Britain has lost a treasured stereotype [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-05, 02:01 PM

I think it's prejudice. Not racism.

Teeth are very important. I'm glad to have had the same dentist my whole life. He's a multiclass priest/dentist.

Perhaps you are correct.

Well my childhood dentist was arrested for gassing people who didn't need it and then <activity that would get me an infraction for mentioning>, so I can live with not having him any more.

reorith

2010-02-05, 02:49 PM

we can still mock them for their licensing of tvs and absurd laws forbidding people from carrying screwdrivers right?

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-05, 02:54 PM

we can still mock them for their licensing of tvs and absurd laws forbidding people from carrying screwdrivers right?

Nope, those both make perfect sense. TV "licenses" are more of an optional tax (so you don't have to pay to watch TV if you don't own one) and screwdrivers aren't specifically banned as much as the law (as it is written) means you can be prosecuted for carrying one if it's clear you intend to use it as a weapon.

reorith

2010-02-05, 03:02 PM

Nope, those both make perfect sense. TV "licenses" are more of an optional tax (so you don't have to pay to watch TV if you don't own one) and screwdrivers aren't specifically banned as much as the law (as it is written) means you can be prosecuted for carrying one if it's clear you intend to use it as a weapon.

brb, watching Harry Brown.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-05, 03:12 PM

brb, watching Harry Brown.

Eh? Who's Harry Brown?

reorith

2010-02-05, 03:16 PM

Eh? Who's Harry Brown?

a film from 2009 about a pensioner that kicked a lot of ass.
link (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289406/)

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-05, 03:36 PM

a film from 2009 about a pensioner that kicked a lot of ass.
link (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289406/)

Oh yeah, I remember now. The Daily Mail loved it and everyone else panned it.

Zen Monkey

2010-02-05, 03:48 PM

Nameless

2010-02-05, 03:50 PM

Believe me, Britian has lost a lot more treasured things in the past couple of decades then just bad teeth. ._.

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-05, 03:51 PM

Technically, the stereotype can live on. The article mentions teeth that are missing, filled, or decayed. The stereotype (Simpsons, Family Guy, Austin Powers, etc) is that they are crooked and discolored. So yeah, the jokes can still work.

Yaaaaaaaay. (Yes I couted to 10 characters, then made it pointless by typing this, I'm just so happy :smallcool:)

Ikialev

2010-02-05, 04:24 PM

http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=7933596&story_id=15060097

I guess we'll have to find a new stereotype to stand out. Maybe someone can convince Gordon to rebuild the empire.

oh my. First place, really?
At least I have all my teeth in their place. :F

FoE

2010-02-05, 04:28 PM

I guess every dentist in the world will now have to throw out their 'Big Book of British Smiles'.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-05, 04:51 PM

I guess every dentist in the world will now have to throw out their 'Big Book of British Smiles'.

We've had that joke already.

Lamech

2010-02-05, 05:21 PM

we can still mock them for their licensing of tvs and absurd laws forbidding people from carrying screwdrivers right?
We can still mock them for all those cavities. I mock groups of people for things that are not remotly based in fact. In fact sometimes I include contradictory insults. For example, hippymancers are all a bunch of fasict commy violent psychopaths, and their pacifist ways ensure they help the bad guys.:smallsmile:

Dogmantra

2010-02-05, 05:34 PM

we can still mock them for their licensing of tvs and absurd laws forbidding people from carrying screwdrivers right?

Those crazy Brits!
...
Wait a minute...

shadow_archmagi

2010-02-05, 05:35 PM

we can still mock them for their licensing of tvs and absurd laws forbidding people from carrying screwdrivers right?

Actually, the licensing of TVs is because they don't use a advertisement-based system of funding; the way it works is, if you want to watch the TV, you register as a guy who watches TV, and then you pay a TV tax. Then the TV money goes towards making shows.

