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Why do UK citizens dislike Americans??
Hello.
I'm a 19 year old American studying Sociology in London. And I have a question directed toward the citizens of the UK. Why do most UK residents dislike America? And what are your views towards Americans in general?? Ever since I came to your country, I have had a blast. However, I've noticed 2 very distinct reactions from the citizens of London. Most have been friendly, and sometimes I get stereotypical comments when I am out in the city, sometimes hostile, and I just want to say this:
1. Most Americans my age are not concerned with the war, personally I wish everyone just get along. I'm really not concerned with getting oil, or stealing resources from another country. I'm just trying to better myself.
2. Americans are intrigued by your country and culture. We in general are outgoing, sometimes boisterous group, who sometimes tend to annoy the British, who I noticed are a little more reserved than most Americans
3. We are not all fat and lazy, in fact, I am in excellent shape. My generation of Americans have grown up with money, and It appears that we are uneducated and dumb. I was accepted into this school amid fierce competition, and my parents are paying for this education. I cant help what my family has, and that is the case with most Americans.
I didn't mean for this to be a topic of my venting, but I've been here for 2 years and I just wanted to get this off my chest. I also feel that the media does not help to project a "true image" of our country. I wish that everyone in the UK could really see how America is, from the average teenager's point of view. Also, don't use the past to substaniate your opinions, The Revolution happened over a hundred years ago, and none of us were alive to see it.
Your comments are appreciated.
I'm a 19 year old American studying Sociology in London. And I have a question directed toward the citizens of the UK. Why do most UK residents dislike America? And what are your views towards Americans in general?? Ever since I came to your country, I have had a blast. However, I've noticed 2 very distinct reactions from the citizens of London. Most have been friendly, and sometimes I get stereotypical comments when I am out in the city, sometimes hostile, and I just want to say this:
1. Most Americans my age are not concerned with the war, personally I wish everyone just get along. I'm really not concerned with getting oil, or stealing resources from another country. I'm just trying to better myself.
2. Americans are intrigued by your country and culture. We in general are outgoing, sometimes boisterous group, who sometimes tend to annoy the British, who I noticed are a little more reserved than most Americans
3. We are not all fat and lazy, in fact, I am in excellent shape. My generation of Americans have grown up with money, and It appears that we are uneducated and dumb. I was accepted into this school amid fierce competition, and my parents are paying for this education. I cant help what my family has, and that is the case with most Americans.
I didn't mean for this to be a topic of my venting, but I've been here for 2 years and I just wanted to get this off my chest. I also feel that the media does not help to project a "true image" of our country. I wish that everyone in the UK could really see how America is, from the average teenager's point of view. Also, don't use the past to substaniate your opinions, The Revolution happened over a hundred years ago, and none of us were alive to see it.
Your comments are appreciated.
Scroll to see replies
Don't have a problem with America really, I think some of your Presidents have been pretty decent guys, but it might be best if I keep my thoughts on George Bush to myself.
I have issues with American foreign policy, both pre and post 9/11, but the American people seem nice enough to me.
And yes, you do get sterotyped in the media, but then looking at some of the American media, it goes both ways.
I have issues with American foreign policy, both pre and post 9/11, but the American people seem nice enough to me.
And yes, you do get sterotyped in the media, but then looking at some of the American media, it goes both ways.
I don't think that we dislike you that much. It's a bit like the British and the French. There's nothing REALLY that bad about them (except for the fact that they kept on invading us) but it's fun to hate them. And all those american's children's programmes don't seem to help though. Do american children actually like 'Lizzie McGuire'?
What do you mean the french kepy invading us? THE FRENCH HAVE NEVER BEATEN GREATEN BRITAIN IN A FIGHT EVER DAMN IT!!
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
further to this, i heard recently that the french have a day called FRENCH VICTORY DAY. I nearly fell out of my shoes when i heard this! WHAT VICTORIES?! they are cheese eating surrender monkeys. Fireworks have been banned in france because when a French theme park had a fireworks display once, a nearby French army garrison surrendered.
I don't think people in the UK hate Americans but we do hate being bossed around. We hate the superior attitude. Americans seem to me to think everything is better in the USA and anything slighly different is just plain WRONG. My experience in my summer job is that American tourists always complain about every little thing. If the country they are visiting is so bad, why don't they holiday inside the USA? You have to accept that things are not the same everywhere, and that's a good thing. Also US tourists in my experience are often totally clueless about the country they are visiting. It;s quite common for them not to have changed any money and to be amazed that they cannot spend US dollars in the shops here. That is just arrogance and ignorrance. I know this paragraph won't apply to you klichey because you wouldn't be studying here if it did. But your average Brit on the street is most likely to meet a US tourist, not a student.
