# #Culture » There's nothing wrong with Americanisms: it's management-speak that is the enemy of English Comments Feed [p?c1=2&c2=6035736&cv=2.0&cj=1] Culture RSS Feed dcsimg Wednesday 20 November 2013 | Blog Feed | All feeds Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. ___________________ Submit * Home * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Dating * Offers * Jobs * Film * Music * Art * Books * TV and Radio * Theatre * Comedy * Dance * Opera * Photography * Hay Festival * Video Blogs Home » Culture » History » Allan Massie Allan Massie Allan Massie is a Scottish writer who has published nearly 30 books, including a sequence of novels set in ancient Rome. His non-fiction works range from a study of Byron's travels to a celebration of Scottish rugby. He has been a political columnist for The Scotsman, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph and writes a literary column for The Spectator. [ImageHandler.ashx_.jpeg] There's nothing wrong with Americanisms: it's management-speak that is the enemy of English By Allan Massie Literature Last updated: May 29th, 2012 Comment on this Comment on this article Cupcakes? Or fairy-cakes? Who cares? Cupcakes? Or fairy-cakes? Who cares? A study of childrenâs writing by the Oxford University Press suggests that our language is being Americanised. Of course English as spoken here and as spoken in the USA have always played off each other â understandably â and the influence of American films and, in the case of children and adolescents, American comics has been noticed for a long time. Orwell was writing about it in the 1930s. Sometimes of course what is regarded â with disapproval? â as American usage turns out to be something once usual in English as spoken or written here. One example is the American habit of saying âI guessâ where we might say âI thinkâ. To anyone who objects to this, you should quote Chaucer, who used âI guessâ in the American style. The examples of Americanisation culled by the researchers from OUP look pretty thin. Children apparently now write about cupcakes rather than fairy-cakes. Well, apart from the fact that cupcakes (or cup-cakes, as Chambers English Dictionary has it) are nothing new, I donât think they are the same as fairy-cakes, which, as I remember, are little sponge-cakes which have a butter-cream topping with a slice of sponge inserted in it at an angle. If children write about a âtuxedoâ rather than a âdinner jacketâ (and presumably think of a DJ as a disc-jockey rather than a garment), one may concede that this is an example of an American usage replacing a British one, and the only surprise is that they should be writing about the article of clothing in the first place. Actually I think some of us would reserve the word âtuxedoâ â more commonly âtuxâ â for a white dinner jacket. It comes incidentally from âa fashionable club at Tuxedo Park in New York". Again one may concede that writing âsidewalkâ rather than âpavementâ represents the adoption of an American usage â though surely an unobjectionable one â but some of the other examples they give are not really American at all. A âgarbage truckâ may be an American term, but âgarbageâ as an alternative to ârubbishâ or ârefuseâ is not exclusively American, any more than âtruckâ for âlorryâ is, even if more common in the States. Chambers English Dictionary is a good guide, because Chambers has always taken an interest in American English. The 1872 edition included an eight-page appendix of Americanisms, printed in small type, three columns to the page. Nowadays it notes âU.S.â or âesp. U.S.â, if a word is more commonly found in American rather than English usage. However, quite often you find âdial.â â that is, dialect â âand U.S.â. This suggests that a word found in some British dialect has been carried across the Atlantic and become standard usage there. This is the case with âsnuckâ, used as the past tense of âsneakâ, and cited by the OUP researchers as an example of American infiltration. It would be equally true to say the word has been repatriated. Two other examples they offer as âsmartâ in the sense of âcleverâ and âcrankyâ meaning âirritableâ. I should have thought that âsmartâ has always been used in this sense here, as in âsmartyâ, âsmart-alecâ and âsmarty-pantsâ, while Chambers offers âcrossâ as one of the meanings of âcrankyâ. Be that as it may, there is nothing that should worry us about this sort of American infiltration of the language. Not only is a colloquial Americanism likely to be lively, useful and agreeable; it is often an English word or expression that has fallen out of use here and is now restored to us. The American language we really should guard against is the management-speak promoted by business schools to baffle outsiders. Unfortunately this has been seized on so enthusiastically by bankers, businessmen and bureaucrats here that we donât question its origins. Colloquial American is splendidly alive; management-speak is an abomination, an offence against the first purpose of language, which is to communicate meaning. Tags: americanisms, chambers english dictionary, English, language Recent Posts * Scottish Toryism's death has many causes. 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Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. ___________________ Submit * Home * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Dating * Offers * Jobs * Film * Music * Art * Books * TV and Radio * Theatre * Comedy * Dance * Opera * Photography * Hay Festival * Video Blogs Home » Culture » Harry Mount Harry Mount Harry Mount's latest book is How England Made the English: From Hedgerows to Heathrow. He is also the author of Amo, Amas, Amat and All That: How to Become a Latin Lover and A Lust for Windowsills - a Guide to British Buildings from Portcullis to Pebbledash. A former leader writer for the Telegraph, he writes about politics, buildings and language for lots of British and American newspapers and magazines. [harr.jpg] The death of the bath: another casualty of the pace of modern life By Harry Mount Last updated: July 12th, 2010 Comment on this Comment on this article Reports of the end of the bath mark a significant change in the way the British live. The average number of baths per person has gone down from nine a month, a decade ago, to five this year. Developers are increasingly squeezing showers into tiny spaces into new flats and houses. And people modernising their homes are ripping out baths to produce acres of new tiled flooring to pad around in. I sense an American influence here. When I lived in New York, four years ago, new apartments were being built that not only didn't have baths; they didn't even have kitchens - their young owners ate out for every meal. For a long time now, Americans have been amazed at the concept of a bath without a shower attached – why wallow around in your own dirt, they ask. Well, actually, most of the dirt ends up in the bath. And, in any case, a long contemplative bath is one of life's great pleasures. It's not just Archimedes who thought up extraordinary ideas in the bath. There's something about lying in hot water, staring into space, that somehow seems more worthwhile than hanging around doing nothing outside a bath. And it is then, with your body relaxed, and your mind free from guilt at its complete leisure, that inspiration arrives; well, sometimes it arrives. And, if it doesn't, a book or a newspaper in the bath brings a new heightened pleasure to reading. As well as being a casualty of property developers, the bath is also a casualty of the quickened pace of modern life; of people feeling the need to do something useful the whole time. Or, if they're not doing something useful, they feel they should at least be texting someone; and people are understandably nervous about dropping their mobiles in the bath. As the last bathwater dribbles down the plughole, a lot of great ideas and thoughts will disappear with it, too. 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Comments Feed [p?c1=2&c2=6035736&cv=2.0&cj=1] News RSS Feed dcsimg Wednesday 20 November 2013 | Blog Feed | All feeds Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. ___________________ Submit * Home * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Dating * Offers * Jobs * Politics * Investigations * Obits * Education * Earth * Science * Defence * Health * Scotland * Royal * Celebrities * Weird Blogs Home » News » Politics » Daniel Hannan Daniel Hannan Daniel Hannan is a writer and journalist, and has been Conservative MEP for South East England since 1999. He speaks French and Spanish and loves Europe, but believes that the European Union is making its constituent nations poorer, less democratic and less free. IFRAME: http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.html?show_screen_name=false&show_count=true&screen_name=DanHannanMEP [daniel_hannan_140_small.jpg] Is the Internet Americanising (or Americanizing) British English? By Daniel Hannan Politics Last updated: March 13th, 2011 Comment on this Comment on this article Divided by a common language? Not for much longer... Divided by a common language? Not for much longer... The Internet â much to the consternation of Euro-integrationists â is drawing the English-speaking peoples into a common conversation. And a good thing, too: it was always fatuous to pretend that geographical proximity was more important than history or sentiment, blood or speech. Where the EU is united by government decree, the Anglosphere is united by organic ties, by language and law, by shared habits of thought. Here, though, is a question, posed to mark the centenary of the Commonwealth. Is the common online dialogue also leading to a more direct harmonization of the English language? This blog, in a typical week, attracts 80,000 readers from the UK, 30,000 from the US and 10,000 from elsewhere, mainly from other Anglosphere nations: a proportion that is fairly representative of British websites. In consequence, British bloggers and readers are far more familiar with the American Weltanschauung. But are we also starting to write like Americans? Is the combination of the Internet and US-designed spell-check programmes (or programs) hastening the Americanization of British English? We all have our personal bêtes noires. Damian Thompson, the Blogs Editor, deplores the increasingly common use of double spacing. Others rage at the use of upper case letters after colons. My own particular bugbear is the employment of American sporting metaphors (âstepping up to the plateâ, âgetting to first baseâ etc). I mean, we invented practically every team game on Earth: it seems perverse in the extreme to plunder the vocabulary of one of the very few we donât play. Then again, there is quite a lot of evidence that baseball was, in fact, invented in England: itâs mentioned in one of Jane Austenâs novels, for example. Which only goes to show how difficult it is to disentangle our idioms, to identify an expression that has genuinely evolved in North America without roots in the mother country. Take âI guessâ, in the American sense of âI supposeâ. One occasionally hears the phrase used that way in Britain, but always with the aura of a foreign import, like âsureâ, to mean âyesâ. But hereâs the thing: go back to Chaucer, and you will find âI gesseâ used exactly as the cousins now use it. You will, likewise, still hear âgottenâ in parts of Lancashire and even, in some Dorset and Somerset villages, âfallâ to mean autumn. Now âfallâ, on any measure, is far prettier than âautumnâ. It is descriptive and, like the names of the other three seasons, it is of Anglo-Saxon origin. I should be very happy to see it return and displace the French interloper. By the same token, but the other way around, âliftâ is far prettier than âelevatorâ. If the Internet means a more efficient market in vocabulary, we should expect the more useful, more expressive and more attractive phrases to spread. I mean âattractiveâ here in the literal sense of attracting people. In recent years, for example, I have noticed some Americans taking up that undeniably expressive, but hardly pretty, British epithet âwankerâ. There is nothing new in this process. In his 1908 magnum opus, H W Fowler inveighs against such American imports as âplacateâ, âtranspireâ, âhoney-colouredâ, âantagonizeâ, âjust how muchâ and âdo you have?â (instead of âhave you got?â) Hardly anyone these days thinks of these phrases as Americanisms. Yet âsidewalkâ, âback ofâ (for behind) and âexcuse me?â (if you havenât heard someone) have failed to penetrate at all. âMadâ still means insane rather than angry, âsmartâ means well turned-out rather than clever, "pissed" means drunk rather than cross, and âsuspendersâ hold up a womanâs stockings rather than a manâs trousers. Nor has there been much approximation of pronunciation. A major survey by the British Library lists a lengthy series of words that almost everyone in the British Isles pronounces differently from Americans: advertisement, buoy, era, glacier, nuclear, research, schedule, vase, Z and so on. What weâre seeing, I think, is what we see everywhere as a result of the web: a more perfect market, in which innovation spreads more swiftly, and memes travel further. Let me finish on a positive note. In my own lifetime, there has been a comprehensive shift in Britain towards âiseâ instead of âizeâ in such words as, well, Americanize. You can see why it has happened: using both forms means having to remember which words can only be written with âiseâ; but using âiseâ is never wrong. None the less, it can be clumsy, and the OED has always preferred to maintain the distinction. The movement towards âiseâ seems now to have reached its limit and, under the influence of American software, we are starting to return to the form that our grandparents regarded as correct. If we can do so with language, why not with politics? Letâs bring back elected sheriffs, local control of welfare, proper parliamentary control of the executive and the rest of the Direct Democracy agenda. Itâs not Americanization; itâs repatriation. Tags: Americanisms, Anglosphere, British Library, dialect, English language, internet Recent Posts * 150 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln praised 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' – but the words were not his November 19th, 2013 12:53 Comment on this * We're importing the equivalent of three new Waleses in one generation November 18th, 2013 11:44 Comment on this * I've realised why I like the Dutch so much: they invented capitalism November 16th, 2013 12:30 Comment on this * How quickly we have forgotten our sectarian past November 12th, 2013 16:31 Comment on this * We no longer remember World War One, yet we still mourn the loss November 9th, 2013 22:13 Comment on this How we moderate Our new look Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus OUR NEWS BLOGS * Addiction * Arts and entertainment * Business * Celebrities * Consumer news * Defence * Education * Environment * Health and lifestyle * History * Language * Media * Pictures * Politics * Religion * Royal family * Science * Society * Sport * uk * US politics * World Archives [Select Month..] News bloggers * UK Politics * Benedict Brogan * Iain Martin * Norman Tebbit * Daniel Hannan * James Kirkup * Toby Young * Douglas Carswell * Janet Daley * Dan Hodges * Graeme Archer * David Hughes * Mary Riddell * Andrew Gilligan * Will Heaven * More news * James Delingpole * Damian Thompson * Andrew M Brown * Tom Chivers * Janet Daley * Ed West * Brendan O'Neill * Cristina Odone * Jenny McCartney * Robert Colvile * Geoffrey Lean * Judith Potts * US Politics * Peter Foster * Tim Stanley * Robert Wargas * Nile Gardiner * Foreign * David Blair * Con Coughlin * Charles Crawford * Rob Crilly News Tags afghanistan Barack Obama BBC Boris Johnson china climate change coalition Conservative Party Conservatives David Cameron david miliband Ed Balls Ed Miliband eu euro europe european union Eurosceptic George Osborne global warming gordon brown Hillary Clinton immigration Iran Islam Israel Ken Livingstone labour Labour Party Liberal Democrats Libya Margaret Thatcher Michael Gove Mitt Romney NHS Nick Clegg Pope Benedict XVI Syria tea party tony blair Tories twitter UKIP US politics William Hague News Topics * David Cameron * Liberal Democrats * Conservative Party * Labour Party * Barack Obama * Pictures * Defence * Climate Change * Royal Wedding * Religion * China * Afghanistan Back to top * HOME * News * World News * Obituaries * Travel * Health * Jobs * Sport * Football * Cricket * Fantasy Football * Culture * Motoring * Dating * Finance * Personal Finance * Economics * Markets * Fashion * Property * Puzzles * Comment * Blogs * My Telegraph * Letters * Technology * Gardening * Telegraph Journalists * Contact Us * Privacy and Cookies * Advertising * Mobile Comparison * Tickets * Announcements * Reader Prints * * Follow Us * Apps * Epaper * Expat * Promotions * Subscriber * Syndication © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013 Terms and Conditions Today's News Archive Style Book Weather Forecast # #News » Top 10 most annoying Americanisms Comments Feed [p?c1=2&c2=6035736&cv=2.0&cj=1] News RSS Feed dcsimg Wednesday 20 November 2013 | Blog Feed | All feeds Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. ___________________ Submit * Home * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Dating * Offers * Jobs * Politics * Investigations * Obits * Education * Earth * Science * Defence * Health * Scotland * Royal * Celebrities * Weird Blogs Home » News » World » Toby Harnden Toby Harnden Toby Harnden was the Daily Telegraph's US Editor, based in Washington DC, from 2006 to 2011. Click here for Toby's website. Follow him on Twitter here @tobyharnden and on Facebook here. He is the author of the bestselling book Dead Men Risen: The Welsh Guards and the Defining Story Britain's War in Afghanistan. IFRAME: http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.html?show_screen_name=false&show_count=true&screen_name=tobyharnden [toby_harnden2_140_small.jpg] Top 10 most annoying Americanisms By Toby Harnden World Last updated: December 23rd, 2008 Comment on this Comment on this article Michelle Obama just sent me an email wishing me "Happy Holidays" and asking me to give money "to causes that are especially meaningful to me and my family" (food banks and deployed troops – not the Obama campaign this time). She doesn't mention Christmas at all, instead talking vaguely of "a time to celebrate our blessings, the new year, and a new era for our country". The term "Happy Holidays" is certainly one that grates on this British ear and I confess it's not the only one. Every day, I have to navigate the common language which, as George Bernard Shaw put it, divides our two nations. But I don't mean simple Americanisms like stroller (pushchair), diaper (nappy), ladybug (ladybird), Mom (Mum), entrée (main course), Santa (Father Christmas), takeout (takeaway), pre-owned (secondhand), mad (angry), chill (calm down), Santa (Father Christmas) etc etc but the phrases that really make you want to go postal. Here are the top 10 that, after nearly seven years here, infuriate me most: 1. "Happy Holidays." Translation: "Merry Christmas but I realise you might be Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Bahai, something even more exotic, agnostic or Godless and I don't want to offend you." 2. "Have a Nice Day." Translation: "I would like you to have a pleasant time today" or "I hate you" – or anything in between. 3. "You're welcome." Translation: Meaningless Pavlovian response to thank you. 4. "Do the math." Translation: "Work it out yourself, stupid." 5. "Let's visit with each other." Translation: "We should spend time together." 6. "How are you today?" Translation: "We mean nothing to each other, but let's pretend." 7. "Good luck with that."Translation: "You have no chance at all." 8. "Oh my gosh!" Translation: "I fear you may feel that taking the Lord's name in vain is blasphemous." 9. "Can I use your bathroom?" Translation: "I would like to use your lavatory." 10. "Not so much." Translation: "That's completely wrong." Used on me in classic fashion by a Clinton aide back in February. Maybe there are others that make your blood boil – or some Britishisms that really get under your skin. Recent Posts * Farewell to the Telegraph December 31st, 2011 21:49 Comment on this * American Way: The Luck of Mitt Romney December 31st, 2011 20:26 Comment on this * Newt Gingrich on his history-making presidential bid: George Washington and Pearl Harbor combined December 27th, 2011 4:37 Comment on this * Newt Gingrich: All you really want for Christmas is me December 22nd, 2011 23:16 Comment on this * American Way: Prepare for a Republican war of attrition in 2012 December 10th, 2011 20:04 Comment on this How we moderate Our new look Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus OUR NEWS BLOGS * Addiction * Arts and entertainment * Business * Celebrities * Consumer news * Defence * Education * Environment * Health and lifestyle * History * Language * Media * Pictures * Politics * Religion * Royal family * Science * Society * Sport * uk * US politics * World Archives [Select Month..] News bloggers * UK Politics * Benedict Brogan * Iain Martin * Norman Tebbit * Daniel Hannan * James Kirkup * Toby Young * Douglas Carswell * Janet Daley * Dan Hodges * Graeme Archer * David Hughes * Mary Riddell * Andrew Gilligan * Will Heaven * More news * James Delingpole * Damian Thompson * Andrew M Brown * Tom Chivers * Janet Daley * Ed West * Brendan O'Neill * Cristina Odone * Jenny McCartney * Robert Colvile * Geoffrey Lean * Judith Potts * US Politics * Peter Foster * Tim Stanley * Robert Wargas * Nile Gardiner * Foreign * David Blair * Con Coughlin * Charles Crawford * Rob Crilly News Tags afghanistan Barack Obama BBC Boris Johnson china climate change coalition Conservative Party Conservatives David Cameron david miliband Ed Balls Ed Miliband eu euro europe european union Eurosceptic George Osborne global warming gordon brown Hillary Clinton immigration Iran Islam Israel Ken Livingstone labour Labour Party Liberal Democrats Libya Margaret Thatcher Michael Gove Mitt Romney NHS Nick Clegg Pope Benedict XVI Syria tea party tony blair Tories twitter UKIP US politics William Hague News Topics * David Cameron * Liberal Democrats * Conservative Party * Labour Party * Barack Obama * Pictures * Defence * Climate Change * Royal Wedding * Religion * China * Afghanistan Back to top * HOME * News * World News * Obituaries * Travel * Health * Jobs * Sport * Football * Cricket * Fantasy Football * Culture * Motoring * Dating * Finance * Personal Finance * Economics * Markets * Fashion * Property * Puzzles * Comment * Blogs * My Telegraph * Letters * Technology * Gardening * Telegraph Journalists * Contact Us * Privacy and Cookies * Advertising * Mobile Comparison * Tickets * Announcements * Reader Prints * * Follow Us * Apps * Epaper * Expat * Promotions * Subscriber * Syndication © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013 Terms and Conditions Today's News Archive Style Book Weather Forecast # #BBC NEWS | Americas Low Graphics Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_americas_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Programmes Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG Languages * Espanol * Brazil * Caribbean * More Last Updated: Thursday, 12 April 2007, 10:55 GMT 11:55 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version 'Death to US': Anti-Americanism examined The US is perceived by many as an international bully, a modern day imperial power. At this critical moment in history, Washington correspondent Justin Webb challenges that idea. He argues anti-Americanism is often a cover for hatreds with little justification in fact. His three part series takes him to Cairo, Caracas and Washington but it begins where anti-Americanism began - in Paris. Members of the Greenham Common Women Peace Camp Protests against nuclear weapons often focus on American weapons In the Abbey Churchyard in the lovely English city of Bath, groups of demonstrators, many - though not all - of them Quakers, regularly gather to protest against the iniquities of the world. My dear mother Gloria Webb, who died last year, was one of the protesters. In her day, she was an energetic duffle-coated figure who wanted to ban the bomb, stop wars of all kinds and suffering anywhere. She was a wonderful person, my mum, and so were her friends. Yet it always struck me, when she told me about these protests (and when, I freely confess, I attended them with enthusiasm as a youngster) that there was an odd one-sidedness to the game. The protests against nuclear weapons, for instance, concentrated on American weapons. The anti-war rallies were against American-led wars. The anti death penalty campaign focused on Texas. A pattern was emerging and has never seriously been altered. A pattern of willingness to condemn America for the tiniest indiscretion - or to magnify those indiscretions - while leaving the murderers, dictators, and thieves who run other nations oddly untouched. In the beginning And if anti-Americanism is alive and well among surprisingly mild-mannered people in Britain - how much more virulent must it be in tougher parts of the world? Paris demonstration led by Jose Bove Criticism of American power and American life lives on in Paris To find out, I have visited Venezuela, where the nation's leader Hugo Chavez compares George W Bush to Hitler, and Egypt, where the regime warns of a tide of stars and stripes burning if its hold on power is weakened. And Paris. Paris? Yes Paris - where it all began. Anti-Americanism was born in France. And here's a fascinating fact: it was born well before the United States existed. It was not caused by Coca-Cola, or McDonald's, or Hollywood or George W Bush. The prevailing view among French academics throughout the 18th Century was that the New World was ghastly. It stank, it was too humid for life to prosper. And, as one European biologist put it: "Everything found there is degenerate or monstrous." In their heart of hearts, many French people still believe that to be true. A French intellectual once compared the United States with Belgium. Wounding. But you see what he meant: the French capital has a grandeur about it that demands attention on the world stage. Belgium does not, nor does most of America. Washington is grand but Washington was designed by a Frenchman and his vision didn't fit the rest of the nation. America is ordinary. Go on say it out loud on the streets of Paris: "America is ordinary". It celebrates the pursuit of small-scale happiness - in families and communities - and that is what the anti-Americans can't stand. Dislike In the heart of Paris, there is the Avenue Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt, the man who helped defeat Nazi Germany and liberate Parisian streets, is celebrated here. And the point many French people make is that they would celebrate George W Bush, too, if they agreed with him. The source of anti-Americanism is plain they say. As one interviewee told us: "It's the policies, Stupid." Bernard-Henri Levy Bernard-Henri Levy says more balance is needed in the French debate on America Well up to a point: in Paris there is plenty of evidence to be found that anti-Americanism is way more than that, that it's not simply reasonable opposition to the things America does. The kind of anti-Americanism fostered by French intellectuals down the centuries revolves around intense dislike of what America is - not what it does. Sitting in the Cafe de Flore, in the very seat where Jean-Paul Sartre once held sway, the self-described writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy puts it like this: America became the nightmare that French right-wing intellectuals long feared, a nation built not on respectable ties of blood and tradition but on the self-conscious desire to create something new. Antagonism Levy is sympathetic to the US, and a book he wrote on his travels there, American Vertigo, is a balanced and thoughtful piece of work. But such balance is, according to Levy, missing in the French political debate on American power and American life. He describes a process whereby this antagonism to the fundamentals of the USA - to the kind of democracy that celebrates and encourages ordinariness - migrates hither and thither in the French body politic. It began