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 think so. I'm American and have lived in the UK for 10 ish years. I'm pretty anti-American myself (which is why I don't live there!). I would say some people (who have actually travelled) will have positive things to say about things they saw and people they met in America. Americans are perceived as 'friendly' to British people, much more friendly and open than the average Brit. In reality, Americans aren't actually being friendly, they're just being overly familiar and usually asking lots of prying questions and overly enthusiastic and loud about even the most uninteresting things. They aren't actually more friendly than Brits, but that behaviour is often interpreted as 'friendliness'. So I do hear that a lot. But most Brits, rightly so, think the politics and the healthcare and the social safety net and heightened violence, etc. is a hot mess (it is). I would say the anti-American sentiment in that way is fairly reflective of the British public, even the ones who have travelled and liked travelling and American food and culture and the 'friendliness'. But I would say yes, I think it's probably a pretty accurate picture, in my experience as an American here.

I think it's a number of factors. Just about every American I've met on my travels has been a great person, and it's a fantastic country to visit. That said, a lot of people in this country very easily ape Americanisms, and that's annoying (more so as you get older!). Americans have a 'profile' of being loud/brash/get their own way etc, unjustified if you ask me, but plenty of people believe it, and it's bound to colour their opinions, and of course, a lot of the worst things about America (mass shootings / Trump's policies etc) make a lot of the news here. Try not to take it too personally, if you're anything like the many Americans I've had the pleasure of meeting over the years, you'll have won over any doubters in no time!

To wonder if the anti-Americanism on MN is typical of the broader UK population?
I think it’s fairly typical of the population of the world not just the UK. Americans are often surprised that they aren’t held in higher esteem but I think that’s because their propaganda machine at home has flooded their psychs with the idea that they are the idyll and reality can be jarring.

I'm American and have lived in a small village for 10+years now. I have never encountered any anti-American reactions in all the time I've lived here, but then, I worked hard to assimilate and I'm married to a Brit, so I suppose It's been easy for me to adapt to this country and the culture. Most people who meet me for the first time are genuinely curious and lovely about the US, so I haven't had any negative experiences. My lovely group of friends do have a laugh at my expense...my accent, some Americanisms that I just can't seem to shake, and of course, our dumpster fire of a president🙄 Overall, though, MN is really the only place I've encountered an anti-American sentiment, but I mostly just scroll on past those threads!

Never encountered it in real life only really on Mumsnet which quite frankly is a hotbed of bigoted unpleasantness masquerading as left wing liberality

I would say it's not typical and the only people I know who express anti-America views are my dad and my FIL. I often drop in terms like cellphone and vacation just to irritate them.

I do consider certain names ‘too American’ for a British child, but I would have nothing against them on an American child.

I also really hate it when people say ‘movie’ instead of film...

@Davianna it's a fillum dontcha know 😂😂 (don't hate me!! 🇮🇪)

I’ve encountered it in RL, actually on my first visit over. We were at a tourist attraction in a very small group and someone randomly made a snide comment about Americans. No one else was talking about Americans. She didn’t realize that I was one (because we aren’t all loud, contrary to popular belief). Later when she realized I could tell she was embarrassed.

Most people are friendly but there’s a sort of snobbishness about Americans that I sometimes see in person from a minority of people.

Thanks for posting this OP. As an American I've often struggled to understand the anti-American attitudes I encounter here and this thread has been illuminating.

I don't think Mr T has helped the country's image.

I have close family member just emigrated to marry a US citizen so I've been back and forth a bit to visit as well as earlier for work, all in the (very) deep south. I have to say I was welcomed, fussed over and met more kindness there whenever I opened my mouth than I suspect US citizens ever get here.

I think we are as mean to people from the US here as Australians are to us when we go. It's something about resenting people we imagine see themselves as better than us in some way.

Perhaps more mixed marriages might help!