In short:

British System:

Guy: I sure do wish I could watch some quality programming
Britain: you could, if you gave us money
Guy: Done and done.
People who make the show: Yay money

American System:

Guy: I think I'll turn the television on
Pepsi: OH GOD OH GOD HE IS WATCHING YOUR SHOW
People who make the show: For a thousand dollars we'll stop to mention Pepsi
Pepsi: Done and done

Dogmantra

2010-02-05, 05:38 PM

Actually, the licensing of TVs is because they don't use a advertisement-based system of funding; the way it works is, if you want to watch the TV, you register as a guy who watches TV, and then you pay a TV tax. Then the TV money goes towards making shows.

Except over here we have one company who do that, and several thousand others who are funded through advertising. That's why the BBC have such a crazy time: they're in a completely different business to all their competitors.

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-05, 05:38 PM

Actually, the licensing of TVs is because they don't use a advertisement-based system of funding; the way it works is, if you want to watch the TV, you register as a guy who watches TV, and then you pay a TV tax. Then the TV money goes towards making shows.

In short:

British System:

Guy: I sure do wish I could watch some quality programming
Britain: you could, if you gave us money
Guy: Done and done.
People who make the show: Yay money

American System:

Guy: I think I'll turn the television on
Pepsi: OH GOD OH GOD HE IS WATCHING YOUR SHOW
People who make the show: For a thousand dollars we'll stop to mention Pepsi
Pepsi: Done and done

Technically we have both, with the latter outnumbering the former 3 to 2 on analogue (and about 9999 to 1 if you get into cable etc.)

And if you're going to mock us about anything it should be our obsession with complaining about the weather.

Edit: Dogman ninjas, fear them for they are cunning.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-05, 06:55 PM

Technically we have both, with the latter outnumbering the former 3 to 2 on analogue (and about 9999 to 1 if you get into cable etc.)

And if you're going to mock us about anything it should be our obsession with complaining about the weather.

Edit: Dogman ninjas, fear them for they are cunning.

Well of course we have to complain the weather. It's always too hot in summer, too cold in winter and it never makes it's bloody mind up when it wants to rain. ¬_¬

Serpentine

2010-02-05, 11:11 PM

You know what's more disturbing than slightly crooked off-white teeth?
Perfectly straight blinding-white chompers :smalleek:

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/1014murphy.jpg

:eek:

Dr.Epic

2010-02-05, 11:48 PM

This thread isn't offensive to the British at all. Also, glad to see the French beating the US.:smallbiggrin:

Dogmantra

2010-02-06, 01:48 AM

You know what's more disturbing than slightly crooked off-white teeth?

You know what's more disturbing than this assertion?

The fact it's right.

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 05:07 AM

Well of course we have to complain the weather. It's always too hot in summer, too cold in winter and it never makes it's bloody mind up when it wants to rain. ¬_¬

Exactly, but tell this to Americans and they think you're crazy :smalltongue:

Athaniar

2010-02-06, 06:45 AM

I hadn't even heard that stereotype before. I thought the Biritsh had empire-building, tea-drinking, and a somewhat ridiculous upper class as their foremost stereotypes.

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 06:50 AM

I hadn't even heard that stereotype before. I thought the Biritsh had empire-building, tea-drinking, and a somehwat ridiculous upper class as their foremost stereotypes.

All very true, but the weather is big with us. It's kind of a unifier because it annoys everyone equally.

Nameless

2010-02-06, 06:55 AM

You know what's more disturbing than slightly crooked off-white teeth?
Perfectly straight blinding-white chompers :smalleek:

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/1014murphy.jpg

:eek:

:smalleek:

:eek:

Thufir

2010-02-06, 08:50 AM

That's why the BBC have such a crazy time: they're in a completely different business to all their competitors.

I think the original Douglas Adams quote said 'schizophrenic' rather than 'crazy'.

Dogmantra

2010-02-06, 08:55 AM

I think the original Douglas Adams quote said 'schizophrenic' rather than 'crazy'.

Paraphrasing, my dear boy. I couldn't pull it off like Douglas.

