• Welcome to the Fable Community Forum!

    We're a group of fans who are passionate about the Fable series and video gaming.

    Register Log in

Anti-American Bias in European Media?

cheezMcNASTY

cheezMcNASTY

Edible in some countries
Premium
Jan 6, 2007
5,321
1,396
315
Underground
www.youtube.com
I stumbled across this video last night and it got me thinking. I'm not saying there aren't issues in the video. For one the drawing that supposedly hung in the BBC building was never said to actually relate to Americans, just implicated to have been. Let me just say that I, for one, love the BBC. I get all my news from their website. They are particularly known for not being biased, even here. That just makes me a bit more skeptical about this particular video. There are also scare tactics and whatnot, but it does bring up a few interesting points. I've encountered a number of Europeans who honestly just hate America, so I'm inclined to think there's some truth to the issue it brings up.

A lot of the stuff I've heard people say is pretty ridiculous. Stupidity isn't unique to America, there are idiots in every country. Obesity is getting to be the same way. Whether it's from the globalization of a particular American food company or not, that is not America's fault. We do not believe in shutting down a company because they are making another country fat. To the obese of that country, I say the same thing as I would to someone here: stop. eating.

In any case, I ask all of you Europeans, Australians, Asians, and Africans: Have you noticed an anti-American bias in your media at all? Have you noticed any otherwise unreasonable dislike from people you've encountered? Do you hate America and if so, why? To those who hate America, have you ever been there?
 
If anything most of our media praise America as do most of our politicians. Get the odd article here and there and such which might lean the other way but I dont see much of that to be honest.
 
I don't hate the US, no. Though I have encountered a lot of people who do seem rather bias and hateful towards that side of the pond. But I take no notice of these people, because they're usually also racist, homophobic and downright stupid.

And no, I haven't noticed any real bias in the media here. Not in the news, certainly. They can't. Of course, media includes TV series' and comedy panel shows, and I've seen a lot of people taking the **** out of the US - including some American comedians themselves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gikoku and Dark Drakan
There are plenty of people here that dislike Americans - usually when asked why they can't give a good answer - but I haven't noticed any bias in the media, and being partly American I'd probably pick it out if there was.
 
queenofdisco said:
Of course, media includes TV series' and comedy panel shows, and I've seen a lot of people taking the **** out of the US - including some American comedians themselves.
Click to expand...
I have seen this too. A lot of the more "internationally aware" Americans have become something like apologists to the rest of the world. Everyone here is unhappy with certain aspects of how we do things and that can easily turn into a chance to join in on berating the US of A. To be honest, I think any person who is 100% happy with the state of their country is deluding themselves.
 
cheezMcNASTY said:
I have seen this too. A lot of the more "internationally aware" Americans have become something like apologists to the rest of the world. Everyone here is unhappy with certain aspects of how we do things and that can easily turn into a chance to join in on berating the US of A. To be honest, I think any American who is 100% happy with our country (or any country for that matter) is deluding themselves.
Click to expand...

Well, that's the same everywhere. I'm guilty of doing this. I frequently rip the **** out of the UK - moreso Scotland. It's a shamefully easy thing to do. Granted, that doesn't mean I hate the UK, or Scotland, not by a long shot.

But you're right there, it is them being apologists to the rest of the world. It's easier to rally together and be against something than to support it alone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hermit
I have some issues with america mainly their home grown dialect and changing names of things, like football to soccer, this really gets on my nerves and I'm not even a fan of football. And their sport being called American football, the majority of the game being played like a rugby match except they're a bunch of sissies with the helmets and padding and what not.

However I don't hate Americans, they're totally awesome! But I do dislike the religious fruitcakes of the southern states, they act as if god is american. so all in all its mainly sport(mostly Handegg), religion(but I hate this in any country), the random weirdos at walmart, and the bad image of obesity but the UK also has a bad problem with obesity so can't say much aside from the stereotypical gigantic meals I've seen some people eat like that idiot on man vs food.

Also most of your chocolate sucks, and your bacon is weird, and beef jerky tastes weird. But you guys make awesome tv shows, and films, and porn etc etc.

That is all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cheezMcNASTY
Hermit said:
I have some issues with america mainly their home grown dialect and changing names of things, like football to soccer, this really gets on my nerves and I'm not even a fan of football. And their sport being called American football, the majority of the game being played like a rugby match except they're a bunch of sissies with the helmets and padding and what not.

However I don't hate Americans, they're totally awesome! But I do dislike the religious fruitcakes of the southern states, they act as if god is american. so all in all its mainly sport(mostly Handegg), religion(but I hate this in any country), the random weirdos at walmart, and the bad image of obesity but the UK also has a bad problem with obesity so can't say much aside from the stereotypical gigantic meals I've seen some people eat like that idiot on man vs food.

Also most of your chocolate sucks, and your bacon is weird, and beef jerky tastes weird. But you guys make awesome tv shows, and films, and porn etc etc.