I worked in the US for 3 months at a kids summer camp. I found Americans very friendly but to me almost in a scary over-friendly and false way. For example, I once left a shop in Los Angeles because shop assistants came over to me and asked 'HI HOW YOU'RE DOING?' and fussed over me for no real reason. I was freaked out! I hadn't asked for help or anything. I don't think Americans realise they are doing things like this, they are just being friendly, but it's an alien concept to foreigners. In the same way, I am sure Americans probably feel that all northern Europeans are cold and unfriendly, which isn't true, we are just not that demonstrative.
Why do Americans talk so loudly? I'm not being funny here. One can always hear the American voice far above the crowd, decibels louder than anyone else. I'm sure other posters will back me up on this. When I worked there I felt I was yelling to be heard all the time.
I worked in the US for 3 months at a kids summer camp. I found Americans very friendly but to me almost in a scary over-friendly and false way. For example, I once left a shop in Los Angeles because shop assistants came over to me and asked 'HI HOW YOU'RE DOING?' and fussed over me for no real reason. I was freaked out! I hadn't asked for help or anything. I don't think Americans realise they are doing things like this, they are just being friendly, but it's an alien concept to foreigners. In the same way, I am sure Americans probably feel that all northern Europeans are cold and unfriendly, which isn't true, we are just not that demonstrative.
Why do Americans talk so loudly? I'm not being funny here. One can always hear the American voice far above the crowd, decibels louder than anyone else. I'm sure other posters will back me up on this. When I worked there I felt I was yelling to be heard all the time.
Joseph_SOUTH
What do you mean the french kepy invading us? THE FRENCH HAVE NEVER BEATEN GREATEN BRITAIN IN A FIGHT EVER DAMN IT!!
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
Er as has already been said, the norman conquest, also they beat us in the american war of independence ( i know the yanks like to pretend they did it but .... well they sem to think they won vietnam as well.
I agree, yes the USA has been late for 2 world wars and has tried to make up for it by
a) making films that claim they won
b) starting other wars just so they can be early.
The only war the USA has ever won without assistance from other countries was when they invaded grenada.
MMMMMMM the US took a whole load of Nazis out of europe to help on its space program. Nevermind you've been instrumental in genocide, war crimes, mass murder etc. etc. Come and live in our country, build rockets and we will forgive you.
Er you didn't break the enigma code, or capture the machine. It was broken twice before the US even joined the war.
You gave the Nazis the idea of of using eugenics to force 'undesirables' to be sterilized against their will.
You complain when on holiday in Europe (I don't mean you personally, but americans in general) eg american in Rome "Why didn't they build the airport nearer to the tourist attractions?"
US tourist in Oxford, complaining to the tourist information office "it's verry confusing that the colleges aren't labeled. You should put up name plates"
You refer to Tower bridge as London bridge.
another quote from an american in a pub in Oxford "do you think this place was built in complience with fire regulations?" - no it was built hundreds of years before fire regulations.
You can't understand why we don't cellebrate thanksgiving.
One of my friends lived in Bridgenorth, an old historic shropshire town. She used to have people leaning on her front window looking into her living room and saying how "quaint" it was.
I think as has previously been said, it's probably as much about tourists and their attitude as anything else.
Oh and the one that drives me mad. I've yet to meet an amirican who actually said they were american. They all seem to claim to be 'irish really', 'scotish really' etc. Just 'cos they have one irish ancestor.
I have nothing against the vast majority of American, here at my uni I know some very nice Americans and all are friendly etc.....there will always be sterotypes of a country, as like you said the Brits are more reserved...well not everyone is, im glad your here then you can sample some of our culture too....The only aspect of America I currently have a few issues with the present government, not the American people.
Joseph_SOUTH
What do you mean the french kepy invading us? THE FRENCH HAVE NEVER BEATEN GREATEN BRITAIN IN A FIGHT EVER DAMN IT!!
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
Yeah, the Brits have a relationship with hte yanks like we do with the french, little more than a slightly less than friendly rivalry. The Brits slag off the frogs for being cowardly cheese eating surrender monkeys. The Brits also feel the yanks came into the two world wars a bit too late. when france had given in to the NAZI hoards, and America was trying to ignore the war, BRITAIN was standing alone
The Brits also thing yanks are brash, loud, rude, not as elegant as us, eat rubbish food, ignorant, have rubbish comedy and a daft sense of humour, and the US army has an annoying habit of killing british troops.
