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.

It's difficult unless you're rich and can afford organic
Also the food laws are way less strict than EU laws so you're eating chlorinated chickens and food that has way more crazy additives compared to the equivalent version in Europe

Holiday cards? Do you mean Christmas cards?.

I’m really surprised you think that.
I have always thought irish people and culture are almost universally well liked.

It seems everyone thinks they are the unloved ones on here. For me, I find it mostly has a good mix of people with different ideas and opinions which is fabulous. There do seem to be a few more extremely high earners eating massive salads all the time, but apart from that I love it.

Recently, I've been enjoying the range of Halloween uproar threads, next for the Firework Night ones, which are always an interesting read!

I think it's xenophobic to all immigrants ...not Americans necessarily.

The accent bias is the primary reason why there will never be a leveling up in England. The government can throw all the money in the world at various programmes, but if you can’t open your mouth without half the room turning against you (politely, of course) then you don’t stand a chance.

Keep it real. It isn't a movie.
Not keen on yanks myself, particularly trump and his supporters.
(Waiting for ban)

A different opinion to your own is not a lie.

I may be missing the obvious but why have you quoted me? I haven't claimed xenophobia is racism.

I lived in fhe States for a bit, I found it very bizarre when British insisted that as I live in the States I must drive everywhere, and I must be telling lies when I told them I walked to work, to go to the cinema, to go shopping etc as did most people where I lived.

Because the cultural export is almost entirely one-way. The US has not experienced a sustained wave of culture creep from somewhere else, as the UK has from there.

Almost all the TV and films I watch are American, even though I'm happy to watch British and foreign language content: there's simply so much more of it. Not better overall, just more. Outside the cities it's much easier to find US-style grills, barbecues, pizzas, etc, than British or European. Our shopping centres are now called malls. Our hyper-saturated, frenetic celebrations are unrecognisable from the low-key, far less expensive versions I grew up with.

Obviously things change and people must like the quick & shiny consumerism we've imported. My point is, though, that Americans don't experience this at all. They have no idea what it's like to live inside a culture that becomes, year by year, more like a copy of another. Therefore, pushback feels to them like rejection. We like this, why don't you?

But, if the USA ever did find its lifestyle being changed this much by another, you can bet they'd push back.

I think they aren’t posh at all, but aspire to be, and believe that being deeply unpleasant will help them appear posh, it of course doesn’t.

Then just say they're tacky and stop banging on about America?

Going hiking 😂 You mean going for a walk?

UK hiking is the difficult stuff, usually involving all-day or multi-day treks up wet mountains, fording rivers and navigating bogs. Not driving to a beauty spot for a nice walk before lunch.

Defined this. They're as posh as Mrs Bucket.

What on earth are you on about?

The difference in attitude towards walking. You described the everyday version. My sister actually got arrested for walking in LA.

Took me ages to realise that the Americans making social media posts about 'hiking' were, in fact, going for Sunday walks in some countryside.

I think Trump being such a daft, useless piece of crap does have a bearing on things at the moment.

As someone who lived in the states, there wasn’t a different attitude to walking. You have however provided further evidence of xenophobia from MNers towards the US.

I would call that ignorance rather than xenophobia. It is the same for everywhere that people have no experience of.

But try knocking widespread cousin marriage from some parts of the world, or FGM from others. Or try questioning why what value people from certain countries bring who live in ghettos across the country and exist one welfare and despite the same chances as every other background or nationality have not added much, then you are racist.

Also I don’t think everyone here is like that. It’s the crowd that’s permanently glued to MN day and night. They don’t seem to do anything other than post on here 24/7. By design these kind of folk tend to obsessive lefties constantly looking to pick fights to prove their self righteousness. I think it’s the lack of a real life or things to do which leads them to this behaviour.

Or that London is not the only city in the UK.

This is the kind of thing people say when the only part of the US they’ve ever visited is Disneyland.

However I do think the politics at the moment are probably a reason if there’s been a spate of anti US comment

Apologies. I have just reread the OP and realised that the word ‘racism’ was used and that you were referring specifically to that. I agree with you!