That is all.
Click to expand...

I hate religious nutcases as much as the next guy, but as far as football vs soccer goes you may want to read this.
Turns out you Brits invented the word Soccer and just forgot about it. It was news to me just as much as you. Fair's fair. I'll be the first to admit that you guys invented Baseball A.K.A "the great American pastime," or so we're fond of calling it.
http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wo...-to-me--fbintl_ro-soccervsfootball070110.html
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hermit, Gikoku and Quistrix
Interesting to know, I still prefer the term Football though. You may call it soccer from now on Americans, but American handegg is still a sham until proven other wise.

One thing I truly do envy from America is Basketball, I loved playing this in school and wish England and its cities participated, if I lived in america that would be the only American sport I'd watch.

I'll be the first to admit that you guys invented Baseball A.K.A "the great American pastime," or so we're fond of calling it.

cheezMcNASTY said:
I'll be the first to admit that you guys invented Baseball A.K.A "the great American pastime," or so we're fond of calling it.
Click to expand...

Rounders <3
 
Why would we do that? With the way your own media portrays your country, there is no need for ours to throw dirt around.

tMhmX.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hermit
I wouldn't say the media here is out to get America, but then again, I don't follow the media a whole lot. But whatever I see isn't really atacking a country. However, the American media itself seems to take great pride in its nation, making itself out to be God's favorite and the best place in the world. I might be exaggerating, but that's how it appears to me, and that's something I don't really enjoy. Moreover, eventhough I live in the Netherlands, I do feel sorry for the atheists in America that have to hide their identity from society. Of course, as mentioned above, religious nutcases can be found anywhere, but America just has a way of drawing all the attention. Another observation regarding America is how Americans often seem to think the world revolves around them. Whether it be positive or negative, they seem to care little for the outside world, all while the rest of the world takes an interest in other countries. And, indeed, America.

As for where I live, no, Amsterdam is not a country, the Netherlands is not synonymous with Germany, neither is it with Holland. Which makes me wonder, how do peole with any country in the world? Yes, we ride a lot of bikes over here, but I don't know if we do it more than other countries.
 
D3m190d said:
Another observation regarding America is how Americans often seem to think the world revolves around them. Whether it be positive or negative, they seem to care little for the outside world, all while the rest of the world takes an interest in other countries. And, indeed, America.
Click to expand...
“God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” ​
―Mark Twain​
 
  • Like
Reactions: D3m190d
We are also ultimately responsible for the abomination that is Glee.

UK, hang your head in shame!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hermit
You guys did make Skins which I watched and enjoyed the first 2 seasons of.

@Ty because I was interested in it. The US and most European countries (especially UK) are supposed to be MEGA S00p4r111! 4llies!! which makes it somewhat interesting. Makes me wonder how those people would react if we had another major attack with a high death toll or helped you guys eliminate a major threat or something.
 
America is a big country, there's plenty to love and plenty to hate and everything inbetween. < My opinion in a nutshell.

Oh also...I just love Coca Cola: NEVER STOP MAKING THAT STUFF AMERICA!

I see some Anti-Americanism in the media, but it's usually aimed at a particular aspect rather than at the country itself as a whole, such as a presence of fringe/extremist groups and things like that or shallowness/beauty standards in american society.
 
All of our media is horribly biased and it sucks. It's not an info piece like a newspaper and none of it is objective; televised news are sensationalizing, profit-seeking, say-anything-to-raise-ratings programs that don't actually offer much. That's why I also read/watch the BBC :D. That and the Daily Show/Colbert Report. I read once that more Americans are getting their "news" from those shows than the real news and that's sad. I don't think so; once you look past the punditry and shenanigans, you realize you actually learn a few things, likely obscure things that are not "flashy" enough for the regular news media to cover, and I like that. For instance, I recently learned about UTB (Ultimate Tazer Ball) and how it actually makes soccer interesting to watch :P.

I think the way things are set up here is what gets peoples' attentions and ire. Watchwords are "freedom" and other honkeys; sure, we allow everyone to do whatever they want within the realms of the law, but that doesn't mean others like it. My one friend in Germany constantly complains about how Europe is too conservative or close-minded and traditionalist when it comes to certain things, and I tell her that here in the US the mindset is a complete reversal and she loves that about the place. Doesn't mean she wants to move here (Scandinavian region is what she would prefer) but she does see the problems of stuffiness in Europe that she wishes would take a hint from the US.

I think the big reason Americans generally don't learn geography or other languages is mainly because they feel they don't need to. With such a large area that is useful almost anywhere, they'll almost never have a reason to speak Swedish or even get a passport. For us, our states are the mental equivalent to your countries (and almost the same size-wise, averaging ;)). Certainly, some states do feel like going to a different country for us, if only for the different dialects of English. For the Europeans, you literally are going to a different country and they do speak a different language that you must know.

My feeling is that the general conception of us is good but wary, wary of the bad that resides within and can cause problems.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cheezMcNASTY
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom