To wonder if the anti-Americanism on MN is typical of the broader UK population?

[NCforthisonetwothree]

MN regular, NC for this. I’m an American, been in the UK for 10+ years. DH is also American, moved here for his work. Most of the posts I see that bring up the US are pretty down on it (and I agree! Trump, guns, healthcare, etc.) but there’s also a sort of strong general anti-American-ness, a sort of disdain, I’d say, for things (names, attitudes, behaviours, styles, etc.) that are “too American.”

We have two kids (born here) and both work full time and have integrated (reasonably well, I think?), but most of our friends are other expats and immigrants. I wonder whether the anti-American sentiment that seems fairly widespread here on MN is representative of most of the UK?

Posting here obviously as I don’t think anyone IRL would give me a straight answer.

It's not been my experience. My daughter who is Scottish is marrying an American man next month and is very happy there. Tbh, I've found more anti-American sentiment in England than in Scotland but that is just my experience.

Thank you-yes, I should add we live in London, haven’t had experience with other parts of the UK personally.

Not at all in real life.

I find that on MN a lot of people are in full on virtue signalling mode (in terms of society but also what other MNers think).

The prevailing position on anything at all contentious on MN tends to be the opposite of what you find in real life, apart from a few core issues.

No!

It’s awful and seems to be accepted on mn.
I’ve never met people who have this view in real life! (Maybe I just know lovely people!).

From what I've seen it's mostly us slagging off our own country! Especially the whoe Brexit/Bojo nonsense.

We are massively overexposed to Americanism and Americana and so we react against it. We do not think much of the United States as a polity, the Republic, but we greatly admire much of American culture and American people.

It must be said that the America we like looks a lot like the blue states, and the one we don't like the red states.

A good example of our love for America is the new film 'Blinded by the Light.'

This is my anecdotal experience based on what I hear round about me: it's more that people feel American ways/americanisms are taking over and they dont like it. Sometimes because things don't translate across cultures or irritate them (e.g American spelling).

People I know in London also hate overly Anglo-phile Americans too, though.

I think that it's partly the written word sounding harsh, and partly the actual differences between the two countries. Culturally we're very different, but speak a similar language so have unrealistic expectations. The English are anti-everything, even ourselves, it's not people going specially out of there way to be rude about your country.

The English fondness of being self deprecating coupled with a sprinkling of sarcasm is something that a couple of US friends/relatives struggle with - especially in relaxed social settings.

This is nice to hear, thank you! I will admit I’ve occasionally received untoward comments - for example, I asked someone if they were “in line” and was sneered at and told “Yes, I’m in THE QUEUE.” Also had an incident at work with a colleague (who perhaps may not be keen on me) who showed me a new piece of equipment, and when I replied I had the same at a previous job in the US, colleague said “well why don’t you move back?” I am a somewhat cheerful person and I worry that may be grating for some, I’m aware it’s not the stereotype standard for British behaviours.

It's very accepted on MN in a way it would never be if you inserted another country's name. Anything negative and 'It's an American idea'. My personal favourites are the 'cover your plate' idea where Americans are all expected to give cash as a gift equivalent to the cost the hosts bear to host plus more (chortling at this one) and baby showers for 4th babies organised by the mother with the guests being expected to pay to attend and bring cash gifts, something that just doesn't happen in the US.

I don’t think much of what happens on MN is representative of real life. I never meet with as much negativity for example in real life as you see on here.

I’m British, my husband is American. I do see pockets of anti Americanism here, and a lot of stereotypes in regards to the ‘typical american’. I think a PP has a point in regards to expectations bought about by shared language. As counties we may both predominantly speak English, but America is culturally very distinct from the UK (hell, it’s distinct from state to state).

I haven't noticed it. I don't have any anti-american feelings. Love the country.

There are things in America with which I disagree/dislike but that doesn't include the people, I nearly married one years ago.

I think it's also a fairly standard little-big country relationship thing. I've lived all over Europe and similar exists everywhere. The Belgians are touchy about the French and Dutch, while the Dutch and Swiss are touchy about the Germans. There's more recent history there, obviously, but part of having an identifiable culture is establishing an 'other' to compare yourself against and to distinguish yourself from.

I don’t think much of what happens on MN is representative of real life.

This! With all the LTBs and red flags on here, we'd all be sad old spinsters!

(Not that there's anything wrong with old spinsters. Just sad ones that suck the joy out of anything.)

I don’t think it’s necessarily anti- American but sometimes how Americans and of course other nations present themselves. Recently on holiday at a 50:50 British American hotel, a lot of British we spoke to were sick of a lot of the American guests, especially around the pool. Americans as a whole appear much more confident than others and as a result can be rather loud and broadcast themselves. This of course is true for many nations however think more people notice as many people understand English so it is harder to ignore. Not sure if I’m making myself clear but I think ultimately people can view Americans as self obsessed and loud and as a result all are tarred with the same brush, even if not true for all

I don't think it's anti-American as such, but more that people feel protective of British culture/traditions being eroded.

For example, I agree that a baby name might be described on here as "too American", but I think that's also the case with names from other cultures too (eg if you start a thread asking what people think of a traditionally Irish or French or Indian name, lots of people will ask whether you or your partner are Irish/French/Indian).

But too late to correct it now No baggypants

This! With all the LTBs and red flags on here, we'd all be sad old spinsters!

Omg, not sad old sprinters, how awful.

I would like to say that I’ve never really considered if I have any bigotry or problems with Americans. However, I do find their attitude to health care, guns, opening of concentration camps at the boarder with Mexico and choice of president fucking horrifying. Unfortunately, a substantial number of Americans support these things so I suppose I must have some negative feelings towards Americans in some way.

Ive traveled all across the world to countries were bloody terrible things have happened and I’ve also wondered how or why the population let things happen so my incredulity of how dreadful some people can be ha isn’t restriced to Americans.

No I don't think so. For some reason there's a larger portion of people on MN who live, very blinkered, in their very small world. They fail to realise there's different points view and ways of life to their own.

(It's possible that there's more online that there is in real life because those who are incline to restrict their social circle do their 'living' online. If that makes sense.)

I don’t think it’s necessarily anti- American but sometimes how Americans and of course other nations present themselves.

This!

I crossed the land border in to Vietnam behind a group of Americans and my god you couldn’t have found a bigger bunch of arseholes. I was silently praying they would be turned away. We were a mixture of British and Irish and we couldn’t believe their attitude to the Vietnamese boarder guards, I think they were reliving the war or something, except none were old enough to have been alive back then.

I don't think it's anti American people but I do know a lot of people who hold the US in contempt. Obviously got a lot worse since Trump was elected.

I along with many other English people I know, very much dislike current US politics (including my American DDIL), but do however, like the Americans we have met in real life. Americans in general are very kind generous people who are interested in how other nationalities live.
But as with all nationalities there are good and bad, and some of the southern rednecks I have met seem very uneducated bigoted idiots, but they are a very small minority of the Americans I have met.