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.

Pitless - all Brits secretly luuurve the US.

Permanent enthusiasm, incredible patriotism, proper service in restaurants, sports that are actually FUN and super cheap pints of coffee available everywhere?

What's not to like?!

And I am honestly starting to think that you guys have the best comedy series in the world

A lot of people have more than 10 days vacation. Usually the longer you are with an employer, the more you get.

I was on a recent thread about teachers who have to stay home with children who are sick and not getting paid. Everyone was falling all over themselves (it was AIBU) saying why should she get paid if she wasn't working. Teachers in the US usually get personal paid leave, around 4 days a year, in addition to their usual holiday leave, to cover these types of situations. School districts just budget the cover into their annual budgets. That's just one example (probably one of the few) where US policies are more family-friendly.

Don't totally agree toffee. Love the permanent enthusiasm but prefer low key service as opposed to one-size-fits-all have a nice day enthusiasm.

Sports, no. Give me english Rugby over absolutely any american sports.

Comedy - again prefer our comedy programmes time and time again -apart from Friends which was genius--

The process of getting into higher education in the UK has always seemed very harsh to me. It seems that is could be very hard on late-bloomers.

My brother attended University in his mid-40s, after decades of being mired in drug abuse, and now enjoys a nice career for the first time in his life. He encountered very little skepticism or discouragement along the way. (Well, I suppose that this could happen in the UK as well.)

I think that here, we don't expect that teenagers will really know enough about themselves or the world to be able to predict what careers they want with as much accuracy as British teenagers, for example.

Here is what I like about Americans: as soon as you get a camera out at any tourist hotspot in the world, an american voice will say would you like me to take a picture of you both? It's only americans that do this!

GreatSnafu-regarding Howard Stern, have you listened to his work or only heard second-hand references to it?

He has been a surprisingly effective advocate of LGBT rights, and while can can be very outrageous and offensive, he espouses a progressive ideology overall. His right-hand woman, for decades, is also there to provide a counterpoint and he treats her with respect.

Yes, he says some idiotic things, and he gets called on them, that's only right, but after all, he is a comedian, and a performance artist, and his work appeals to me.

For the record, most of my friends are likewise aghast that I like Howard Stern, but isn't that very American of me, to be full of contradictory and surprising attitudes, to refuse to follow the script??

I've liked America whenever I've been in holiday and extended visits when DH worked there.

Agree with some other criticisms and strengths. And the people have always been super friendly.

However, I will never understand the phrase 'could care less'! It doesn't make sense that way round!

I fucking love y'all, my grandparents lived on the East Coast. We used to visit every other year for a month.

My first experience of m&m's, toysrus Baskin Robbings rainbow sherbert ice cream and McDonalds was in America aged 5.

I remember Disney World, The White House, Arlington Cemetery.

I remember how friendly everyone was and how welcome we were everywhere we went.

I remember driving to Niagra falls, almost drowning aged 9 in Atlantic City near Ballys Casino, I remember fucking loving K-Marts!

There are so many more memories, all of them happy, and sadness that my Grandparents are no longer here to just be with and to tell them how great they made my childhood.

I also just remembered the dollars I used to get through the post, along with the monthly natural history magazine, the pacman mini arcade game, and all of the E.T merchandise, stuff we couldn't get over here.

And I'm also happy to finally know what 'flaming yong' is!

have to say I don't like Howard Stern at all. He and others like Kathy Griffin are bottom feeders, they degrade other people, are obnoxious and nasty. They add to the darkness of the world. People like them, like Trump, have big followings but they still don't represent the majority of Americans. At least I hope not. They are the opposite of what's good and decent about America, in my opinion anyway.

Since living here, my attitude towards the US has changed tremendously. I am ashamed to admit, I'd never had a particular urge to visit and was probably quite 'anti-American' based solely on what I'd read or seen on TV.

Unfortunately, the media seems to report on the more 'extreme' stuff, so stuff like shootings in schools, random antics by Hollywood stars or some redneck marrying her brother and giving birth to baby hogs (ok, perhaps a slight exaggeration on the last one ) seem to dominate.

Teeth: I have seen many people with bad teeth over here, but it is basically people who don't have much money. So if you're rich, you have good teeth.

Food: a lot of amazing food over here, but seriously, what is up with putting corn syrup in everything?!

