Brit Chic

[lupestripe]

Whilst I was abroad I noticed many people wearing clothes adorning the British flag. Clearly the perception of Britain abroad is still quite favourable, despite our dalliances in unpopular wars.

I am sure part of the reason for this is that many fashion labels are based in London and thus are selling a brand. However the UK is clearly seen in high regard overseas otherwise these products wouldn't sell. Part of the answer I am sure lies with the English language, which is the most pervasive in the world and seen by many as glamorous.

So, and this is mainly for my non-British followers, what is the perception of the UK abroad, both positive and negative? And what do you think when you think of Britain? I would be interested to know your thoughts.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Comments

[rma-reborn.livejournal.com]

Damnit, I'm going to write a PhD on what the British elite perceive Britain's role in the world as being. So similar, yet so not :P

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Similar but I go for the more vacuous portrayal. Hope your thesis goes well :)

The public perception of Britain...

[doco.livejournal.com]

Wacky third-world country a bit off the Northern coast of France, there's many banks there and bad food. Anything outside the M25 motorway does not exist, and 99% of people don't even know about the M25 being there in the first place.

Thirty years past its heyday.

Their press is fixated on calling everyone a Nazi and hating anything European.

Did not win that match in 1966.

Sometimes, the BBC makes good drama or documentaries, but nobody notices they're actually coming from the BBC.

Re: The public perception of Britain...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Quite an unfair summation really but I guess you have your reasons.

The tabloids here are awful but I hardly think Bild is much better. I hate the anti European views of many of my fellow countrymen but to say the press is fixated on calling everyone a Nazi is grossly unfair. Euroscepticism is not necessarily a bad thing but I agree that there is too much of a Little Englander attitude here. Also, check record books about that match in 1966.

Suggesting 99% of people in the UK are too ignorant to know about M25 is quite a slight and the main reason why we are past our heyday is the crippling effect the Second World War had, which practically bankrupted the country. I think our heyday ended in 1945 although achievements such as the NHS do post-date this.

I agree on your points about banks and perhaps bad food, but the UK probably has the greatest diversity of cuisines from around the world due to its multiculturalism. The perception of anything outside the M25 not existing is a London attitude but sadly one which is quite prevailent in the pernicious press of which you have spoken.

I think the BBC is universally fantastic and produces the finest programming in the world. It's the one thing that makes me proud to be British.

Thanks for sharing your views - I have expanded my previous posts because I wrote them on my phone and couldn't edit them. I also wanted to put forth my arguments in a more eloquent way than how I initially wrote them.

Re: The public perception of Britain...

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I on the other hand don't think it was an unfair summation. Exaggerated a great deal, yes; but not unfair. Both Doco and myself are irritated by the same pervasive (I can't think of any word to describe it other than the slightly made up) "crapness" of the way stuff works (or more often does NOT work) in the UK.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I think there were elements of truth in the review, true, and you know the depth of my feeling regarding this country but I still think certain points were unfair. I guess I am caught in a cycle where I want to love my country but ethically I simply cannot.

Re: The public perception of Britain...

[doco.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I gave a rapport of the _general public's_ view of Britain as a whole, not my personal opinion. I thought I had made it clear enough in the subject.

My own opinion differs somewhat. X)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Must have misunderstood. Is that really what the average German thinks?

[doco.livejournal.com]

More or less, yes. Although the top 25% of the population will likely think more of the Square Mile than anything else, and might even pop by to check the Guardian website now and then.

For the remainder of the populace, it's not generally a country that's given special thought of at all, mostly because people don't get the exposition in contrast to countries on the Continent.

Although our yellow press and the high-gloss magazines do love the Royals a lot....

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The Royals are good flag bearers for the country - they seem to be loved abroad. It's one of the reasons why I am pro-monarchy.

So people get more information about other European countries than the UK? Interesting.

[corellian-ninja.livejournal.com]

When I think of the UK I think of London. I've never been there, but I think of traffic The sun tabloid, terrible food, and when one fur told me that he got 6 months off from work in London. I wonder how your healthcare is and if people are happy with it, since I work in healthcare. I know that all seems kinda negative, but I really don't have any ill notions about the UK. I'd love to visit.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

You think of The Sun when you think of Britain? Sheesh that's depressing. Sad to think London subsumed the perception of this country too as London is quite a different place to the rest of the UK.

