A case in point ...

[blamebrampton]

So, there we were, having a chat on a friend's LJ about the differences between the US and the UK for purposes of a self-Britpicking list, with participants from both sides of the pond and beyond and frequent diversions into baiting and comedy from all sides, and apparently it has become a source of Flocked Drama.

Consider the argument very carefully: At least one American is very upset that British people prefer to be depicted in accurate ways.

And if you can't see why that's a bit dodgy, replace the word British with any other nationality.

I don't want to overstate the case, because really, it doesn't culturally oppress us the way that some other cultures have been oppressed by this sort of thing, since we don't deeply care and we had an Empire first. And while the original source of the complaint is a preference, it's certainly not a sine qua non, and we read heaps of stuff that gets us wrong, and some of it is good and some is crap, and really, at the end of the day we still pronounce and spell aluminium in ways that are scientifically logical, which in itself is enough. But, honestly ...

Interestingly, one of my points of difference was a tendency to soap-opera-like over-reactions in fiction. Clearly I drew the line too narrowly.

AND I left off the fact that it the entire United States has been the subject of mass-brainwashing to accept caffeinated flavoured beverages as coffee. Though I see Starbucks has dropped the word from their logo, truth in advertising at last!

Comments

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

When I get round to discussing it I'm going to use proper statistics because there is available data to show that overall American culture is more religious than British.

I'd argue that's your misreading of English culture. I'm an atheist and an atheist of Jewish extraction and I don't see either Easter or Christmas as being Christian. They were once but aren't now.

And you asking people to think of that as being Christian practice and therefore disrespectful of you is almost doomed to failure because it requires them to change their understanding of a non religious cultural practice to being religiously significant and to accept that you have beliefs that are important to you which is again profoundly unEnglish unless it's about football. Belief is private and should not be discussed.

I'd respect your wishes because it's polite to do so but ... I still wouldn't see a Christmas card as implying any religious belief.

otoh I have the very devil of a time getting some American flistees whether Christian or pagan to accept that I'd be awfully grateful if they wouldn't hold me in their prayers and in particular not offer me their blessings because not only am I an atheist, that assumes a hierarchical relationship with the nonexistent deity with them higher than me.

I find church schools a worry. A good education shouldn't depend on belief.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

I've heard that argument a lot. I don't buy it. I still see Jesus everywhere in the media during Easter and Christmas. People may remove Jesus from them in their everyday celebrations, but they are still of Christian origin, unless you are going back centuries. The Muslim Brits I know still do not celebrate Christmas.

And I've had plenty of interesting spiritual and theological discussions with British people. I'd imagine that there are certain social segments in which discussing belief is tacky, but like American culture, British culture is diverse and so is etiquette.

State funded church schools piss me off something rotten.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

I know three people who go to church in my entirest life, and everyone I know sends Christmas cards. People curtsey to the Queen, but we aint' feudal. English culture is formulaic and formal, but usually empty.

The Muslim Brits I know do send Cmas cards though.