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.

Oh god everyone asks me about Brexit. I'm actually a bit rude now and say I'd rather not talk about it.

Most people seems to be either amused or incredulous. They were of the opinion that Britain was super refined, sensible and forward thinking and the whole thing is very at odds with that!

Most people start the sentence 'oh my God what about that Boris idiot' then quickly tail off before they've even finished because the orange fuck muppet pops in to their head and silences them.

IME - no, Americans don't spend much time laughing at other countries. That's one of the things people hate about Americans - that they just aren't particularly insecure

I don't really buy that people take the piss out of other countries out of insecurity. I've lived in three different countries and they have all had certain other countries that are the butt of their jokes. It's usually a result of that country's influence on theirs (which is usually related to proximity too), such as the British/French rivalry. It just becomes cultural

The reason British people have more to say about the US is because US culture is so invasive in the UK. It is everywhere. So of course Brits feel more imposed on by this at times and have something to say about that. The reverse is certainly not true.

That's the reason Americans do it less – because there are fewer foreign cultures imposing an influence there. Think about the fact that its two neighbours are Mexico and Canada, and then ask yourself again, "do Americans make comments about other countries?" If the answer is still no, then you're definitely living in a different one of those "Americas" a PP mentioned, because I hear jokes about these two countries and their citizens on a very regular basis!

And the UK culture has never been invasive.

Think about the fact that its two neighbours are Mexico and Canada

Don't forget about our other closest neighbors: Cuba, Bahamas, and wait for it . . . Russia.

And the UK culture has never been invasive.

Try telling that to many of the nations that have a British colonial past.

Don't forget about our other closest neighbors: Cuba, Bahamas, and wait for it . . . Russia

Well if we exclude Russia because the part close to the US is just empty land, then this kind of proves my point. Americans don't make comments about Cuba and the Bahamas because neither have any great cultural impact on the US. Mexico and Canada, however, do.

And the UK culture has never been invasive.

And the UK culture has never been invasive.

You are joking, aren't you? Dear god, how do you think English got to be such a widely spread spoken language? They invaded, pillaged and robbed dozens of nations in the world for centuries and forced their culture on them.

Obviously I'm not laughing at Britain's raping, plundering, forcing of religion and invasion of a large amount of the planet because it really isn't funny.

I think that was @OneHamm3r s point.

A lot of people completely missing OneHamm3r's sarcasm here... Must be Americans!

Try telling that to many of the nations that have a British colonial past.

I was once on the phone with a Dell tech support person based in India trying to sort out a problem with my laptop, and while we were waiting for something to download she started telling me how much she was looking forward to having some time off at Christmas.

My mind froze. India? Christmas? Then I realized that it was the British cultural legacy, which she confirmed. She told me that they loved Christmas holidays in India.

Americans are always taking the piss out of Canadians! And trust me the French, Italians, Germans, Dutch, Spanish all laugh at Americans just as much as British!

Oh another stereotype. How funny.

Wow, all 350m of them are 'always' taking the piss out of Canadians, do? I'm curious how you know this for a fact. Well, at least they're only being laughed at rather than being despised as many in Europe now feel about the British.

In Sri Lanka once the hotel manager sat at our table to thank me for Britain's occupation of their country as it had changed it for the better.

I was fucking mortified and had no idea what to say.

Americans don't make comments about Cuba and the Bahamas because neither have any great cultural impact on the US.

Cuba has significant cultural impact on the US. I live in Florida. And very significant political impact with our large Cuban-American population and Florida's high number of votes in the Electoral College.

Exactly, karen. Gah, my daughter's experience in the US has been nothing like these awful stereotypes. She's been accepted and embraced. Her wedding is just weeks away and her fiance and his family are amazing. It's really disappointing to see this type of thinly-veiled contempt for her home and my soon-to-be son-in-law (just 4 more weeks) and his lovely family.

Cuba has significant cultural impact on the US. I live in Florida

I can't tell if people are deliberately nitpicking and going off on tangents or just genuinely can't understand the point I was making.

I said that rivalries between countries (which manifest through "jokes", stereotypes and comments, etc.) usually result from proximity, history, and/or cultural influence (the three are often intertwined). That's it. Cuba clearly doesn't have as much influence on the US as a whole as Mexico and Canada do, otherwise you'd hear just as many comments about Cubans nationwide as you do about Mexicans and Canadians.

As far as Americans’ attitude to Canadians, I suspect they don’t think much about us (I live in western Canada). When they do think about us it’s either that we cross the border to buy their cheese (I don’t, but people do), that they envy our healthcare system, or that they believe (falsely) that we’re all dying due to our socialized healthcare. I’m pretty sure they don’t “all” spend much time sniggering at us. I don’t think we take up much coffee their mental landscape.

@karenbokaren that's really embarrassing. My response would
Be 'eh? Umm...okay??'

Oh god how seriously everyone takes this! Isn't it human nature to poke fun at other groups? Most stand up comedy is just laughing at idiosyncrasies and observations about groups of people.

And obviously everyone hates the British! We have a vile history and are really annoying!

@leaserspottedmummybird that pretty much what I said. I was so shocked.

@Ritascornershop whenever anyone here talks about Canada it's ALWAYS complimentary. We shudder at your weather (the thought of anywhere being colder than Maine is terrifying even though I know parts aren't), we're super jealous of your healthcare and most women are envious of you having Justin rather than the asshat we have  but that's about it really!

@timshelthechoice are they getting married there? Here? Will you go to the wedding?

@doadeer there are some really, really upsetting and vile comments levied at Americans on Mumsnet on a weekly basis.

It's not poking fun at times, it's xenophobic and vicious and if we're done about any other country people would be going ballistic.