Also I hate it when people use mental disorders as insults or get what they are wrong, and I didn't want to do that either.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 10:08 AM

I hadn't even heard that stereotype before. I thought the Biritsh had empire-building, tea-drinking, and a somewhat ridiculous upper class as their foremost stereotypes.

You left out our proud navel heritage and terrible cooking (every British kitchen's a mess :smallwink:).

bosssmiley

2010-02-06, 10:28 AM

British System:

Guy: I sure do wish I could watch some quality programming
Britain: you could, if you gave us money
Guy: Done and done.
People who make the show: Yay money

...and then the BBC turn around and buy up a load of HBO shows from the US, and waste however many millions on BBC3, and on busman's holidays to Glasto and the Olympics, and on grossly biased news coverage, and junk science reportage, and... :smalltongue:

Just don't get me started on the BBC.

AtomicKitKat

2010-02-06, 10:49 AM

British food is all boiled, unless it's Fish and Chips.:smalltongue:

Anyways, the way I figure, more Oriental kids eat their veggies than their Western counterparts, in large part because boiling veggies like Broccoli until it turns to mush also has the ugly side effect of turning it into a wilted, brown thing that any kid would think had just passed through the digestive tract of a cow.:smalleek:

Agree also on the hideousness of the Chiclet smile. Just look at Gary Busey. I think it falls squarely into the uncanny valley.

Brother Oni

2010-02-06, 11:36 AM

British food is all boiled, unless it's Fish and Chips.:smalltongue:

Or it's a decent fry up breakfast. Sausages, bacon, hash browns, fried eggs, baked beans, fried bread and black pudding Mmmmmm... :smallsmile:

Dr. Bath

2010-02-06, 11:37 AM

Frying and boiling are the only two legitimate methods of food preparation.

Totally Guy

2010-02-06, 11:45 AM

But the French call us roast beefs.

So that's frying, boiling and roasting.

What's left? Grilling?

Dr. Bath

2010-02-06, 11:49 AM

You can fry beef.

Mmmm. Beef.

KuReshtin

2010-02-06, 11:50 AM

British food is all boiled, unless it's Fish and Chips.:smalltongue:

In Scotland, there's not even the possibility of getting things boiled.
It's all deep fried. Deep-Fried pizza, Deep-Fried Mars bars. Deep-Fried Hot dogs. Deep Fried Hamburgers. Deep Fried Ice cream.

And the sad part is that as a Swede, being pretty good at cooking proper meals, I've actually tried all of the above. Except for the Mars Bar and the Ice cream.

Thufir

2010-02-06, 11:51 AM

I put it to you that toasting is somewhat required, for muffins.

Totally Guy

2010-02-06, 11:57 AM

I put it to you that toasting is somewhat required, for muffins.

Which definition of muffins are you going with?:smallconfused:

There's several right?

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 11:58 AM

I put it to you that toasting is somewhat required, for muffins.

Toasting is just grilling with safety scissors.

I must have deep fried ice cream now. Damn you KuReshtin, my body loathes you but my brain thanks you.

golentan

2010-02-06, 12:01 PM

Hey, deep fried ice cream is OUR food. (midwestern U.S.)

Only in the U.S. could we have the sort of ingenuity to fry at a few hundred degrees a substance that converts to a liquid at room temperature, and then choose to employ our ingenuity for that purpose.

On a related note, deep fried coca cola.

Dogmantra

2010-02-06, 12:05 PM

Which definition of muffins are you going with?:smallconfused:

There's several right?

This kind, I imagine:
http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2353274/DSCF8119-main_Full.jpg

If so, that's absolutely right. Muffins are friggin' delicious.

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 12:22 PM

...On a related note, deep fried coca cola.

Must..buy..deep fat friar...

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 12:24 PM

...and then the BBC turn around and buy up a load of HBO shows from the US, and waste however many millions on BBC3, and on busman's holidays to Glasto and the Olympics, and on grossly biased news coverage, and junk science reportage, and... :smalltongue:

Just don't get me started on the BBC.