[corellian-ninja.livejournal.com]

Lol yeah.. I know the Sun is trash, but its so funny. Just like a lot of people think of New York or LA when someone mentions the US, I just equate London to UK. I know its much more than that, London is just all I hear about.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

The Sun isn't funny at the moment as it could become embroiled in the phone hacking scandal. Indeed, it's not funny at all, it's an evil and pernicious influence on this country. If there is one thing I hate more than anything else on this planet, it's News International and The Sun newspaper.

It's sad that London equates to the UK in terms of perception as London is the place least like the UK in this country. I suppose that's natural though as much of the media is based there. However, in my view, there are many places in the UK far greater than the capital.

[doco.livejournal.com]

FWIW, London ranks right after Brussels on my "most awful EU capital" shitlist. It's dirty, poorly laid out and awfully disorganised. Not to mention trying to cash in on its fading fame, i.e. frivolously expensive. =)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

It has it's positives and negatives but it's not a place I would like to live. I don't mind visiting it but a couple of days is enough for me.

[gepardipoju.livejournal.com]

"What is it about people who don't live in London, who trash London constantly? It's actually just really tiring hearing the constant knocks; you don't live here, nor express a desire to even attempt to live here but seem to feel entitled to call it shit all the time."

You mean in the same way that Londoners constantly trash the north and other places of the UK that aren't in London? It's six of one and half a dozen of the other, to be honest. You're a typical Londoner with that attitude, and partly the reason why I dislike London so much. As a city it's a lovely place with beautiful architecture and history, as well as being the centre of commerce and politics etc, but the inhabitants ruin the place by being narrow-minded pricks who think that everywhere else in the UK is "worthless" by comparison, which simply isn't true.

Think on.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Completely agree.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Although, may I add, I know quite a few Londoners who don't think that way.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Where did I say London was shit? I didn't say that nor have I ever said that.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

FYI You always have the option of not following my journal. This is the third time you have personally attacked me on this forum by misrepresenting what I have said. If reading my thoughts makes you feel so annoyed, do yourself a favour and stop following. Your vitriol against me is becoming increasing tiresome.

[stuart-otterson.livejournal.com]

"It's the centre of cultural, economical, political and sociological change and innovation in the whole of the UK"

Wow that's the description of Manchester! *ducks*

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

To be brief and blunt - a nice history, the fabled arch nemesis, a not so great present, good place to visit, but not so nice to stay. :(

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Can't really argue with that although I don't understand the arch nemesis reference.

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

English mercenaries were the first invaders to set fire to Vilnius. :) We have a long memory here don't we? ;) Plus, British Empire has messed things up for the world at large and for Europe in particular to warrant the title, unfortunately...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Really? I think the institutional legacy we left India is enabling them to become one of the foremost global powers of the 21st century. The Empire did many good things and some countries now want the British back.

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

Aye, but British tinkering led to Polish-Czech tensions, invasion of Tibet, two Indo-Pakistani wars... All the arbitrarily drawn borders... And, BTW, some countries now want other empires back, it's just unfashionable to say so from the political soapbox.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

This is true but I don't think the British were any worse than any other major empire building nation. And in some respects, they were a positive influence.

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

In some respect, every Empire had it's brighter side. Well, why don't we agree to disagree then, after all the double-standard is the fashion of the day. ;)

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Yep, am happy to agree to disagree. How was the Poland-Lithuania Empire - did that have a bad side? And I also think the Nazis and Soviets did far worse for Europe than the British Empire ever did.

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that much of an empire, more like a loose conglomerate of feudals under a single crown. Actually, that was the time when Lithuania started to became the backwater of the neighborhood. And in its heyday, trying to put a pawn king on a Russian throne, Lithuanian past was all but forgotten.

Regarding the Soviets, it's just a tricky game - what is the judging point for better and for worse? The state of things before? Any other similar country in the world? At least Lithuania regained Wilno, Memel and some other truly Lithuanian territories, became a nation-state, preserved language and cultural heritage and got industrial base and infrastructure it hadn't dreamed about. I am not talking about Europe, just this corner.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I will have to research it some more but the impression I get is that the Soviet era set Eastern Europe back about 50 years economically.

[lynx-vilnensis.livejournal.com]

That's one impression I am most uneasy with. "Back 50 years". "Back 30 years". How do we measure that? Does anyone, who says these things actually puts a date under his words and data behind them?

[fargowolf.livejournal.com]

The Good/interesting:

INFINITELY better than the festering insult to the rancid pile of dog shit known as Canada.

One of the few countries in the world where drivers drive on the LEFT, not the right like most of the world.

The UK has a REAL police force, not the useless jack-offs known as the RCMP.

Lots of interesting places to visit, that are outside of major centers.

