:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Tuesday 18 March 2008 ::

US v UK

Tim Blair notes an American view of Old Engerland that is funny cos it is true. Americans do think the English are mostly filthy and ugly.

And they're right.

Oh, I am kidding. Why some of the cleanest folks I know...well, no atchally. I cannot swear to that.

Bin thinking about the diff quite a bit of late, what with the Antique Roadshow in the UK and the American version. Was watching the other day and the English show was all:
"Oh my, I see you have brought in a terrific intact Wedgewood tea set once used by the Queen herself, which I would value at seventy-five pinds."...reaction:"...(uncomfortable silence)...Thankyou very much."

And the American show was, I shit you not:
"Wowee, a robot that rotates its head and wave its arms, a hurdygurdy, an actual whirligig and a terracotta port vessel in the shape of a gigantic black pig with the cork stuck in its ass! I value each one of these things at eight grand a piece."...reaction: "Zowee."

I think this about captures the diff.

Yanks are just happier on a scale of 1 to 10 and their stuff is just that much sillier, more modern and hilarious.

Got to thinking about it more from the recent terrific UK Top Gear program where they bought one thousand dollar cars and drove Miami Florida to New Orleans Lousiana - deep south America.

Watch it all cos it is just great, how much these English guys love their American cars, adore each other's company and ...

... cannot help themselves but to mock and patronise every single person they encounter with the painfully obvious exception of blacks (I guess they're scary or something). And cannot help themselves but to conclude that even though they have had a great time and driven further in one country than ever before they must conclude that all of America is terminally stuffed. It would not do to be all zowee about life.

So very English.

From this unhelpfully small sample I say simply that English people rock and Yanks rock, in their own very distinct ways.

And the difference is good.

That is all.

...

Truthfully, this post is just a way of recording a link to the Top Gear show and to recall that pig port vessel - I totaly want one.

UPDATE:
Welcome Blairites. And, speaking of robots....crikey!
:: WB 12:05 am [link+] ::