on the right but now in the shape of Jose Bove (the anti-McDonald's campaigner, and presidential candidate) and other luminaries of the left, it lives on. And this is not a recent migration brought on by Mr Bush. In May 1944 (just weeks before American GIs landed on the beaches of Normandy), Hubert Beuve-Mery, the founder of Le Monde newspaper - certainly no mouthpiece of the right - wrote this: "The Americans represent a real danger for France, different from the one posed by Germany or the one with which the Russians may - in time - threaten us. The Americans may have preserved a cult of Liberty but they do not feel the need to liberate themselves from the servitude which their capitalism has created. " It is time that we understood that this attitude, this contempt for what democracy can do, is at the heart of at least some of the anti-Americanism we see in the world today. "Death to America": Anti-Americanism examined will be broadcast on Radio 4 over three weeks starting on 16 April at 2000 BST. Return to top E-mail this to a friend Printable version SEE ALSO Anti-Americanism 'feels like racism' 16 Apr 06 | UK Internationalist manifesto causes a stir 04 May 06 | Europe TOP AMERICAS STORIES US lifts lid on WikiLeaks probe Iran scientist heads home Argentina legalises gay marriage MOST POPULAR STORIES NOW * MOST SHARED * MOST READ * Children 'slower than parents were' * Hull to be UK City of Culture 2017 * Study links synaesthesia to autism * The man who fixed his own heart * Exercise 'boosts academic success' Most popular now, in detail * MOST SHARED * MOST READ * US killer's execution 'can go ahead' * Gold bars found in aeroplane toilet * Eurostar bars obese Frenchman * The man who fixed his own heart * LG investigates 'spying' Smart TVs * Uzbek first daughter in Twitter war * Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 * Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks * Children 'slower than parents were' * UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar options Most popular now, in detail FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Horses sculpture in memory of Genghis Khan, Ordos, Inner Mongolia Ghost town Has China's housing bubble burst? Afo - the world's oldest clove tree The guerilla plant How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire Sergei Polunin Walking away Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit Most Popular Now Most Popular Now | 95,271 people are reading stories on the site right now."; PRODUCTS & SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_world_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK Business Health Science/Nature Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG Last Updated: Monday, 16 June, 2003, 13:25 GMT 14:25 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Is globalisation Americanisation? Will Hutton (left) and Michael Elliott exchange views on globalisation Will Hutton, author and chief executive of The Work Foundation, and Michael Elliott, an editor for Time magazine in New York, exchange views on whether globalisation is simply exporting the American business model and if that benefits the world, or not. Dear Michael, Good to see you in New York the other day. I am in favour of globalisation, of opening up, of more trade and of all the pressure for the acceptance of human rights and rule of law that globalisation brings in its wake. Without globalisation, Asia could not have bootstrapped itself out of poverty, life expectancy would not have risen around the world and living conditions for many women outside Islamic countries would not have improved. My objection is to none of the above. Rather it is to the way globalisation has increasingly become a cloak for the export of the American business model as the benchmark besides which all other countries must judge the success of their approach to capitalism and society. Globalisation needs to be de-Americanised - and genuinely globalised It is perfectly possible to believe in the wealth-generating powers of entrepreneurship and markets, and also to believe that societies need strong social contracts and a powerful expression of the public interest. The international common sense - created by the rise of the new American conservatism in the US which has become the so-called Washington consensus policed by the financial markets - believes in the first set of propositions, but not in the latter. Thus the pressure not to introduce universal health care systems and to have minimal social safety nets; thus the pressure to live with high levels of inequality; thus the pressure to put the interests of business before those of society which reflects itself in myriads of ways in both the developed and less developed world. My concern is two-fold. First, that this approach will de-legitimise and may ultimately derail the globalisation process. And secondly, it is wrong in its refusal to countenance a diversity of approaches to capitalism and organising society. Globalisation needs to be de-Americanised - and genuinely globalised! Yours Will Dear Will It was good to see you too and I hope the new book's going well. There's a lot in your first message that I agree with, of course, your points on the role that globalisation has played in raising living standards around the world are right on the money. But I think we have differences in three respects: First, it's surely a little out of date to imagine that there is some iron-clad "Washington consensus" of neo-liberal policies imposed upon developing countries (and non-American developed ones) by financial markets and international financial institutions. For one thing, there's always been less consensus in the consensus than its opponents like to believe. There are plenty of people who buy into the broad outlines of a market-led programme, for example, without signing on to either financial market liberalisation or the free flow of capital. John Williamson, who invented the phrase "Washington consensus", never intended it to include capital flows, and Jagdish Bhagwati - a fundamentalist when it comes to free trade in goods and services - has long argued that capital flows raise different issues. Why have the Europeans (say) been so pathetic at convincing the world that their model is the right one to follow? Moreover, not just the World Bank and the IMF but private financial institutions now appreciate - as perhaps they did not 10 years ago - that non-economic matters like healthcare, access to education (especially for women), democracy, transparency and old-fashioned infrastructure projects, are all vital to development. I don't hear the simon-pure, market-and-nothing-but-market voices raised as loudly as I did in Washington in the late 1980s. Second, accepting your point that safety nets and universal health care systems are human goods, isn't there a genuine question of sequencing? The Bismarckian (or Lloyd-Georgian) social welfare reforms that Europeans are (very rightly) proud of came after the development of domestic markets, and there is surely a reason for that. Social welfare projects are expensive; an economy needs to have developed to a certain degree before they can be afforded. My third point is of a different nature. Let's say that you are right, and that by some strange process (that I don't really understand) the American version of globalisation has swept all before it. And let's say that you're also right in your implication that there is a "better," more humane version of globalisation out there. My question is: Why have the Europeans (say) been so pathetic at convincing the world that their model is the right one to follow? Why have the Americans swept all before them? Or am I wrong in thinking that you think they have? All best as ever, Michael Dear Michael, Good reply - as I expected. I took short cuts in 200 words but my answers are these: Firstly, the Washington consensus has become more sophisticated, I grant you, but the same themes remain at its core. There is a manic distrust of the public sector, a celebration of the private and a belief that countries industrialise through market-led policies alone. Taxation to pay for education and health is abhorred. Aid budgets have fallen, reversed only partially by 11 September, access to western markets remains difficult and we invite developing countries to grow as if they were developed countries. Globalisation has been primarily shaped by American conservatism The IMF remains unreconstructed - essentially an arm of the US Treasury. Telecoms liberalisation for example (the precondition for the bubble), was forced on the rest of the world by US trade diplomacy. Globalisation has been primarily shaped by American conservatism. Secondly, I infer from this that you are for sweated labour, no child protection and a Hobbesian world of all against all. Welfare states and minimum standards will vary according to wealth - but the principle must stand, surely? Thirdly, Europeans have a crisis of confidence, wrongly in my view. The American model has seemed charismatic, job-generating and all-conquering. It certainly has advantages, but the US is not so strong as widely believed. Control of most of the main avenues of communication and near idealisation by the financial markets are helluva advantages! I rest my case - in 200 words! All the best Will Dear Will, You make me sound like a Gradgrind stamping on the face of the poor of Coketown! You know I'm not, but in any event, here are my thoughts on your latest. First, we're not going to agree on the extent to which the US is gripped by a rabidly conservative, devil-take-the-hindmost mindset. I don't think that's the country I live in, though I admit that I sometimes have doubts. Whenever I think that the US has gone completely selfish and inward-looking, all I have to do is to speak at a church or school or college where people are more engaged in the rest of the world, more sensitive to global issues, and more generous with their time and money in trying to ameliorate them, than I have ever known before. And I've been living in the US on and off for nearly 30 years. Whenever I'm in Paris or Hamburg, I don't look around and think "Hmmm; what a failed model" Second, no, of course I'm not for sweated labour and the rest. But I do think that it behoves us all to have a sensible set of expectations about what degree of social expenditure and social protection can reasonably be afforded at any particular stage of development. Third, you're the expert on Europe's lack of self-confidence. It beats me. Whenever I'm in Paris or Hamburg, I don't look around and think "Hmmm; what a failed model." The world would be a better place if Europeans (and Canadians, actually) were "noisier" about the successes of their economic and social institutions, but, somehow, they leave it all to the US. We're all - and I include those of us who live in the US - worse off as a result. All best, as ever Mike _________________________________________________________________ What The World Thinks of America was broadcast in the UK on BBC Two on Tuesday, 17 June, 2003 at 2100 BST. You can also watch the programme again from this website. E-mail this to a friend Printable version World on America KEY CONTENT Watch the programme America Answers Back About the programme Your greatest American Test your knowledge HAVE YOUR SAY What do you think of America? Programme home page RELATED INTERNET LINKS: The Work Foundation Time The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites PRODUCTS AND SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_world_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education Magazine Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Programmes Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG [agencyrep_bbc_usa_uk_home] Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 August, 2003, 23:35 GMT 00:35 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version TV provides new dictionary entries The cover of the previous edition Phrases like 'lovely jubbly' and 'muppet' have made it into the new edition The powerful influence of popular culture is evident in the latest edition of the New Oxford Dictionary of English, published on Thursday. The second edition of the dictionary - considered to be the foremost single-volume authority on the English language - includes many new words and phrases which started life on television. The hit American TV show, The Sopranos, has given us "bada bing" while British television has been responsible for the phrase "lovely jubbly" entering the language, courtesy of sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Erstwhile American children's TV show The Muppets has also helped establish the word "muppet" as meaning an incompetent or foolish person. Schedules are now dominated by "reality television", while entertainment is full of "bootylicious" women, "popstrels", and "turntablists", who claim to be "da bomb", meaning the best. We analyse millions of words of text to find out what is becoming established in the language Angus Stevenson New Oxford Dictionary of English But how do researchers decide when such words and phrases have become so widely used and understood that they deserve to be included in the dictionary? Angus Stevenson, one of the dictionary's editors, said: "New words are spread worldwide by the media, and some are directly taken from TV such 'boom boom' and 'lovely jubbly'." 'Bada bing' is the name of the strip club run by the lead character in the Sopranos, but is now used in America in a similar way to how 'hey presto' is used in Britain. Mr Stevenson said: "These are all words taken from TV programmes but we use the same criteria for these as we would for any sort of word. "We analyse millions of words of text to find out what is becoming established in the language. "We read science, technical stuff, novels, papers and mags, and even TV scripts - and only put words in the dictionary if there is good evidence of their use in a number of sources over a period of a few years. Cyberslacker "'Boom boom!' (from Basil Brush) has been around for years and now we feel we have enough evidence of its use to say that it warrants a place in the dictionary." Thousands of new words will be thrown up by the process but only a small percentage make it, while the more ephemeral and poorly evidenced words are put on the back burner. Others among the 3,000 new words to make it this time include "cyberslacker", "fatoush", "blamestorming", "SARS", "cantopop", "bupkis", "noughties", "muggle", and "robata". Many familiar words, meanwhile, now have new uses and meanings. You can "guilt" someone or "version" something, and "groom" has taken on a more sinister meaning, being linked to paedophilia. The research also confirms the Americanisation of English continues apace. Foo Fighters Terms such as "nerd", "geek", "bad hair day", and "24/7" are now as common in Britain as they are across the Atlantic. The impact of the internet is also clear, with the web becoming a place of "hacktivists", "shovelware" and people who "egosurf". Another sign of a word's acceptance appears to be when the use of a hyphen is seen as no longer necessary, hence, "e-mails" have become "emails" and we are now "online" not "on-line". The latest edition can also help clear up the mysterious origins of such terms as "a Brazilian" when used in a beauty salon, tell you who the original "Foo Fighters" were and explain what the "Duckworth Lewis" method is in cricket. In science and technology, the fast-moving field of genetics has given us some colourful new terms such "pathogenicity islands", "shotgun cloning" and "terminator genes". E-mail this to a friend Printable version SEE ALSO: Quiz: English 21st century style 20 Aug 03 | UK Dictionary of weird words published 03 Dec 02 | England Blairite and Jedi enter dictionary 27 Sep 02 | UK News Girl power goes mainstream 17 Jan 02 | UK News It's in the dictionary, d'oh! 14 Jun 01 | Entertainment RELATED INTERNET LINKS: Oxford English Dictionary Foo Fighters The Sopranos The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites TOP UK STORIES Major manhunt for Afghan soldier Unemployment dips to 2.47 million PM condemns sympathy for Moat PRODUCTS AND SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # #BBC NEWS | UK Low Graphics Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_world_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education Magazine Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Programmes Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG [agencyrep_bbc_usa_uk_home] Last Updated: Sunday, 16 April 2006, 21:30 GMT 22:30 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Anti-Americanism 'feels like racism' Christian Cox Ms Cox says she lowers her voice on the Tube to avoid confrontation Christian Cox, a US citizen living in London, wrote to the BBC news website to express her concern about the amount of abuse she receives because of her nationality. She says the level of anti-Americanism she has experienced "feels like a kind of racism". "I don't want anyone to feel sorry for Americans, or me, I just want people to realise that we are dealing with hatred too." Read some of your comments at the bottom of this page. _________________________________________________________________ Typical British pub banter is one thing, says Christian Cox, but the "pure hatred" she says is directed at her for being American is really starting to wear her down. The former model moved to London a year ago, where she is setting up her own business, and has been surprised at how some people have reacted to her nationality. Ms Cox, 29, says she has been called, among other things, "terrorist", "scum", "low life", and feels that she is constantly being held to account for the actions of President Bush and for US foreign policy. This is despite the fact that she doesn't agree with the war in Iraq and didn't vote for Bush. I think you are the poorest people I have ever met in my life American critic However she adds: "Bush is our leader and I respect that. It's a bit like the way you feel about your father. You don't always agree with him, but you would defend him." She has travelled widely in other parts of Europe, Mexico, Canada and Australia but says this is the first time her pride in her country has been challenged in such a vitriolic way. "People would make jokes about Americans but I didn't experience the pure hatred I have had since I came to live here. "I appreciate that British people often don't understand why I have so much pride, they think it's brainwashing. "And I do think some people in the US need to be more educated about what's going on in the world. "But some people just fly off the handle without even talking to me - it's as if they had been waiting to run into an American all day to let their feelings out," she says. To avoid confrontations she says she lowers her voice on the Underground and in pubs. But in one incident an older man asked her directly if she was American. "When I said yes he said: 'I just want you to know that I think you are the poorest people I have ever met in my life' - meaning we were low-life. "I said I was sorry he felt that way, but that I disagreed." The man started shouting obscenities at her group. The row developed into a brawl and Ms Cox suffered a black eye as she tried to pull two people apart. "After that I cried for two days, then booked a flight back to the States. I felt so hated, I needed to be with people who loved me." Some friends now advise her to tell people she is Canadian, to deflect potential abuse, an option she calls "sad". 'Culture shock' However it is advice that teacher Francesca Terry, 28, who grew up in Seattle, recognises. She has lived in London for four years and is married with a daughter. "I was aware before I moved here that when you travelled abroad it was always better to say you were Canadian if you could get away with it. But we treated it more like a joke." She was subjected to verbal abuse in the first year or so in Britain, but things calmed down particularly when she had her daughter and stopped going out to pubs so much. "When I first came here it was part of the culture shock. I felt really naive, I had thought I would go unnoticed here. "I would go out and I'd just get picked on by people taking pot shots. I just didn't speak when we went out. What shocked me was that people would just say the rudest comments." But she adds that she has a close group of girlfriends from the US, many of whom say they have not had similar experiences. She says she is still cautious when she's out and about: "If people ask where I'm from I say 'the States, but the part near Canada'." "I feel bad about saying that, but it is out of a kind of guilt, I just don't want to get into it with people. When I do, I tell them these are not my choices. I understand my president makes bad decisions, but that's not me." The US embassy in London declined to comment on the story. _________________________________________________________________ The following comments reflect the balance of opinions received. It is so sad to meet bigotry in any form Lynda Blackwod, Shetland Isles I am Scottish and proud of it. I spent fourteen years living in the USA, I married a dual national. Whilst I lived there I met many individuals who became my friends but I also met many arrogant, ignorant individuals who knew nothing about the world outside of the USA. It is so sad to meet bigotry in any form, but it is on both sides of the "pond", being a Scot I have met the same when I lived and worked in England, sad but true. Lynda Blackwod, Shetland Isles I am American and have lived in the UK since 1988. I have not experienced anything but warm hospitality and acceptance by the British. I certainly find Londoners to be some of the most tolerant people on earth. May I suggest that Ms Cox simply get out of the pub because the best time to witness the British (or Americans) at their worst is when they are drunk. Kay Konop, London, UK I'm an American who has lived in London for over 6 years and suffered no ill treatment like Ms Cox has described from Britons or from Europeans. Most of the time if there are comments they are about American politics or behaviour. A large percentage of the time individuals are more interested in finding out about life in America. As a Hispanic American I have felt more welcomed and respected living and working in Europe than I have in my own "home" country. Alicia, London Living in London changed my perspective on the world Robert, Chicago, IL, USA When I lived in London, I never met the same type of hostility that Ms Cox has experienced. Only once did I feel that someone made an inappropriate remark to me concerning the actions of the US government. For the most part, my experiences were positive and I found that I could easily discuss politics with my British colleagues - regardless of whether or not we agreed. However, at the same time, I have to say that living in London changed my perspective on the world and helped me to see a much larger picture that most Americans will never know by simply following the news in the US media. Robert, Chicago, IL, USA All of us, by identity, carry the flag of our own countries. But, people forget that that doesn't mean we are all agree with our administrations. If we can vote them in, we can also vote them out! What worries me is when a person has to lower her voice to hide her identity. That's just reflects how tunnel-visioned we remain. Mel Shore, USA Hatred against Americans is not rife here. I've worked with and know personally many Americans and I know them to be charming, courteous people. I've heard no complaints from them, but then they've been here longer than Christian Cox and aren't trying to attract attention for their new business. Julie, UK I'm an African-American who has been living in London for a year now. I've yet to experience one iota of in-person prejudice or harassment. Then again, I'm living in Hackney. Most people feel sorry for me - even though Hackney is the most wonderful, diverse, culturally rich places I've been in London! I think the root of Ms Cox's difficulties are rooted in both her power and privilege. Even unconsciously acted upon - it is still read by others as arrogance. Christina Springer, London, UK I am an American living in Bradford (Muslim population 300,000, American Population 1) So perhaps I'm in a good position to comment. I have noticed anger towards America increasing over the last few years, but I have never felt that I was treated badly, or as a walking representative of disastrous American foreign policy. Richard, Bradford Anti-American sentiment clearly runs high in the UK, but there can be no defence of people abusing Ms Cox. But why would any intelligent person blindly defend the actions of another? Bush is no benevolent "father figure" worthy of unquestioning love, he is a politician, and the man who orchestrated the invasion of Iraq. The line between "national pride" and the tacit approval of Bush's actions are blurred in her comments. Until Ms Cox can reconcile this conflict perhaps it would be best if she continues to "keep her voice down". Gavin Scott, Edinburgh, UK Anyone that abuses a person because of their nationality is guilty of racism regardless of which nation that person comes from David McLean, Liverpool, UK As a Muslim studying abroad I can sympathise with her. However, she has only suffered a black eye and had hurtful words thrown at her, whereas I have family members who are now buried six feet under in Basra due to her government's actions. Ahmed, UK I had no idea that the British people felt that way about Americans. It is difficult for others to understand that in any country (yours, mine) the people are not the voice of the government. Why do people insist on taking their anger out on the citizens? Brucine Lukaart, Michigan, USA I think the English also love America and feel connection with it Tom Hewson, London, UK I know exactly what she means. I have lived here for more than 20 years and there is no question it exists. However, over time I have to see it less as hatred and more sibling rivalry. I think the English also love America and feel connection with it. I can't say the constant little digs don't hurt sometimes, but all in all I love England and compared to how other races fare here, we don't do too bad. (Try being French... or dare I say of coloured skin from India or Pakistan) Tom Hewson, London, UK If you want a cheap joke, nothing is easier than to take a swipe at Bush or America. Many British comedians that should know better are aware of this. In my opinion, most people who feel inclined to say such things are generally ill-informed on political matters, and such comments are an attempt to hide their ignorance. Dan Jones, York I am Japanese and have lived in this country since I was three. I have experienced various kinds of verbal taunts and racist remarks all throughout my life. It sad that two grown women are focusing in on their experiences as if they were unique. They should understand that to be a foreigner in any other country will invite those jingoistic and hateful to target them no matter what. If a three-year-old girl could make it, so can they. Saki Baba, London There are millions of Americans who are disgusted by the actions of their government. As Brits we should be careful not to cast stones because we elected Mr Blair, and if one country had it in its power to prevent the war in Iraq it was ours. Ben Gould, London It's very unfortunate that individuals should be singled out like this purely because of where they come from. But I would say to Christian Cox, don't defend Bush if you don't agree with him, and don't express unqualified pride in your country which is - like ours - great, but flawed, and you might get a better reception from most Brits! David Ewen, London I would agree that in general Americans are a loathsome, naive, petulant bunch, but then the fact that we in Britain allow ourselves to be so influenced by them makes us 10 times worse. Craig Eastman, Liverpool, UK If you suspect your 'Canadian' is actually American, ask them to name three provinces (excluding Ontario). Or ask them what the capital of Saskatchewan is. You'll soon know. (We don't like the either, by the way.) Jim Connolly, Toronto, Canada I've been in a few tense situations since moving to the UK, but nothing on the level of the harassment Ms Cox has had to