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.

I used to live in the country which had anti-American feeling and apart my individual acquaintances, Bill Bryson and New York/ers was vaguely dismissive about the USA. Also had much preferred English accent.

After living in England with my English DH for nearly 15 years if I overhear American accent, say, at a supermarket, I have to brace myself so that not to run up and give them a hug and say I love your accent, I love the fact that you are American, all Americans I know are such a breath of fresh air compared to my general English environment, even though I now have a few English/Welsh/Scottish friends I'm close with and I love.
My DH critisizes America a lot and I call him out on it, because he's an avid consumer of American culture, so it doesn't add up. When I call him out he just says he doesn't like Republicans (and DH is a staunch Leaver). However my DH criticizes most things in life , so I'm not affected by his opinions. Like most people he's far more objective when it comes down to individuals in RL.
I honestly have no idea how I came to love American accents more than English, maybe just through sheer association with positivity :) and I'm well aware of how many there are out there and I don't find them all universally pleasing.
However somehow I now mostly I listen to American voices with greater pleasure than to the English, though I do love certain regional UK accents.
I understand that most Americans I've met came to study or live here and through that already are not your average Joe, and I absolutely love the British sense of humour, irony and self depreciation, and I'm proud to be a British citizen most of the time.

Actually until I had my first American friend I didn't even realise that I found openness and certain innocence of many American people I met so lovely and refreshing. It's nice to see an alternative outlook on life with no cynicism and lots of enthusiasm. I don't have any American friends or even acquaintances now due to moving and I'd love to have at least one (are any Americans on here in a smallish town in the West Midlands towards the South West? PM me! 😁)

Anyway, having grown up elsewhere and having family in different other countries, I'd say Brits grumble about Americans but not a massive amount and no more than in other countries. I'd even say I've come across more anti -English feeling in Scotland (as PP said small country vs bigger country/patron/rival/ally) than anti-American in England (only lived properly in England, not other parts of UK). Lots of people I've talked to about it, esp. those with experience of life in the States seem to love Americans for the same reasons I do.

It puzzles me that some British people on this thread actually seem proud of their lack of culture. It's crazy that people make up reasons to hate America that are provably untrue, or, if true are even worse in the UK (such as cancer deaths or divorce). How can they not check to see if their information is correct before they spew their venom? Don't they think other people can read? And how can people unashamedly write about how they find American accents silly, or are put off by the fact that Americans might spell things differently than they do if they? How do they not know this says nothing about Americans--that it only reflects
on their close-minded provincialism.

"It puzzles me that some British people on this thread actually seem proud of their lack of culture. "

The lack of culture...in the UK?

The lack of culture. . . in those people. Willful ignorance, my friend, has no borders.

I'm not your friend so calm down.

How can I calm down when you've just broken my heart?

How can I calm down when you've just broken my heart?

I'll be your friend @Durgasarrow.

And me

😁

It was supposed to be 😀 but Mumsnet changes my keyboard emojis

I don't think some aspects of what one might call anti-americanism is all that bad. Firstly, it's fair to say that there are some aspects that come from US culture that are a bit over-commercialised, and because it comes from the US, it can be seen as anti-american. I'm thinking of baby showers, Halloween, Black Friday, etc, where the focus is on buying things.

Secondly, it's ok to not want to give your child a surname as a first name, which does seem to be a US thing.

That said, I've lived in the US, have many US friends, so I don't think I'm instinctively anti-American in general.

But if you think it is okay for an American to visit Scotland for the first time, or maybe who has never even been to Scotland, to tell yOu they are Scottish, then we have to agree to disagree. Because frankly these individuals do not have the first clue about Scotland or what being Scottish means.

Quite. Two of my GPs were Irish and one Welsh, but I wouldn't dream of saying I was anything but English.