Has anyone else noticed that in American shows if there's gonna be a bad guy/girl then they'll likely have a British accent (even a put on one 
)
Just seen the end of 3 men and a baby (or whatever it's called) and the bird that leaves her kid is a Brit, which reminded me.
Do you think that it's envy? 
No its because the Americans are still stuck in the 18th century believing that they are fighting for freedom . Who were they fighting then? The British.
Quote: ajp29 @ December 29, 2007, 2:53 PMNo its because the Americans are still stuck in the 18th century believing that they are fighting for freedom . Who were they fighting then? The British.
That's a very interesting viewpoint which I'd never thought about. Hmmm!
The strange thing is that everyone that I know that's been there (not inc me to date, though) has said how warm the Americans have been towards the Brits.
What do I know about it, mind, since I've never been.
I think that you idea is very interesting... 
Quote: marion @ December 29, 2007, 3:00 PMThat's a very interesting viewpoint which I'd never thought about. Hmmm!
The strange thing is that everyone that I know that's been there (not inc me to date, though) has said how warm the Americans have been towards the Brits.
What do I know about it, mind, since I've never been.
I think that your idea is very interesting...
Damn machine, I only tried to add an r in there somewhere! 
Personally I think the Brits are better at acting bad people than anyone else. I've just skimmed through Rise of the Foot Soldier 'cos my son (the sweet little kid we brought into the world around 30 years ago!) said he was in it somewhere. Eventually got to his brief appearance where he's shooting up baddies inside a Range Rover at point blank with a shot gun. It looks like a very very violent film, which I'll watch all of in due course. I can't start to imagine the Americans making something as violent as that but I could be wrong!
Quote: marion @ December 29, 2007, 2:43 PMJust seen the end of 3 men and a baby (or whatever it's called) and the bird that leaves her kid is a Brit, which reminded me.
Do you think that it's envy?
Symbolism. They're still "smarting" about the fact that we (the bird) abandoned her baby (America) in 1776 or whenever.
I don't like the way the British are portrayed on tv, especially cartoons like Family Guy and The Simpsons. Bad teeth, humourless...hmmmmmmmm
I like British baddies though - they work well. 
Quote: EllieJP @ December 29, 2007, 3:24 PMI don't like the way the British are portrayed on tv, especially cartoons like Family Guy and The Simpsons. Bad teeth, humourless...hmmmmmmmm
I like British baddies though - they work well.
It's just their inferiority complex. After all - we are Great Britain. They're not Great America are they.
(c) Al Murray - probably!
We are Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
I learnt in my Media Studies class that the reason why Brits in America always have a posh language is because thats how they understand the culture. The same way if an African was portrayed on TV he'll probabley have a typical african accent. Or like an Jamican with dred locks and a strong carribean accent (E.G Patrick Trueman in Estenders)
Quote: Jeremy Quarshie -Halm @ December 29, 2007, 3:48 PMI learnt in my Media Studies class that the reason why Brits in America always have a posh language is because thats how they understand the culture. The same way if an African was portrayed on TV he'll probabley have a typical african accent. Or like an Jamican with dred locks and a strong carribean accent (E.G Patrick Trueman in Estenders)
Or the black bloke in Rising Damp?
Quote: marion @ December 29, 2007, 2:43 PMHas anyone else noticed that in American shows if there's gonna be a bad guy/girl then they'll likely have a British accent (even a put on one
Just seen the end of 3 men and a baby (or whatever it's called) and the bird that leaves her kid is a Brit, which reminded me.
Do you think that it's envy?
'Racist'?
(As liberals would say...)
it's just stereotyping, it's simple and I think sometimes lazy but I hate to say it, it can be funny sometimes.
I think it's partly to do with the accent and language, baddies are ofthen portrayed as intellectuals, cold hearted, superior etc. Our accent just helps portray that.
Also we are their 'stock baddie'. Every now and then they get new ones, for example when france refused to invade iraq alot of american films had french men as baddies. When they don't have a 'flavour of the month' however they just stick a brit in.
Quote: marion @ December 29, 2007, 2:43 PMHas anyone else noticed that in American shows if there's gonna be a bad guy/girl then they'll likely have a British accent (even a put on one
I've noticed that. Pity that they have no imagination.
Quote: David Chapman @ December 29, 2007, 3:28 PMIt's just their inferiority complex. After all - we are Great Britain. They're not Great America are they.
(c) Al Murray - probably!
Great Britain? THE CLUE'S IN THE NAME!
I reckon there are many reasons. Primarily, it's the deep-rooted subconscious in American society seeing how great we are and knowing that they'd be so much better off if still a colony.
They obviously think we're all cowardly wimps, who blink and stutter, like Hugh Grant when we talk, and are scared of women, like some Kenneth Connor character, from an old 'Carry on...' film.
I remember listening to Talksport, on the radio one night, and there was an American woman sitting in for the regular presenter, who was off sick. She started talking about the Second World War, and suddenly claimed that the only British men who fought in the war were Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish, while the English just "sat back and drank tea"!!
But even stranger than this, is when an actual Englishman says similarly disparaging things. There was an episode of 'The Simpsons' a few years ago, in which Eric Idle appeared, as an English filmmaker, who was making a documentary about Bart's school. There was a bit where Bart started crying in front of his friends, who then started making fun of him, and Eric Idle, talking to the camera, said something like, "Just like that, his popularity has gone the same way as English masculinity".