endure. I usually defuse the situation by saying "Yes, I'm an American - and I'd like to apologise". You can always ask them if they've ever voted for Tony Blair. Treat such people like you would any other rude person - get away from them. There's a time and a place to discuss how you as an expat relate to your country: in a pub with an angry stranger probably ain't it. Rose Judson, Birmingham, UK I can understand how upsetting it is for people such as Ms Cox. However, I think Americans need to be educated in such a way that equips them better to travel without appearing to treat to rest of the world like an extension of Disneyland. I frequently hear patronising, insensitive comments made by American tourists who are tarnishing the reputation of their compatriots. Tom Watson, Rome, Italy If you are English and go to live in Scotland you are likely to get exactly this kind of treatment. It is pure racism. Oliver, UK I'm an American living in Belgium and it shocks me to see that Americans probably receive more "racist" comments in Europe than the immigrants we so often read are being discriminated against. My grandfather fought here in WWII and sometimes I think of the irony that it is their freedom he secured than makes me feel so insecure in Europe. Charles, Brussels, Belgium I don't defend my father when he is wrong, only when he is right, only a fool would do otherwise. How is Bush to learn if even those who didn't vote for him become his apologists. John Sinclair, Dundee, UK As a Brit living in the US I receive only good things about my country and am proud to say I am British as people are even nicer to me because of it. Therefore I find it very sad that my country cannot offer the same courtesy to Americans in England. Stephanie Cottrill, Miami, USA Although I disagree with US politics and foreign policy, I would always be friendly and welcoming to Americans in our country. Any Americans who are feeling offended in the UK are welcome round my house for a traditional steak and kidney pudding and some nice English ale! Martin, Chesterfield, UK How about interviewing an American that supports our president instead of making a point of interviewing two Americans that apparently feel they have to make concessions by saying they disagree with him? Your story makes it seem as if the anti-American anger is justified but simply misdirected away from the president. Allen T, CA, USA Is it any surprise that Americans get held to account for their country's rapacious and evil foreign policy? As individuals every American I have met in this country have been perfectly nice but your government's actions condemn you all. If you don't like it then you need to campaign harder at home. I would be ashamed of being English abroad at the moment, because of the actions of OUR government. And just think, if Americans are hated this much in the UK what do you think the opinion of the Arab and Persian world might be? Chris Blackman, London, England It is little wonder that there is such a dislike and misunderstanding of Americans and American foreign policy when you consider the thread of anti-Americanism that runs through almost every related story that the BBC presents. Who do you think you are? Eddie Chalmers, Dundee, UK I am married to a British national and did a posting with the Canadian High Commission in London from 2000-2004. I suffered verbal abuse on a few occasions when people thought I was American. It got to the point where my husband asked that we not talk on the Tube into London and I wore a Canadian Maple Leaf lapel pin. Pam Saunders, Singapore Ms Cox is perhaps a tad naive to take the abuse she receives so personally. Americans are easy targets right now and thanks, not in small part, to the British press it's easy for people to target one US national for the others' actions. But it's not just Americans who get this, prejudice is rampant in this country. For example, I live in Wales and I've seen English people here being beaten up for being English. Andy, Cardiff, UK My American relatives visit the UK frequently. When here they go to pubs, restaurants, stores, historical sites etc and never once have they been subjected to criticism or insults. So one is led to ask, "Is this reported abuse of Americans a London phenomenon?" PW, East Midlands As a Seattleite living in London I often find that I can get away with pretending to be Canadian as well. And I do. I am ashamed to be American. I didn't vote for Bush and I don't support the Iraq war and I feel American foreign policy is abhorrent. But I also find that people will assume I'm a thick headed, right-wing, McDonald's loving, anti-Islamic, fundamentalist Christian, intolerant, homophobic idiot. That couldn't be further from the truth, but I never get a chance to show people who I really am. Emilie Dingler-Meek, London, England Christian Cox should have confidence in her country and treat the people who express such anti-American remarks with the contempt they deserve. She must expect criticism, but not insult - and she must say that she is American and proud of it, and walk away. Arguing with bigots is a complete waste of energy. Mike Fox, London, England. I feel no pity for Americans working abroad - they get to see first hand what their foreign policies are doing to the rest of the world. Ian Anderson, Aberdeen, UK Cry me a river. How much American tolerance and openness do Iranian visitors to the US experience these days? We can't pick and choose the aspects of our national image we want to be identified with. This extreme form of individualism - 'I'm only responsible for what I myself did, not what my government does in my name' - is precisely the sort of thing which gives Americans such a bad name. Scott, Stirling, UK As a rule, any opinion expressed in a British pub should be ignored. Andrew , Montreal, Canada Ms Cox shouldn't really be surprised in the current climate. More and more people are coming to realise the US administration is the biggest terrorist organisation in the world. Unfortunately, their citizens will increasingly take the backlash, even though many of them are against US foreign policy - just as many Muslims are against such atrocities as 9/11 and Bali. John Lockett, Burnley, UK I am shocked and disgusted at the people on this board, in particular Scott in Stirling and Ian Anderson, who condone this vile behaviour. Perhaps they wished the USA hadn't interfered in WWII? When you visit America they are the most welcoming of hosts and very friendly towards us Brits. Furthermore when America follows isolationist policies the rest of the world complains they don't do enough. I'm sure the Bosnian Muslims would like to thank America for pushing NATO to take action in the Balkans when the rest of Europe turned a blind eye. Alex Taylor, Bolton, UK I have a question for my esteemed British cousins - what is it that 'America' is doing that you yourselves are not? We invaded Iraq. So did you. We invaded Afghanistan. So did you. We support Israel with money and weapons. So do you. We have nukes. So do you. Our military is deployed in other people's countries in order to make them do what we want. As is yours. The more I think about it, Britain is about the least qualified nation on earth to condemn 'American' foreign policy. John, Los Angeles, USA Craig Eastman's comment "that in general Americans are a loathsome, naive, petulant bunch", ironically indicates the very thing Americans are accused of elsewhere in this discussion - being insular and having stereotypical views of the world. Has Mr Eastman ever strayed far from Merseyside. Perhaps he should visit the USA? Dave Taylor (British), Seattle, USA I think some Americans intentionally mis-read negative comments about Bush as being anti-American and then whine about it. I love my country and am as pro-American as one can get, but I hate Bush and what he has done to my nation's reputation around the world. People are not anti-American, they are anti-Bush and that is NOT the same thing. Randal S. Los Angeles, USA Interesting that some people can portray them selves as other nationalities to avoid dealing with situations. Sometimes I wish I had the same luxury and was able to change colour. Ahmed, London, UK I honestly think its all about the tone and volume. Americans are always WAH WAH WAH on the train, in the restaurants. You can hear them a mile off. Its as irritating as when someone is talking on their mobile loudly in a train. It gives the impression they are better than everyone else. What I would advise Americans to do is to talk less, listen more, and talk more softly. Don't get me wrong, I love Americans, I never generalise, but I have met many arrogant ones and it is such a shame they give this impression. Stevo, London, UK I am very sorry to hear how Ms Cox has been treated. I think that kind of behaviour amounts to full on racism and should be treated as so. We have to understand that everybody is an individual and not to stereotype. I am a Asian Muslim in England, but it would be wrong to hold me responsible for the actions of a few. I most likely hate the London bombers more than a white English person, as those bombers have given my colour, motherland, and religion a bad name. I hope Ms Cox does not experience any more hassle. Jahan Khan, Whitechapel I can't tell you how sad this story made me. I have been an Anglophile all my life. My fondest dream is to spend time in the UK. I respect your people and culture so much. I am descended not only from England, but Scotland, Ireland and Wales as well! But I am to suffer abuse for it, because I was born in the US? I guess I have to go on loving the dream of England and not make the trip. By the way, I didn't vote for Bush. As a veteran, I would find it very hard to say I was from Canada. Chin up all you Americans in the UK. Maybe you are just running into the loony few? I hope so. Jana Palumbo, Georgia, USA E-mail this to a friend Printable version YOUR NEWS Amanda Davies and Thalia Pellegrini in Southampton for Your News Come to the seaside with us... 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BEHIND THE SCENES More of the bad bits from Your News Konnie Huq and Laura Jones can't stop laughing on BBC News Outakes from the programme PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES Your News travels to Newquay to hear your stories Your News takes to the beach Your News generic title Having a knees up in Neasden RELATED BBC LINKS In depth: What the world thinks of America RELATED INTERNET LINKS US Embassy, London The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites TOP UK STORIES Major manhunt for Afghan soldier Unemployment dips to 2.47 million PM condemns sympathy for Moat MOST POPULAR STORIES NOW * MOST SHARED * MOST READ * Children 'slower than parents were' * Hull to be UK City of Culture 2017 * Study links synaesthesia to autism * The man who fixed his own heart * Exercise 'boosts academic success' Most popular now, in detail * MOST SHARED * MOST READ * US killer's execution 'can go ahead' * Gold bars found in aeroplane toilet * Eurostar bars obese Frenchman * The man who fixed his own heart * LG investigates 'spying' Smart TVs * Uzbek first daughter in Twitter war * Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 * Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks * Children 'slower than parents were' * UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar options Most popular now, in detail FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Horses sculpture in memory of Genghis Khan, Ordos, Inner Mongolia Ghost town Has China's housing bubble burst? Afo - the world's oldest clove tree The guerilla plant How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire Sergei Polunin Walking away Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit Most Popular Now Most Popular Now | 95,271 people are reading stories on the site right now."; PRODUCTS & SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # BBCi NEWS SPORT WEATHER WORLD SERVICE A-Z INDEX SEARCH _____ go BBC News World Edition You are in: UK News Front Page [USEMAP:blue_map_world.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England N Ireland Scotland Wales Politics Education Business Entertainment Science/Nature Technology Health ------------- Talking Point ------------- Country Profiles In Depth ------------- Programmes ------------- BBC Sport [o.gif] BBC Weather [o.gif] SERVICES Daily E-mail News Ticker Mobile/PDAs ------------- Text Only Feedback Help [agencyrep_bbc_usa_uk_home] EDITIONS Change to UK Tuesday, 2 May, 2000, 18:01 GMT 19:01 UK Hollywood fights the facts By BBC News Online's Ryan Dilley Despite six years of fierce fighting and more than 400,000 war dead, it seems Britain was only a bit player in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. Or so Hollywood would have us believe. Colditz, the infamous German PoW camp, is set to be given the Tinsel Town film treatment with a cast including the American superstars Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Colditz Castle Colditz escapes: Britain 109, America 0 The numerous and daring escapes by imprisoned British servicemen from the castle stronghold have become a cornerstone of our national "stiff-upperlipery". Few Americans were held at the top security camp and, more controversially for the film makers, none broke out. Fancy a bet that Cruise and co will be donning British battledress for the movie? Though latecomers to the global conflict, America has long portrayed itself as World War II's main protagonist, thanks to the dominance of its movie industry. Great escapism Hollywood's renewed interest in the war promises to convince the Playstation generation that America overcame Germany and Japan single-handed. Steven Spielberg's blockbuster Saving Private Ryan was accused of marginalising the efforts of British and Canadian troops on D-Day. Normandy landings The British and Canadians also went ashore on D-Day The upcoming naval drama U-571 has sailed into an even greater storm. It has US sailors capturing a Nazi submarine and its Enigma code machine, whereas in real life the raid was pulled off by the Royal Navy even before America's entry into the war. Jeffrey Walsh, a Manchester Metropolitan University academic who has studied America's self-image in war films, says Hollywood's take on the conflict is skewed. Moral minefield "These films need to be treated with a considerable amount of scepticism and caution. Exploring American myths and narratives is more important to them than historical fact." Mr Walsh says the relative moral simplicity of the war is one of the reasons "Hollywood has gone for World War II in a big way". "They see it as a rather straight-forward war between good and evil. Conflicts such as in the Balkans are difficult for American audiences to understand. They wouldn't make the best films." US soldier in Vietnam American "heroes" have had it tough since Vietnam The fight against fascism also gives Hollywood directors the opportunity to exorcise the ghost of less glorious but more recent conflicts. "There's a definite change in the representation of war in these films as opposed to the angst-ridden movies about Vietnam." Alf Louvre, who co-wrote Tell Me Lies About Vietnam with Mr Walsh, agrees. War hero "The glut of World War II films is part of an attempt to overcome the unique defeat in Vietnam. They have re-invented the notion of the heroic American which that war put on ice for a long time." Mr Walsh says Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line have given the American male a welcome respite. "They're getting quite a good press. In the past 25 years American soldiers have been portrayed as deeply troubled or even psychotic." Saving Private Ryan Hitting the beach and forgetting the Brits Total Film critic Cam Winstanley says profit is the bottom line in the Hollywood Americanisation of World War II. "I'd put it down to insular American audiences. Americans want to see films about Americans. That's where the money is." Mr Winstanley points to Saving Private Ryan, which contained only one reference to the British forces in Normandy, "and that was a disparaging comment about Montgomery". A losing battle A film attempting to show the complexity of the war or redress the balance for America's wartime allies would probably make few inroads into these entrenched attitudes. "To get made at all, most British films need at least one American star. Despite sharing a language, most of our films are regarded as foreign to US cinemagoers." BBC Dad's Army Not all Hitler's enemies were American Admittedly the British film industry of the 40s and 50s, which made its own version of the Colditz story, was responsible for skewing the facts in our favour. However, the global reach of Hollywood threatens to engulf the truth about World War II. "Spielberg's Schindler's List is taken as a historic document, shown in American schools. It's quite possible that Saving Private Ryan is seen in just the same way," says Mr Winstanley. Hollywood directors may still have a battle on their hands. The dramatic licence in U571 has created a row involving questions in the Commons and President Clinton himself. "As you know," wrote the President to Labour MP Paul Trusswell, "Universal Studios has stated that the film is not intended to be an accurate portrayal of historic events." Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Clinton? WATCH/LISTEN ON THIS STORY Kenneth Lockwood, secretary Colditz association "I think we have had enough films about Colditz" See also: 25 Feb 99 | Entertainment Hollywood hijacks history 11 Feb 00 | Europe Stalingrad meets Hollywood 08 Sep 98 | Entertainment Veterans back Spielberg war epic 19 Mar 99 | Entertainment Veterans riled by Ryan 20 Aug 99 | Americas US military goes to Hollywood 15 Mar 00 | Entertainment Beckinsale's 'big break' 30 Jan 00 | UK Colditz 'escape' foiled a second time 20 Apr 00 | UK Hitler ordered 'Great Escape' massacre Internet links: U-571 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top UK stories now: No rush to war, says Blair 10,000 chased for congestion fine Omagh detectives make arrest Beckham forgives Ferguson Waiter jailed for underage sex Britons 'baffled over euro rate' Sleepy drivers who kill face jail Man charged after boy stabbed Links to more UK stories are at the foot of the page. E-mail this story to a friend Links to more UK stories [In This Section........................] [BUTTON] © BBC ^^ Back to top News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health | Talking Point | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy [count?cid=uk_bbc_0] [733383.stm~RS~r~RS~(none)~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~42~R S~] # Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_world_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education Magazine Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Programmes Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG Last Updated: Thursday, 5 June, 2003, 20:30 GMT 21:30 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Fight to save English spelling A teacher points out the British spelling of defence Teachers at Eight Ash Green in Essex insist on proper spelling A campaign is being launched to protect English words from being replaced by American spellings. Colchester MP Bob Russell wants to prevent youngsters from being shown words such as "utilize", "color" and "traveling". He wants to force computer companies to install spellchecking software which offers English instead of American definitions. Mr Russell said: "I also want the government to lead by example so all our schoolchildren, and the public generally, use the English spelling and not the American spelling." Many operating systems, such as Microsoft's Windows, already allow users to select the language they use on the computer. Endangered spelling? UK colour vs US color UK centre vs US center UK travelling vs US traveling UK analyse vs US analyze UK plough vs US plow But often popular web sites utilise American English. The primary school at Eight Ash Green in Essex, in Mr Russell's constituency, is sticking up for traditional British English. Headteacher Nick Rudman told BBC Look East that when pupils there leave the "u" out of the word labour, they are soon put right. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Essex BBC Essex Sport, travel, weather, things to do, features and much more SEE ALSO: Bridging the language divide 24 Apr 03 | UK An education in the States 13 Apr 02 | Education Divided by English 19 Jul 01 | UK News What does 'snog' mean? 17 Jul 01 | UK News Internet + English = Netglish 23 Mar 01 | UK News RELATED INTERNET LINKS: Comparison of British and American usage The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites TOP ESSEX STORIES British woman killed in Hong Kong Concern for missing 14-year-old UK soldier killed in blast named PRODUCTS AND SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # Skip to main content Access keys help BBC logo * Home * News * Sport * Radio * TV * Weather * Languages __________ go [an error occurred while processing this directive] Low graphics|Accessibility help BBC News watch One-Minute World News mobiles News services Your news when you want it News Front Page [USEMAP:v3_map_world_rb.gif] Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education Magazine Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news ----------------- Video and Audio ----------------- Programmes Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports RELATED BBC SITES * SPORT * WEATHER * ON THIS DAY * EDITORS' BLOG Last Updated: Sunday, 11 May, 2003, 23:38 GMT 00:38 UK Email this to a friend Printable version Anti-Americanism 'dangerous' Tony Blair and George Bush Britain is America's closest ally Continued anti-Americanism could result in the US disengaging from the rest of the world with "dangerous" consequences, Nato General Secretary Lord Robertson has warned. He was commenting on the threat to world order posed by the continuing rift between Europe and the US in the wake of the Iraq war. Relations between America and France reached an all time low following French President Jacques Chirac's outspoken criticism of the US-led conflict. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he was concerned about "trite anti-Americanism" in the UK, arguing it had "become fashionable". It's a sort of racialist view that the USA is wrong in principle and wrong in practice Lord Robertson Lord Robertson and Mr Straw were speaking in "Which Way are We Facing", a BBC Radio 4 programme examining the British public's attitudes to the US and to Europe. The programme, to be broadcast at 1900GMT on Monday, also looks at how much British anti-Americanism there is. 'Generic attack' Lord Robertson, a former UK defence secretary, said: "Anti-Americanism I see not as a criticism of individual policies or even an individual president. It's a sort of racialist view that the USA is wrong in principle and wrong in practice. "It is a generic attack on America and American standards and American values and approaches. "I'm very worried about anti-Americanism because I think it is deeply corrosive to a relationship that is critically important for the overall security of the world. Jacques Chirac Chirac - out in the cold? "These attitudes are deeply worrying, deeply corrosive and have to be tackled head on. If they're not, then the future is bleak indeed. "If they continue to be criticised in that unreasoning and emotive way then I see disengagement being the outcome and that being much more dangerous to all of us than American involvement or interventionism." Mr Straw echoed this concern and reminded people of the "immense" contribution made by the US "for the good". 'Obsession' "I am worried about trite anti-Americanism in this country," he told the programme. "I think that people get obsessed about the United States because of its immense wealth and power. I think it's just become fashionable, this kind of anti-Americanism, and it's a convenient parody. "If you look at the United States of course there are things that we would not necessarily approve of, but if you look at the US's contribution to where we are today, it has been immense and for the good. "First of all they did literally save Europe from the most terrible tyranny in the Second World War but in addition if you look at IT, you look at biotech, the things that these days keep us going, make our lives happier and healthier, it's to America that we owe a huge amount. "People need to remember that." Email this to a friend Printable version STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ KEY STORIES Fresh bombings hit Iraq pilgrims Deadly bombings hit Iraq pilgrims Blair 'misread' Iran view on Iraq US soldier on Iraq leaks charges FEATURES AND ANALYSIS Horse racing in Baghdad Day at the races The remarkable survival of Baghdad racecourse Dangerous stalemate after election Water still muddy after Sadr vote Sadrist vote could anoint new Iraq PM Iraq views: Voters' uncertainty lingers Can Allawi heal Iraq's wounds? The Iraqi bridge to stability Baghdad diary: Three generations GUIDES AND BACKGROUND Iraq: Key facts and figures Guide to groups in Iraqi polls Q&A: Iraqi parliamentary polls VIDEO PROFILES An Iraqi newspaper salesman Paper seller: 'God knows who will win' An Iraqi tailor Tailor: 'Business was good under Saddam' An Iraqi tennis player Tennis player: 'I have the same dream' SPECIAL REPORT Struggle for Iraq TOP UK POLITICS STORIES Prison 'not linked' to crime drop Whitehall 'supported Guantanamo' Government wins VAT Commons votes PRODUCTS AND SERVICES * E-mail news * Mobiles * Alerts * News feeds * Podcasts News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes * BBC Copyright Notice MMIX Most Popular Now | 104,757 pages were read in the last minute."; Back to top ^^ * Help * Privacy and cookies policy * News sources * About the BBC * Contact us # #A to Z Terms of Use Atom RSS British Broadcasting Corporation BBC Home Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation * Skip to bbc.co.uk search * Accessibility Help BBC BLOGS - Nick Bryant's Australia IN ASSOCIATION WITH « Previous | Main | Next » The American in Australia Nick Bryant | 07:34 UK time, Monday, 7 December 2009 For the first time in its history, Australia's most populous state has a female premier, a photogenic 40-year-old called Kristina Keneally, who is trying to become the acceptable face of what many voters in New South Wales look upon as an ugly and repellent political machine. More so than her gender, it is the criticism that she merely is a puppet of the two backroom powerbrokers who installed her as Labor leader that has been attracting the most comment. That, and the fact that she was born in Las Vegas, raised in Ohio and speaks still with a distinctive American accent, even though she is married to an Australian, has an Aussie mother, and became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2000, the year that she joined the Australian Labor Party. By strange coincidence, last week was a good one for foreign-born political leaders in Australia. Tony Abbott, who could declare himself a Londoner if ever he so desired, became the Liberal leader. In Kevin Rudd's absence, Julia Gillard, a product of Barry in South Wales, filled in as acting prime minister. In the immediate aftermath of the rejection of the emissions trading scheme, it was the Senate leader, the British-born Chris Evans, who led the attack on the opposition. And he was quickly joined by the climate change minister, Penny Wong, who was born in Malaysia. But while Australians have long been used to European-born politicians, and are getting increasingly used to Asian-born leaders - the Hong Kong-born John So served for over seven years as the Mayor of Melbourne - will they countenance an American-born leader? To pre-empt some of your comments, Kristina Keneally is perhaps a special case because she speaks in the accent of her homeland. To many, it sounds like pure American Pie. But could there also be an anti-Americanism at work in much of the US-focussed commentary? Like virtually every country in the world, Australia has fallen prey to America's rampant post-war cultural imperialism. And, often, willingly and happily so. The Australian box office is dominated by Hollywood movies. Cormac McCarthy is perhaps as popular these days as Thomas Keneally, Kristina's Booker prize-winning uncle. Channel