If I ever judged the UK by what I saw on TV when I lived in the US

[Tee2072]

Everyone in the UK would either speak with a Cockney or RP accent.

They would all either live in an over crowded terrace or a huge country estate.

All the schools would be crap.

The populace would spend their entire lives in pubs.

Now, I never believed any of that, being a relatively smart human being.

So am I being unreasonable to wonder how come I'm constantly battling US TV stereotypes here on MN?

It's a thread about many many many threads.

The kids definitely DON'T wear team kit at DS' school. That's seen as really lame. But everyone does drink out of red Solo cups.

Oh, and I'll whisper this but, cheerleaders are often a bit overweight and not that pretty. I know. I couldn't believe it either. I've seen Bring it On One, two and three

at going to Dollywood.

DH went to an American Football pre-season game while he was in Seattle last week and I was very disappointed to learn that the cheerleaders just 'danced about a bit'. Apparently there were no Bring It On style cheers.

I agree with you paper, the blatant anti americanism is one of the few things I dislike about mumsnet.

I remember hurrying to work in London, where everyone jaywalks, and I crossed the road on a red (I had to run admittedly, a bus was coming) and an american family gaped at me. I was astonished when I found out that it was illegal in some countries.

Also, American towns are often attacked by monsters/aliens/homicidal maniacs, but this is okay because there is always a guy with a huge collection of food and weapons in his basement to help defend the place. The locals will have been laughing at him for years, but the jokes on them when giant worms erupt out of the ground, oh yes.

I know, Dollywood is amazing.

I don't even like country music really, but fancy going line dancing and all sorts when I am there. I want to go somewhere in the South and Nashville looks fun.

One thing I did find frustrating is that, even in the smartest café, you don't get given milk for your tea or coffee - it's just those little UHT pods.
If you ask for fresh milk they seem really puzzled.

But it's lovely to always be brought a glass of iced water as soon as you sit down.

Oh I forgot about the water. American tap water is not good, it's like drinking swimming pool water. What do they put in it?

But High Who needs tap water when you can drink from a crystal clear mountain stream? Every American town has one.

In the films 3 American soldiers could liberate a small country. I've worked alongside the American Army. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Everyone wakes up to eggs and cawfee.
But on the flip side; all mancunians live in terraces, shag everybody, move in with people after a few weeks and live in the pub. Apart from the terraces, the same could be thought of people in the east end, and they're all p/t gangsters with thousands in ready cash lying around.

Service is great as well.

And I like the way when the bill is brought over to you, they have calculated what 20 percent of the bill is so you know how much you have to tip

The armed forces seem to be held in really high esteems. I remember 5 years ago a bunch of soldiers were in Atlanta airport, random people kept going up to them saying well done, letting them push into lines etc.

Earthymama - Going to SF? Head straight to Gheridelli square and/or Sees Candy. Real chocolate at either place. SF is home, I was just there myself in July.

Auntfini - They did at my school and the sports teams had to wear ties and jackets on game days.

All people of drivable age could drive to my high school, but it was a huge school with a huge parking lot. And everyone, pretty much, had a car the second they turned 16 and got their license. Yes, including me. I don't drive in the UK, though.

I have been complaining about the anti-American sentiment on MN since I started posting here. It's 100% accepted that if something is crap? It's American. Well fuck you very much. I'm American. I'm not crap.

Going by current headlines, Americans would be forgiven for thinking that you have to be an alleged paedophile/sex predator to get a job on a soap.

British soaps that is.

Well when I was much much younger I thought all Canadians were outdoors types and Americans drover everywhere. I since met Canadians who can't walk 400 yards. And American's who do serious trail hiking.

If you walk in the US, beware that the distance on their trail posts seems to be measured on a large scale map, so if its up hill 2 miles may be more like 4 or 5.
The USA has amazing National and State parks, and it was in some of these that I began to really appreciate how even the most remote European place has been massively changed by man (and the extinction of the European Beaver).

Or be a tv presenter?

The cheerleading uniform thing seems to really vary. A friend of mine was a US cheerleader and always rants about it on TV shows. She maintains that you wear your uniform only on match days and anything else is deeply naff.

HighJinx - Chlorine in a lot of places. And fluoride. I never drink tap water in the US.

I really miss pot-luck dinners with friends. It is the perfect way to actually relax and enjoy people's company without having to think about providing a top notch three course meal.

In the UK people think you are testing them if you ask everyone to bring something.

CoolStory Really?! It was a rule that you had to wear your uniforms on game days, and it was definitely a thing to be proud of.

HighJinx I think all the tap water has fluoride in it in the States (or so I've heard... Never knew if that was actually true or not.)

LeGavf I was at the beach and 2 soldiers arrived and spent the entire day walking from one end to the other while people shook their hands and clapped at them. I swear they were only there to hit on women

I want to live in America

To be fair, mignonette and lweji us Brits could be forgiven for wondering about that.