Americanisation of the UK

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.

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

Baggs 👍

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Whitewavemark2

What happens when China becomes dominant?

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

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

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

What happens when China becomes dominant?

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.

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.

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.

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