder is why a lot of countries have royal families if they have no political power at all. I know they're suppoesed to be symmbolic, but for what?

 

[poleboy]

I'm from America and the one thing I usually wonder is why a lot of countries have royal families if they have no political power at all. I know they're suppoesed to be symmbolic, but for what?

You won't believe the tourist income they generate. They also often fill the role of ambassadors or diplomats, since they are not officially afilliated with the governement, but still have the public's support (or at least their attention).

 

[out0v0rder]

I've tried to compare English and American-English words and it's a fairly even split between which make more sense.

American words that make less sense:
-flashlight: they don't flash
-french fries: they're not French
-hobo: wouldn't you abbreviate homeless to 'homo'?
-math: it's mathmatics

English words that make less sense:
-car boot: huh?
-ladybird: it's neither
-dummy: a pacifer does pacify, dummy just means fake. Fake what?

Both make sense:
-cell phone/mobile phone: cell=battery and they are mobile
-airplane/aeroplane
-sidewalk/pavement
-sneaker/trainer: used for sneaking and training
-trash can/dust bin

Draw in ridiculousness:
-nappy/diaper: they just sound stupid

no sense:
Uni.