Eh, the BBC's news coverage only seems biased if your political views swing one way. As someone who has a commited neutral view (I know that sounds kind of cheesy, but I do. My parents went out of their way to raise me that way :smallwink:) I can say that the BBC doesn't tend to show any real bias.

Moff Chumley

2010-02-06, 12:39 PM

Trust me: BBC news is so much better than any American news source it's not even funny. Except for the Daily Show. :smallwink:

I'll let you guys figure out whether or not I'm joking.

Totally Guy

2010-02-06, 12:43 PM

Trust me: BBC news is so much better than any American news source it's not even funny.

I prefer the Channel 4 News.

Edit: I'm not happy about the digital conversion. The remote is just yet another piece of plastic to clutter the house up.

And all the digital channels have a stupid logo in the corner. What's with that? Will the 5 core channels have to put on a logo in the corner too?

Fifty-Eyed Fred

2010-02-06, 12:49 PM

Must..buy..deep fat friar...

Like Friar Tuck? At least we have Robin Hood...

As an aside, whose archery is truly supreme, Robin Hood's or William Tell's?

And the BBC's political bias changes depending on the person reporting, so in that way they really are neutral. :smallwink:

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 01:19 PM

Like Friar Tuck? At least we have Robin Hood...

As an aside, whose archery is truly supreme, Robin Hood's or William Tell's?

And the BBC's political bias changes depending on the person reporting, so in that way they really are neutral. :smallwink:

Robin Hood. William Tell missed.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 02:10 PM

Robin Hood. William Tell missed.

I thought he succeeded? Then managed to spark a rebellion by killing his nemesis...

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-06, 02:23 PM

I thought he succeeded? Then managed to spark a rebellion by killing his nemesis...

So he was aiming for the apple, not his head?

Wow, I need to re-read that :smalltongue:

(I genuinely was told by in school that he missed and was aiming for his head, can't remember why though :smallconfused:).

Fifty-Eyed Fred

2010-02-06, 06:03 PM

So he was aiming for the apple, not his head?

Wow, I need to re-read that :smalltongue:

(I genuinely was told by in school that he missed and was aiming for his head, can't remember why though :smallconfused:).

Definitely; intending to hit his head is somewhat less heroic (not to mention requiring less skill) :smallamused:

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 06:06 PM

So he was aiming for the apple, not his head?

Wow, I need to re-read that :smalltongue:

(I genuinely was told by in school that he missed and was aiming for his head, can't remember why though :smallconfused:).

Nope, he was challenged to shoot an apple off his son's head. If he failed then they would both be executed. He did have a second bolt which he claimed that he would have used to shoot the guy who forced him to do it, should he have missed though.

Pyrian

2010-02-06, 08:12 PM

Should've shot him first, duh. :smallamused:

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 08:36 PM

Should've shot him first, duh. :smallamused:

But then he couldn't have been a folk hero. Plus if he killed the guy he and his son would most likely have been killed on the spot themselves. I guess his thinking went;

If I don't do this, my son and I will both be killed. If I do this and succeed we both live and if I fail only my son is killed.
While pragmatic, I can't stand the thought of killing my son, therefore I will hold this guy responsible and kill him if I fail.
If I just kill him anyway, my son will most likely be killed but if he's already dead I don't mind dying.

Serpentine

2010-02-06, 09:45 PM

Deep Fried Ice cream.

And the sad part is that as a Swede, being pretty good at cooking proper meals, I've actually tried all of the above. Except for the Mars Bar and the Ice cream.That's not so weird. They sell it at most Chinese restaurants around here. In fact, as far as I'm aware, it's a Chinese, not US or UK, invention, but I'll check with Wikipedia.

