🚀 go-pugleaf

On 4 May 2006 07:57:13 -0700, magnate wrote:

> Bret Ripley wrote:
>> On Wed, 03 May 2006 12:46:50 GMT, Bill Huffman wrote:
>>> "magnate" <chrisc@dbass.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> It is painfully easy to sound like you're saying "americans are morons"
>>>> when you mean to say "America is ruled by very bad people pursuing very
>>>> bad policies". Really and truly, most of us only mean the latter. It's
>>>> just that it gets us really steamed and we start to sound like we're
>>>> slating individual americans, when most of them don't deserve it.
>>>
>>> Well this past election most did vote for Bush although the majority was by
>>> the slimmest of margins and his popularity rating has taken a nose dive as
>>> more Americans are realizing that he's a dangerous self-serving foolish
>>> incompetent president.
>>
>> Did you see Stephen Colbert roast Dubya, while taking swipes at the lapdog
>> Washington Press along the way?  Colbert had a captive audience, and he
>> didn't waste the opportunity.
> 
> [links]
> 
>> A lot of the humor will be lost on those unfamiliar with American politics,
>> but it may be an eye-opener for those who have this idea that Americans are
>> a gang of goose-stepping automatons.
> 
> Thank you - it was a great read. I probably missed about half the gags,
> but it was still great. (Having watched a few episodes of the West
> Wing, I knew americans were capable of appreciating incisive swipes at
> their own administration!)

Sure -- it just doesn't tend to happen when the big guy and several of his
minions are sitting just a few feet away, unable to interrupt or respond.

>> Out of curiosity: would anything like the above ever happen to Tony Blair?
> 
> Yes - last September there was a big hoo-hah when a BBC journalist did
> something similar at a private function (I've tried to find a
> transcript but can't - google for 'John Humphrys speech' and it turns
> up loads of articles about it), but it was slightly nastier and less
> funny.

Thanks -- I'll take a look for it.

In years past I used to watch the House of Commons "Questions for the Prime
Minister" -- it was remarkable how nasty  those sessions could become.
That Neil Kinnock could be a ruthless bastard!
 
>> Put another way, judging Americans based on the actions of the US President
>> is every bit as risible as judging all Brits based on the pronouncements of
>> whomever happens to be receiving mail at 10 Downing Street.
> 
> Agreed. So it should be easy to discern whether someone is really
> "anti-american" or just slagging off the Bush administration.

You would think so.  However, it is possible for the distinction to be less
clear than it should.  Some people seem to have difficulty sorting out
their own prejudices.

> CC
> 
> P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
> watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
> about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
> does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
> of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?

It was also a prominent gag in the first Austin Powers film.

I'm not really sure of it's origin, but it is possible that this particular
joke is based on a misperception stemming from differences between American
film and television actors and their British counterparts.

In general, American actors and actresses have ridiculously perfect teeth.
Perhaps it has changed in recent years, but in the past British actors
didn't necessarily bother to have dental imperfections corrected.  For
example, I recently watched an old TV show (I think it was "The Avengers",
though it may have been "The Saint") which featured Peter Bowles.  Now, Mr.
Bowles did not have horrible teeth -- but (being a shallow American) I
couldn't help noticing that they weren't perfect, either: IIRC, he had a
tooth that appeared to be slightly rotated, creating the appearance of a
slight gap.  You don't tend to see that sort of thing with American actors.

So, if my theory is correct, the "bad teeth" gag is based on the American
presumption that, for whatever reason, screen actors and actresses
typically have perfect teeth.  Therefore, if the somewhat-normal looking
teeth of many British actors passes for "perfect" in Britain, then the
average Brit must possess poor teeth.

That's my silly theory, anyway.  And yes, I know the whole "bad teeth"
thing isn't true.

Cheers,

Bret