Nine claims in its on-air promotions to be "Proudly Australian", but its schedules are packed with US imports, while its flagship news programme, Sixty Minutes, is a replica of the US original, right down to the tick, tock, tick of its iconic stopwatch. Likewise, Channel Seven's successful Sunrise programme breakfast show is modelled on NBC's Today show, with Martin Place in Sydney substituting for New York's Rockefeller plaza for the out-of-studio walkabouts. The thumping theme music of its evening news was composed by the American film composer John Williams, and is heard in America each night at the start of NBC's primetime bulletin. The two most headline-making visitors to Australia this year were both Americans, Britney Spears and Tiger Woods, while the country has recently said farewell to one of its most-loved entertainers, the New Yorker Don Lane. Yet for all that, the American influence is by no means overwhelming. Not even close. My ears tend to prick up whenever I hear an American accent in Australia, because it happens so infrequently. If you look at the 20 most popular television programmes this year in Australia, no American show even makes the list (nor does a UK programme, for that matter). On the ABC, the national broadcaster, the preference is for the UK- rather than US-made. Even its finest US import, the mesmerising detective series The Wire, is buried away on ABC 2, while lesser British-made programmes, like say Spooks, are given better primetime slots on ABC 1. Listening to talk-back radio, so many of the comedic references are British rather than American, whether they come from Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, The Goons, The Goodies, The Office or Yes Minister. Last week, Malcolm Turnbull's attempts to cling on to the Liberal leadership were commonly compared to the decapitated Black Knight in Monty Python's The Holy Grail. In sport, despite Frank Packer's confident post-war assertion that baseball was the coming thing, cricket remains dominant. And while Kerry Packer might have borrowed some US-style razzmatazz when he launched World Series cricket, it was still an emphatically Australian product - popularised by the ringing anthem, "Come on Aussie, Come on". Basketball has failed to take off in Australia's most populous cities, and American Football does not have much of a following. Sporting colloquialisms also have an Aussie and British ring. Occasionally, you will hear a "that's out of left field", but rarely a "go the whole nine yards" or a "full court press". More commonly in Australia you will find yourself on "a sticky wicket" or suffering the humiliation of being "bowled a googly". In politics, Australia has a Senate and a House of Representatives, but that's pretty much the extent of the "Wash" contribution to the "Washminster model" of government. That said, Labor politics in New South Wales does a pretty good imitation of Tammany Hall. We've noted before that Australians do not tend to warm to the grand and flashy trappings of US presidential politics - a point driven home on Friday afternoon when I bumped into Kevin Rudd on a pedestrian crossing in central Sydney, while he was out doing what looked like some Christmas shopping. Happily, the roads were not shut, sharp-shooters did not peer down on him from roof-top vantage points and he, like the rest of us, had to wait for the light to turn green. And just look what happened to Starbucks, which was forced to lighten its Australian footprint, largely because the local competition was way too hot and Australians rejected this American transplant. Now the American coffee giant has largely been reduced to operating in Australian tourist traps, where it plays on its familiarity with overseas visitors. Starbucks has never managed to build up a really big, loyal, local clientele, partly because it was seen as an unwelcome intrusion from the US. Will Kristina Keneally give it a better shot? * Bookmark with: * del.icio.us | * Digg | * Newsvine | * NowPublic | * Reddit * - What's this? Comments Sign in or register to comment. * Previous * Next * 1. At 08:35am on 07 Dec 2009, Whitlamite wrote: Let's summarise: * Australians wary of Americans * Australians accepting of British and Asian born leaders * Australians embrace American Culture * Australians reject American business * Australian system of government still mostly British * Americans are rare in Australia * Australians are lax in securing the personal safety and security of their Prime Minister * Kristina Keneally = Starbucks Blimey. What sort of schizophrenic country are you living in, Nick? Because it can't be Australia. The Australia I know embraces Americans and the United States more generally. I know an enormous number of Americans who live in Australia, and countless more whom I encounter whilst visiting. Australia's system of government has always had a strong American influence, dating back to the early parliamentarian (American) King O'Malley, the man who put the 'Labor' in Australian Labor Party. Indeed the sensational visits to Australia by Mark Twain left us with some incredible insights into the trans-pacific relationship. During the US election in 2008 Republican Candidate John McCain wrote an article for the Australian press detailing the impact the visit of the 'Great White Fleet' of the US Navy had both on the servicemen and on the Australians who greeted it in 1908. On the one hand you indeed note the popularity of someone like Don Lane, but you also suggest that Australians are wary of Kristina Keneally. I am confused. I disagree with you on several counts. I find Americans and their accents commonplace in Australia, I along with millions of my countrymen embrace the arrival of starbucks, Ben & Jerry's, and Krispy Kreme; I believe that despite protestations by antiques to the contrary Australian politics is becoming more Americanised - and a good thing too. I am a democrat, and not a born-to-rule Imperialist like our traitorous Opposition Leader. I believe the Prime Minister of Australia is far more like the President of the United States than he is like the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As Australia (unlike the United Kingdom) does not have a resident native head of state, the head of government assumes a role similar to that in a popular sense. So again, I am confused about the actual point you're trying to make, Nick. Are you saying that Australians embrace Americans whilst rejecting them simultaneously? Are you saying that the British really are still in charge of Australian culture? Are you saying that... What are you saying? Are you perhaps trying to tell us that the British in Australia are wary of Americans in Australia? Tea thrown overboard into Sydney harbour perhaps? W. Complain about this comment * 2. At 09:14am on 07 Dec 2009, cryogyny wrote: @Whitlamite - just what are you trying to say? I am not sure where you come from but being born and bred in Sydney I certainly wasn't surrounded by American accents (besides those coming from the 'idiot box'). And please speak for yourself about Starbucks. And the Australian PM being more like the US President? That really has me stumped. Complain about this comment * 3. At 09:34am on 07 Dec 2009, 11pete11 wrote: 1 Whitlamite: Yes there are some very 'British' aspect to Nick's post that confirm what I have said in many of my posts. Namely that Brits still believe Australia is 'their' country. Take for example: "the fact that she was born in Las Vegas, raised in Ohio and speaks still with a distinctive American accent," Yet no mention of the accents of the ex Brits that were mentioned. Julia Gillard has a very Aussie accent, as does Tony Abbott. However, Chris Evans and a few others on both sides of Parliament, have made no attempt to speak 'Australian'...Have you ever heard Rupert Murdoch's mother speak...straight out of Buckingham Palace. Walk down any street in Australia and you're bound to bump into a 'pommy' accent more than an Aussie one. As so far as the American thing, yes there is some schitzoid aspects to what Nick is trying to say here. Complain about this comment * 4. At 10:46am on 07 Dec 2009, Ellis Turrell wrote: Australia turns to the US and the UK because they have nobody in their own country to call a celebrity. All the commercial networks are obsessed with Hollywood gossip because they just can't compete. Complain about this comment * 5. At 11:04am on 07 Dec 2009, FormerlyOldHermit wrote: I hope the new NSW Premier manages to keep her job. Last time I was in NSW nearly two whole Cabinets worth of ministers resigned in three weeks. Talk about a high turnaround! Complain about this comment * 6. At 12:10pm on 07 Dec 2009, redhotgreen wrote: Whitlamite, I think Nick's point is that there are contradictions in the relationship between Australia and the United States, hence his 'for and against' examples of the relationship. His question, i think, was whether the people of NSW would view Kristina Keneally through the positive or negative lens of the AU-US relationship. I would hope that her birthplace had nothing to do with her popularity. For a country that asks its migrants to integrate into Australian society, the Australian way of life, it would be a cruel irony to then deny them the opportunity to serve in a parliament. As for Starbucks; i think they arrived in Australia too late. The cafe culture had been well established in Australia for too long, and with a better product, for Starbucks to compete. For that, we can probably thank the Italian immigrants who refused to believe that coffee should come in only one variety; instant. Complain about this comment * 7. At 12:52pm on 07 Dec 2009, Oz Dave in London wrote: On the issue of Kristina Keneally, I don't care that she is American-born or a female, I find the bigger issue is what you noted about Kristina being the puppet of the Eddie & Joe show. Twice now, NSW Labor has dumped a Premier on NSW that we have not voted for, I feel Kristina is a lame duck who will suffer the indignity of a wallopping if the Libs can bring out a policy to go against the ALP. On the American issue, I think some of us don't realise the infiltration the American culture has in Aussie as well as other Western nations. If we banned all American product then pickings of entertainment, food and recreation would be reduced significantally but we'd find a way around it. I love the USA for visits and friendships I have there but I am proud Aussie is influenced not just by American culture, but as you pointed out Nick, by British, by European, by parts of Asia and by internal Aussie culture; it's what makes us Aussie :-) Complain about this comment * 8. At 12:54pm on 07 Dec 2009, jnhk201 wrote: I think on the whole, Australia embraces American culture wholeheartedly...just as it warmly welcomes nearly every other culture that comes to its shores! We're an open and progressive country. Complain about this comment * 9. At 7:20pm on 07 Dec 2009, Chinook wrote: I'm in a similar position as the Premier, a dual citizen spending most of my life in the States but a notable amount in Oz as well. The above comments sum it up nicely, Australia has a dynamic identity that not everyone agrees on. American culture inevitably leaves its mark, as it does in many places around the world. At the same time, despite their idealistic philanthropy, white Australians are generally less willing to accept Americans as 'Aussie' than other migrants. I have my own theories regarding tall poppy syndrome and an understandable concern for the blurring of identity. In the end, this tempest in a teacup gives us something to talk about and they get to take the mickey out of me. Complain about this comment * 10. At 9:59pm on 07 Dec 2009, pciii wrote: Gosh! Whitlamite and Pete, you really do need to try and be a little thicker skinned, you guys seem to find some kind of hidden colonial agenda in everyone of Nick's posts. Redhotgreen summarises very nicely the point Nick was raising. As for the assertion that "that Brits still believe Australia is 'their' country" because Nick does not detail which of the Brits or Malaysians still have their 'native' accents misses the point rather - this is about Americans (besides, it's pretty hard to miss Gillard's accent isn't it?) As for the issue in hand, there's undoubtedly a lot of US influence on culture here Australia. There's the obvious TV programmes/films and in my profession at least, legislation and techniques are often borrowed from over the (big) pond. Even some aspects of the school system here seem more American to these European eyes. But Crygyny is right, you don't hear an American accent all that often - even at the major tourist sites there's more Europeans and Asians milling about (do they know what they are missing?). For this reason, I suspect that Australians will be naturally less trustful of an American politician, at least until she's proved herself. Complain about this comment * 11. At 10:00pm on 07 Dec 2009, Treaclebeak wrote: Nick, Kristina's Keneally's accent doesn't sound like "pure American pie" to me, some sentences are completely Oz ,however she still uses the very distinctive American "r" sound. Most Australians are probably pro and anti-American culture at the same time,it's all very quantum really.We do seem to have a genius for rejecting some of America's best ideas, such as a Bill of Rights or simplified spelling,instead we adopted Starbucks and Halloween. Complain about this comment * 12. At 10:21pm on 07 Dec 2009, Agent 00Soul wrote: Why is it that whenever an article is written about possible anti-Americanism, their accent is inevitably one of the first things mentioned? Sometimes I read or watch the BBC and it seems like they want one standard for American citizens and one standard for the entire rest of the world. As for Australia, it's a nation of immigrants and, as far as I can tell, is pretty used to people from all over the world in important positions. Complain about this comment * 13. At 11:11pm on 07 Dec 2009, wollemi wrote: Australian politics goes beyond accents and previous nationalitiy, as expected in an immigrant country The main question about Kristina Keneally is what the departing Nathan Rees stated (and Nick notes) - is she a puppet of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi. I think she is more than a puppet, rather an active particpant in the factional mess that is NSW Labor and which has paralysed progress in NSW. They've been a blight on Federal Labor and the Labor movement Kristina Keneally has been a disastrous Planning Minister, and as the Upper House inquiry indicated, filters information so as not to 'see' her staff involved in dodgy meetings with lobbyists for developers who have paid political donations. When put on the spot she then utters Biblical quotes from her theological training! Regarding Starbucks, I agree with redhotgreen #6, a cafe culture developed here around the 1970s, influenced by Italian migrants who introduced superb coffee. Starbucks was too late - and a poor comparison Complain about this comment * 14. At 01:56am on 08 Dec 2009, David wrote: One reason that Australians find so few Americans in Australia, is .. That it is so far away and so expensive to travel to. Airplane fare is sooo expensive for an American wanting to go to Australia. And most Americans, are, of course, not rich. But, funnily enough, we think of Australia as a paradise of beaches and coral reefs. So, we all want to go there. :) Complain about this comment * 15. At 03:55am on 08 Dec 2009, GaffaOz wrote: @ Whitlamite I think Nick is closer to the mark than you think. It's not so much that Australia is schizophrenic than a lot of countries are similar when it's comes to American culture. Certainly UK and France lap up American culture and yet freely sneer at it as much as, if not more so, than Australia. And although the Queen may live in the UK - her role is pretty much ceremonial - in that the country is for all practical purposes is run by the government. So I would say Australian politics is far closer in style to UK than US - because there is a recognisable formal opposition with the Punch and Judy style of Westminster politics and that elections don't run for a year with all the razzmatazz of US elections. What the Australia shares with the US is a federal system. @Pete111 Still with the bias BBC? I don't see how you can equate Nick's post somehow means that the Brits believe Australia is their country. Fact is - Keneally heritage gets more coverage by Australians reporters in Australia media than other Australian politicians of a British heritage. And due to Australia's heritage - Australians do speak within a range from distinctive Aussie accents to softer - even dare I say, more British accents. That's your heritage. To expect everyone to speak with a typical accent is silly and unpractical. Because I come from Somerset in the UK - do I have to speak like a rustic farmer? Complain about this comment * 16. At 07:16am on 08 Dec 2009, Eliza_nsw wrote: I am absolutley so happy - Brass balls Bishop, Ruddock are back yippeeee, and Barnaby, now we need, Fielding & Xenophan (?) and we have ideal Govt, who gives a hoot about the "fly by night" NSW premier. She could be from Mars, she's Labor - she's on borrowed time in power. remember the tune, people, come on Aussie, come on, come on, come on Aussie come on... Vote out the Prime Menace, and his cohorts. Complain about this comment * 17. At 09:53am on 08 Dec 2009, 11pete11 wrote: 16 Eliza_nsw: Are you serious??? Complain about this comment * 18. At 7:20pm on 08 Dec 2009, bryson wrote: Australia is a beautiful country and on my many visits, I have found the Australian people to be friendly, salt of the earth, patriotic, and proud of their history. As a Brit living in the USA that makes frequent visits to family living Australia, I was struck by the outward appearances at least, just how like America Australia is. The American influence is obvious in its buildings, shopping malls; even the colour’s that they are painted. You could be anywhere in the USA with the same buildings, colour schemes etc. The Australian TV is definitely American influenced. Which I’m guessing translates in to the use of American words such as “cookies, chips” etc. I think it is a great shame and something every culture needs to be mindful of not loosing its own national identity whilst embracing other cultures. It is possible to live side by side and retain your own identity but I believe when you have been given the compliment of living in someone else’s country you should become a citizen of that country and not try to change it in to the country you have just left Australia is great, its people are the best, I’d live there tomorrow if I had the money. Sadly it costs far to much to migrate there with fees in the high thousands or a ten year waiting list for the likes of parents that would like to be close to their children. So the Aussies don’t have to be concerned about any more bloody pommes moving to Aus or that they still think it’s their country as one writer wrote. That is why immigration is down from Europe and up from China there is only the Chinese and Americans that can afford the high fees that the Australian government charges for visa applications etc. Complain about this comment * 19. At 8:51pm on 08 Dec 2009, pciii wrote: #17: I fear she is. Complain about this comment * 20. At 8:55pm on 08 Dec 2009, DCHeretic wrote: Nick makes it seem like the US - Australian relationship is a one-way street. Americans in general have a lot of affection for the Aussies and Australian entertainers have made their mark on the US. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton John, Dame Edna, and the late Heath Ledger are beloved by legions of US fans. Australian singer/actress Helen Reddy served as California Parks and Recreation Commissioner for three years. When I ask my friends and family to name the overseas destinations that they dream about, Australia is often at the top of the list. I myself hope to visit in a year or two. America and Australia are bound together by their common cultural heritage, frontier spirit, shared language, and as nations built by immigrants. Complain about this comment * 21. At 9:01pm on 08 Dec 2009, Jordan Cook wrote: the real distinction between the US and Australia is the influence of British culture. Nick's blog looks at American culture, which is relatively new in it's global hegemony. perhaps this discussion is better left to the future, when the pressure of world culture will drown out that of America on the Australian psyche. it's interesting how vehemently people get when they feel their "culture" is under attack; as if this abstract, human invention is all that defines us as an human being. Australia's culture is whatever the people there choose to absorb. Complain about this comment * 22. At 9:54pm on 08 Dec 2009, 11pete11 wrote: 19: 16 Eliz_nsw mentions Bishop, Rudd, Joyce, Xenephon, Fielding as if they will somehow replace the NSW State Government. I asked was she serious because ALL of them are currently Federal Reps of Senators...no way can they topple Keneally...they are in different Governments. Complain about this comment * 23. At 11:25pm on 08 Dec 2009, redhotgreen wrote: Kristina Keneally has a much bigger fight on her hands than the idea of her being an American. As Nick correctly points out, the NSW Labor government is seen as an 'ugly and repellent political machine' rather than a servant of the people. Back room political deals at the hands of factional interests have long been a feature of Australian politics, regardless of their ideological orientation. The difference now is that the back room has spilled over to the front lawn and the ugliness, in all its sordid splendor, is now for all to see. As for the American cultural imperialism, I suspect it is more to do with the size of the respective populations that determines the extent of Australian TV's content composition. America is, after all, around 15 times the size of Australia (population and economy wise that is). It is not unreasonable to expect the amount of American TV content in Australia to be around the same ratio. I don't suppose you could find out Nick? I think Australian culture is more British than American. I think the Australian 'tall poppy syndrome' is due to entrenched English reserve railing against perceived American brashness. Australian's love a winner, so long as you don't appear boastful, like an American. So perhaps Kristina Keneally will be fine, so long as she is humble. Complain about this comment * 24. At 11:58pm on 08 Dec 2009, lochraven wrote: Nick, was it your intent to cause dissension between Australia and the US? I most certainly think you did. Shame on you. Complain about this comment * 25. At 02:28am on 09 Dec 2009, LenDaHand wrote: It isnt because she is American - its because she is a puppet of the same people who have controlled NSW for last 15 years. Oh im nobodys puppet eh? ok your a wind up doll the Kristina. Nick we have been welcoming Americans here since the gold rush - even had a US President working here in early 1900's. We are about to see the death throws of a government - well we have for last 2 years. Kristina will be just the pig on the spit! Complain about this comment * 26. At 10:29am on 09 Dec 2009, Mick wrote: I think Nick makes a good point about whether Australia will accept an American-Australian politician as readily as they have accepted say Italian or Chinese Australian politicians. Kristina doesn't sound pure American Pie to my ears, in fact she veers quite weirdly between Yank and Strine. I've found that Australians get on well with Americans on a personal level (we have quite a few US-Australians in our office) but many seem to have that patronising Jeremy Clarkson-style antipathy towards "Americans". This is all rather academic for Kenneally, however. She is seen a a puppet of the hated Labor-right faction in NSW and unless she can persuade us otherwise she will get the boot at the next election, regardless of whether she is accepted as a fair dinkum Aussie. Complain about this comment * 27. At 10:43pm on 09 Dec 2009, Floyd wrote: The only part I found to criticise was the bit about Starbucks. McDonalds, every bit as much of an American import and much slagged-off on that account, has flourished like cown-of-thorns starfish. For ine, Starbucks has had to draw back a bit because we already had what they offered; ie really good coffee in cute atmospheric surroundings. I loved Starbucks when it arrived in Japan (where the alternative was the sort of coffee you'd serve your mates in a student house, but at six bucks a cup and in a smokey room) but would never darken their doors here - not out of anti-Americanism but because, well, what would be the point? Complain about this comment * 28. At 11:04am on 12 Dec 2009, Evan wrote: #20 - Spot on! Complain about this comment * 29. At 00:13am on 15 Dec 2009, David wrote: I like Austalians without regard to observational generalizing stuff--let people be people. And she IS right wing, so dislike of her is not based on anti-Americanism--it is only *helped* by anti-Americanism--in my center/left bent thinking. Complain about this comment * Previous * Next View these comments in RSS Jump to more content from this blog About this blog A picture of Nick Bryant I'm Nick Bryant, and I'm the BBC's Sydney correspondent. For the latest updates across BBC blogs, visit the Blogs homepage. Advertisement Subscribe to Nick Bryant's Australia You can stay up to date with Nick Bryant's Australia via these feeds. Nick Bryant's Australia Feed(RSS) Nick Bryant's Australia Feed(ATOM) If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find our beginner's guide to RSS useful. 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Latest contributors * Nick Bryant BBC iD Sign in Search term: ____________________ Search bbc.co.uk navigation * News * Sport * Weather * Capital * TV * Radio * More… * CBBC * CBeebies * Comedy * Food * History * Learning * Music * Science * Nature * Local * Northern Ireland * Scotland * Wales * Full A-Z of BBC sites BBC links * + Mobile site + Terms of Use + About the BBC * + Advertise With Us + Privacy + Accessibility Help * + Ad Choices + Cookies + Contact the BBC * + Parental Guidance BBC BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. # #A to Z Terms of Use BBC Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Accessibility Help bbc.co.uk navigation * News * Sport * Weather * Capital * Culture * Autos * TV * Radio * More… Search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search BBC News Magazine * Home * UK * Africa * Asia * Europe * Latin America * Mid-East * US & Canada * Business * Health * Sci/Environment * Tech * Entertainment * Video * Magazine * In Pictures * Also in the News * Editors' Blog * Have Your Say * World News TV * World Service Radio * Special Reports 13 July 2011 Last updated at 10:41 GMT Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print Viewpoint: Why do some Americanisms irritate people? US flag and Union Flag Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine * Readers' broadband nightmares * Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus * 8 radical solutions to protect cyclists * The man who can taste the Tube map Watch British people are used to the stream of Americanisms entering the language. But some are worse than others, argues Matthew Engel. I have had a lengthy career in journalism. I hope that's because editors have found me reliable. I have worked with many talented colleagues. Sometimes I get invited to parties and meet influential people. Overall, I've had a tremendous time. Lengthy. Reliable. Talented. Influential. Tremendous. All of these words we use without a second thought were not normally part of the English language until the establishment of the United States. The Americans imported English wholesale, forged it to meet their own needs, then exported their own words back across the Atlantic to be incorporated in the way we speak over here. Those seemingly innocuous words caused fury at the time. The poet Coleridge denounced "talented" as a barbarous word in 1832, though a few years later it was being used by William Gladstone. A letter-writer to the Times, in 1857, described "reliable" as vile. Continue reading the main story Find out more * Listen to Matthew Engel discuss 'Americanisms' on Four Thought on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 13 July at 2045 BST * Listen again via the BBC iPlayer * Or download the podcast My grandfather came to London on the outbreak of World War I and never lost his mid-European accent. His descendants have blended into the landscape. That's what happens with immigration. It's the same with vocabulary migration. The French have always hated this process with a very Gallic passion, and their most august body L'Academie Francaise issues regular rulings on the avoidance of imported words. English isn't like that. It is a far more flexible language. Anarchic even. That's part of the secret of its success. It has triumphed where Latin, French and the artificial language of Esperanto all ultimately failed, and become the natural medium of global communication. This is the version of English sometimes known as "Globish". Flags together Apart from the occasional falling out, the US and the UK have usually been friends To use it requires only a rudimentary knowledge of grammar and, so it is said, a vocabulary of a mere 1,500 words. But what the world is speaking - even on levels more sophisticated than basic Globish - is not necessarily our English. According to the Oxford Guide to World English, "American English has a global role at the beginning of the 21st Century comparable to that of British English at the start of the 20th". The alarming part is that this is starting to show in the language we speak in Britain. American usages no longer swim to our shores as single spies, as "reliable" and "talented" did. They come in battalions. In the 1930s, the talkies took hold and represented the first overwhelming manifestation of American cultural power. This was reinforced in the 1940s by the presence of large numbers of US servicemen in Britain and the 1950s marked the heyday of the western. There may have been a brief pushback after that, in the era of Swinging London, as Bill Haley and Elvis faded, and the Beatles and Stones conquered the world, along with words like "fab" and "groovy". In the years since, however, the movement seems to have become overwhelming, unstoppable and almost wholly one way, with the exception of Harry Potter. Continue reading the main story The coining of the term J Witherspoon, writing in the Pennsylvania Journal, 1781 The first class I call Americanisms, by which I understand an use of phrases or terms, or a construction of sentences, even among persons of rank and education, different from the use of the same terms or phrases, or the construction of similar sentences, in Great Britain. The word Americanism, which I have coined for the purpose, is exactly similar in its formation and signification to the word Scotticism. American culture is ubiquitous in Britain on TV and the web. As our computers talk to us in American, I keep having to agree to a license spelt with an s. I am invited to print something in color without the u. I am told "you ghat mail". It is, of course, always e-mail - never our own more natural usage, e-post. As an ex-American resident, I remain a big fan of baseball. But I sit over here and listen to people who know nothing of the games talk about ideas coming out of "left field". They speak about "three strikes and you're out" or "stepping up to the plate" without the foggiest idea what these phrases mean. I think the country has started to lose its own sense of itself. In many respects, English and American are not coming together. When it comes to new technology, we often go our separate ways. They have cellphones - we have mobiles. We go to cash points or cash machines - they use ATMs. We have still never linked hands on motoring terminology - petrol, the boot, the bonnet, known in the US as gas, the trunk, the hood. Yet in the course of my own lifetime, countless routine British usages have either been superseded or are being challenged by their American equivalents. We no longer watch a film, we go to the movies. We increasingly have trucks not lorries. A hike is now a wage or price rise not a walk in the country. Ugly and pointless new usages appear in the media and drift into everyday conversation: * Faze, as in "it doesn't faze me" * Hospitalize, which really is a vile word * Wrench for spanner * Elevator for lift * Rookies for newcomers, who seem to have flown here via the sports pages. * Guy, less and less the centrepiece of the ancient British festival of 5 November - or, as it will soon be known, 11/5. Now someone of either gender. * And, starting to creep in, such horrors as ouster, the process of firing someone, and outage, meaning a power cut. I always read that as outrage. And it is just that. I am all for a living, breathing language that evolves with the times. I accept that estate agents prefer to sell apartments rather than flats - they sound more enticing. I accept that we now have freight trains rather than goods trains - that's more accurate. Derek Jeter, a baseball player Many British people step up to the plate and have ideas out of left field I accept that sometimes American phrases have a vigour and vivacity. A relative of mine told me recently he went to a business meeting chaired by a Californian woman who wanted everyone to speak frankly. It was "open kimono". How's that for a vivid expression? But what I hate is the sloppy loss of our own distinctive phraseology through sheer idleness, lack of self-awareness and our attitude of cultural cringe. We encourage the diversity offered by Welsh and Gaelic - even Cornish is making a comeback. But we are letting British English wither. Britain is a very distinct country from the US. Not better, not worse, different. And long live that difference. That means maintaining the integrity of our own gloriously nuanced, subtle and supple version - the original version - of the English language. This is an edited version of Matthew Engel's Four Thought broadcast. More on This Story In today's Magazine * Man frustrated at keyboard Readers' broadband nightmares Readers have been sharing their broadband experiences, in response to a Magazine feature about internet prices worldwide. _____________________________________________________________ * Dinner at Le Festin Nu Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus The French would have a fancy word for it - entomophagy. Insect-eating to you and me. 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Programmes * Microsoft's Xbob One Click Watch Marc Cieslak gets a hands-on look at Microsoft's new console, the Xbox One Services * Mobile * Connected TV * News feeds * Alerts * E-mail news About BBC News * Editors' blog * BBC College of Journalism * News sources * Media Action * Editorial Guidelines BBC links * + Mobile site + Terms of Use + About the BBC * + Advertise With Us + Privacy + Accessibility Help * + Ad Choices + Cookies + Contact the BBC * + Parental Guidance BBC BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. # #A to Z Terms of Use BBC Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Accessibility Help bbc.co.uk navigation * News * Sport * Weather * Capital * Culture * Autos * TV * Radio * More… Search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search BBC News US & Canada * Home * UK * Africa * Asia * Europe * Latin America * Mid-East * US & Canada * Business * Health * Sci/Environment * Tech * Entertainment * Video 26 December 2010 Last updated at 07:57 GMT Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print How the US cemented its worldwide influence with Spam By Kevin Connolly BBC News, Austin, Minnesota Spam products Most people can probably remember the moment when they first realised the seductive power and global pervasiveness of American culture. I had bought a bootleg CD of The Beach Boys' surfing songs in the remote north-eastern Russian republic of Sakha and had my photograph taken with a goat herder in Djibouti who was wearing a Six Million Dollar Man T-shirt. It is an extraordinary form of soft power which will endure even if the looming powerhouses of China, India and Brazil come to overshadow America's global economic dominance. Spam hero - Philippines Spam, Spam, Spam - The Spamjam restaurant in Manila serves almost everything with Spam After all, even when you're watching a Chinese flat-screen TV and driving an Indian car powered with Brazilian biofuels you almost certainly won't be wearing Indian-style clothing or humming Chinese pop songs as you go. Or watching Brazilian movies either. Next time you see television pictures of an anti-American demonstration anywhere on earth look closely at the crowd. Among the flag-burners you'll almost certainly see someone wearing an LA Lakers shirt or a Yankees baseball cap. My first exposure to American culture came back in the Doris Days of the early 1960s, growing up in a Britain that was still shaking off the lingering effects of rationing and the costs of post-war reconstruction. We had Elvis, of course, and Hollywood but the world was a lot less global then. It was still possible, for example, for British recording artists to have hit records by simply recording their own versions of songs that were already hits for American stars on the far side of the Atlantic. Spam Central But the flagship of American influence in my own life was Spam, the bright-pink pork luncheon meat that was a staple of the British working-class diet for several decades. It's still going strong in many markets around the world - including the United States - and although the odd concession has been made to changing times (it's less fatty and salty than it used to be) it's still essentially the same as it always was. I came to know it in the early 1960s, in the days before the invention of obesity. In common with millions of other British families we used to slice it, coat it in batter and then deep-fry it, thus producing that miracle of British culinary ingenuity known as the spam fritter. So when the time came to find a way to round off my three years as the BBC's North America correspondent, it seemed somehow fitting to head not for the bright lights of New York or Chicago but for the less showy charms of Austin, Minnesota, home of the Hormel Food Company. Spam Central, in short. Spam and egg in Hawaii Fighting fit - Spam and egg for breakfast It would be fair to say that Austin, like a lot of cities in the northern Mid West, is not flattered by the grim, flat light of early winter. But the Spam Museum, which is its main tourist attraction, is a riot of cheery colour. Inside you are treated to the services of a "Spambassador" (I said it was colourful, not subtle) and you enjoy a movie presentation that draws heavily on the musical work of a group of ladies called the Spamettes. And it turns out that it's not fanciful at all to see Spam as a symbol of the spread of American influence. Our Spambassador Chris George tells us that the product was already popular in the United States in the 1930s - the first radio jingle, in fact, is a kind of ode to Spam set to the tune of My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean. Versatile and delicious "It was World War II that made Spam international because American GIs brought it all over the world," he says. "And when there was food rationing in Britain and continental Europe, Spam was versatile, delicious, easy to transport and it kept a long time. Those are important qualities." Continue reading the main story Spam Fritters Spam Fritters * Make batter out of flour, egg milk, water, or beer * Coat slices of spam in batter * Fry for two to three minutes per side * Marguerite Patten's wartime recipe Even allowing for the Spambassador's genius for turning every sentence about the stuff into a commercial, you can see the truth of that. The museum is honest enough to acknowledge that the GIs themselves got a little sick of Spam which they ate almost every day. But you can almost map the progress of their campaigns through the trail of portable, porky protein they left behind. Spam went to Europe of course but it went East as well and left its mark in Hawaii (home of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor), Japan, Guam and eventually Korea. It conjures up a strange new perspective on World War II - GIs struggling to get over the beaches of Normandy and across the sands of Iwo Jima before their arteries clogged up. But it makes you wonder if this is the reason why they put Spam in brick-shaped tins, because America used it to build its influence in a hungry post-war world. Cheeky brand Indeed it was the very ubiquity of Spam that made it seem so risible to Monty Python. But if they thought they had killed the brand with ridicule, they were sadly mistaken. Their celebrated sketch has pride of place in the museum. Evidence, muses Spambassador Chris philosophically, of the cheekiness of the brand. Continue reading the main story Spam trivia * The US supplied huge amounts of Spam to the USSR in WWII * Its original name was Hormel Spiced Ham - the name Spam was chosen in a competition * Production in the UK (in Liverpool) ceased in 1998 * Hormel Foods sued Jim Henson in 1995, after an "evil" boar called Spa'am featured in a Muppets movie * Spam email is said to have been named after the Monty Python sketch, where the word takes over the dialogue * A web archive of haiku about spam (or "spam-ku") contains 19,000 poems * The Spam haiku archive You are perhaps unlikely to stumble across the home of Spam unless you find yourself driving from Minneapolis to Des Moines but it's genuinely worth a visit as a case study in how an iconic brand helped to introduce a wider world to American brands and ideas. It's quite a while since we stopped marvelling at the convenience of convenience food and started worrying about it was doing to us, but Spam continues to keep its place in a changing world. It is not much use as a nation-building tool in America's modern wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for example (pork, remember) but these are tough times in America and domestic sales are going rather well. More on This Story Related Internet links * Spam * Spam Museum The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print More US & Canada stories RSS * Supporters of Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) attend a candlelight vigil for death row inmate Joseph Franklin St Louis, Missouri, on 19 November 2013 US neo-Nazi serial killer executed A US white supremacist who targeted blacks and Jews in a nationwide killing spree is put to death in the US state of Missouri. * US congressman faces cocaine charge * US state senator stabbed as son dies Top Stories * Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses Basij militiamen in Tehran (20 November 2013) Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks * Egyptian troops die in Sinai attack * Children 'slower than parents were' * US neo-Nazi serial killer executed * Greenpeace suspects bailed in Russia Features & Analysis * Dinner at Le Festin Nu Horrors d'oeuvre Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus _____________________________________________________________ * Green light for cyclists 8 radical solutions Should city centres ban cars to protect cyclists? _____________________________________________________________ * Man in Tacloban using neighbours water supply Scavenging and sharing Watch How Tacloban is coping after Typhoon Haiyan _____________________________________________________________ * The aftermath of the double bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut City on edge Beirut waits nervously for reaction to bombings _____________________________________________________________ Most Popular Shared 1. 1: Hull to be UK City of Culture 2017 2. 2: Children 'slower than parents were' 3. 3: The man who fixed his own heart 4. 4: Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 5. 5: Study links synaesthesia to autism Read 1. 1: Gold bars found in aeroplane toilet 2. 2: US killer's execution 'can go ahead' 3. 3: Eurostar bars obese Frenchman 4. 4: The man who fixed his own heart 5. 5: Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks 6. 6: LG investigates 'spying' Smart TVs 7. 7: Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 8. 8: Uzbek first daughter in Twitter war 9. 9: Children 'slower than parents were' 10. 10: UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar options Video/Audio 1. 2: Power boat flips on Coniston water Watch 2. 3: US Navy debuts the P-8A Poseidon Watch 3. 4: One-minute World News Watch 4. 5: The man who can taste the Tube map Watch 5. 6: Indonesia volcano spews ash Watch 6. 7: Dutch cyclist claims world speed record Watch 7. 8: Whiz-kid teaches tech to MIT grads Watch 8. 9: Nigeria's musical talents nurtured Watch 9. 10: One Direction, Three autobiographies Watch Elsewhere on the BBC * Doctor Who Time Lord timelines If you combined all of Doctor Who's journeys on a map, what would it look like? Programmes * Microsoft's Xbob One Click Watch Marc Cieslak gets a hands-on look at Microsoft's new console, the Xbox One Services * Mobile * Connected TV * News feeds * Alerts * E-mail news About BBC News * Editors' blog * BBC College of Journalism * News sources * Media Action * Editorial Guidelines BBC links * + Mobile site + Terms of Use + About the BBC * + Advertise With Us + Privacy + Accessibility Help * + Ad Choices + Cookies + Contact the BBC * + Parental Guidance BBC BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. # #A to Z Terms of Use BBC Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Accessibility Help bbc.co.uk navigation * News * Sport * Weather * Capital * Culture * Autos * TV * Radio * More… Search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search BBC News US & Canada * Home * UK * Africa * Asia * Europe * Latin America * Mid-East * US & Canada * Business * Health * Sci/Environment * Tech * Entertainment * Video 26 July 2011 Last updated at 02:52 GMT Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print Viewpoint: American English is getting on well, thanks British and American flags hang in London in a May file photo American and British English are siblings from the same parentage. Neither is the parent of the other Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine * Readers' broadband nightmares * Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus * 8 radical solutions to protect cyclists * The man who can taste the Tube map Watch There's been much debate on these pages in recent days about the spread of Americanisms - outside the US. Here, American lexicographer and broadcaster Grant Barrett offers a riposte. When Matthew Engel wrote here earlier this month about the impact of American English on British English, he restarted a debate about the changing nature of language which ended in dozens of suggestions from readers of their own loathed Americanisms. Most of those submitted were neither particularly American nor original to American English. But the point that Americans are ruining English is enough to puff a Yank up with pride. We Americans lead at least two staggeringly expensive wars elsewhere in the world, but with a few cost-free changes to the lexis we apparently have the British running in fear in the High Street. Soon we'll have Sainsbury's to ourselves! Our victory over English and the English is almost complete. "The original version" is what Engel calls British English, which is like calling one's firstborn "the original child". English is, in truth, a family: American English and British English are siblings from the same parentage, neither is the parent of the other. They are two siblings among many modern-day varieties. But the larger point, as Engel puts it, is the "sloppy loss of our own distinctive phraseology through sheer idleness, lack of self-awareness and our attitude of cultural cringe". He writes, "We are letting British English wither." The "we", in my opinion, is best thought of as the scribbling class that includes Engel. Point of enquiry Somewhere along the way the writing and thinking folks (on both sides of the Atlantic) have ceded most of the public conversation about language to the carpers, whiners and peevers. Worse, many of the scribbling class have become whingers themselves. A sign at Geno's in Philadelphia advises customers to speak English Many Americans are proud - some defiantly so - of the English language the British imparted them I know the complainers well, as they are among the listeners who direct more than 10,000 telephone calls and emails a year to the national show about language I co-host here in the US. We treat the complainers, a small but keyboard-happy minority, with tenderness and some concern. They're afflicted, but there's a remedy - it uses gut feelings about language as a point of enquiry rather than as an end. "I hate this word" is not productive but "Why do I hate this word?" is extraordinarily so. Elite complainers should be asking "Why?" and then explaining what they discover. Why does it seem like someone's language is wrong? Why does the other person think it is right? Why does it seem it's being used more? What do the real linguists and lexicographers say about it? What do the aggregate data show? In other words, they should be explaining what is happening in language rather than complaining about it. Language fieldwork On the radio show, we encourage this tactic in our listeners. Some now do what amounts to basic fieldwork when they are annoyed by language. A protest More than 16% of the US claims Hispanic origin, and American English resounds with Spanish words They ask themselves, can I find more data about this? Are there patterns? Can I draw conclusions about the data and patterns? Some even keep a journal of their linguistic enquiries, much like one might keep a word list when reading. Instead of peeving about supposed incorrect usage, they find themselves using better dictionaries, consulting better usage guides, and looking at cost-free high-quality online materials - such as language corpora - to figure it out. 'A mongrel bitch' If people submitting Americanisms had done this, they would have found that in some cases the terms they warned against predated Americans and American influence. In others the history is so muddled that it can only be said that both Englishes conspired. In closing, Dear Britain: The mongrel bitch you gave us as a parting gift is getting along quite well. She seems to be fond of bringing every kind of critter home with her, raising them up as if they belonged and turning them into the sort of good company that'll keep your feet warm on cold nights. Motley bunch, though! You wouldn't think a bulldog-husky-poodle mutt could train up a brood of raccoon kits and opossum joeys, but she's such a one. She's now gravid to the point of collapse, so we'll likely have a few more pups to set aside for you soon. We think the daddy's a Chihuahua. Sorry that last litter didn't work out to your liking. You can always refuse delivery on the next bunch. We'll be glad to take them back. Best wishes, Grant Barrett Grant Barrett is a radio announcer, editor and lexicographer. He co-hosts an American public radio show about language, A Way with Words. More on This Story In today's Magazine * Man frustrated at keyboard Readers' broadband nightmares Readers have been sharing their broadband experiences, in response to a Magazine feature about internet prices worldwide. _____________________________________________________________ * Dinner at Le Festin Nu Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus The French would have a fancy word for it - entomophagy. Insect-eating to you and me. Hugh Schofield looks at the rise of insect-eating in France. _____________________________________________________________ * 8 radical solutions to protect cyclists Should cars be entirely banned from city centres to protect cyclists? Plus seven other radical solutions for cycle safety * The man who can taste the Tube map Watch James Wannerton has a condition called synaesthesia, which links senses normally experienced separately. * Lee Harvey Oswald Fond memories of Lee Harvey Oswald It's odd to visit a city where people remember Lee Harvey Oswald fondly, and refuse to believe he is guilty, writes the BBC's David Stern. _____________________________________________________________ Related Stories * Why do some Americanisms irritate people? 13 JULY 2011, MAGAZINE * 50 of your noted Americanisms 20 JULY 2011, MAGAZINE Around the BBC * BBC Radio 4: Four Thought The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites Comments This entry is now closed for comments Jump to comments pagination * All Comments 338 * loading * + Order by: + Latest First + Highest Rated + Lowest Rated * rate this positive negative 0 rate this Rate this comment positively Rate this comment negatively 0 Comment number 338. BienvenueEnLouisiana 27th July 2011 - 0:46 I have loads of fun with this discussion, but I get annoyed when Latin Americans bring up the term "American" and say it's an example of US arrogance. The nerve of those people is astounding. Shall we change our name because they don't like what we've called ourselves since the 1770s? It also shows an ignorance of history and linguistics. United Statesian is not proper English it's Spanglish! Report this comment (Comment number 338) Link to this (Comment number 338) * rate this positive negative 0 rate this Rate this comment positively Rate this comment negatively 0 Comment number 337. Bisquick McBob 27th July 2011 - 0:41 How many here have missed the point of the article: that instead of sitting around complaining, we should ask ourselves why we are bothered. If we insist on judging everyone's speech, great: let's judge. I'll give a prize to the Canadians for speaking the best English on the planet. Second place, why not New Zealand? England belongs somewhere in the top ten, maybe just below Holland. Report this comment (Comment number 337) Link to this (Comment number 337) * rate this positive negative +1 rate this Rate this comment positively Rate this comment negatively +1 Comment number 336. Alexys 27th July 2011 - 0:39 I am an "American" and I lament the destruction of the English language. I am not concerned with "aeroplane" being spelled as "airplane," but I am frightened by the most basic of words being abbreviated. "U" instead of "you," for instance. What's so hard about adding two more letters? Even our advertisements cater to the progressively illiterate. The beauty of language is disappearing quickly. Report this comment (Comment number 336) Link to this (Comment number 336) * rate this positive negative 0 rate this Rate this comment positively Rate this comment negatively 0 Comment number 335. MH 27th July 2011 - 0:34 Faz 281 (from the former postmoderna, now MH), Your gentle note compels me to admit that you've busted me. I lived for 2 years in England & by a shame-faced process of moving my beans ever nearer to my morning toast, came to LOVE beans on toast. For the rest, I adjusted my vocabulary to the foreign tongue but didn't supress my American accent--that's when I realized that I'm a patriot. Take care! Report this comment (Comment number 335) Link to this (Comment number 335) * rate this positive negative +1 rate this Rate this comment positively Rate this comment negatively +1 Comment number 334. worldcitizen007 27th July 2011 - 0:12 As an Indian (from India) in the US, I have often been asked, with great astonishment from the questioner, where I learned English. Annoying but you learn to ignore the ignorant. My first language lesson in the US was on "for here or to go?". I explained that I did not understand the question but wanted to eat my food at home. Didn't help. To the stereotypical waiter, I wasn't speaking "English"! Report this comment (Comment number 334) Link to this (Comment number 334) Comments 5 of 338 * loading * Show more Add your comment Sign in with your BBC iD, or Register to comment and rate comments All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print More US & Canada stories RSS * Supporters of Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) attend a candlelight vigil for death row inmate Joseph Franklin St Louis, Missouri, on 19 November 2013 US neo-Nazi serial killer executed A US white supremacist who targeted blacks and Jews in a nationwide killing spree is put to death in the US state of Missouri. * US congressman faces cocaine charge * US state senator stabbed as son dies Top Stories * Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses Basij militiamen in Tehran (20 November 2013) Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks * Egyptian troops die in Sinai attack * Children 'slower than parents were' * US neo-Nazi serial killer executed * Greenpeace suspects bailed in Russia Features & Analysis * Dinner at Le Festin Nu Horrors d'oeuvre Insect eating creeps on to Paris menus _____________________________________________________________ * Green light for cyclists 8 radical solutions Should city centres ban cars to protect cyclists? _____________________________________________________________ * Man in Tacloban using neighbours water supply Scavenging and sharing Watch How Tacloban is coping after Typhoon Haiyan _____________________________________________________________ * The aftermath of the double bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut City on edge Beirut waits nervously for reaction to bombings _____________________________________________________________ Most Popular Shared 1. 1: Hull to be UK City of Culture 2017 2. 2: Children 'slower than parents were' 3. 3: The man who fixed his own heart 4. 4: Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 5. 5: Study links synaesthesia to autism Read 1. 1: Gold bars found in aeroplane toilet 2. 2: US killer's execution 'can go ahead' 3. 3: Eurostar bars obese Frenchman 4. 4: The man who fixed his own heart 5. 5: Iran warning ahead of nuclear talks 6. 6: LG investigates 'spying' Smart TVs 7. 7: Nobel Prize winner Sanger dies at 95 8. 8: Uzbek first daughter in Twitter war 9. 9: Children 'slower than parents were' 10. 10: UK 'reviewing' Gibraltar options Video/Audio 1. 2: Power boat flips on Coniston water Watch 2. 3: US Navy debuts the P-8A Poseidon Watch 3. 4: One-minute World News Watch 4. 5: The man who can taste the Tube map Watch 5. 6: Indonesia volcano spews ash Watch 6. 7: Dutch cyclist claims world speed record Watch 7. 8: Whiz-kid teaches tech to MIT grads Watch 8. 9: Nigeria's musical talents nurtured Watch 9. 10: One Direction, Three autobiographies Watch Elsewhere on the BBC * Doctor Who Time Lord timelines If you combined all of Doctor Who's journeys on a map, what would it look like? Programmes * Microsoft's Xbob One Click Watch Marc Cieslak gets a hands-on look at Microsoft's new console, the Xbox One Services * Mobile * Connected TV * News feeds * Alerts * E-mail news About BBC News * Editors' blog * BBC College of Journalism * News sources * Media Action * Editorial Guidelines BBC links * + Mobile site + Terms of Use + About the BBC * + Advertise With Us + Privacy + Accessibility Help * + Ad Choices + Cookies + Contact the BBC * + Parental Guidance BBC BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. # #Mail Online Search publisher Mail Online News RSS feed * MailOnline - news, sport, celebrity, science and health stories * Home * News * U.S. * Sport * TV&Showbiz * Femail * Health * Science * Money * Video * Coffee Break * Travel * Columnists * News Home * Arts * Headlines * Pictures * Most read * News Board * Login Find a Job M&S Wine Feedback Wednesday, Nov 20 2013 3PM 4°C 6PM 3°C 5-Day Forecast show ad * * * * * 0 shares Say no to the get-go! Americanisms swamping English, so wake up and smell the coffee Matthew Engel By Matthew Engel UPDATED: 21:01 GMT, 29 May 2010 * * * * 23 View comments It happened early this month, shortly after the first cuckoo. I heard it, I swear I heard it. The first get-go of spring. It was on the BBC Breakfast programme on May 11: a presenter was wittering, and distinctly said that something-or-other had been clear 'from the get-go'. From the what? Actually, I know all about the get-go or, worse still, the git-go. It's an ugly Americanism, meaning 'from the start' or 'from the off'. It adds nothing to Britain's language but it's here now, like the grey squirrel, destined to drive out native species and ravage the linguistic ecosystem. Empire State Building in New York The British have been borrowing words from America for at least two centuries We have to be realistic: languages grow. The success of English comes from its adaptability and the British have been borrowing words from America for at least two centuries. Old buffers like me have always complained about the process, and we have always been defeated. In 1832, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was fulminating about the 'vile and barbarous' new adjective that had just arrived in London. The word was 'talented'. It sounds innocuous enough to our ears, as do 'reliable', 'influential' and 'lengthy', which all inspired loathing when they first crossed the Atlantic. But the process gathered speed with the arrival of cinema and television in the 20th Century. And in the 21st it seems unstoppable. The U.S.-dominated computer industry, with its 'licenses', 'colors' and 'favorites' is one culprit. That ties in with mobile phones that keep 'dialing' numbers that are always 'busy'. My dictionary (a mere 12 years old) defines 'geek' as an American circus freak or, in Australia, 'a good long look'. We needed a word to describe someone obsessively interested in computer technology. It seems a shame there was never any chance of coining one ourselves. Nowadays, people have no idea where American ends and English begins. And that's a disaster for our national self-esteem. We are in danger of subordinating our language to someone else's - and with it large aspects of British life. Enlarge Engel's terrible ten Yet no one seems to care. The stern old type of English teacher has died out and many newspapers cannot now afford 'Prodnoses', the last-line-of-defence sub-editors who used to guard the language with a thick pencil. Sometimes, the language can be improved by the imports. The British would never be able even to define the deficit had we not adopted the American billion (a thousand million) to replace our old hardly used billion (a million million). I accept that estate agents find it easier to sell fancy apartments rather than boring old flats. And it's right that our few non-passenger trains should carry freight not goods, because that's a more accurate description of the contents. But the process is non-selective and almost wholly one-way. And it works very strangely. Almost all the parts of a car have different names in America, yet there is no sign of hood replacing bonnet, or the trunk supplanting the boot. Meanwhile, the most improbable areas of activity are terminally infected. Take the law. Ask any lawyer and they will explain: witnesses in British courts do not testify, they give evidence; nor do they 'take the stand' to do this, they go into the witness box. They do things the American way in media reports of court cases, though - day after day. We are witnessing a transatlantic takeover in politics as well. This month, Britain acquired a National Security Council. Last year, it gained a Supreme Court. There is talk that the House of Lords will be renamed the Senate. It also used to be understood that, while American politicians 'ran' for office, British politicians always 'stood'. I liked that: it implied a pleasing reticence. Now in Britain both words are used interchangeably and in this month's General Election candidates stood and ran at the same time. No wonder they kept falling flat on their faces. Then take sport, where Britain's national tastes are totally different from those of the Americans. I happen to belong to the .0001 per cent (approx) of the British population who count as baseball fans. This makes it even more offensive to me when politicians parrot phrases such as 'three strikes and you're out' although they haven't got the foggiest idea what it means. Technical baseball terms are everywhere. We constantly hear about people 'stepping up to the plate'. For some weird reason, cricket coaches are especially fond of this one. And ideas keep coming from the baseball position of 'left field'. Wouldn't silly mid-on be more appropriate? And so, hi guys, hel-LO, wake up and smell the coffee. We need to distinguish between the normal give-and-take of linguistic development and being overrun - through our own negligence and ignorance - by rampant cultural imperialism. We are all guilty. In the weeks after 9/11 (or 11/9, as I prefer to call it), British journalists, and I was one of them, solemnly reported that the planes had been hijacked by men waving box-cutters, even though no one in Britain knew what a box-cutter was. Very few of us bothered to explain that these were what we have always called Stanley knives. But it is time to fight back. The battle is almost uncertainly unwinnable but I am convinced there are millions of intelligent Britons out there who wince as often as I do every time they hear a witless Americanism introduced into British discourse. Stand up and say you care. Feel free to write with your favourite horrors. Come out of the closet. Or better still, the cupboard. Matthew Engel is a columnist on the Financial Times. Send your pet hate Americanisms to englishincrisis@gmail.com. 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[icon_comments_74.png] Comments (23) Share what you think * Newest * Oldest * Best rated * Worst rated View all The comments below have been moderated in advance. [4043143_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Sue, Darlington, 3 years ago I visit the USA a lot. I also have American family members, so I am used to hearing many of these words and phrases. Here is my list of Americanisms, some of which are creeping in over here Taps=faucets, road=pavement or blacktop, pavement=sidewalk, holiday=vacation, toilets=restrooms, scones=biscuits, biscuits=cookies, takeaway=carryout, motorway=freeway, curtains=drapes, jam=jelly, jelly=jell-o, car park=parking lot, handbag=purse, purse=wallet, wallet=billfold, junction=intersection, trousers=pants, bed quilt=comforter, cushion=pillow, garden=yard, cinema=movie theater, torch=flashlight, nappies=diapers, tights=pantyhose, waistcoat=vest, jumper=sweater, worktop=countertop, cupboard=closet, shopping trolley=shopping cart, primary school=elementary school these are just a few, there are hundreds more! I also have to wonder why Americans park on a driveway, yet drive on a parkway...... There are still many differences. It is still English, but not as we know it 29 278 Click to rate [4064793_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Harry, Huddersfield, 3 years ago Mr Engel, Please be assured that you are not alone! My pet hate is the way that any pc is configured to US English as standard. Of course it can be told to use UK English but mine have always had a tendancy to reset to US. Any other language can be removed from the memory but American is there for good. If anyone can tell me a reliable way to purge it from my pcs PLEASE post: everything I've tried so far says it will remove it at the next reboot but it never does. 50 193 Click to rate [4043150_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Joy, London, 3 years ago I'm a dual citizen & my Brit husband & I have had some very strange & funny problems with our English misunderstandings when we first got together. Even though I've lived in Britain longer than I did in the States and have tried to adapt to English ways of speech, I actually fuse the two together & use phrases & grammar interchangeably. This was a point of humour when I was studying to be a teacher of English as a Foreign Language - my poor students learned both styles of English without me realising it! As an American, my favourite Brit English expression is to "she fell pregnant"! OH dear!!!!! 23 172 Click to rate [4057298_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Edward, Kent, United Kingdom, 3 years ago British news readers saying 'downtown' instead of 'central' makes me wince. They say it all too often these days. 32 171 Click to rate [2840157_p.jpg?cb=20131120] The Cad, Birmingham, UK, 3 years ago We are fast becoming the 51st state of the union. It's not only the Americanisation of the English language but most of our traditions. Penny-for-the-guy is now trick-or-treat. Kids now go to proms and we have vacations instead of holidays. Father Christmas is now Santa Claus. Everyone says "hi" instead of "hello" and if I see another sportsman giving another hi-fives I'll lose it! We have the chavvy stretched limos for hen nights. Enough is enough, please lets preserve what is left of our language from the colonials 76 265 Click to rate [3474962_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Scully, England, 3 years ago Actually one can not blame it all on the Americans... We have the new 'uz' from north of the border when its clearly 'us' with an 'S' not a 'Z'. Also instead of 'you' we now have 'choo'.which is an insult to the English language. And what about those on our BBC treasure hunting shows, no longer do they go to the 'auction' to sell their buys, they go to the 'Oction' I just turn the programme over when I hear a presenter such as Jenny Bond use that irritating pronunciation. 18 143 Click to rate [4156360_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Simon, Here, 3 years ago My pet hates are the use of 'program' instead of 'programme' and 'airplane' instead of 'aeroplane'. I can just about stomach 'computer program' but 'TV program' sets my teeth on edge. Any use of 'airplane' by a Brit is frankly murder of the language of Shakespeare! 30 66 Click to rate [4131609_p.jpg?cb=20131120] mike, county durham, 3 years ago I understand the point your making, hope this article does not offend Americans though, it's a nice country and American people are really very nice. 18 106 Click to rate [4562351_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Morgan Atkinson, Portland Oregon (ex-patriot), 3 years ago Or is it ex-pat ? Why bother with the entire word ? It is so Anglo Saxon. Trust me, you have never communicated until you have put together 'off' & 'of' !! The combination is a necessity in American journalistic prowess. The book fell off of the table. Go figure !! 12 49 Click to rate [4306304_p.jpg?cb=20131120] SJW, Guildford, UK., 3 years ago Has anyone noticed? The word something no longer exists. The majority of the British population including Newscasters (who should know better) now says somethink. The word is something WITH A "G", not somethink WITH A "K". Come on Britain, start speaking English. 12 81 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [topcommenter.png] Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now Bing (_) Site (_) Web Enter search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search Like MailOnline Follow @MailOnline FEMAIL TODAY * Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car launch Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car event Father-to-be looked alarmed in LA * Living life in the past lane! Simon Cowell joined by exes Terri Seymour AND Mezhgan Hussainy at Jaguar launch Living life in the past lane! 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Lost star Josh Holloway reveals he is expecting second child with wife Yessica Kumala Gushed with excitement * Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos get airbrushed off for new cover shoot celebrating her figure Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos are airbrushed away for new cover shoot celebrating her figure * I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful * Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for alcoholism led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for drinking problem led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Co-stars 'concerned' * Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' * Tamara Ecclestone She'll shop 'til she pops! Pregnant Tamara Ecclestone indulges in her favourite pastime as she hits Harrods yet again Her favourite store * Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend she accused of assault 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' * 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to re-team with Michael Keaton 27 later for Beetlejuice 2 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to revisit her Beetlejuice role 27 years on Likely re-teaming with Michael Keaton * Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave Boston chill Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave the Boston chill * Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's wine voted the best rose of the year Wine developed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at their estate in Provence is named 2012's 'Best Rosé in the World' Cheers * Brooke Vincent shows off her bustier side in a seductive selfie on her Instagram page 'Tis the season to be busty: Brooke Vincent posts sexy pouting selfie showing ample cleavage Captioned with a snowflake * Stylish in shades: January Jones' son Xander looked hip in his silver sunglasses as the two went out in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday January Jones and her leading man Xander are quite the double act with mummy and son shades Both looked the part out in the sunshine in Beverly Hills * Gabe Day-Lewis has released a video for his rap song 'Green Auras' which references being bipolar, his famous dad and drug addiction 'I'm about to Gabe-Day lose it' Daniel Day-Lewis's son raps about famous father, drug problems and being bipolar His musical alias * 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure Widely panned by critics * Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet * 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are ALREADY working on baby number three 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are working on baby No 3 * Sir David Jason Sir David Jason wipes away a tear as he reprises the role of Granville whilst filming an Open All Hours Christmas special Emotional scenes * Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Didn't last long * Martha Stewart 'This looks like prison food': Domestic goddess Martha Stewart is slammed on Twitter for 'disgusting' photos of her dinners Not very appetising * Nicholas Lyndhurst Back to their old tricks! Nicholas Lyndhurst wraps up warm as he films BBC comedy series New Tricks in London Filming 11th series * Platinum curls, red lips and a little black dress... there's no mistaking who Katherine Jenkins took for inspiration this week to entertain UK troops in Afghanistan. Katherine's Monroe moment! Singer Jenkins channels Marilyn's glamour to perform two concerts for troops in Afghanistan... as well as a special happy birthday * Roy Cropper cuts a glum figure as he attends wife Hayley's funeral SPOILER ALERT: Coronation Street's Roy Cropper cuts a sad figure as the people of Weatherfield turn out for Hayley's funeral Tearjerker central * Natalie Cassidy FIRST LOOK: Natalie Cassidy returns to EastEnders as Sonia Fowler (but there's no sign of the trumpet) Has split from husband Martin * Duchess of Cambridge That looks familiar! The Duchess of Cambridge recycles her bargain £162 Orla Kiely dress for charity visit Visited charity volunteers in London's Kings Cross * Jessie J Back to black: Jessie J returns to her roots as she dyes her blonde quiff dark again Dyed hair blonde in March after shaving it off for Comic Relief * spencer EXCLUSIVE: Spencer Matthews reveals the truth behind his £500,000 bar bill and why he's buying Lucy Watson kinky handcuffs for Christmas * Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up upon as he catches a flight from Heathrow airport Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up as he catches a flight with One Direction and Lily Allen His curly locks are growing unruly * Joyus: Katie Percy and Patrick Valentine leave their wedding at St Michael's Church in Alnwick in February RICHARD KAY: Love spell broken for Lady Katie Marital bliss seems to have eluded Lady Catherine Percy and Patrick Valentine * Eva Longoria Never in the shade! Eva Longoria dresses up her all-black outfit with sexy studded cuff boots ahead of Global Gift Gala Co-hosting charity bash in London * Doesn't feel like November! Cara Santana exposed her back in black maxi dress as she pampered at a nail salon in West Hollywood, California on Monday Jesse Metcalfe's fiancée Cara Santana puts her back into it as she visits nail salon in slinky black dress Certainly dressed to impress * 9021-Over? Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' 9021-Over: Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' She's deactivated her Instagram * No down time! Pregnant Rachel Zoe took her son Skyler out for treats in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday 'There's no down time:' Heavily pregnant Rachel Zoe continues to stay active by taking son Skyler out for sugary treats as she edges closer to her due date * Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Audi with New York plates reportedly drove into three parked cars * Health and beauty hints Rub vigorously to lose your double chin and don't wash your hair on a cloudy day: 1910 beauty book offers bizarre and outdated advice * Suki Waterhouse Suki Waterhouse puts her pins on parade in a swinging 60s-inspired minidress as she turns on the Christmas lights Did the honours in Kildare Village in Ireland * Peter Andre and pregnant Emily MacDonagh mingle with stars at Eva Longoria's charity gala Bumping along! Peter Andre's pregnant girlfriend Emily MacDonagh conceals her shape in loose-fitting LBD at Eva Longoria's pre-gala dinner * Signature look: The Duck Dynasty cast in their signature wardrobe Duck Dynasty, the fashion label? The reality show's stars Jep and Jessica Robertson announce they will launch a clothing line next year * Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and says Alex Reid 'took her number' Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and claims Alex Reid 'took her number' Looked glam in shoot * 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes thanks fans for their prayers as she reveals potentially life-threatening condition 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes seeks comfort from her granddaughter Potentially life-threatening * 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and pop star is forced to admit mistake 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and the pop star is forced to admit mistake Ooops * 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' Announced news on his SiriusXM radio show * Tapped out! Kate Gosselin abandons multi-millon dollar lawsuit in which she accused former husband Jon of hacking and wire-tapping Tapped out: Kate Gosselin 'abandons multi-millon dollar hacking and wire-tapping lawsuit against ex-husband Jon' Stars of Jon And Kate + 8 * Elle north korea chic North Korea chic? Elle comes under fire for linking 'edgy' military fashion trend to brutal dictatorship Trend story written by the creative director Joe Zee * Chris Hardwick's touching farewell to father Billy on Talking Dead Touching moment comedian Chris Hardwick shared news of father's death on TV The champion bowler died of a heart attack at 72 * Capitol Couture Get the Katniss look! Sneak peek of Hunger Games clothing line ahead of its launch on Net-a-porter Ready-to-wear pieces and jewellery * Dennis Stock Rare photos featuring James Dean, Marylin Monroe and Marlon Brando revealed in stunning new book Dennis Stock: American Cool * Last Tango In Halifax was one of the 'most brilliantly acted pieces of television' Claudia Connell has seen this year Marriage? You need something old, and something else old... CLAUDIA CONNELL reviews last night's TV Last Tango In Halifax (BBC1) * Kelly Brook Pamper me, pronto! Kelly Brook rushes between beauty salons and clothes store ahead of her new bar opening Launching Steam and Rye in Central London * Ferne McCann TOWIE's Ferne McCann showcases toned and tanned bikini body as she frolics in the sea on girls' trip to Dubai Has forgiven cheating boyfriend Charlie Sims * Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA premiere as film posters prove deceptive The height games! Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA première as film posters prove deceptive He's 5ft 7, she's 5ft 10 * 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why the critics should leave Justin Bieber alone 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why critics should leave Justin Bieber alone * She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' Can't bear to be apart * Susanna and Fiona Susanna Reid shows off her deep Strictly tan and lean dancer's figure... while former co-star Fiona Fullerton is stylish in a military-inspired jacket * Karolina Kurkova Karolina Kurkova shows off her incredible legs in a series of revealing outfits as she rocks the runway for charity Czech her out! * Ouch: Louise Thompson gets a black eye Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson shares picture of her black eye after 'drunken night out' Didn't elaborate on how she got it * 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as famous family open up about their alcoholism 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as family opens up about their alcoholism * Peaches Geldof It really is a MINI party! Peaches Geldof flashes her legs in barely-there denim shorts as Kimberley Garner wears (another) eye-wateringly short skirt * Rose McGowan Even the most glamorous of stars have bad skin days! Rose McGowan lifts her mood with bright red lipstick as she suffers the perils of an outbreak * I¿m A Celebrity star Ashley Roberts appears on ITV show This Morning in a bottoned up denim skirt and black leather pencil skirt combo Not so grubby! I'm A Celeb Ashley Roberts teams buttoned up denim shirt with leather pencil skirt for appearance on This Morning * Attention! Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Lead the way * She's faced nonstop travel arrangements and public appearances, but as Khloe Kardashian Lipsy had to work hard to keep a brave face in Sydney, Australia All by myself: Khloe Kardashian stuns in floral dress as she takes promotional tour to Sydney... and works hard to keep brave face Husband Lamar in LA * Kim k How facial hair removal keeps Kim Kardashian young (let's hope Kanye doesn't ban lasers too) Spends a lot of time and money on her looks * Strangers on a Train by Craig Warner and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman at the Gielgud Theatre. Laurence Fox as Guy and Jack Huston as Bruno 'This spine-snapper of a stalker tale': QUENTIN LETTS reviews Strangers On A Train at the Gielgud Theatre There are no fewer than six stage managers * Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Promoting comeback single * Stepping out: Jenna Coleman steps out in a wintery coat before her Daybreak interview No whisks here! Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman trades in her tool belt as she mixes pretty with punky in rocker boots, frilled dress and wool coat * Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Not the best way to celebrate your birthday! Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Youthful as ever * Naomi Campbell looks stunning on the red carpet in a dazzling white gown with beaded overlay at the 2013 GQ Awards in Sydney on Monday night. Naomi Campbell dazzles in white beaded dress at GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney The Face judge looked fabulous in floor-length number * Ellie Goulding reverted back to her covered up style at BBC Radio 1 Someone's changed their tune! Ellie Goulding ditches her penchant for flesh-flashing and covers up in baggy trousers and a sporty jacket * Chris Hemsworth Having a whale of a time! Chris Hemsworth looks shipshape as he films In The Heart Of The Sea Ahoy me hearties, what a fine looking sailor * Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful autumn eyes Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful hair and nails How to do the perfect mix of sweet and sexy * Cult comedy: The group's surreal TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 1969 It's NOT a dead parrot! 