edit:
Fried ice cream is a dessert. There are Mexican, Asian, and Irish variants. The Irish variant is often referred to as Foad ice cream.
The dessert is commonly made by taking a scoop of ice cream frozen well below the temperature at which ice cream is generally kept, possibly coating it in raw egg, rolling it in cornflakes or cookie crumbs, and briefly deep frying it. The extremely low temperature of the ice cream prevents it from melting while being fried. It may be sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and a touch of peppermint, though whipped cream or honey may be used as well.
If fried ice cream is coated in raw egg prior to deep frying, the egg may remain uncooked due to the low temperature of the ice cream.
The Asian recipe usually uses tempura batter. Mexican versions use cornflakes, nuts or cookie crumbs for coating. In addition the Mexican recipe starts with a large ice cream ball, resulting in a colder core than the Asian variants. Common flavors in Asian restaurants are green tea, vanilla, and red bean.[citation needed] Coconut may also be used.[1]Yep, pretty much everyone's invention except US and England/Scotland :smalltongue: I've had the Asian variant several times. I would enjoy it much more if it weren't for my blasted sensitive teeth...

golentan

2010-02-06, 10:02 PM

That's not so weird. They sell it at most Chinese restaurants around here. In fact, as far as I'm aware, it's a Chinese, not US or UK, invention, but I'll check with Wikipedia.

edit:Yep, pretty much everyone's invention except US and England/Scotland :smalltongue: I've had the Asian variant several times. I would enjoy it much more if it weren't for my blasted sensitive teeth...

Aww, man. Now I have to lose faith in America, until someone finds a way to deep fat fry cooking oil.

BisectedBrioche

2010-02-06, 10:10 PM

Aww, man. Now I have to lose faith in America, until someone finds a way to deep fat fry cooking oil.

Mix it with flour to form a pastry crumb.

golentan

2010-02-06, 10:12 PM

Mix it with flour to form a pastry crumb.

Not fried enough. I was thinking, maybe batter butter and fry that.

I just might try that, using maybe some baking soda. That way I could say I built a Better Bitter Butter Batter.

Serpentine

2010-02-06, 10:21 PM

Better get better butter to fix your bitter butter batter.

AshDesert

2010-02-06, 10:22 PM

Not fried enough. I was thinking, maybe batter butter and fry that..

Someone beat you to it (http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/deep-fried-butter)

golentan

2010-02-06, 10:26 PM

Someone beat you to it (http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/deep-fried-butter)

And just like that, my faith is restored.

Congratulations, my comrades (are we allowed to use that word again?). You have once more surpassed my wildest imaginations.

ForzaFiori

2010-02-06, 10:33 PM

In Scotland, there's not even the possibility of getting things boiled.
It's all deep fried. Deep-Fried pizza, Deep-Fried Mars bars. Deep-Fried Hot dogs. Deep Fried Hamburgers. Deep Fried Ice cream.

And the sad part is that as a Swede, being pretty good at cooking proper meals, I've actually tried all of the above. Except for the Mars Bar and the Ice cream.

Are you sure your not describe the Deep South (of the USA)? Cause we do the same thing. You take the most fattening thing you can find, dip it in butter or lard, then deep fry it. And people wonder why were so fat.

KuReshtin

2010-02-06, 11:18 PM

Are you sure your not describe the Deep South (of the USA)? Cause we do the same thing. You take the most fattening thing you can find, dip it in butter or lard, then deep fry it. And people wonder why were so fat.

The way they do the deep fried pizza here is that they just take a store-bought frozen pizza, fold it in half, with the toppings becoming fillings, and then dunp it in the fryer. It's pretty vile, to be quite honest.

AshDesert

2010-02-06, 11:53 PM

Are you sure your not describe the Deep South (of the USA)? Cause we do the same thing. You take the most fattening thing you can find, dip it in butter or lard, then deep fry it. And people wonder why were so fat.

You've got a few steps wrong/missing. We dip it in batter, then deep fry it in lard. Then we top it with powdered sugar or some sort of syrup.:smallbiggrin:

paddyfool

2010-02-08, 04:58 AM

In terms of lost stereotypes, it's worth mentioning that football hooliganism has really been on the wane since the 1980s as well (although there can still be a frightening amount of trouble around the odd very bitter derby, e.g. Old Firm matches).

Us Brits are, one by one, being patently robbed of our defining national features. What are we to do?

Kobold-Bard

2010-02-08, 05:05 AM