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?

OP I agree with you. I have spent many years in both places (I'm a Brit). It shocked me on returning to the UK as a teenager how anti-American the English were, how they were happy to generalize and make offensive comments. That was about 25 yrs ago. Nothing has changed. Mumsnet is simply a microcosm of UK society, full of individuals who are happy to make the same offensive comments. Britain I find as a small island, is quite prone to having some people who are generally xenophobic.

Hey, Yank - don't do that! You are beating yourself up. Please don't assume that is what people think when they hear your voice. Let's get some positivity into you

YankNCock, without meaning to sound flippant, if people are making those generalisations, it says more about them than it does about you/your mother country (not sure if you live there now or not).

So sod them, please don't let it bother you!

There is an American on here who got very upset when Hershey chocolate was being dissed - she took that very personally, as though it was her and all of America and anything American that was being attacked. Can't remember who it was though - just remember being shocked that she took it all so personally! Unless she was a member of the family who owns Hershey, of course...

Fuck off narky puffin, I was just lending my support not being 100% literal.

Agree 100% with Vajazz. I don't feel personally attacked when "America" is criticised.

What I really don't like is when people seize upon something they perceive as American (eg. trick or treating, baby showers) and make conclusions that it is evidence of some sort of American personality type (they're lazy/greedy/grasping/rude/aggressive etc).

I really can cook, my DH says so when I've got my gun pointed at him

You could always drop in the occasional 'aboot'

Narky has yor friend lived abroad? or does she have the idea that ouside America everything is very "spohisticated" etc? I have lived in several countries and always find the same things I didn't like at home follow me everywhere I go. Small minded people who think they know best, are the best, live in the best place etc are everywhere.

There are aspects of every culture that niggle, depending on who you are. Ever try to buy a decent size 40DD bra in France in the 80s? :o

Hershey is foul once you've tasted Cadbury.

Maybe we should be like the BBC.

Make sure that ever anti-American insult is balanced out with anti-English insult.

I'm happy to take on the role of "insulter of the English" (and any other nationailities that feel left out).

I am neither English or American.

Hershey's is crap I give you that, and Cadbury's is better. But still not as good as continental chocolate.

there I said it

I hate how large parts of our popular media (tabloids and lots of "entertainment" shows) seem to celebrate ignorance. Bleating on about WWII whenever Germany is mentioned, how Britain is so Great, etc.

It also grates when US president says "may God bless America". I just hate all of that we're better than you because, bullshit, wherever it comes from.

I can only talk from my experience. I have noticed a tendency on here to make rude comments about the 'Americanisation' of British culture especially with reference to Hallowe'en and Christmas. Usually from a poster who doesn't know about the customs and traditions of other parts of the UK.

I think it's great that we are all learning from each other.

I have visited America a few times and have had a great experience each time. On a personal level the Americans I met there were very polite and keen to find out more about the UK so I only have positive comments and thoughts.

However, having watched Fox News (and realized it wasn't political comedy!) I am aware that, like any country, there are people who hold what I consider to be fairly extreme views. This does mean they are representative of the whole of the US.

I don't think baby showers in a culture where they are the norm is in any way greedy or grasping. It's an American thing, so it makes sense for Americans to have them. For a British person in the UK to have one, complete with list (recent thread) could be seen as being on the greedy and grasping side, as it's adopting another culture to gain presents.

...Talking of voices/accents - well, we were a while back - a reason my friend LOVES America and Americans. Firstly, a recognition that whilst we can discern and recognise characteristics that are more familiar to us, it is harder to do so when they're more foreign. So I could tell a posh Edinburgh accent from a less posh, a Bristol accent from a Devonian one. With American accents, I can just about get north/south...

Anyway, she was working in Kentucky a few years back and people - to make conversation maybe? - kept on saying how much she liked her accent, how she 'sounded just like the queen'.

She is from Dudley - think VERY BROAD brummy accent, one that most brits would think sounds the opposite of the queen.

Expat, thankfully I've never needed to buy a 40DD bra in France. Or here.

I'm not a fan of patriotism in general. I had no control over where I was born, so I don't see much sense in being patriotic. Places are just different, some aspects of the UK are more agreeable to me than some aspects of the USA, and vice versa.

Go on, someone tell me to fuck off back to where I came from.

Another thing that may be pertinent - I think people criticise in others what they can't see in themselves. So -
Brits say the Americans are fat - have a look at yourselves there!
Lazy? well now, how many never-had-a-job-never-getting-a-job types are there in the UK?
Can't cook - that's a good one! - never heard that one being attributed solely to Americans before! Lots of British people can only cook fried foods, or perhaps boil the occasional frozen pea (my sis is one of these, sadly)
Ignorant - well we're covering that in this thread, aren't we - misconceptions, bigotry and an inability to think beyond the boundaries of your back garden occur everywhere in the world.

I'm not going to do the whole list, don't worry.

I would also say that insularity of a population isn't necessarily based on its country's landmass - Australia is massive (size of Europe) and still has small-island syndrome, probably because so many of its citizens are from small European countries.

'It also grates when US president says "may God bless America". I just hate all of that we're better than you because, bullshit, wherever it comes from.'

How does that mean, 'We're better than you'? People sing 'God Save the Queen'. Hundreds of thousands were doing so openly at the Royal Wedding.

I love it when people are singing it, including Philip, and there's the Queen, just standing there. DD1 noticed and said, 'But she's not singing!'

Gah - always see it just as I hit post -
I think people criticise in others what they can't see in themselves even though it is there

expat, to me it sounds like bless us and no one else. I don't like god save the queen either. I meant to lump that in with my comment about english media, I put it on the wrong line.

I did laugh at the queen being the only one not singing, I bet she was thinking "and don't you lot forget it".

expat - the Queen singing God Save the Queen would be a bit like someone applauding themselves, not quite "the thing".

I have no national identity so am feeling a bit left out here.

Although I do have interesting memories of being a 12 year old girl with a strong South African accent in a lareg comprehensive school when Spitting Image released "I never met a nice South African".

Oh happy days...