'Hard-up' Monty Python stars to reform 30 years after they last worked together They will only be missing Graham Chapman * Cara Delevingne out and about with sweatpants 'Just parka up right there': Cara Delevingne dons a big fur collar as she grabs a taxi outside her New York hotel Spent weekend partying with Rihanna * Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Becoming a nightlife entrepreneur * Pregnant singer Gwen Stefani was spotted running errands with her husband Gavin Rossdale in Studio City, California with her signature red lipstick firmly in place Pregnant Gwen Stefani conceals blossoming baby bump with stylish grey coat while out with husband Gavin Rossdale Stylish singer expecting her third child * Kristin in The Boy Next Door Less hair, more fun? Kristin Chenoweth works her sexy new pixie cut on movie set putting co-star Jennifer Lopez in the shade Very different look * Dream come true: many a '90s girl will be rejoicing at the news, and making sue they get tickets for the UK dates of the Spring tour Bring it on, bring it, bring it on now! All Saints are getting back together for 2014 to support Backstreet Boys on tour They know where it's at! * Liam Gallagher splash out on lobster and cocktails to impress his new girlfriend, Debbie Gwyther, but the morning after the pair looked pretty bleary eyed Bleary eyed: Rocker Liam Gallagher heads home with new girlfriend Debbie after a night indulging in lobstaaar and cocktails Moving on after Nicole * Rest in peace: Diane Disney Miller, 79, daughter of Walt Disney, the only biological child of Walt Disney, died November 19, 2013 in Napa, California from injuries sustained in a fall Diane Disney Miller who inspired her famous father to create Disneyland dies at 79 Eldest and only biological daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney * Rachel Zoe It's a cover-up! Pregnant stylist Rachel Zoe dresses her bump in a flared grey peacoat as she works high platform boots Not long now * She stripped down to her skimpy black bra on Friday to twerk for the cameras in New Orleans and now the 25-year-old has been spotted giving shoppers another dance show. Rihanna dances in a New York tattoo shop while she stocks up on body jewellery in sexy leather trench coat and trouser combo Loves the attention * Guests arrive at a Caudwell Foundation Moving up in the world: Amy Childs wears golden gown to rub shoulders with Eva Longoria at charity dinner New Hollywood pal * 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' * Kesha gives good tooth There's gold underneath that rainbow! Ke$ha bares shiny metallic tooth at LAX while contemplating her next outfit change Never a dull moment * Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer Willis were seen leaving from the back exit at 'Matsuhisa' Japanese Restaurant in Beverly Hills All that's missing is the motorbike! A leather- clad Rumer Willis enjoys a girls' dinner with mother Demi Moore Japanese meal in Beverly Hills * Miley Cyrus More like a 'wreck-ed ball': Miley Cyrus hides under her hood as she is put on 'voice rest' after X Factor appearance Was really covered up for once * Fun in a bun! Sienna Miller wears elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan for the launch of Kelly Hoppen's new book Sienna Miller supports ex-stepmother Kelly Hoppen in elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan at launch of new book Still close * Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles daughter Carmen Her little bundle of joy: Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles her baby daughter Carmen...before showing off her post-baby figure in a clinging grey dress * Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps angelic white for goth chic as she heads out in Canada Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps her angelic white for a bizarre gypsy-inspired Gothic ensemble as she heads to fan Q&A session In Toronto * Erin W Puff Preview 'I go for a very Kate Middleton look': US Fox sports reporter Erin Andrews on how she veers away from 'sexy' when on the job Wants to be serious * Canceled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1m for his charity after mass furor over racial profiling claims Cancelled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1million for his charity after furor over racial profiling claims * In the front row: Tom Cruise and John Travolta side-by-side in the front row as the Church of Scientology's Flag Building in downtown Clearwater, Florida is opened. The building is rumored to have a floor where members can get 'super powers' The house that Scientology built: Tom Cruise and John Travolta in front row to see opening of $145m cathedral of 'super powers' * Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere She's on amber alert * Jena Malone sports sheer dress slashed from thigh to cleavage for Hunger Games Los Angeles premiere You're a tribute not a commando! Jena Malone forgoes underwear in VERY daring dress slashed from thigh to cleavage at Hunger Games premiere * Jaden, Willow Not hard to tell they've grown up in the spotlight! Willow and Jaden Smith ham it up at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere Quite the little posers * Justin Bieber All Around the World! Justin Bieber is left stranded by the road when he gets a flat tyre... but still manages to get to the airport Leaving LA * Now that's a sight to behold! Victoria Beckham goes barefoot on her hands and knees as she makes alterations to best friend Eva Longoria's gown Now that's a sight to behold! Victoria Beckham goes barefoot on her hands and knees as she makes alterations to best friend Eva Longoria's gown * Kim Kardashian Well she IS an exhibitionist! Kim Kardashian shows off major cleavage at new Mario Testino exhibit in New York Not exactly modest * 'Mmmmh doughnuts...' Spencer's mind drifts and his eyes glaze over as his poor therapist makes the mistake of trying to explain to the inveterate narcissist and misogynist that his views might be arrant, arrogant nonsense A new low: Spencer sabotages Andy and Louise and watches them start behaving like him. A chilling episode of Made in Chelsea, says JIM SHELLEY * huston_preview.jpg How Anjelica Huston was seduced as a schoolgirl by an actor 11 years her senior: Film beauty's new memoir chronicles her salacious affairs with older men * Ashlee Simpson and Diana Ross Ashlee Simpson enjoys a PDA with boyfriend Evan at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere... and looks like she's raided his mother Diana Ross' wardrobe * Actress Bella Thorne arrives at the premiere of Lionsgate's Rose without a Thorne: Disney star Bella goes boho in elegant floral gown with a faded henna tattoo and odd nail varnish at Hunger Games LA premiere * She's still his little girl! Lenny Kravitz takes daughter Zoe, 24, as his date to Hunger Games: Catching Fire LA premiere She's still his little girl! Lenny Kravitz takes daughter Zoe, 24, as his date to Hunger Games: Catching Fire LA premiere Family time * Jordin Sparks wows in quilted leather jacket and cut-out top at annual theatre benefit after party Ridin' solo in leather! Jordin Sparks wows in quilted jacket and cut- out top at Broadway benefit after party At The 24 Hour Plays On Broadway * Naked ambition! Khloe Kardashian posts 'topless shot' of herself on Instagram... as her husband Lamar Odom 'agrees to undergo drug testing' for NBA contract Naked ambition! Khloe Kardashian posts 'topless shot' of herself on Instagram... as her husband Lamar Odom 'agrees to undergo drug testing' for NBA contract * Pictured: Rita Ora stretchered into ambulance after 'collapsing' at photo shoot in Miami Pictured: Rita Ora stretchered into ambulance after collapsing at photo shoot in Miami due to 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' * Getting ready for your big crying scene? Jennifer Lopez brandishes tissues as she psyches herself up on set of Boy Next Door Getting ready for your big crying scene? Jennifer Lopez brandishes tissues as she psyches herself up on set of Boy Next Door Emotional scenes * Fashion faux pas! Jennifer Hudson detracts from her edgy, daring LBD with unfortunate visible nude bra straps at her film premiere What a style shame! Jennifer Hudson detracts from edgy and daring LBD with unfortunate visible nude bra straps at Black Nativity premiere * Third time's the charm! Melanie Griffith wears her favourite leather dress as she latches onto Antonio Banderas at film premiere Third time's the charm! Melanie Griffith wears her favourite leather dress as she latches onto Antonio Banderas at film premiere Rare joint appearance * Ancient practice: Christina Aguilera insisted that her singer Jacquie Lee practice yoga on Monday night's episode of The Voice Don't forget to breathe! Christina Aguilera insists her singers on The Voice practice yoga with her as final 10 contestants perform Feeling zen * Wheeling around: Naomi Watts kept up with her son Alexander on Monday during a family outing to a grocery store in New York City Hands-on mom: Naomi Watts keeps up with young boys Alexander and Samuel during shopping trip to New York City market Energetic companions * Sunny side of the street: Gerard Butler wore his sunglasses on Monday as he stepped out in Los Angeles Showing his Hollywood smile! Gerard Butler displays his fit physique in tight shirt as he strolls around LA with a manbag Looking good * Bristol Palin brands Levi Johnston a felon and an absentee father in new custody papers after revealing the 'deadbeat dad' owes $67,000 in child support Bristol Palin brands Levi Johnston a felon and an absentee father in new custody papers after revealing the 'deadbeat dad' owes $67,000 in child support * What a carry on! Chuckling Jennifer Garner carries daughter Seraphina during girls day out in LA, then totes son Samuel around while shopping in Brentwood What a carry on! Chuckling Jennifer Garner carries daughter Seraphina during girls day out in Los Angeles Looking great thanks to exercise regime * george watsky Rapper pictured being stretchered away from gig venue moments after he jumped 35ft from light rigging and broke a woman's arm Not the best move * Zendaya When NOT to do a selfie! Disney star Zendaya is caught taking her own picture at Hunger Games screening in New York Can't someone else..? * Disney She's hardly quiet as a mouse! Jenny McCarthy channels her inner Minnie as she joins guest co-host Demi Lovato for a taping of The View at Disneyland * Tori Spelling seen shopping for wigs at Outfitter Wig Doesn't she have bills toupee? Tori Spelling forgets her financial woes as she goes on a wig shopping spree Hasn't curbing her habit of wanting to dress up * A marriage of the popular dating app Tinder and accommodation rental spot Airbnb, a new room sharing site allows users to scout for guests and hosts based on their attractability. Cosy up with someone attractive! New room rental site in America connects people on the lookout for 'love or sex' (oh, and a place to stay) Next new thing>.. * 'I am home and so grateful for your support': ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas thanks fans after leaving rehab following treatment for alcohol addiction 'Home and so grateful for your support': ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas thanks fans after leaving rehab following treatment for alcohol addiction * Sasha Obama Bring back Sasha's sold-out sweater! Youngest Obama's unicorn design sparks major demand for a reissue from retailer ASOS New Autograph M&S Optez pour un look chic et assuré cette saison avec notre nouvelle collection. more * Today's headlines * Most Read * Kate Marilyn The Duchess of Cambridge has a Marilyn moment! Kate struggles to control her £200 skirt as she braves the... * Emma Way says she has been the victim of cyber-bullying since she tweeted about a collision about a collision with a cyclist 'It's been tough for ME': Woman driver who tweeted about 'bloody cyclists' after knocking man off his bike... * Under EU rules migrants are not allowed to move away from the country of arrival Lampedusa tragedy survivors flee Italy a DAY after being given free accommodation in Rome. Thought to be... * People who turn red-faced when they drink (right) are less able to tolerate alcohol and need to watch their blood pressure, new research has shown. If they drink more than four alcoholic drinks a week they are at increased risk of high blood pressure Does your face turn red when you drink? You could be at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack... * Raid: Officers last night entered the home of Rev Flowers with a forensic team after the Mail on Sunday revealed the scale of his drug taking Drugs police raid home of disgraced former Co-op bank chief filmed attempting to buy crack cocaine and... * Ciaron Dodd said Paul Flowers was debauched and 'showered him with gifts' The rent boy and trysts in rooms paid for by the Co-op: Escort reveals Flowers sent him emails to organise... * Prime Minister David Cameron said Labour leader Ed Miliband was 'frightened' about what an inquiry into Rev Flowers would reveal Cameron threatens Labour with public inquiry into how drug addict Paul Flowers was put in charge of Co-op... * It's not Dvorak! Jeremy Paxman corrected students this week on University Challenge, confusing the Czech music with a Gregorian plainsong Who's under pressure now? University Challenge presenter Jeremy Paxman corrects students on BBC show with... * All change: Just over a year since their £148m lottery win Gillian and Adrian Bayford have confirmed their marriage is over Couple who scooped £148million lottery jackpot to DIVORCE - just over a year since their win * GPS tracker: Gary Brown's BMW Six Series is fitted with this device which recorded the garage worker speeding on the M4 in Berkshire Dragons' Den-winning car repair company 'took motorist's BMW for a 92mph drive when it was taken in for... * Lorry smash M40 Lucky escape for driver as lorry ploughs through central reservation before jackknifing on M40 and crushing... * Sell-off: Ministers have come under fire for the sharp rise in the share price of Royal Mail since the privatisation last month Banks accused of costing the taxpayer millions by selling off Royal Mail too cheap and misleading ministers * Hi-tech: Pedestrians make use of the new Big Belly bin in Aberystwyth town centre Cash-strapped council slammed for buying five bins at £5,000 EACH which send a text and email when they're... * Dream home: And Halswell House near Bridgwater in Somerset could be yours for as little as £250,000 The bargain-basement mansion: Historic house which has been a school, a PoW camp and even the site of an... * Convenience: Commuters will be able to pick up their Asda shopping on their way home Commute and collect: Now shoppers can pick up their Asda groceries from a London Underground or train... * Karin Ward (left) was sexually abused by Jimmy Savile and went on to claim she was groped by Freddie Starr (right) - an allegation he has denied Freddie Starr sues victim of Jimmy Savile for £300,000: Comedian says cancer sufferer's groping allegation... * Sharon Bartley-Powell with her daughter Leah Bartley Schoolgirl, 13, with undiagnosed dyslexia so bad she can't write her own name is taught in isolation for TWO... * Struggling to find a perfect date? Software created by the University of Iowa has been created that can find potential dates based on who a user has contacted before. Formula for the perfect DATE: Software rates attractiveness to work out your perfect partner - and... * A researcher from Texas has discovered that men with attractive wives, such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pictured, have happier marriages and this marital satisfaction remains over time. Love? Trust? No, a GOOD-LOOKING wife makes for a happy marriage (according to men, at least...) * Jake Harris Father-to-be shouted 'I want it to stop' before cutting his own throat after suffering lethal reaction to... * Fluctuating: Ross Edgley first lost nearly two stone in 24 hours then re-gained all the weight within a day. He went from 14st 13lb (left) to 13st 2lb (centre) and then back up to 14st 12lb 'I lost 2 stone in 24 hours - and then put it back ON within a DAY': Sports scientist shows how easy it is... * As Meg Ryan demonstrated in 'When Harry Met Sally...' (pictured) some women are very good at faking orgasms. But new research suggests faking satisfaction is not good for relationships Women who fake orgasms are 'more likely to cheat on their partner' * Catarina Migliorini sold her virginity online for $500,000 Brazilian student who auctioned her virginity for £485,000 hopes to sell it AGAIN after claiming the last... * Fire scene: Police and firefighters cordon off the scene following the blaze which killed two adults and two children Two women and two children die in house fire as third child recovers in hospital * Police looking for missing GP Elizabeth Kinston, 37, pictured with daughter Elise, have found a body on scrubland in Nottingham 'An amazing mum, daughter, sister, wife and friend': Family pay tribute to GP found dead after suffering... * ***COMPOSITE*** return to life The reincarnated children: New book tells the extraordinary story of the children who believe they are a... * Warning: Planning minister Nick Boles warned the Tories will struggle to win without wooing voters who feel unable to vote Conservative at present Young voters think Conservatives are 'aliens from another planet', top Tory minister warns in blast at... * Defence Secretary Philip Hammond warned delaying the recruitment of reservists would cause chaos Defence Secretary pleads with Tory rebels not to cause 'chaos' by delaying plan to replace 20,000 soldiers... * Acrocanthosaurus Seawater dating back 100 million years reveals that the Atlantic Ocean was TWICE as salty when dinosaurs... * Sadia Abdinur, 35, was shunned by her friends and neighbours in Somalia because they became convinced she had been possessed by the Devil when she contracted elephantiasis The woman with a five STONE leg: Somali mother's limb ballooned because of elephantiasis - but neighbours... * Romany Mitchell Female British tourist 'lucky to be alive' after falling 30ft from balcony in Thailand after 'her drink was... * The e-mail referred to this photo of Cpl. Kristine Tejedaa. 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Find out more here... x * Back to top * Home * News * U.S. * Sport * TV&Showbiz * Femail * Health * Science * Money * Video * Coffee Break * Travel * Columnists Sitemap Archive Mobile Apps RSS Text-based site Reader Prints Our Papers Top of page Daily Mail Mail on Sunday This is Network This is London This is Money Metro Jobsite Mail Travel Zoopla.co.uk Prime Location Villa Holidays Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group © Associated Newspapers Ltd Contact us Advertise with us Terms Privacy policy & cookies Cookie regulation logo IFRAME: __bkframe # #Mail Online Search publisher Mail Online News RSS feed * MailOnline - news, sport, celebrity, science and health stories * Home * News * U.S. * Sport * TV&Showbiz * Femail * Health * Science * Money * Video * Coffee Break * Travel * Columnists * News Home * Arts * Headlines * Pictures * Most read * News Board * Login Find a Job M&S Wine Feedback Wednesday, Nov 20 2013 3PM 4°C 6PM 3°C 5-Day Forecast show ad * * * * * 0 shares Unstoppable rise of American English: Study shows young Britons copying US writing style By Laura Clark, Education Correspondent PUBLISHED: 00:11 GMT, 29 May 2012 | UPDATED: 14:03 GMT, 29 May 2012 * * * * 561 View comments The future of written English will owe more to Hollywood films than Dickens or Shakespeare, if the findings of a study into children's writing are anything to go by. The analysis of 74,000 short stories found that their written work was littered with Americanisms, exclamation marks and references to celebrities. Researchers who looked at the entries to a national competition found they were increasingly using American words such as garbage, trash can, sidewalk, candy, sneakers, soda, cranky and flashlight. Americanisms: Children's work was littered with words such as garbage, trash can and sidewalk Americanisms: Children's work was littered with words such as garbage, trash can and sidewalk (picture posed by models) The stories, written by pupils aged seven to 13, show how fairy cakes are referred to as cupcakes and a dinner jacket has become a tuxedo. `Smart' is now often used for `clever' and `cranky' for `irritable'. Celebrity culture also has a powerful influence on children's work, with Simon Cowell and Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi among the famous names cropping up repeatedly. More... * Big Elephants Can't Always Use Small Exits... but they CAN help you spell 'because' But pupils are let down by basic spelling, punctuation and grammar, according to the study by Oxford University Press, which looked at the entries to BBC Radio 2's `500 Words' competition. Children stumbled over simple spellings such as `does' and `clothes' and struggled to use the past tense correctly, often saying `rised' instead of `rose' or `thinked' instead of `thought'. Researchers also found that punctuation was underused, especially semi-colons and speech marks. Some did not know how to use capital letters. Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi Simon Cowell Famous: The names of Lionel Messi (left) and Simon Cowell (right) crop up often in children's writing Popular US fiction such as the Twilight vampire novels and films is thought to be fuelling the increasing use of American vocabulary and spelling Popular US fiction such as the Twilight vampire novels and films is thought to be fuelling the increasing use of American vocabulary and spelling However, exclamation marks were overused. Researchers found 35,171 examples in total, with some young writers using five at a time. The study of more than 31million words will be compared with future research to see how written language evolves. Popular US fiction such as the Twilight vampire novels and films is thought to be fuelling the increasing use of American vocabulary and spelling. Modern technology was also influential. Out of almost 300 references to `blackberry', nearly half referred to mobile phones. Characters frequently `googled' for information or used `apps'. But the researchers found a wealth of imaginative and inventive ideas. Fears that texting was corrupting children's written work were unfounded, they said, with youngsters only using text speak when they were referring to a text message. Samantha Armstrong, of the OUP children's dictionaries division, said: `Perhaps we are catching a glimpse of the language of the future.' Chris Evans, whose radio show runs the competition, said the results were `fascinating', adding: `Who'd have thought that Messi and Jeremy Clarkson would be some of the most used celebrity names?' SPELLING IN BBC '500 WORDS' COMPETITION AMERICAN WORD OCCURRENCES BRITISH WORD OCCURRENCES Candy (1,879) Sweets (2,448) Cupcake (486) Fairy cake (46) Flashlight (99) Torch (2,736) Garbage truck (9) Dustbin lorry (5) Tuxedo (74) Dinner suit (1) Sneakers (38) Trainers (555) Trash can (38) Dustbin (290) Sidewalk (26) Pavement (924) Share or comment on this article * * * * MOST WATCHED NEWS VIDEOS * Previous * 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * Next * [video-undefined-198388C700000578-307_154x115.jpg] WATCH: Topless Kim Kardashian straddles Kanye in Bound 2... * [video-undefined-1983898300000578-871_155x116.jpg] Navy ship makes high speed left turn * [video-undefined-197E328800000578-303_154x115.jpg] The legendary footage of JFK's assasination remembered * [video-undefined-1954E98100000578-87_154x115.jpg] GRAPHIC: Russian man nails testicles to Red Square in... * [video-undefined-1987A1D200000578-894_154x115.jpg] Terrifying moment woman BUNGEE jumps WITHOUT a harness * [video-undefined-198146CF00000578-515_154x115.jpg] Japanese woman ties meat to herself to race Komodo Dragon * [video-undefined-197CE04900000578-997_154x115.jpg] Moment 737 crashes at Kazan airport caught on camera * [video-undefined-197E018400000578-154_154x115.jpg] VIDEO: Naked 'goddess' woman on Chicago train * [video-undefined-19738EC700000578-572_154x115.jpg] Former Co-op bank chief caught on camera in 'crystal meth... * [video-undefined-1988395000000578-259_154x115.jpg] 'Bloody cyclists' motorist complains SHE'S victim of... * [video-undefined-197C1DE100000578-326_154x115.jpg] WATCH: Rapper jumps 35ft from light...breaks woman's arm * [video-undefined-1987924F00000578-495_154x115.jpg] Making an entrance: Jaguar's new New F-Type Coupe is... 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[icon_comments_74.png] Comments (561) Share what you think * Newest * Oldest * Best rated * Worst rated View all The comments below have not been moderated. [6371344_p.jpg?cb=20131120] zefal, MD, USA, 1 year ago All your English are belong to us!!!!!!!!! 8 6 Click to rate [6352503_p.jpg?cb=20131120] NJH, London UK, 1 year ago We don't have to be a King Canute trying to hold back the enevitable - our writing styles, spelling and language has changed every generation of the existance of English. It changed in our grandfather's time and will do so in the time of our grand children. The future of English is bright especially when you write: "But the researchers found a wealth of imaginative and inventive ideas. Fears that texting was corrupting childrens written work were unfounded, they said, with youngsters only using text speak when they were referring to a text message." The real problem is the spelling system (American English or English English) which is archaic and not fit for purpose. It is part of the problem and contributes to the huge illiteracy rates in the English speaking world. 3 5 Click to rate [4642008_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Mark , Florida, 1 year ago American English beats the hell out of German, doesn't it? 16 14 Click to rate [5851069_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Billy , Goat Tough, 1 year ago some people are referring the to "UK" or "Britain" as one country. There are 4 different countries within - it's like saying Canada, America and Mexico are one country! - Fed Up, England, 29/5/2012. Fed up, England are you f&%king stupid. Canada, The United States and Mexico are one country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their countries not continents. Are you confusing countries and continents. Do you not know the difference between a country and a continent. Do you not know what's a country and what's a continent. The U.S. is a country. In the U.S. there are states. Canada is a country. In canada there are providences. Mexico is a country and in mexico there are states.- Alex Salazar, Moreno Valley, CA, There is no need to swear is there, and YOU have got it wrong. I had to read over what you said to make sure you were not really that stupid but you clearly are. Also, it's `they're` countries not `their` countries and how many times can you mention country and continent in one short passage? 2 6 Click to rate [4054905_p.jpg?cb=20131120] STP, Manchester, 1 year ago Hey,we won the war(s): 1781.1812,1918,1945, why shouldn't y'all adopt THE modern language? - R.D.McDowell, Pungoteague VA USA, Oh dear. 1781 Is that the war where you were getting soundly beaten until the French/Dutch/Spanish came on won victory? 1812 The war where you invaded British North America (Canada) where promptly sent back with your tail between your legs, had your territory invaded and your Capital burned? 1918 You were the most junior of junior partners. Below Italy and Japan. An irrelevance. 1945 If any one nation can claim victory that would be the soviets, not you. Try reading? Your comments: 2 2 Click to rate [4043766_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Nick, Chatham, Kent, 1 year ago I like how some people are referring the to "UK" or "Britain" as one country. There are 4 different countries within - it's like saying Canada, America and Mexico are one country! - Fed Up, England, 29/5/2012 13:23. Fed up, England are you f&%king stupid. Canada, The United States and Mexico are one country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their countries not continents. Are you confusing countries and continents. Do you not know the difference between a country and a continent. Do you not know what's a country and what's a continent. The U.S. is a country. In the U.S. there are states. Canada is a country. In canada there are providences. Mexico is a country and in mexico there are states. - Alex Salazar, Moreno Valley, CA, 30/5/2012 04:31___ a little too much Mezcal I think .. read the comment again (clue: "it's like saying") 3 3 Click to rate [4046386_p.jpg?cb=20131120] pat, penna, 1 year ago It's all so much Shaw. If I knock you up here, you'll need nappies in nine months. Wanna be like the French with a ministry to protect the language from incursions and wind up following German rules (compound words) for blue jeans or Walkman? Stiff upper and all that. Get a kick out of Hindi films where English and American words are sprinkled throughout - Hindish? With global communication in realtime, language and culture are more mutable than ever. I need the closed caption for Scots more than any other speakers, though. For a people who can't decide whether pudding is the dessert course or blood soaked breadstuffs, getting your tighties in a wad over candy and trash cans seems like something for the Ministry of Silly Talks. 