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!
no subject
i've read through the bulk of the comments and, embarrassingly, my first reaction centers on myself (i should just go ahead and declare solipsism a religion): i have worked/lived for decent chunks of time on three continents (north america, europe and australia) and have been a coffee drinker (who takes milk) since i was 16, but i never, ever noticed differences in the milk! i am a diehard foodie and yet my apparently non-discriminating palate never noticed a darn thing. though, hopefully in my defense, i always bought whatever had the least fat, so maybe that explains it...
all this interesting cultural debate and all i can think is: different milk?! o.O
on a more serious note, it's quite difficult to engage "as an american" as against "a british person" on the subject of cultural difference (or as any person of one culture as against a person of another - but, again, i'm speaking from my perspective only). there is no monolithic claim to american identity or an american way of being, imo. i imagine the same holds true for brits. so the "american-ness" i'd be hailing in such a discussion pertains solely to me and my experiences of the world around me (which i necessarily interpret through a subjective lens) in contrast to the subjective british-ness of the person with whom i'm engaging. each of us is speaking of generalities when dealing with particularities. it's a bit of an epistemological crap shoot.
what's more, it strikes me that as regional differences in the us can be quite polarizing, it might be the case that i share more in common with a particular british person in terms of religiosity, sense of humor, education, political ideology etc than with someone from the us deep south (being a northeasterner through and through). as pie rightly pointed out, all three of us may still be more alike than not as compared to someone from a non-western culture. so, yeah. dealing in generalities is necessarily messy, limited and limiting business.
to come full circle and end on another me-centric, non-serious note, i am grateful to this debate for allowing me to contemplate all things sleepwear. it's given me the chance to mentally re-visit all those i've shared a bed with to search for patterns. plus, i now know some lovely things about pingrid and scarves, lol.
no subject
anthimaeria is hosting a sleepwear poll for this very issue, do go over and add your 2c! http://anthimaeria.livejournal.com/212347.html