American popular culture has a significant impact on my life. I watch American TV shows and American movies, listen to American bands and American artists, and read American blogs and American websites. The USA may be waning as an economic power, but it’s cultural output is as dominant and imperialistic as ever.
Which is not to say I’m not grateful of course. In an age when every second British TV program is either a glorified talent show or a vehicle for Z list celebrities to degrade themselves, the odd injection of Battlestar Galactica, House, or Chuck is a welcome breath of fresh air.
But it is fair to say that American culture is all pervasive. American visitors to my blog often leave comments asking me to clarify an English word or expression that they don’t understand. That never happens when I visit their blogs; a knowledge of American language and culture is ingrained in the British public from a very early age. For example, years of exposure to The Dukes of Hazard has taught me all about Americans insistence on climbing into cars through the windows. And thanks to my eager consumption of Vanilla Ice’s back catalog I have an in-depth and rounded understanding of American dialect and lexicon.
I have managed to retain the majority of my Englishness however. For example, despite temptation I have yet to wander the streets of Huddersfield in my stetson and spurs attempting to lasso people as they come out of WH Smiths. Some things just aren’t done over here you understand.
It may just be a matter of time however. In fact I am convinced that the USA are planning a complete takeover of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (they will probably leave Wales alone – they speak funny over there and have an unnatural fascination with sheep). The occupation of the UK won’t be performed through invasion however. An aggressive attack on another country, followed by ill advised attempts to impose their own idea of govenment onto a culture to which such ideas are alien would be both naive and arrogant. In fact it would probably result in civil war. Surely not a mistake a respected superpower such as the States would make.
No, America is taking over the United Kingdom not with guns, but with the wavy red lines of the spellchecker. A great man (me) once said “If you control language you control minds’. My spelling is ropey at best and I heavily rely on spellcheckers in order to make what I write intelligible (or is that ineligible). I resisted American English at first, insisting on tyre rather than tire, liquorice instead of licorice, and “Jolly good old bean” rather than “Yeeha! Ride ‘em cowboy!”. But it all got too much effort and I’ve resigned myself to the American way of doing things.
No doubt next week I’ll be calling everything “quaint” and mispronouncing Edinburgh. I have sacrificed my heritage for the convenience of not having to get the big heavy English dictionary down from the shelf. It’s a rather unequal exchange I admit, but it’s one I am happy with.
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on May 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Penelope’s last blog post..All you need is love!
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on May 30th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Defend our use of Us and Ss and our fannies with pride.
Xbox4NappyRash’s last blog post..Available for trade
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on May 30th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Xbox – We will fight them on the beaches.
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on May 30th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
But I wouldn’t ever pronounce Edinburgh the wrong way. The English way sounds far cooler.
Arjan’s last blog post..Transformers OST
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on May 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Gary’s last blog post..Goodbye, goodbye, we’re leaving you goodbye…
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on May 30th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Gary – Shouting at the screen? You can get locked up for that you know.
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on May 30th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Welsh people don’t speak ‘funny’ they speak BEAUTIFULLY I think you’ll find.
Get a grip – denounce the USA and stick with your roots!
Topchamp’s last blog post..Hostess Badge & Party Night
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on May 30th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I think you’re right about America wanting to take over. I think Canada should be first – because it’s closer and I wouldn’t have to get a dang passport just to visit the falls.
Oh, BTW, we have unnaturally fascinated sheep herders too – so I’ve been told …
barefoot writer’s last blog post..Dancing About With Some Bloggy Love
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on May 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Barefoot writer – Wait.. Canada isn’t part of the USA??
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on May 30th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
PG’s last blog post..Death To W8 Loss Wednesday
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on May 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Jo Beaufoix’s last blog post..this Post May Induce Vomiting
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on May 30th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Holmes’s last blog post..City of Kindness
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on May 30th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Avitable’s last blog post..Internet Assvice
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on May 30th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I’m with Adam though, I think Donuts evolved out of laziness.
Nat’s last blog post..Come out, come out…
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on May 30th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
jason’s last blog post..Graduating?
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on May 30th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Jo – I couldn’t spell in the first place, so I have no idea if I’m spelling a word the British way or just simply spelling it incorrectly.
Holmes – I might have to do the whole paper on the mouse thing.
Avitable – Doughnuts is English, Donuts american. I think.
Nat – I’m still trying to come to terms with this “Canada” thing. i thought it was just a type of bacon. Don’t tell me there is a country called ‘Oak Smoked’ too?
Jason – I have surrendered, I have. Wait, does that mean I’m now French too?
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on May 30th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
CamiKaos’s last blog post..there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
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on May 30th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
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on May 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
SingleParentDad’s last blog post..Is He Going To Be Gay?
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on May 30th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Speaking of office pranks, my all-time favorite is taking a printscreen of someone’s desktop, setting it as their desktop background, and turning off their icons. Hours and hours of clicky-rebooting fun.
Not that I’d ever do that, of course.
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on May 30th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I blame Malcolm in the Middle personally.
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on May 31st, 2008 at 12:48 am
JenK – That is a damn fine prank too. There is a post in there somewhere.
Gail – If you are planning on covering my rear you are going to need a damn big blanket.
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on May 31st, 2008 at 2:46 am
Brandon’s last blog post..Rock Bottom of the Bowl Blues
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on May 31st, 2008 at 6:59 am
Nuff said…
Um oh dear that’s an American quote.
Lee’s last blog post..Top five books that have left an impact on me
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on May 31st, 2008 at 7:55 am
Lee – That’s very true. Mum vs Mom is where I draw the line in the sand.
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on May 31st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I’M KIDDING! OMG, I’ve gone and pissed the Americans off! I AM KIDDING! Well, or at least we’re as equally LAZY in Canada. There is a Canadian spellckech, though. (I know I did that. I really do.)
woman in a window’s last blog post..HIS OTHERNESS
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on May 31st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Dan’s last blog post..Donuts or Doughnuts
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on May 31st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Whit’s last blog post..Fresh Naps for All the Men
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on May 31st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Arjan’s last blog post..Juno OST
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 3:14 am
An American can spot this Canuck a mile (or kilometer) away…
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 7:34 am
Arjan – You crazy Dutch, you have a different word for everything
Maureen – I didn’t relaise that Canadiens pronouced Z like we do until very recently when listening to the Barenaked Ladies discuss Zed Zed Top.
Dan’s last blog post..Donuts or Doughnuts
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 9:44 am
Arjan’s last blog post..Juno OST
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Arjan’s last blog post..Juno OST
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
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on Jun 1st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Fanny packs are bum bags and purses are where you keep your money not your day to day essentials.
We do Mam up here, although being a Yorkshire girl I do Mum, but my brummie friend has always used Mom for like 40 years that I have known her.
Gail’s last blog post..Indy is still THE Man!
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on Jun 10th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Sorry, just catching up on my backblog.
Rol’s last blog post..It’s All Greek (1)
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on Jun 12th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Great job, Big, Bad, Original Dan!
Dan Leone’s last blog post..Translation please
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