Americanisation of the UK

Agree, hate it. And much more of a threat to British culture than anything else often mentionned.

The French have been resisting it for years, but I think that the truth is culture changes over time and there is little anyone can do to resist these gradual changes.

Just look at British culture in isolation just in our lifetime.

I’m 78 and looking back attitudes have changed an incredible amount.

Yes. Proms, play dates, car pools, baby showers and gender reveals. Halloween is a whole industry now instead of apple bobbing and knocking on neighbours doors in a homemade costume for a few pence.

I call Radio 4 the American station as there are lots of programmes about or dominated by Americans.

If you want to see the future of Britain, look at America.

I'm relieved to say that I don't do or encourage any of the things you mention in your second paragraph Babs03.

I'm sure there are some Americanisms that I've adopted unwittingly and I suppose we have to accept change even if we don't embrace it.

What happens when China becomes dominant?

The whole of Europe has been resisiting it for years, and winning, mostly.

Learn Mandarin? At least all the Chinese at the Olympics looked happy and friendly (I'm not saying the Americans didn't).

Whitewavemark2

What happens when China becomes dominant?

They have found water on the Moon. I shall be going there!

I lived in California for a year and attended school there at 14, my Dad worked very closely with Americans since I was a young child, they visited us frequently, so I guess we were “Americanised” a long long time ago! We don’t use their words and phrases though, and thank the lord the UK never adopted their horrendous beauty pageants, specially young girls! That aside I really enjoyed my year in the States and the people were wonderful and incredibly hospitable to us.

It is the work culture that worries me more. The ruthless die hard mentality and immediate sackings. The dog eat dog and work until you drop, that just doesn't happen in the same way in European companies.

Anyway as for the language...I blame spongebob and spatula

Go along with the bits (if any) that you like. Don't go along with the bits you don't like. It's the same as fashion: no-one has to wear the latest fashion just because that's what it is.

Wear what you like, use diction that you like, eat food that you like, etc. We could hardly have more choice!

Back in the nineties I was amazed that even in a non-tourist part of Thailand where I was working, KFC was opening stores. Why would a Thai or a Malaysian person want to eat KFC when their own version of fried chicken was so much better?

That said, change is constant – culture, climate, fashion, you name it – and adaptability is a great thing too and the reason why human beings have been so successful.

I hate it, I have to say. I loathe the creeping Americanism into our language, the culture etc.

We visited Hong Kong in 1985, they had McDonalds, as did Istanbul in 1996.

Americans took our pagen All Hallows Eve celebration and made it into something special, having been to the big New York Stores when they have been decorated for Halloween they really are spectacular.

With the world getting smaller since the invention of WWW, SM and satellite TV things are bound to evolve.

I can remember U.K. stores in European Countries as long ago as early 70’s.

Proms bring a lot of happiness to our young people, but I do acknowledge that for some they can induce anxiety. We had end of school disco’s, I can still remember mine.

What worries me is they seem to have a very wide gap between rich and poor with little in between, creating a two-tier society. People seem to be the CEO of something with all the trappings or work multiple retail or fast food jobs. You have to give your all at work. No "easy" jobs.

You have to look after yourself with very little welfare state or medical care for those without insurance. No real job security and only the better off being able to afford university. The UK has already and increasingly seems to be following suit.

Baggs 👍

I was amazed at the amount of McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Places in Thailand, and not just in the tourist haunts.

One of mine didn't go to his prom because he was so self conscious, though he didn't go to his graduation either which upset me a little bit.

I loved the end of school disco so much more pressure is put on our young people to be have it all and perfect.

I quite like KFC

stayanotherday

What worries me is they seem to have a very wide gap between rich and poor with little in between, creating a two-tier society. People seem to be the CEO of something with all the trappings or work multiple retail or fast food jobs. You have to give your all at work. No "easy" jobs.

You have to look after yourself with very little welfare state or medical care for those without insurance. No real job security and only the better off being able to afford university. The UK has already and increasingly seems to be following suit.

yes, this is what worries me. We have adopted principles which are much more worrying.

I agree JaneJudge. Two weeks vacation, long working hours and no security or real workers rights. Public services disappearing to be filled with volunteers. You see that now with many libraries here.

Yeah it's all pretty tacky but it's been a two way process:

- The English language was imported into the US
- Many places names in the US are named after their UK counterparts and UK people
- The foundation of the US legal system is based on the English system though with many embellishments
- Scottish and Irish music was a huge influence on US country music
- They love our royal family and actors

There must be other examples.

It is Jane as call me an idealist but I would prefer a country that looks after its citizens.

The end of year school disco, yes! I was shy but at least it was simple fun rather than all the pressure and money attached to proms. Shame your son couldn't go to his graduation but the university might accommodate by letting him tag along to a later time if he changes his mind

stayanotherday

It is Jane as call me an idealist but I would prefer a country that looks after its citizens.

The end of year school disco, yes! I was shy but at least it was simple fun rather than all the pressure and money attached to proms. Shame your son couldn't go to his graduation but the university might accommodate by letting him tag along to a later time if he changes his mind

Yes I think proms are a bad idea, some kids from better off backgrounds arrive in a stretch limo, wearing designer dresses or tuxedos. I even heard of parents hiring a helicopter for their child’s prom. And friends of ours said their Dil hired someone to do their daughter’s make up and hair. Is costing parents thousands. And kids from poorer backgrounds will probs feel awkward.
The end of term disco is a much better option. We didn’t have anything to mark the end of the last school term, we just hung around near some allotments drinking barley wine and scoffing sweets.
I was sick as a dog and told my mum I must have a stomach bug.

I too dislike many of those mentioned. As is said, when America catches a cold, the United Kingdom sneezes.

The one thing I not only dislike, but don't even understand is "graduation". How can you NOT graduate from primary school - you just do. Same with your next school - you finish and leave. However, you can succeed or fail at university so only those who succeed can graduate.

Whilst we're (usually!) proud of our children, I can't say I was proud of them for leaving their primary or secondary school - it's not like there was a choice.

I know - it's probably just me

I've really loved America when I've been there and aspects of their culture, but over there, just not here. A lot has been exported, the prom for example, as mentioned numerous times, the outfits, the hire of limousines, it all adds up. Surely the same amount of pleasure could be had from an end of term disco without the almost obligatory tack.. Immense pressure all round, the parents' purse, girls to compete with each other on how they look. Events around school are an industry in the US graduations take place from nursery even, so having gone through the system with those happening at year ends, the actual graduation from university has been superseded so many times, it may have been relegated to just another one! The demands expectations of keeping up are an immense pressure on the beleaguered parent over there. I remember seeing cars with stickers on their back window with "I'm a hockey mom" Oh God what does that even mean living vicariously through my child's sporting achievements, sounds hell!

Our high streets are very homogeneous, more so than France and Italy for example, but whilst my perception is that they retain their individuality more than us, they still have all the trappings of American multi nationals. On that note I did like this from a proprietor of a coffee shop in Rome when asked whether he was bothered about a Starbucks opening nearby he replied "not really, they serve hot drinks, we serve coffee!"

Baby showers take away the spontaneity of gifting a present to an expectant mother, this is what my friends and I did when we had our respective first babies on the way. Now it's been replaced by an organised event , in worst case scenarios, with a hand in hand conformity as to gifting. Even more ridiculous the gender reveal gatherings.

We were always far more low key, maybe it took us so long to recover from the austerity of the war, the US didn't have that. I think much of these new phenomenons exponentially gathered momentum when MacDonalds hit our shores. Yeah! I blame the Golden Arches

I meant to add, like you JudgeJane, my guilty secret, I love KFC, haven't had one for years though