Hello, welcome to Easy English.
So today, I'm on the beach and I want to know what the
people of Brighton think of their cousins across the pond.
This is what Brits think of Americans, here we go!
What is… what are your just, general thoughts on Americans?
My general thoughts on Americans are, I think they’re quite brash,
they’re quite loud people. - Uh huh.
I was actually kicked off of ''Facebook'' for 24 hours,
for making a remark about the Americans.
There's a big contrast between everybody’s, not just England’s,
but everybody's awareness American culture through films
and TV series and stuff. And then, how is in real life.
And they have a reciprocal lack of understanding
of other people's cultures, partly maybe,
because their media system is just so big
and it pumps out so much stuff.
Like, they'll remake everything right?
''The Ring'', er… ''The Office'', the this, the that.
They remake it in their own like.
So, they… they don't get as much cultural education as maybe,
other countries do.
First of all, what are your general thoughts on Americans, US citizens?
Okay, I suppose… mainly,
we meet Americans when we travel abroad, anyway.
And so, we see them as tourists and don't always have
the best opinion of them, as… as tourists.
They’re quite loud and brash and erm…
yeah and I guess weight is an interesting issue as well,
because we always see very overweight Americans.
So that sort of, perception.
Right, my thoughts are a bit mixed, in a way.
Because, as we were growing up, in poverty stricken England,
when Americans came over here, they always seemed to have lots of money
and were perhaps little bit louder than we are.
However, after holidaying in America, I've found them incredibly kind,
quite sort of, gentle and interested.
Interested in people in England and the royal family,
which I didn't know that much about.
And also, incredibly polite on the roads,
because they don't drive as fast as we do.
And how about you, what are your thoughts on the Americans?
I think they’re… they can be rude and abrupt. - Yeah.
I don’t like Donald Trump. Not many people do. - No.
My experience of being with Americans, in America,
is that they are, they were always very friendly and very welcoming.
Okay. - And particularly, in New York for example;
I met quite a few people in New York. And they were like,
firm but fair. Which… I think they're very honest.
Only through the sort of, I suppose the…
the stereotypes that you know and create through yourself,
they seem a as… as a nation, very patriotic… patriotic.
Yeah. - Compared to… compared to what perhaps,
we're more divided about that here.
I think, (it) seems to be from whatever political background
they are in America, I’d say they’re… they all appear very to,
believe in the flag and freedom of speech and all the… all the er…
what’s it… the amend… the various amendments that they have.
Oh yeah, yeah. - So I think they're probably more together,
in some ways than perhaps we are, on certain things.
But then, also very different from different…
different polarising views as well, I suppose.
My general overview of US citizens, is that it’s a vast mixture.
This country is a small mixture, but yeah,
lots of people think Americans are, the big country,
lazy, fat, as a lot of people say.
But I've met and worked with Americans, who are just not like that.
And people from different states,
states next door behave and act totally differently.
I've not travelled too much in the US.
However, I've been to the east coast; er… New York and Boston.
My perception has been very good, New Yorkers;
slightly more brash than the Bostonians, I guess.
But, I think the perception is very much that they are slightly naive,
ignorant perhaps. They… you get this perception
that they’re all obese and love huge portions.
I can agree on the huge portions,
but I don't know if it’s fair that they’re all naive and ignorant.
And I guess, on the… on the reverse,
that they think that we are very posh and all speak well
and drink tea and eat scones. Then again, that’s not who we all are.
Nice. - But yeah, I think that’s just… there are a lot of stereotypes.
Well I'm a bit biased, because I've got relatives in America.
So yeah, I got relatives in California and I… I think they're great,
they really friendly and open and…
And do they have any er… character traits that kind of,
connect them all together? That you’d say… outstanding character traits?
I think they’re… they’re very warm and friendly and hospitable.
But I do love English people too. Don’t get me wrong.
Have you been to the US? - Yes I have.
Whereabouts in the US have you been?
I… I did the Florida thing. Went to ''Universal Studios'' etcetera.
And it was fantastic, had a fantastic time,
the Americans were lovely, it was very clean.
So yeah, I had a really good time there.
Okay. - And they seem to like the English. - Yeah?
Yeah. - Well, we are their cousins,
so they have to be slightly nice to us.
My aunt used to live there as well, in New York.
So I remember New York in the erm… in the early 70’s
and travelling down on my own, on a greyhound bus from…
from the airport, out to where she lived and I was fifteen years old.
I don't think you’d probably let that happen now.
Where abouts in America did you go to?
We’ve been to California twice and we've also been to Florida…
Oh so east and west. - And New York, yes.
I've worked with quite a few people from the US,
I suppose, through work. Primarily, from the east coast
and then some from the west coast, but I think,
there’s such a different range of people across the states,
that’s ‘cos it’s such a vast country.
Vastly different sort of, cultures and…
and the demographics really, so.
I suppose it depends on where… where you go,
what different kind of people you experience.
If you could take a character trait or a cultural thing
from the US and bring it to the UK to improve UK…
like, UK life or UK culture. - Yeah.
Is there something that you’d like, that you’d take?
Yeah I think I’m… I'm a huge sports fan and I think the…
the college sport is amazing. And yeah, so I’d…
I went to university and played first team tennis.
But it… I was playing in front of maybe, three people.
Whereas over there, it's as big as you know,
some big tournaments and I think it’s the same for all sport.
So I think that culture of sports in college,
in university being of huge importance
to getting into a professional sport, would be really cool.
Right, ‘cos you get kind of, sponsored.
Yeah, you get sponsored and you get drafted into the…
into the professional leagues, as well. - Right. Nice, well said.
I Guess they're er… lack of reserve, I suppose.
How does that… that contrasts with…
with how you see people in our country?
Americans are more… they give their opinion more freely, I think.
And that's not necessarily a bad… a bad thing.
I think we probably could learn a bit more from that, we’re sometimes
too reticent, to shy to say what we think, to closed.
Whereas, Americans are much more open,
you can sort of tell what they're thinking and feeling. - Right.
Is there anything that you would take from their culture
or from their sort of, personality traits, that would improve Britain?
Yes, they seem to be very… quite happy to, what we call,
blow your own trumpet. - I like this phrase.
Whereas we always downplay anything about ourselves.
And I think that's good, I think it must be good for children
to have confidence in themselves, yes.
Yeah, you can toot your own horn, as well.
Yes, definitely, yes. - I know what you mean, we’re quite…
you have to be self-deprecating. - Yes exactly, yes.
That positivity I think, generally.
I think would… would go down pretty well, I think.
Does this say that, we're a bit... - Go on. - Self-deprecating, or something or?
Self-deprecation is fine. -Yeah.
And I think that's quite a nice trait.
But I think sometimes, it can go a bit far.
And I think a lot of people can sort of, put themselves down
or it can be a bit oppressive. - Right.
The British can be a bit oppressed. -Yeah.
Whereas, I feel like the Americans are much more open
to what life can bring. - Yeah, yeah.
The one thing I think Americans have got,
which a lot of people don't agree with,
is they believe in their country.
Majority you know, perhaps not everyone.
But I think the Americans say; hand on… you know. - Yeah. - And er…
you know, are proud of it and I think Britain's should be the same.
And there’s lots of reasons why they’re probably not.
But, we should be proud of what we got.
It’s seen as a bit of a faux pas here, to be kind of,
proud of your nation. - Yes, yeah. People are embarrassed I think.
Thanks for watching this week's episode.
Let us know in the comments below, your thoughts on the US citizens.
And we'll see you next week, bye.