to hate how British people are portrayed in American TV programmes?

[500DaysofAutumn]

I've just finished watching an episode of Desperate Housewives, and it the one where Ian who is English has his English parents come and visit him and Susan.

They have a barbeque and Ian's father says -

"So one puts one meat on top of the burning coal? How wonderfully primal"

.... erm ... we may not have hot weather all year round but I'm sure most of us in the UK know what a barbeque is.

Also Ian won a poker games with a hand of "sevens and knaves" to which Carlos replies "we call them JACKS!"

• I've never known Jacks as Knaves.

Don't even get me started on Emily from Friends.

(I know it's just fiction but still )

Malcom Reed on Star Trek Enterprise
But we have to forgive Star Trek because they not only gave us Scottie but also probably the best-known Frenchman in a TV series with Shakespearean English accent - because obviously no-one would speak French in the 20-whatever century so all Europeans would have English as their regional accent... I wonder if the Academie Francais complained?

lottiegarbanzo, when you say you cannot understand the Glaswegian accent, you really should clarify that you mean when it is spoken badly. DH is from Glasgow. He is a lawyer working for a large, American investment bank. He went to Glasgow then Oxford so is well educated but retains a strong regional accent. He has no problem being understood by colleagues either here or in The States.

Oh and I can very clearly tell the difference between someone from Boston and someone from Texas or Colorado. Though I would struggle to distinguish between Connecticut and New York, say.

Though DH always comments on why the Mass. Kennedy style brawl is always stronger and more pronounced with Catholics!?!

And why is Sean Bean always a baddie?

Yes, beyond, I read that too!
It reminds me of the story of how Ernest Hemingway entered an Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest and came third!!

I never saw the problem with Emily in friends.

I think desperate housewives makes Americans look bonkers, tbh.

And latinos even more bonkers. ( hot sultry passionate, machista stereotypes....boring)

The whole programme is mad, imo

Emily was wet and whiney and had no sense of humour, what is English about that?!

In my experience most Americans will guess australian for any northern British accent (i.e. one with short vowel sounds). Very strong accents may not be understood at all, I frequently acted as translator for some Scottish and Geordie colleagues when i lived in the midwest.

The inability to distinguish between Cockney and Scouse is interesting. I can hear differences in accents in France even when I don't understand what's being said. I can keep up in Paris but I really struggled in Toulouse

And how are Americans portrayed on English tv programmes?

Squoosh, the first lady who comes to mind is the blond access who played David's boss in cold feet. She played an almost identical role (bossy and brash) in an episode of jonothan creek I watched the other night.

Americans seem to be portrayed as crass and brash nouveaus with no understanding for history or culture, hillbillies or steely eyed business types.

In fairness I could do with a translator for some Uk accents...

I am Canadian and lived in Kent for a year. I can certainly hear the difference in regional accents but couldn't tell you where they were from without being very vague, like 'up North'.

I found it really funny that when I was in England and someone asked where I was from it was often 'Ireland?' I have no idea why except that maybe the slight differences in inflection I picked up made me sound Irish? I have a pretty standard 'Canadian' accent, I'm from Toronto.

The thing with accents is I you just have to be exposed to them a lot. I struggled to tell the difference between Aussie and NZ, but after staying in a surf lodge surrounded by both, I can tell the difference easier now.

Americans seem to be portrayed as crass and brash nouveaus with no understanding for history or culture, hillbillies or steely eyed business types.

Most of the american tv I watch they're scientists or doctors .

I'm proud of myself if I correctly spot a NZ or Canadian accent but would be v surprised if most Kiwis and Canadians living in the UK are not generally presumed to be Australian/American.

Grimma I meant Americans being portrayed on British tv programmes.

I'm Cornish and yet numerous times when in Manchester I've been asked if I'm from London so it seems that even in this country people struggle to place some regional accents.

I think it's great! For some reason American TV almost always portrays English people as clever. Usually smug arrogant and often evil, but smart nonetheless. It makes working with Americans really easy. I witter on in an English accent and at least half the room thinks what i'm saying is somehow worth listening to.

The other half of the room has met a lot of English people and therefore know better.

I'm from Dublin and the amount of times people assume I'm from Belfast . . .

Basically we overestimate how distinct our accents sound to the ears of those from other countries.

RoI and NI sound really different to me Squoosh

You mean English people don't all talk like Julie Andrews and have afternoon tea everyday .

This is also a real annoyance of mine, im from Essex, so not cockney, nor posh, but i dont sound like those idiots from TOWIE,

I can tell the difference, between Oz and Kiwi, ROI and NI, USA and Canadian accents. Even recognise a New York accent, you just gotta listen, tho i think i watch too much telly.

Joey Essex was on something the other day and I honestly could not understand a word he said