Stereotypes that hurt.

[paranoidandroid]

My - we are a touchy bunch at times! I have been mildly amused at the recent drama concerning the quality of our respective dental care facilities. This got me thinking... what is the most hurtful stereotype that has been used against you or your fellow countrymen? What is the most accurate stereotype (if there is such a thing!) of your country

Comments

[otana]

The food one does make me laugh. I think the problem is that there isn't much spice used in traditional British food, just a bit of salt, pepper and some basic herbs. Once you really know how to cook it though and use a bit of culinary license, it can be amazing. My American friends go insane for bangers, white pudding, Marmite, Bisto gravy, back bacon and pork pies, not to mention really good, mature cheddar cheese. You should have seen my friends fight over my Nana's mashed potato stuffing at Christmas.

Most accurate stereotype for me is how much tea I drink. I go through cups and cups every day, and while I'd prefer Tetley or PG Tips, I'll even drink Lipton if it's a choice between that and going without my cuppa. And it took a while for people to realize when I said tea, I meant hot black tea with a splash of milk, not tea as a general term.

[paranoidandroid]

Oh the pain of being handed an iced tea at the first American resturant I went to! My face was a picture!

[otana]

You just don't think about it at first, do you? I mean, I love iced tea, but I just assumed "tea" meant "hot black tea, milk and / or sugar" until that point. I think it's worse when they bring a cup of hot water and a teabag on the side, I can just feel my upper lip stiffening.

[dativesingular]

I get horrified by that now and I live here.

[jeunelis]

The most inaccurate stereotype? It was that I would sing "Wannabe" and other spice girls songs. I moved to America when I was 14 in 1997. Hello Spice Mania.

I drink enough tea to float a ship :P

[caramel_betty]

The most inaccurate stereotype? It was that I would sing "Wannabe" and other spice girls songs. I moved to America when I was 14 in 1997. Hello Spice Mania.

In that situation, you should tell people you were evicted from the country for refusing to kowtow to your new, Spicy overlords.

[jeunelis]

Shh I was.

[yummydeb]

Just leaping in because I saw your Eagles icon, so went to your user info, and OH MY GOSH I used to live 10 minutes from Hatboro, over in Jamison, PA! Hiya, neighbor! (Well, not anymore... I live in Scotland now.)

Anyway, that's all. I hope Hatboro is treating you well :-).

[dativesingular]

Haha, the Internets get butthurt so easily.

I tend to get annoyed when I see Americans being portrayed as fat, lazy, uneducated, unworldly, etc. But what really cracks me up is when I see Americans (here!) talk about America that way, and then talk about the UK like some magical promised land where everybody is intelligent and tolerant and everyone has a magical pony that poops cupcakes. :)

[jeunelis]

It's the crumpets. They make Brits so cultured.

[ellonwye]

My crumpets come wearing their own little monocles and smoking little pipes, it's precious.

[jeunelis]

That would make me want to pet a crumpet

[jeunelis]

I just thought of another one:
Oh and since I'm from Liverpool, I must have known the Beatles and loooooooove them.

(I do love them, but I was born in 1983, the whole John was dead for two years etc. My mum knew them and was friends with Michael McCartney.)

[otana]

Oh god. When I was in Japan, I was asked these questions WITHOUT FAIL whenever I met someone. Had I met the Queen, had I heard of the Beatles (no seriously :|), had I met David Beckham. It was kind of nice to get all the stereotyping done and out of the way so precisely though, by the time I left it was like some bizarre cookie-cutter greeting ritual.

[jeunelis]

I have answered those questions time and time again lol.

and when I go back to the UK, it's a lot of "Did you meet so and so"

Can't win on either side of the pond :P

[otana]

Oh amen to that! Just because I lived in Los Angeles, doesn't mean I saw movie stars on every street corner, guys. :|

[otana]

I love that tag, "US vs UK". It sounds like some furious cultural throwdown complete with spandex and exuberant commentators.

[dativesingular]

I almost want to add that to our community's userinfo, it's both hilarious and kind of accurate.

[otana]

Ahaha, it is a fantastic mental image.

[bopeepsheep]

Jeux Sans Frontiers with fewer strange moustaches?