or is prejudice against America considered OK by most of mumsnet?

[VajazzHands]

Comments about America on mumsnet, really ridiculous comments (basically that all Americans, are fat, stupid, god botherers bent on taking over the world) seem to be largely ignored and accepted as fact in a way that comments about any other country never would.

Blatant sexism, racism, xenophobia, disablism would never be tolerated on MN in any other circumstance. Why do people let it go about Americans?

There is something else, which is it is seen as very bad form - tantamount to bullying - to poke fun at a minority - which could be a smaller country, a poorer country.

But it is somehow seen as ok to slate those who are bigger and more powerful than you. And richer. So - the Brits slag off the US / Scots slate the English MUCH MORE than vice versa. And I'd say the Aussies josh the BRits more than v.v. too. Most of this is genuinely done as a joke, but sometimes those jokes go too far.

'Scots slate the English MUCH MORE than vice versa. '

Another bollocks generalisation! Who's keeping count here?

Expat, you are going a bit ott.

There just are running jokes - that is just the way it is. People get too precious. I am not talking about damn outright racism. I am talking about a little ribbing.

There are always English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh jokes going around and most people can laugh. Listen to a lot of stand-ups and many jest about other nationalities and some even jest about their own background.

Get a grip - get a life.

I'm just going to hop up on the soapbox for a minute with Vajazz:

1. Going to New York and/or Disneyland once does not qualify you to speak authoritatively on all things American.

1. We pronounce it 'that way' because that's the way we learned it, and that doesn't make it wrong.

1. There are stupid people in every country. Your anecdotes are boring.

Expat, to clarify, I am Scottish, currently living in England. I talk from my own experience.

Going to New York and/or Disneyland once does not qualify you to speak authoritatively on all things American.

hear hear!

Your anecdotes are boring.
and usually not true....

Yank/Vajazz - which anecdotes? On this thread, or do you mean in general?

headfairy it's even worse than you think, 2 weeks is generous - my dad has recently taken a very senior position working for the US government and has gone from 5 weeks holiday here to something like 5 days holiday. And there's no statutory obligation to even offer those 5 days, that's a "perk" of his job along with health insurance which covers less than the NHS covers here (the plan he and my mother are on doesn't cover any maternity care - that would double their insurance costs).

PMSL, Champers. Is your real name David Cameron?

Of course, it's all just a joke.

Everyone speaks from his/her own experience, Hazel, that's why generalisations are usually ridiculous.

In general..

Such as.

I once knew a guy who went to (12 century insert chapel here) and this fat american guy asked where the elevator was!

I once knew a guy who went to (12 century insert chapel here) and this fat american guy asked why there was no Air conditioning!

So if everyone speak from their own experience, why do you dismiss mine as bollocks?

I love the USA and Americans

It's the one place I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm English. :)

It's also seen quite a lot around October as everyone bitches about 'How American' it is to go Trick or Treating.

Lots and lots of threads America bash and I've actually reported a few and had some deleted.

As an expat it is grating. Just as it is grating on my husband when we go to America and my stupid oldest brother puts on an Irish accent thinking he's funny.

Prejudice is prejudice. Doesn't matter if America is small/large/rising or falling. When 'It's so American' is used as a curse then people should be called up on it.

Hazel, in general. For every story people trot out of the 'stupid American we met on our holiday' variety, I can come up with an anecdote of a stupid British person I met whilst living here. It's boring.

Should say (insert 12th century chapel here) if I am going to be lazy and copy and edit I should really proof read the first bit!

Vajazz, got it, thanks for clarification!

is prejudice against America considered OK by most of mumsnet?

No. Just some smug twats. I love all things American including McDonalds and halloween

'So if everyone speak from their own experience, why do you dismiss mine as bollocks?'

Because you made a generalisation, Hazel. 'Scots slag off English more than the other way round'. How do you know this is in fact true for the entire place? It's your experience. So qualify it.

it does make me laugh, those who slag off the Americans would be the first to wail and moan if the same things were said about Pakistanis for example

America is it's corporations. So when they expand into new markets they bring with them American corporate culture. Why do Americans only have two weeks holiday? American work practices dictated by big business.

Americans are not an issue. America is an issue.

TBH I find that Americans are the best group to insult. They are usually too stupid to notice.

I used to call people out when the bitchy threads started, but I've pretty much given up. I don't spend as much time on MN now anyway. When I was here a lot, you could guarantee at least 1-2 threads a month started for the purpose of bitching about Americans, plus the snidey comments in many other threads.

And predictably those of us who point it out are told we can't take a joke, we should expect it because we're ruining your culture, blah blah blah.

Expat, surely if everyone speaks form their own experience, no qualification is needed nor expected? ALso, my post was quite clearly an opinion, not fact. This was made explicit with regards to my 'point' regarding brits/Aussies.
Not quite sure why you write as if you hold some kind of gavel. We all have opinions and perspectives.

'I love all thing American'. Well that's just as stupid as saying you hate all things american. Do you like ludicrously short maternity leave, excessive petrol consumption and capital punishment?