Chocolate: let's not even go there.

Weather: flippin' amazing. 4 proper season and very little drizzle.

People: very friendly, although a little on the enthusiastic side occasionally for my more grumpy introverted personality. Except for the whole of Atlanta. Most miserable city I have every been to (even by my standards). But people are genuinely polite, kind and interested in you.

Organisation: all events are really well organised, parking attendants etc directing traffic, none of this trying to find a parking space for hours on end.

Confidence: something we really noticed was how confident people are, even teenagers, who are just really comfortable speaking in front of large groups. People who have been in boy scouts seem particularly confident.

Politeness: Adults and older kids are polite, but I would say that smaller kids do not seem to be taught to say please and thank you from an early age so much. My kids' friends just say 'can I have that?' and don't say thank you. People seem surprised/amused by my kids saying please and thank you.

There is tons more, but what I love most about being here is the amazing landscape and countryside you have. I love the British countryside and miss its beauty, but America is beautiful on an immense scale and so diverse.

Great memories, memyself! Nice to read your post.

As an American, agree with *traveling", pretty spot on. I didn't know about the chocolate until a thread on mn the other day. I was brought up on Hershey bars!

I'm not sure this is the place for it, but since we're sharing:

Working for a US company is a right pain. I've worked for two now (one law firm, one other) and I'm riled daily by the gratuitous use of exclamation marks, emails ending with "Have a great day team!" it's already 3pm here tosspot, use of words that aren't verbs as verbs, excessively fawning customer service and tendency to use more words than necessary.

AND ALLCAPS IN CONTRACTS FOR IMPORTANT BITS.

Yes, what lovely memories memyselfandaye!

OP, U.S employers are bloody NOT family friendly! Annual leave, working time, maternity leave - all much worse

I have travelled and worked quite a lot in the U.S. I think generally they are extremely polite,much more polite than Londoners.
They do have a reputation for being 'loud',and I do think a lot of them are!

Thank you LittleBeauty and Duckdeamon

I have so many fantastic memories and lots of blurry out of focus photographs!

I bloody love America, I'd go and live there if I could afford it.

For now i'll settle for a holiday there every year

AND ALLCAPS IN CONTRACTS FOR IMPORTANT BITS

I've noticed this lately too. It really makes me crazy. I'm a lawyer; it's all important, people, that's why it's in there.

Ibed the 3 holidays I've had in florida. Love the American optimism however feel sometimes those working in service type jobs need to tone it down a bit.

I looked into moving there with dp but In the end it was employment rights that really put me off. I get that a lot of.companies give better deals than is legally required re annual leave, working time, maternity but ultimately I couldn't get my head around the fact that legal minimum requirements are so shitty.

That's supposed to be I loved. Don't know where ibed came from.

Friends, Rousette ?

We need to break up

Seinfeld for me.

I think Americans do sport very well : it's family friendly and fun even if you don't get the rules! Superbowl this weekend....

TowerRavenSeven, I don't think it's jealousy, or only jealousy. I think we Canadians are a bit resentful that you don't "know" or appreciate us. I also personally feel that our resentment is party based on insecurity. There have been slights, George W thanked every country but Canada for their help after 9/11, in 1992, a Marine carried our flag upside down at the World Series playoff in 1992, (how do you not know how to carry the flag of your neighbouring country, and if you don't, why don't you ask?). Margaret Atwood was right when she referred to the Canada/US border as "the world's longest one-way mirror".

I like a lot of American things, (see my contribution to the Springsteen thread on Chat) my favourite tv show at the moment is The Good Wife. I have many (cyber)American friends who are lovely people. (Did that sound like "Some of my best friends are American? )

I think, despite the vastness of the country and the variety of cultures that exist, a common characteristic of Americans is an openness, which can come across as overbearing. I discovered this misconception for myself, (and to my embarrassment) when I took a cruise through the Panama Canal. There were tons of Americans on board. I was initially put out by what I perceived as "brashness" until I realised that they were just really, really friendly, whereas I think Canadians are more likely to be reserved.

I also dislike that sometimes people are lazy and like to blame Americans for everything. I prefer to blame Prime Minister Stephen Harper when my tea is cold. Oh crap, I can't do that anymore.

(Obviously I don't speak for all Canadians. )