To point out the anti-Americanism on Mumsnet?

[PitilessYank]

To My Fellow Mumsnetters,

This topic arose on my recent thread about Bernie Sanders, so I decided to start a thread centered around it.

I really enjoy Mumsnet; there is nothing else like it. However, even as a mellow person, and someone whose hackles rarely get raised, I find myself increasingly pissed off by the anti-American schtick around here.

Enough about our mammoth American refrigerators! (Yes, I own one.) It is not our fault that you have imported over-the-top baby showers or bachelorette parties ("hen-dos"). (I didn't have one, for the record, I think that they are dumb.)

Our educational system is very decent, thank you very much. (For one, unless you are talking about NYC, children here are guaranteed a spot in a local school in the town in which they reside. No muss, no fuss.

Also, did you know that the majority of US physicians, of whom I am one, currently support the implementation of a single-payer health care system that provides guaranteed coverage to all? We are working on it, European onlookers!!

The US is like a collection of 50 different small countries horribly lumped together, and change can be slow.

But we got it together on gay marriage! That was pretty impressive. And Bernie Sanders is very popular! That is a good sign. We make good tv shows?? (Yours are great as well, and much more artful, imho.)

And I think we are so nice to you-always gushing about your lovely accents, assuming that you are smarter than we are because of how you talk, even, appreciating your amazing architecture, art, lusting after your sexy princes, etc...

Well, that concludes my rant for now. Thank you for reading it. I feel better. Commence telling me IABU.

With Love,
Pitiless Yank.

[GardeningWithDynamite]

OP - for BBC classic comedy see here...

www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/top/

I'd particularly recommend Blackadder, Vicar of Dibley and Red Dwarf. You'll notice that "Are You Being Served" does not make the top 50 list

[bumbleymummy]

I love your refrigerators! Ben and Jerry's ice cream is amazing. I love some U.S. TV shows much more than UK ones. I love the scenery - some parts are just breath taking. I love the summer camps. I love the weather! So lots and lots to love :)

Not overly keen on the gun-love though

[AlexPKeaton]

Thanks Angharad! It's so ingrained that I'm not sure if I could stop anyway. I am, however, working hard to use fewer exclamation points in e-mails and texts to British people.

Have a great day!

[TheGreatSnafu]

I was chased off babycenter.com for mocking those headbands that go around bald babies' heads.

OMG that is epic. You are a legend. I can't stand those things either.

[NNalreadyinuse]

I used to wonder why Americans hsted thenidea of Obama care and my brother (who is married to an American) said it's because the people expected to pay for it are not allowed to use it. My brother and sil are not rich by any stretch, so it seems unfair that they will have to pay for a system they are not allowed to access. I think in the UK we view it as an NHS type system. Mind, my sil's parents view the NHS as akin to communism. I can't understand why anyone would object to the notion of accessible healthcare for all.

The Americans I have met have been lovely, but as a nation it does keep dragging us into wars that are impossible to win, in places that are none of our business. The gun thing is also scary.

You did give us some very good telly though. Thank you for friends and fringe and the x files and dexter in particular. That does somewhat offset the baby shower thing

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

its not bad from Trader Joe's and Costco but not great compared to other food selections

thankfully there is a cheese shop near where my brother lives that does lovely cheese and bread

[WhoWants314]

PS, I know it's only the ignorant ones who don't grasp that in the UK people with money have nice teeth and in the USA people with money have nice teeth. So......... that'd be people with money have nice teeth.

[AlexPKeaton]

WhoWants, babycenter=mumsnet. Would you want someone judging you based on what goes on on mumsnet? Try youbemom.com or dcurbanmom.com. The former is NYC based and the latter is Washington, DC based, but you don't need to be local to appreciate them. Mumsnet is still way better than both of them, for many reasons, but for heaven's sake, stay off of babycenter!

[ClockworkJelly]

Lived in the US for 2 years when I was a teenager.

Remember it fondly.

Except the food. The food is weird... I lost so much weight because even veggie choices seemed to have bacon in but I do hear it's better now than 10 years ago.

Over whelming memories of biscuits and gravy just came flooding back. Just wrong always will be, and what is with putting syrup on everything??

I can be fussy with food

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Hmm, I've noticed that sometimes the people with the worst teeth in the UK are the aristos. The Lord Peregrine Cholmondley Pemberbottom types think there's something a bit nouveau about having nice straight teeth.

[Janeymoo50]

I'm going to NYC for my honeymoon in May, I bleedin loves America (except the scary gun loving bit).

Oh and your food is brilliant (although appears to lack vegetables in restaurants but I can overlook that when served a 120z steak as standard).

[HaveIGotAClue]

I'm reading the OP's post in Tiffany's accent and Umbongosomethingorother in Stephanie's nasally-stuffed scowser accent?

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

spray cheese

best sitcoms Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm are American (is CYE a sitcom?)

[HaveIGotAClue]

Mitzy - I'm feeling all royal now.

[TheGreatSnafu]

America has a lot to answer for as far as it's International Human Rights record goes and the relentless warmongering.

Internally - gun culture, the cult of the car, the death penalty, only one abortion clinic in the poorest State in the country (due to restrictive abortion laws), brutal maternity policies (while purporting "family values"), rampant patriotism, militant religion, high levels of poverty and crime...

[MitzyLeFrouf]

But....cheeseburgers.

[AlexPKeaton]

On second thought, you guys will probably think even worse of Americans if you go on YBM or DCUM. There is a lot of ridiculousness on them, but if you sift through that there are smart, funny people on both.

[gleam]

Yes, Criminal Minds! Very well done.

[TheGreatSnafu]

But burritos are a most excellent thing.

[WhoWants314]

Mitzy, I know what you mean, too perfect teeth - bit Towie.

[WhoWants314]

I love American TV. They know how to do good TV

Although maybe they only export the quality shows to us. I think there are a lot of other shows that don't make it here

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Yes WhoWants, straight white teeth. Why wouldn't you want those?

Having all your teeth filed down to a nub and replaced with blinding white horse teeth veneers. Why would you want those?

[CruCru]

I love the US - I lived there as a child and STILL get homesick for the smell of the freezers in the supermarket.