blamebrampton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blamebrampton) wrote2011-01-08 04:37 pm
blamebrampton) wrote2011-01-08 04:37 pm
A case in point ...
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!
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!
Re: An interjection
I think it is also valid to complain about specific things in a specific way. I complained that American writing at the moment is overly influenced by soap opera (I should confess that I was actually thinking of film and television writing there rather than fandom, in actual fact, hp fandom at least is better than the average). This doesn't mean that every piece of American writing is, but that I see it as being a trope that is too powerful, to the detriment of the whole, at this time. It's exactly as I see the fact of bad sportsmanship on the part of many leading Australian cricketers as damaging cricket here, it doesn't make all Australians bad sports.
All I ask is accurate reading. I am more than happy to have to defend things I have actually said.
As to the underpants -- opinion is divided! Does wearing undies to bed mark you out as unlikely to be British? Or of a certain class/place/age? Or at a certain time in the month? Or with a cold and breezy bedroom or nastily seamed pyjama bottoms? Like the toast on one side debate, further investigation is required!
Re: An interjection
Oooh, bedtime. Good confusion -- and research could be fun. I always assumed that where there's a word, there's a phenomenon -- and my beta keeps reminding me to spell it "pyjamas." (She's Hungarian, btw, and absolutely committed to pure Brit... and spelling the words in HP right, including capitals, which is so not my thing. OTOH, as you can tell from my icon, I REALLY care about spelling, punctuation, and verb tense.) (Would be curious where you are with "might." The most American thing I notice is that no one uses subjunctive form any more...)
Re: An interjection
I'm fascinated by your "soap opera" claim. I'm ready to believe it, but would add that it actually came about by the first nighttime soap (which I think was Dallas) which became a mad hit. The corporate machine saw gold -- and an acquisition of a larger female audience -- and deliberately set out to make the television equivalent of "date movies." Some of the best (like Numb3rs) take the good from soaps, which is relationship-building, seldom seen in nighttime tv till then except for male bonding (and yay for Strk and Starsky and Hutch, and so on, premium slash material).
The bad... well, I think the soaps led to reality tv, which is truly the worst thing ever to hit the airwaves. Have your read Eng's "Watching Dallas" or Jane Feuer's work? Or your "empire's" best export imnsho, British Cultural Studies (starting in the Birmingham school)? I think you'd enjoy them...Stuart Hall, Raymond Williams are the originating names, and now there are lots of people who spend their lives watching horrific tv and talking about its social consequences.