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?

Ahhh cos I'm quite big I can get away with looking them in the eye and saying "no you're not". Others aren't so forward / confident so the arseholes get away with thinking their point is correct.

The English will happily lay into the French and vice versa. The Scottish will go on about the English, the Dutch will go on about the Germans etc etc.

When it's an issue of nationality rather than race we all have our gripes and moans.

If it crosses the line into being unpleasant then challenge people on it. I like the French attitude, I like the Dutch work/life balance. I like the German attitude to green issues, English self depreciation and Scottish ... ability to get easily wound up

Want2b - I only know this because my parents checked it out in advance of my visiting them this summer, to see if I could get a temporary rider of some kind (luckily didn't need it, have Bupa here and made sure it covers anything that might go wrong). Happily it doesn't matter to them but they were a bit as it had been billed as a "family" plan and it hadn't been pointed out to them that there were certain limitations. (Not a company plan by the way, was purchased through the Federal Employees Health Benefits system.) They haven't lived in the States for 25 years and seem a bit overwhelmed by how much has changed since they left, particularly in relation to health issues and costs.

Prejudice against 'Americans' is rather bizzare, given that they are just about the most heterogenous nation on earth.

I don't I've heard anything much negative said about the Scots - by the English. Edingburg is my most favourite city in the UK.

Animation

And I like Edinburgh!

And Mike Myers, who starred in, wrote and produced the 'Austin Powers' trilogy, is a Canadian of British parentage.

Tyelperion Family plans normally only include a cohabiting (only if gay) or married couple and their children if they are dependents (max age of 26). I would expect that you would not have been covered under this plan at all.

There have been lots of changes to health insurance in the past two years. I was lucky to find out that emergency room care isn't automatically covered under our plan this year. It depends on the medical billing codes used by the hospital and the insurance company decides if coverage is warranted. I did some further digging and the insurance company confirmed that if a doctor tells us to go to the ER then we will be covered.

The changes in healthcare that were brought in have not been great for the vast majority of people. Many of our friends have seen their coverage decreased in the past two years. We have seen our coverage decrease due to being on a Cadillac plan. It isn't difficult to end up being on a cadillac plan. Two employees in DH's office easily spend more than $8000 (limit for individuals) on premiums in a year. They are not in good health and the last thing they need is tax applied to the care that is keeping them alive as they both only make around $45-55k a year. Obama should have left healthcare alone....

Its a political thing - taking a swipe at those in the most powerful positions is fair game for those groups lower down the tree - but this is always bad form in the other direction

The Americans are at the top of the tree so they are fair game

Same as in the UK it is acceptable for minorities to poke fun at the majority in power but not the other way around

there are plusses and minusses

Can understand the poor americans getting fed up with it all

I'm a Brit in Virginia, USA. I have written a post for this thread three times, and deleted every time. It is such a difficult thing to talk about - because in my experience, every stereotype and preconception of Americans is found very readily in my area. I could stereotype most people here into three distinct groups. All my friends, all the people I meet at the mall etc etc. And yes, one of those stereo types is the God Botherer, republican, highly paid, opinionated intensely patriotic and often obese stereotype. Maybe it is the area I am in, I haven't travelled a lot of America so don't know much about other states. How can you not stereotype someone? If you saw a French person wearing a blue and white striped top, beret and string of garlic, would you think they fit a stereotype? It is hard not to profile people, it is natural to do so. Making generalisations like 'all Americans are dumb' is wrong, but not acknowledging that some do fit those stereotypes is being naieve.

I do know everyone I have met over the last week was amazingly restrained over the Osama thing - no celebrations, barely any talk about it actually. They were more interested in the Royal Wedding... I was pleasantly surprised.

I would also like to say that I absolutely love being in America, love the friendliness, the optimism and the general happiness that I experience living among the people. My kids have absolutely no bullying at their school, they are surrounded by positive puke worthy praise and they thrive on it. I think a lot of the things that irritate me about Americans are often things I envy them for - their faith in their religions, their country, their identity. They have a self-confidence I would kill to have!

I don't think I made any point :-( Just that yes there are stereotypes and I don't know how you can ignore that. I think it is a different issue to prejudice, though.

Actually it was groundskeeper Wullie who coined the phrase "cheese-eating surrenderrrrrrr monkeys" so actually it was Scot's bashing, bashing the French.

Darth Reston is soooooo Stepford

FlyingSpaghetti Virginia is indeed, in many ways, full of the 'american stereotype'

You forgot gun owners!

But it is also home to a place like Richmond, which on the one hand is full of very conservative, gun-loving, religious, never got over the civil war, 'good old boys'... and on the other has a thriving punk/alternative scene

I agree with you though, there are indeed many Americans who fit the stereotype, let's not pretend there aren't

I work for a US-based scientific software company, originally based in Boston, now California. So my stereotypical 'American' would probably be a liberal, green, non-gun toting PhD.

flying It does not surprise me that people are still talking about the wedding. Bin Laden being killed is not positive news. The Royal wedding was positive news. People here tend not to dwel on the negative. It is how they stay so darn positive.

Another thing, I see more obese people in England than I do here in the US. I am in New Jersey and the majority of people here look like their BMI is in the normal range.