To think Mumsnet is xenophobic

[sittight]

When it comes to Americans?

If it was about any other nation it would be called out as the racism is it.

I’ve seen it today across the Halloween threads - people looking down their nose at Halloween because it’s an ‘American import’ (which it isn’t).

The attitude that baby showers are disdainful because they’re American. The snobbery about proms because they’re American. Elf on the Shelf, gender reveal parties etc. - fair enough if you just don’t like them but there are always derisive posts about them being American.

I suspect the same people embrace traditions imported from other cultures but when it comes to American traditions there is such snobbery.

Sinterklaas is an adaptation based on St Nicholas, circa 3rd century, who was from what is now Turkey.

Try being Irish. The anti-Irish xenophobia on here is unreal.

But yeah, there's plenty of xenophobia against other nationalities on here too.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Guiding has been a thing in Scotland for years & years

@blythet yes I know, I literally said that?

Xenophobia is not racism.

I do agree with you OP. In my experience many posters are very derogatory about anything that’s perceived as an Americanism. I have noticed it a lot with SPAG. ‘Gotten’ comes up all the time. You can feel the anger radiating out of the screen as posters say how much they hate it and that it’s an Americanism. It isn’t. Well, not exclusively. It is widely used in Ireland and Scotland. It is correct grammar here in NI, appearing on official documents etc. I don’t mind so much that people think it is imported from America (why is that a bad thing though?), it’s the horrible sneering attitude I can’t abide. There are other examples too that come up from time to time. It is snobbery and pretentiousness from a population resting on its laurels for far too long.

Australia seems to be a trigger point for some reason.

It's inferiority complex. They happily use American technologies and social media sites though. And speaking of tackiness, this is from the country that gave us Katie Price, Geordie Shore, etc.

Yup, here in the NW all it does is rain.
We have microclimate that doesn't follow what the weather people say.
The only good thing is that it's warmer than further north where we moved from.

Regarding "Trick or Treat", I got a laminated poster from the Police to put in my front window that says "Sorry no Trick or Treat here".
Others can do as they please.

They also seem to think MN has a little fence around it, and is inaccessible to the rest of the world.

I don't mind Halloween (in moderation) but the other things you mentioned are nauseating.

To be fair….. the ones you’ve mentioned are in many people’s opinion tacky and they are American in origin. I could understand your frustration if it wasnt true!
Plus it’s tiresome that so many trends that start in the US end up here too, language as well

Why is it tiresome?

Plus it’s tiresome that so many trends that start in the US end up here too, language as well

Yup. Even my new keyboard is trying to correct me to American English!

I think most of us would agree that baby showers, gender reveals, elf on the shelf etc are not an improvement. Just yet another “thing” from the US.
And yes obviously Halloween didn’t start out in the US but its current form is most certainly a US thing. Ditto much of the commercialisation of Christmas.
How about Xmas boxes, family pajamas and OTT Christmas lights (lighting up the night sky so much is awful for wildlife - bats, owls etc)
So much tat, a lot of which I’m guessing ends up in land fill every January.

I most of us didn’t enjoy these things then they wouldn’t be so successful.

Does anyone send out holiday cards over here or is that one step too far?! Used to be a big thing in the Americans shows I watched in the 90s, not sure if it still is. Now that might be just a bit too twee for us Brits.

I agree. You only need to look at threads where someone is thinking of moving to Australia/NZ/anywhere but the UK and out comes all the nonsense.

Yes, why is it Americas fault that these tacky events, celebrations, tacky tat, are now widely popular in the UK.
America is 1000’s of years behind other nations and cultures in developing celebrations, anniversaries, events to celebrate.
Other countries don’t have to import America ways, but there’s clearly a market for it.

I agree that there are many misconceptions. Baby showers are a good example. The way they have been adapted in the UK often bears little resemblance to the baby shower tradition in the US.

I feel like a lot of MN users are southern, quite posh and trapped in a bit of a bubble.

As for language, quite a few "americanisms" are actually older forms or words that were current in England when the American colonies were settled. They fell out of use in British English, but survived in American English. A poster mentioned "fall" for autumn. This is a good example. Its use dates back at least as far as the 16th century and appears in Shakespeare.

Or basil.

Because people are sheeple and they follow the crowd very often without thinking for themselves about what they personally truly like. Following the trend creating instagram content etc. It doesn’t mean any of those things are a good thing.
Consider the way people went loopy for rainbow loom bands, Stanley cups, prime energy drinks, fugglers. Just because something is popular now it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a good thing or that it’s genuinely awesome or a lasting trend.

Are you American OP?