IT FEELS GOOD TO GET PATRIOTIC EVERY NOW AND THEN! ALL IN GOOD FUN OF COURSE
Idiocy exam - Grade A
sashh
Oh and the one that drives me mad. I've yet to meet an American who actually said they were american. They all seem to claim to be 'irish really', 'scotish really' etc. Just 'cos they have one irish ancestor.
Oh and the one that drives me mad. I've yet to meet an American who actually said they were american. They all seem to claim to be 'irish really', 'scotish really' etc. Just 'cos they have one irish ancestor.
Yes, true and totally weird. 'Italian American' also seems quite trendy at the moment. There are never any English-Americans either, despite the fact that millions of the them have names like Smith, Williams, Black etc which are common English names. According to Hollywood, the English are the evil bad guys, but slighty above the really bad guys who speak English with a German accent or, even worse, a Russian accent.
babyballerina
Why do Americans talk so loudly? I'm not being funny here. One can always hear the American voice far above the crowd, decibels louder than anyone else. I'm sure other posters will back me up on this. When I worked there I felt I was yelling to be heard all the time.
Why do Americans talk so loudly? I'm not being funny here. One can always hear the American voice far above the crowd, decibels louder than anyone else. I'm sure other posters will back me up on this. When I worked there I felt I was yelling to be heard all the time.
It's the American accent. It's at a slightly higher pitch, more nasal, that carries through air better. It's actually used as a technique in musical theatre to help the voice carry - and is also a reason why American accents are better suited to doing musicals.
To the original question: I don't know any people that actually hate Americans. The government a lot of people dislike, but then a lot of Americans dislike it too.
To be quite honest, the average person doesn't think much about Americans, at least as far as I can tell. They may find American tourists to be annoying, but I think that's more that they find tourists to be annoying, and we happen to get more Americans than we do, say, Italians.
I think most people, if they met an American, would judge them on an individual basis. The British do enjoy taking the mickey out of Americans, but no more than any of country, really. I do find it funny that Americans get so upset about it, though. Culture and language barriers, perhaps?
I don't think many people have a serious dislike of the US, it's more of a jokey thing with the whole "upstart colony" label and complaining that America has mangled the English language. Some of it is probably jealously - in actual fact we all really want those American fridges that make ice but they're ridiculously expensive. Or maybe it's revenge for Starbucks, I'm not sure.
babyballerina
Yes, true and totally weird. 'Italian American' also seems quite trendy at the moment. There are never any English-Americans either
You do get English-Americans. They are called WASPs, I beleive.
piginapoke
This is an interesting one. Odd that a nation is full of people with a supposedly high level of patriotism that are intent on claiming their roots are elsewhere. Only not just anywhere, mainly Ireland or Scotland. Haven't heard too many trumpeting their German roots in comparison those claiming to be Irish.
I think it's more an Irish thing, than an American thing tbh. Irish people in general seem to be very proud to be Irish. It probably stems from the Northern Ireland thing. On the other hand, there are huge amounts of Irish people in America (a lot went over during the potato famine I think), along with Irish, Jewish, Hispanic, Chinese and Black. Considering that there weren't really many original immigrants from England, most of America's white population probably is made up of Irish, Italiens, Jewish etc..
I noticed a popular question was, why do Americans talk loudly? To be quite honest, I don't really know why we do this. I guess it was the way our culture is. It's almost a learned thing to be bigger, louder, smarter, faster than everyone else. America is kinda like that.
As for the "quaint" comment, I agree with the fact that most Americans are ignorant when it comes to tourism. But again, it stems with the fact that most Americans think, "If we have it, why doesn't everyone else have it too"
(actual overheard comment.)
I think US citizens carry the "best country in the world" Stigma WAY too far. And with that, Americans naturally assume that every country follows in their aspects. They come here expecting you to have (refridgerators that make ice) and they are appalled when you dont. I don't know why, but that is they way the culture has brought us up. To sum it up, America as a country is spoiled. Not lazy, or ignorant, but just spoiled.
As for the "quaint" comment, I agree with the fact that most Americans are ignorant when it comes to tourism. But again, it stems with the fact that most Americans think, "If we have it, why doesn't everyone else have it too"
(actual overheard comment.)
I think US citizens carry the "best country in the world" Stigma WAY too far. And with that, Americans naturally assume that every country follows in their aspects. They come here expecting you to have (refridgerators that make ice) and they are appalled when you dont. I don't know why, but that is they way the culture has brought us up. To sum it up, America as a country is spoiled. Not lazy, or ignorant, but just spoiled.
klichey82
They come here expecting you to have (refridgerators that make ice) and they are appalled when you dont.
Brits refridgerators dont make ice? HOW DO YOU LIVE!?
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