The bad/not so interesting:

The Mayor of London REDUCING the area that the Congestion Charge covers, as well as the charge itself. >:(

Slow pace of Motorway and rail (both passenger and freight) construction/expansion in areas where it's badly needed (As of 15-20 years ago). Damn NIMBYs.

The perception that ANYONE who wears a hoodie and/or ball cap type hat is a yob, chav, or other kind of some such undesirable.

Not putting an MPH tab under speed limit signs, since the UK uses Imperial, not Metric units of measure.

Fuck it. I wanna move to the UK. Canada sucks dead donkey balls.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Would rather live in Canada to be honest. What's so bad about it?

[fargowolf.livejournal.com]

Canada is just a really fucked up country, politically. Depending on the province/territory, health care ranges from "extremely dodgy" to "non-existent". Unless you come from China or India, you have very little right to work here.

Stay in the UK. You have what Canadians can only DREAM of. You are FAR better off politically, health care wise, immigration control wise, transportation wise and so on.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I think the same is true here though. We have issues regarding politics, immigration and transport as well. The healthcare here is also up for charged debate at present. Perhaps the grass appears greener for the both of us.

[guitar-stitch.livejournal.com]

I just like the native accents. :D

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

We do have some very cool and diverse accents this is true.

[skawinski.livejournal.com]

Having lived here for a while I have a better insight in how things really are. Although the perception of many Poles who have never been here, or have been here briefly, is that it's a rich, highly developed place. Although with bad weather, often grumpy, withdrawn and jaded people, who sometimes look down on immigrants.

That's the general perception at least. My experience is in many respects different, although most Brits could use some more openess to foreigners and euro-enthusiasm. Britain is part of Europe, no matter what sceptics may think.

I was certainly surprised to learn about this place being americanised in so many ways, and that insurance companies are allowed to rip people off so shamelessly. And that London's attitude is that of a spoiled single child.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Pretty much agree with your observations.

[werfer.livejournal.com]

Average Ukrainian\Russian key words and phrases concerning Britain:
Holmes&Watson and the Buskervilles dog; strange sense of humour; ale; Manchester United; Mr. Pitkin is great; Lundn-iz-ze-kepitl-off-ze-Grreyt-Brreetn; Sir!; Tory-Blair-or-who-rules-there; kilts; damned idiotic Teletubbies; Loch-Ness monster; Churchill; English Breakfast tea; dumb and dull movies; cricket; slow and old-fashioned; all British girls are ugly as sin; porvu na britanskiy flug (a bit rude expression that means to tear apart smb\smth in pieces)

Brits are though considered much more "good fellas" than too orderly, scrooge and dumb Germans, noisy Italians, uneducated and aggressive Americans or French who doing nothing except love and drinking wine. A Briton is a bit of a bully redneck but othervise "just-like-ours" type: beer, football and TV:)
UK (usually called Ungliya (England) is imagined like a traditional, nothing-to-do-and-to-see (compared to France or Spain) country but certainly with its distinct taste and with its backbone. No matter what wars Britain are involved in past 20 years, it is certainly USA who is in charge of that genocide and bombing.

I personally think UK a cosmopolitan and modern country with a rich history and a lot to see and to do, the country of The Future Sounds of London and Marstons Owd Rodger, Iain Banks and Radiohead, AA Milne and Matt Haig.


Why there are lots of Union Jacks on Ukrainians' T-shirts? The answer is simple: most secondhand clothing comes from UK (I guess about 9\10; there are also some from the US and Benelux). Secondhand stores are everywhere and grabbing a real bargain is easy so you can meet in a small willage a moronic-faced, leglessly drunk bloke wearing Yale baseball cap and a tee with SORRY BOYS I EAT PUSSY sign, or a smelly old lady in a secondhand store choosing between Laura Ashley and Victoria's Secret underwear, or a laddie in a local pub moaning and groaning about 'bleedin homo bastards everywhere' with Blue Oyster logo on his polo shirt.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I didn't realise the Brits were so generous! Thanks for sending me your opinions :)

[werfer.livejournal.com]

Yes, they're generous but this generosity is strange a bit.
You can find both brand new things (eg never-worn Burberry shirt from the previous year's collection, or a big plushie lion^^) and total crap, interesting collectables (like 1880s Wordsworth edition, 1930s typewriter or mint 1970s Sharp calculator) and totally useless items (Glasgow phonebook or Nokia 1100 manual or even visibly broken, greasy toaster).

[stuart-otterson.livejournal.com]

Lets face it, Red, Blue and White in a cross combination looks beautify as a flag. Perhaps there's also a history steeped in the flag which makes it appealing to wear.