Op I am American lived here since childhood. Currently in London. Many have no idea I am American. As a result I have heard casual anti- American things said where you might not ! Pretty much once a week I’ll hear someone say something kind of throw away which is dismissive of ‘americans’ as If a whole Amorphous mass. More about the people than the culture.
This is not counting all comments/outrage/disgust about guns/trump/racism etc. Ie I’m filtering out things which seem fair enough to me and which I agree with.
So yes - I would say there is casual disdain quite openly flung around.

This in for me a London highly educated and travelled professional kind of circle.
But then the same kind of things are said of the french (!) etc etc.
One of the things I adore about Americans is an often experienced openness and enthusiasm. Many of my English friends would laugh and say that’s just naivety and lack of depth !
Good luck op.

It's really just Trump and baby showers that people have a problem with.

I agree with you,OP. I find what many people write or say about Americans you wouldn't get away with saying about other nationalities. I think it's related to the whole "punching up is ok, punching down isn't" mentality. To me, it seems to come from a place of ignorance. People forming an opinion on a huge and varied country based on trump and perhaps having been to Florida once for ten days.

Even in this thread plenty of anecdotes of "I saw an American once being a dick". Well, have you never seen a Brit/Pole/Italian being a dick? Does that say anything at all about a nation? I don't think so.

The only thing that makes me laugh about Americans is when they visit Ireland ( my home country) and they walk around in Bermuda shorts and wear green leprechaun hats. It's all a bit ' tura lura' and 'begosh' and 'begorra'

I'm not anti American bit I am anti gun ownership, anti black people being shot by the police, anti no free health care and anti trump, anti republican and anti American foreign policy, so if you hear me talk online I will seem very anti American.

But if I was to talk about other countries and their issues including the UK maybe I would seem anti that country as well. I'm anti Brexit, anti tory, anti NHS privatisation, anti nanny state and lots of other things and maybe that would seem like I hate the UK.

The reality is people feel freer to air their issues with anything and everything online and so yes Mn may seem that way, but is that the actual reality or just the online Mn reality?

So here's a question for the MN hive mind. Is it less annoying when posting here if I use the UK expression for something instead of the American equivalent, like "has form for" instead of "in the habit of"?

I've generally gone with the UK phrase when I'm sure of the usage but since I'm an American I also don't want to be seen as pretending to be a Brit.

soongmum don’t know if this will make it better or worse but st Patrick’s day brings that out all over the states. I remember once going into supermarket in Colorado (not realising yet that it was st Patrick’s day) and almost everyone in there was dressed as a leprechaun - staff and customers. Like an acid trip and wizard of oz all mixed up. the day became more bizarre as it went along !

flirty that’s not anti American as discussed here. I agree 100% with all of that - indeed I’ve demonstrated and marched many a time against all of that crap !

5Zeds That is such rubbish. We have American family and have travelled there a lot. I don’t recognise that arrogance.

I think many Americans love their country and rightly so. It’s stunning, varied and spacious. It has a can do, good service attitude with everything they need. I doubt many give a shit what other nations think, they don’t particularly need any admiration.

I think it’s a MN thing and verges on racism at times.

Re friendly I don’t think Americans are overly friendly or asking prying questions to earn the adjective they’re just more open, maybe happier and not so surly or ready to complain which I do see more here. I think the lack of space doesn’t help here.

I think judging the whole country on Trump is no better than judging us on the Brexit fiasco or Muslims on atrocities others commit. We’ve been back recently and seen plenty anti Trump/ treatment of immigrants protests very little in favour(1 flag in 5 states I kid you not).

I do consider certain names ‘too American’ for a British child, but I would have nothing against them on an American child

This is so stupid and actually offensive. Would you say a name is 'too African' for a British child? I would hope not.

No. Mumsnet is very middle class and they tend to be very snobbish about Americans and say things about them/generalize in a way that they would never dare do against other groups. Rest assured, Mumsnet, however, is not representative of the rest of British society.

I rather like Americans, and netflix would be rubbish without all the american stuff!

The politics is properly bonkers and there are 2 phrases that really annoy me. Im real excited instead of im really excited. Also can you speak to that? I know what it means but it just sounds so clunky.

I think people are quite The American Way but like individual Americans.