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Original poster

If Brits are obsessed with class and Americans are obsessed with race, what about everyone else?

213 replies

NutellaEllaElla · 09/04/2022 14:42

What about other countries? What are the French, Italians, Germans, South Africans, Chinese etc obsessed with? I'm guessing for Indians it's Caste?

I'm just curious!

OP posts:
StrongerOrWeaker · 09/04/2022 19:27

Are obsessed about taxes? I never felt this.
I feel we Brits are obsessed about fitting in/ keeping up with the Joneses ( latest car reg, what sort of house you have got, do we have the latest kitchen etc).

The french are convinced they are more cultured and civilised than everyone else

balkangrill · 09/04/2022 19:28

Oh I didn't know about Italian views on drafts and wet hair, we, especially older generations, are the same. If you go out with wet hair, your mouth will turn upside down (paresis of facial nerve) and draft is responsible for every disease known to humans. There is an expression "caught by draft". It must be the Adriatic Sea causing all these weird ideas on both shores

Original poster
NutellaEllaElla · 09/04/2022 19:46

OMG yes Brits and roads! My FIL will happily while away as yet unlimited time discussing routes to future destinations. Christ alive, it's fucking boring.

An example of Americans being obsessed with race is that some even try to call Black Brits, "African British". We just call people British if they are, regardless of skin colour. Not saying we don't have racism etc, just an example.

OP posts:
hermine23 · 09/04/2022 19:50

@StrongerOrWeaker

Are obsessed about taxes? I never felt this. I feel we Brits are obsessed about fitting in/ keeping up with the Joneses ( latest car reg, what sort of house you have got, do we have the latest kitchen etc).

The french are convinced they are more cultured and civilised than everyone else

Taxes - yep. Promising low taxes is a sure vote winner here even if higher taxes and better public services a la the Nordic countries would mean a more equal and well functioning society.

Even now Rishi Sunak keeps trying because he knows the English will vote for his empty promises!

waterboats · 09/04/2022 19:53

Oh and another one for the Italians. Along side their personal vapour machines, often doctors will prescribe you a number of sessions at the thermal baths for all sorts of ailments. You come out stinking of sulfur and stuff. I bet the Eastern Europeans do this more, but Italians definitely do this, as well as strongly recommending coastal air!

cafedesreves · 09/04/2022 22:14

British are obsessed with awkwardness. If anyone speaks another language, does it have a word that fully conveys that British awkwardness?

PutYourBackIntoit · 10/04/2022 01:34

British are obsessed with self flagulation.

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/04/2022 01:40

@PutYourBackIntoit

British are obsessed with self flagulation.
Flagellation in general if my dominatrix friend is to be believed.
Boxowine · 10/04/2022 03:16

The Portugese are obsessed with removing every blade of grass surrounding their house. To be replaced with brick, gravel, cobblestone or when finances dictate, cement.

Downunderduchess · 10/04/2022 03:22

I’m Australian & live in Sydney, we are obsessed with house prices! And voting our shit government out (that bit might just be me).

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/04/2022 03:53

@Downunderduchess

I’m Australian & live in Sydney, we are obsessed with house prices! And voting our shit government out (that bit might just be me).
I do think Aussies are generally obsessed with how shit their politicians are. Sir Terry Pratchett made a joke about Australians saving time by locking them up as soon as they're elected. And that was years ago.
Yellownightmare · 10/04/2022 04:33

@hermine23

As well as class I'd say English people are also obsessed with:

immigration
property
taxes
coming across as 'nice' (even when they're not)
the royal family, especially Meghan Markle
being exceptional
The British Empire

I think there are a lot of people who some of these apply to, but mainly they coincide with people who voted for Brexit. There are also a lot of people who never talk about immigration, the BE or being exceptional. None of my friends do, and if anything we often talk about how embarrassing we come across as, with our PM, xenophobia, BE fans, Brexit, football hooligans etc.

Property is a topic, admittedly. I rarely discuss taxes either, except to say that we have too many people who want to pay less tax but have better public services and don't see the problem with that. Grin

JaninaDuszejko · 10/04/2022 06:54

Which leads to another point about South American’s, despite being so diverse there’s a lot of racism there too.

God yes, I suppose it's like the US, the legacy of slavery. I read Black and British recently and was talking about it and about how many families in the UK were slave owners and MIL said 'Oh, we didn't have slavery in our country' Shock. Absolutely no idea at all.

Snoken · 10/04/2022 07:08

Swedes are obsessed with gender neutrality and the environment.

Billandben444 · 10/04/2022 07:10

I've never seen so many Pharmacies as I see in France and Spain
Yes, definitely in Spain, on every corner. But a lot of things we can buy in Tesco/Sainsbury's are not available in their supermarkets so you have to go to the Farmacia for them.

If the little red man says Don't Cross in Austria then Austrians wait obediently even if the road is clear - possibly until someone comes next week to rewire the broken sign? Very law abiding.

Ulelia · 10/04/2022 07:11

Romanians are also obsessed with draughts: opening a window on a 50 degree C bus results in a chorus of 'curent!' and the window being slammed shut for everyone's safety, despite the heat exhaustion all over peoples faces. Also with being not really balkan and having the language closest to Latin, therefore being basically Italian.

LaMarschallin · 10/04/2022 07:14

Downunderduchess

I’m Australian & live in Sydney, we are obsessed with house prices!

My experience of Sydney has certainly included a lot of discussions about house prices and location.

Also the best places for all sorts of food (pies, sushi, fish & chips, icecream...), always described as "gourmet".

BoffinMum · 10/04/2022 07:17

Germans are obsessed with Ordnung, ie application of rules, except when they feel like being anti-foreigner and then they suddenly ignore the rules.

Hopspinach · 10/04/2022 07:17

Italians are obsessed with what is eaten in what region and how it's prepared. It actually gets really boring. As soon as Italians start talking about their regional dishes, I'm looking for an escape route.

Hopspinach · 10/04/2022 07:19

@Snoken

Swedes are obsessed with gender neutrality and the environment.
Eeesh that sounds insufferable
BoffinMum · 10/04/2022 07:20

Ulelia, the Germans are like this, they are obsessed with ‘lüften‘ flinging windows open the whole time but then paradoxically getting worried about draughts. During Covid the public health people had to put a message saying sitting in a draught would not kill you.

froufroufrou · 10/04/2022 07:20

@Ohmnomnom

Oh, and Greeks are also obsessed with their history. Remember the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding that told everybody that everything was Greek? He's based on every Greek dad ever.
So true! My Greek friend at school always used to say “you lot were still swinging from the trees when the Greeks were writing philosophy” 😂
ACandleOnAGinBottle · 10/04/2022 07:22

Spaniards are obsessed with getting a tan and not looking too white

pinpluf · 10/04/2022 07:28

Id say swedes are obsessed by clean lines & minimalism.

English are obsessed with house prices, one of my older inlaws loves looking in estate agent windows all the time. And class.

French are keen to show how insouciant they are & obsessed with staying slim.

BoffinMum · 10/04/2022 07:31

Hoppinggreen, I was in a clothes shop in Germany recently snd wanted to try on two t-shirts. The assistant looked at me like I was insane and bluntly said that they wouldn’t suit me because they were too clingy. I tried them on anyway and she was unfortunately right, however she then said I needed to wear shit baggy smock things on account of my weight (I’m size 16-18 with a fairly slim waist). Not helpful in making a sale, I’ll say that much.