2 4 Click to rate [6245737_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Libertarian, USA, 1 year ago Advent of WWW: example of 'Punctuated Equlibrium' triggering evolution/revolution 0 0 Click to rate [6227663_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Lara, California, USA, 1 year ago I love these reactionary screeds on language, replete with howling outrage from the commentariat over the fact that "garbage truck" is replacing "dustbin lorry" in the common parlance. Really, I should think you Brits have much more pressing problems to contend with these days. 19 16 Click to rate [5823722_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Brent, Kent, Ohio. U.S., 1 year ago Brits think these are abominations of the english language? Listen to some urban dwellers talk in their "ebonics"....Ax (ask) is one that immediately comes to mind. 8 14 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [topcommenter.png] Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now Bing (_) Site (_) Web Enter search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search Like MailOnline Follow @MailOnline FEMAIL TODAY * Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car launch Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car event Father-to-be looked alarmed in LA * Living life in the past lane! Simon Cowell joined by exes Terri Seymour AND Mezhgan Hussainy at Jaguar launch Living life in the past lane! 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Sexy young farmers strip off for a roll in the hay wearing nothing but flat caps and wellies All for charity * 'I love being naked': says Adam Levine as he is crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive 'I love being naked': says Adam Levine as he is crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive Maroon 5 frontman's new title has divided critics * And for my next trick... I'll make Kanye West smile! David Blaine reduces rapper to fits of giggles on Real Or Magic And for my next trick... I'll make Kanye West smile! David Blaine reduces rapper to fits of giggles on Real Or Magic Rapper isn't always moody * She's still a glamourpuss! Original Catwoman Julie Newmar looks incredible at 80 as she prowls around Los Angeles She's still a glamourpuss! Original Catwoman Julie Newmar looks incredible at 80 as she prowls around LA Ageing very well * Flattering dress: LeAnn Rimes displayed her curvy figure in a clingy dress on Tuesday as she and husband Eddie Cibrian attended an event in Beverly Hills, California The hourglass is back! LeAnn Rimes puts her curvy and healthier figure on display in a clingy grey dress At gala with husband Eddie Cibrian * Black lace beauty: Amelle smoulders in fitted black dress at Global Gift Gala Pert and proud: Sugababe Amelle Berrabah cuts a curvy figure in black lace dress She showed plenty of cleavage * Nicole Scherzinger Taupe marks! Nicole Scherzinger knows how to keep it classy in her one-shouldered silk dress and super sleek hair on the red carpet * Eva Longoria She wears it well! Eva Longoria dazzles in a Victoria Beckham dress as she cosies up to the designer herself (and her BFF) on the Global Gift Gala red carpet * Denied: Russell Brand has denied Lauren's allegation that the pair had a fling EXCLUSIVE: Russell Brand denies sleeping with Lauren Harries, stating her claims are 'as fraudulent as her evaluation of Ming vases on Wogan' * Miranda Kerr and Miley Cyrus Random friends alert: Miley Cyrus and Miranda Kerr get close in a selfie at VIP party A match made in narcissism heaven with their love of self-portraits! * An obese fast food fanatic 'I just kept pressing play!' Obese fast food fanatic drops ten dress sizes and 211lbs with fitness DVDs Rebecca Privitera worked off the calories * Scott Wolf It's a real-life Party Of Five! TV favourite Scott Wolf and wife Kelley expecting their third child (and first daughter) in May Got his hands full * hulk hogan 'I hit rock bottom': Hulk Hogan reveals he contemplated suicide after his marriage breakup with wife Linda, end of reality show and son's legal woes * Britney Spears caught kissing hunk in desert... but it's only for a scene in her new music video Ready, set smooch! Britney Spears caught kissing hunk in desert... but it's only for a scene in her new music video Not her boyfriend David Lucado * Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are engaged Are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody engaged? Actress 'ecstatic after The O.C. star surprises her with proposal after dating for only nine months' * The Svelte Queen! Kristen Bell shows off her amazing post-baby body in black-and-white frock at Frozen premiere with husband Dax Shepard The Svelte Queen! Kristen Bell shows off her amazing post-baby body in black-and-white frock at Frozen premiere with husband Dax Shepard * Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare are matching caped crusaders at launch of L'Wren Scott's Banana Republic collection Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare are matching caped crusaders at launch of L'Wren Scott's Banana Republic collection Red alert * Pictured: Rita Ora appears for the first time since her dramatic collapse from 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' Pictured: Rita Ora appears for the first time since her dramatic collapse from 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' Still looked pale * Madonna tops the 2013 Forbes list of highest-paid musicians, beating out Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Justin Bieber for the No. 1 spot Madonna tops the 2013 Forbes list of highest-paid musicians, beating Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Justin Bieber to the No. 1 spot Queen of pop still on top * Kanye West's fury at being surrounded by paparazzi during New York stroll, as one snapper is sent flying in scrum Pictured: Kanye West's fury at being surrounded by paparazzi during New York stroll... as one snapper is sent flying in scrum Lost his temper * Kim Kardashian keeps baby North under wraps on family outing... but mommy's in the mood for showing off (of course) in plunging tuxedo jacket Kim Kardashian keeps baby North under wraps on family outing... but mummy's in the mood for showing off (of course) in plunging tuxedo jacket * 'I'm taking it step-by-step': Fergie reveals belly dancing yoga is the secret behind her post-pregnancy weight loss... but ensures she's taking the slow and steady approach 'I'm taking it step-by-step': Fergie reveals belly dancing yoga is the secret behind her post- pregnancy weight loss... but ensures she's being slow and steady * ¿I hope to resolve my marriage in a positive fashion': Michael Douglas talks reunion with Catherine Zeta-Jones and says he feels 'underestimated' by Hollywood 'I hope to resolve my marriage in a positive fashion': Michael Douglas talks reunion with Catherine Zeta-Jones Talks to GQ magazine * Justin Bieber gets a kiss from a pretty girl in a revealing leather ensemble while filming his new music video Justin Bieber gets a kiss from a pretty girl in a revealing leather ensemble while filming his new music video Posed for a photo with the blonde * Doting dad: Rod Stewart escorted his two-year-old son Aiden to school in Los Angeles on Tuesday Daddy's little rock star! Doting father Rod Stewart, 68, holds hands with his two-year-old mini-me son Aiden as singer takes him to school * The Hunger Games: Catching Cold! Jena Malone wears a leather jacket over her dress at Toronto premiere after baring her body in daring dress the night before The Hunger Games: Catching Cold! Jena Malone wears a leather jacket over her dress at Toronto première after baring her body in daring outfit the night before * Can't make up your mind? Uma Thurman looks awkward on the red carpet as she sports leggings and a skirt Can't make up your mind? Uma Thurman awkwardly sports leggings and a mini skirt for bar opening party in New York All black ensemble * Need more cheering up? A glum Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrive home in Los Angeles after weekend sojourn in New Orleans Downcast Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrive home after weekend sojourn in New Orleans... just days after they were forced to put his pet bulldog down * Dinner outing: Leonardo DiCaprio, shown earlier this month in Paris, and Miranda Kerr, shown earlier this month in Tokyo, dined together over the weekend in Las Vegas 'Having a great time': Newly single Miranda Kerr and Leonardo DiCaprio 'dine together in Las Vegas' following supermodel's split from husband Orlando Bloom * Kaley Cuoco sports 'bride' top and fluffy tiara as she enjoys bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs with gal pals Pictured: Kaley Cuoco sports 'bride' top and fluffy tiara as she enjoys bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs with gal pals Getting in the spirit * Allison Williams highlights her trim figure in purple leather at CNN Heroes tribute... while pregnant Melissa George looks ready to pop Girls star Allison Williams highlights her trim figure in purple leather at CNN Heroes tribute... while pregnant Melissa George looks ready to pop * Fire and ice! Mother-of-three Melissa Joan Hart proudly displays her curves in a tight-fitting blue bandage dress as she joins her family for Frozen premiere Fire and ice! Mother-of-three Melissa Joan Hart proudly displays her curves in tight blue bandage dress as she joins her family for Frozen premiere * 'I didn't twerk, I went to rehab': Demi Lovato defends close pal Miley Cyrus telling Katie Couric singer 'knows what she is doing' 'I didn't twerk, I went to rehab': Demi Lovato defends close pal Miley Cyrus telling Katie Couric singer 'knows what she is doing' Loyal Disney pal * That's not like her! Jennifer Lopez hides her famous curves under a bulky overcoat as she continues filming new thriller That's not like her! Jennifer Lopez hides her famous curves under a bulky overcoat as she films new thriller Shooting The Boy Next Door * Not her usual look! Alyson Hannigan spices up her style in racy shorts and knee-high boots to run errands Not her usual look! Alyson Hannigan spices up her style in racy shorts and knee-high leather platform boots Spotted in Los Angeles looking ravishing * Together in the City of Love! Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington walk hand-in-hand through the streets of Paris Together in the City of Love! Lara Bingle snuggles into Sam Worthington as couple walk hand-in-hand through streets of Paris Honeymoon period * Follow my lead: Christina Aguilera showed the singing hopefuls how to do it on Tuesday as she performed on The Voice Class in session! Christina Aguilera steals the show as she strips down to see through bodysuit during sexy medley of Jackson tunes on The Voice * Forgive and forget? Monty Python members £1m payday that has made the poisonous Pythons reunite: Torn apart by jealously, bled dry by ex-wives... guess what's brought Monty Python back together * Topless Kim Kardashian straddles fiance Kanye West in raunchy video for Bound 2 Topless Kim Kardashian, a jiggly ride and a nip slip... Kanye West and his fiancée simulate sex in shockingly gratuitous video for Bound 2 * Has topless Kim Kardashian's waist been digitally slimmed down in Kanye West's VERY racy music video? ... but has Kim's waist been slimmed down? The 33-year-old reality star's waistline looks even smaller than normal in the passionate scenes * 'We were just practising all the time!' Smitten Kanye West on Kim Kardashian's surprise pregnancy... and how he's trying to avoid a 'jump on the couch' moment 'We were just practising all the time!' Kanye West on Kim's surprise pregnancy... and how he's trying to avoid a 'jump on the couch' moment * Jessica Hart and Isabel Lucas look lovely as they pose in preppy ensembles for Vogue Australia Jessica Hart and Isabel Lucas look lovely as they pose in preppy ensembles for Vogue Australia Fresh-faced and fabulous * No time for a hairdryer! On-the-go mom Alessandra Ambrosio leaves home with wet hair on outing with her children No time for a hairdryer! On-the-go mom Alessandra Ambrosio leaves home with wet hair on outing with her children Such a busy schedule * The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Only Connect Head Office Is one twerking? William and Kate struggle to keep straight faces as energetic young dancer performs for them High energy routine * Imogen Thomas Imogen Thomas and daughter Ariana forced to evacuate their smoke-filled apartment as ground-floor restaurant goes up in flames * 'The more money he makes, the bigger my check!' Brandi Glanville backhandedly promotes ex Eddie Cibrian¿s new movie as she jokes about getting more child support 'The more money he makes, the bigger my cheque!' Brandi Glanville 'promotes' ex Eddie Cibrian's new movie as she jokes about getting more child support * Ruby Tandoh has admitted she thinks The Great British Bake Off is ¿c*** TV¿ and that women who watch it are ¿silly¿ Ruby's four-letter blast at Bake Off: Finalist risks alienating fans by launching scathing attack on 'silly' women who watch it That's rich * Operation success: The Voice judges pose as doctors during secret filming for new advert Lost your Voice? Kylie Minogue, will.i.am and Tom Jones play doctors as they film advert for new series of The Voice It'll be a prescription to watch * Goulart Puff Not a dimple in sight! Victoria's Secret beauty Izabel Goulart flaunts her perfect derriere AGAIN for Brazilian swimwear brand She has no worries * She's no fashion victim: Scruffy Kristen Stewart dresses down in skinny jeans, sweater and her favourite trucker hat She's no fashion victim: Scruffy Kristen Stewart dresses down in skinny jeans, sweater and her favourite trucker hat Spotted out with friends * Too late: even Scarlett's soft toy looks away as Juneeeeeen decides she's not that unhappy about Michael after all Pucker up: Joey & Janine, Kat & Alfie, that bird & that bloke... it was a night of illicit, scandalous kissed in EastEnders, writes JIM SHELLEY * Ageless beauty: Cindy Crawford showed off her lean limbs in the December issue of C magazine Cindy Crawford, 47, shows her ageless beauty and lovely lean limbs in sensuous photoshoot Supermodel poses for C Magazine cover * Separated at birth 'I wouldn't change a single second': Baby swapped at birth speaks for first time after 18 years to reveal she doesn't want anything to do with her birth mother New Autograph M&S Optez pour un look chic et assuré cette saison avec notre nouvelle collection. more DON'T MISS * Charlie Sheen 'decides to end hostilities against LA child services so he can get access to his boys' Charlie Sheen decides to end hostilities against LA child services so he can get access to his boys It had become a battle of attrition * Just gotta have it! Gwen Stefani satisfies her pregnancy cravings on gourmet food run with husband Gavin Rossdale The Sweetest Thing! Gwen Stefani satisfies her pregnancy cravings during a gourmet food run with husband Gavin Rossdale Sweet Butter Kitchen * Her baby bump makes her body proud! Kristin Cavallari lands in Los Angeles in a form-fitting black outfit that flatters her growing tummy A bumpy landing! Kristin Cavallari touches down in Los Angeles in black outfit that clings to her growing baby bump Keeping her wardrobe chic * Lost star Josh Holloway is expecting second child with wife Yessica Kumala 'I've got another one on the way!' Lost star Josh Holloway reveals he is expecting second child with wife Yessica Kumala Gushed with excitement * Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos get airbrushed off for new cover shoot celebrating her figure Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos are airbrushed away for new cover shoot celebrating her figure * I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful * Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for alcoholism led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for drinking problem led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Co-stars 'concerned' * Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' * Tamara Ecclestone She'll shop 'til she pops! Pregnant Tamara Ecclestone indulges in her favourite pastime as she hits Harrods yet again Her favourite store * Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend she accused of assault 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' * 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to re-team with Michael Keaton 27 later for Beetlejuice 2 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to revisit her Beetlejuice role 27 years on Likely re-teaming with Michael Keaton * Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave Boston chill Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave the Boston chill * Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's wine voted the best rose of the year Wine developed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at their estate in Provence is named 2012's 'Best Rosé in the World' Cheers * Brooke Vincent shows off her bustier side in a seductive selfie on her Instagram page 'Tis the season to be busty: Brooke Vincent posts sexy pouting selfie showing ample cleavage Captioned with a snowflake * Stylish in shades: January Jones' son Xander looked hip in his silver sunglasses as the two went out in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday January Jones and her leading man Xander are quite the double act with mummy and son shades Both looked the part out in the sunshine in Beverly Hills * Gabe Day-Lewis has released a video for his rap song 'Green Auras' which references being bipolar, his famous dad and drug addiction 'I'm about to Gabe-Day lose it' Daniel Day-Lewis's son raps about famous father, drug problems and being bipolar His musical alias * 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure Widely panned by critics * Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet * 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are ALREADY working on baby number three 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are working on baby No 3 * Sir David Jason Sir David Jason wipes away a tear as he reprises the role of Granville whilst filming an Open All Hours Christmas special Emotional scenes * Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Didn't last long * Martha Stewart 'This looks like prison food': Domestic goddess Martha Stewart is slammed on Twitter for 'disgusting' photos of her dinners Not very appetising * Nicholas Lyndhurst Back to their old tricks! Nicholas Lyndhurst wraps up warm as he films BBC comedy series New Tricks in London Filming 11th series * Platinum curls, red lips and a little black dress... there's no mistaking who Katherine Jenkins took for inspiration this week to entertain UK troops in Afghanistan. Katherine's Monroe moment! Singer Jenkins channels Marilyn's glamour to perform two concerts for troops in Afghanistan... as well as a special happy birthday * Roy Cropper cuts a glum figure as he attends wife Hayley's funeral SPOILER ALERT: Coronation Street's Roy Cropper cuts a sad figure as the people of Weatherfield turn out for Hayley's funeral Tearjerker central * Natalie Cassidy FIRST LOOK: Natalie Cassidy returns to EastEnders as Sonia Fowler (but there's no sign of the trumpet) Has split from husband Martin * Duchess of Cambridge That looks familiar! The Duchess of Cambridge recycles her bargain £162 Orla Kiely dress for charity visit Visited charity volunteers in London's Kings Cross * Jessie J Back to black: Jessie J returns to her roots as she dyes her blonde quiff dark again Dyed hair blonde in March after shaving it off for Comic Relief * spencer EXCLUSIVE: Spencer Matthews reveals the truth behind his £500,000 bar bill and why he's buying Lucy Watson kinky handcuffs for Christmas * Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up upon as he catches a flight from Heathrow airport Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up as he catches a flight with One Direction and Lily Allen His curly locks are growing unruly * Joyus: Katie Percy and Patrick Valentine leave their wedding at St Michael's Church in Alnwick in February RICHARD KAY: Love spell broken for Lady Katie Marital bliss seems to have eluded Lady Catherine Percy and Patrick Valentine * Eva Longoria Never in the shade! Eva Longoria dresses up her all-black outfit with sexy studded cuff boots ahead of Global Gift Gala Co-hosting charity bash in London * Doesn't feel like November! Cara Santana exposed her back in black maxi dress as she pampered at a nail salon in West Hollywood, California on Monday Jesse Metcalfe's fiancée Cara Santana puts her back into it as she visits nail salon in slinky black dress Certainly dressed to impress * 9021-Over? Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' 9021-Over: Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' She's deactivated her Instagram * No down time! Pregnant Rachel Zoe took her son Skyler out for treats in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday 'There's no down time:' Heavily pregnant Rachel Zoe continues to stay active by taking son Skyler out for sugary treats as she edges closer to her due date * Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Audi with New York plates reportedly drove into three parked cars * Health and beauty hints Rub vigorously to lose your double chin and don't wash your hair on a cloudy day: 1910 beauty book offers bizarre and outdated advice * Suki Waterhouse Suki Waterhouse puts her pins on parade in a swinging 60s-inspired minidress as she turns on the Christmas lights Did the honours in Kildare Village in Ireland * Peter Andre and pregnant Emily MacDonagh mingle with stars at Eva Longoria's charity gala Bumping along! Peter Andre's pregnant girlfriend Emily MacDonagh conceals her shape in loose-fitting LBD at Eva Longoria's pre-gala dinner * Signature look: The Duck Dynasty cast in their signature wardrobe Duck Dynasty, the fashion label? The reality show's stars Jep and Jessica Robertson announce they will launch a clothing line next year * Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and says Alex Reid 'took her number' Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and claims Alex Reid 'took her number' Looked glam in shoot * 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes thanks fans for their prayers as she reveals potentially life-threatening condition 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes seeks comfort from her granddaughter Potentially life-threatening * 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and pop star is forced to admit mistake 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and the pop star is forced to admit mistake Ooops * 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' Announced news on his SiriusXM radio show * Tapped out! Kate Gosselin abandons multi-millon dollar lawsuit in which she accused former husband Jon of hacking and wire-tapping Tapped out: Kate Gosselin 'abandons multi-millon dollar hacking and wire-tapping lawsuit against ex-husband Jon' Stars of Jon And Kate + 8 * Elle north korea chic North Korea chic? Elle comes under fire for linking 'edgy' military fashion trend to brutal dictatorship Trend story written by the creative director Joe Zee * Chris Hardwick's touching farewell to father Billy on Talking Dead Touching moment comedian Chris Hardwick shared news of father's death on TV The champion bowler died of a heart attack at 72 * Capitol Couture Get the Katniss look! Sneak peek of Hunger Games clothing line ahead of its launch on Net-a-porter Ready-to-wear pieces and jewellery * Dennis Stock Rare photos featuring James Dean, Marylin Monroe and Marlon Brando revealed in stunning new book Dennis Stock: American Cool * Last Tango In Halifax was one of the 'most brilliantly acted pieces of television' Claudia Connell has seen this year Marriage? You need something old, and something else old... CLAUDIA CONNELL reviews last night's TV Last Tango In Halifax (BBC1) * Kelly Brook Pamper me, pronto! Kelly Brook rushes between beauty salons and clothes store ahead of her new bar opening Launching Steam and Rye in Central London * Ferne McCann TOWIE's Ferne McCann showcases toned and tanned bikini body as she frolics in the sea on girls' trip to Dubai Has forgiven cheating boyfriend Charlie Sims * Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA premiere as film posters prove deceptive The height games! Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA première as film posters prove deceptive He's 5ft 7, she's 5ft 10 * 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why the critics should leave Justin Bieber alone 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why critics should leave Justin Bieber alone * She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' Can't bear to be apart * Susanna and Fiona Susanna Reid shows off her deep Strictly tan and lean dancer's figure... while former co-star Fiona Fullerton is stylish in a military-inspired jacket * Karolina Kurkova Karolina Kurkova shows off her incredible legs in a series of revealing outfits as she rocks the runway for charity Czech her out! * Ouch: Louise Thompson gets a black eye Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson shares picture of her black eye after 'drunken night out' Didn't elaborate on how she got it * 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as famous family open up about their alcoholism 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as family opens up about their alcoholism * Peaches Geldof It really is a MINI party! Peaches Geldof flashes her legs in barely-there denim shorts as Kimberley Garner wears (another) eye-wateringly short skirt * Rose McGowan Even the most glamorous of stars have bad skin days! Rose McGowan lifts her mood with bright red lipstick as she suffers the perils of an outbreak * I¿m A Celebrity star Ashley Roberts appears on ITV show This Morning in a bottoned up denim skirt and black leather pencil skirt combo Not so grubby! I'm A Celeb Ashley Roberts teams buttoned up denim shirt with leather pencil skirt for appearance on This Morning * Attention! Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Lead the way * She's faced nonstop travel arrangements and public appearances, but as Khloe Kardashian Lipsy had to work hard to keep a brave face in Sydney, Australia All by myself: Khloe Kardashian stuns in floral dress as she takes promotional tour to Sydney... and works hard to keep brave face Husband Lamar in LA * Kim k How facial hair removal keeps Kim Kardashian young (let's hope Kanye doesn't ban lasers too) Spends a lot of time and money on her looks * Strangers on a Train by Craig Warner and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman at the Gielgud Theatre. Laurence Fox as Guy and Jack Huston as Bruno 'This spine-snapper of a stalker tale': QUENTIN LETTS reviews Strangers On A Train at the Gielgud Theatre There are no fewer than six stage managers * Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Promoting comeback single * Stepping out: Jenna Coleman steps out in a wintery coat before her Daybreak interview No whisks here! Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman trades in her tool belt as she mixes pretty with punky in rocker boots, frilled dress and wool coat * Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Not the best way to celebrate your birthday! Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Youthful as ever * Naomi Campbell looks stunning on the red carpet in a dazzling white gown with beaded overlay at the 2013 GQ Awards in Sydney on Monday night. Naomi Campbell dazzles in white beaded dress at GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney The Face judge looked fabulous in floor-length number * Ellie Goulding reverted back to her covered up style at BBC Radio 1 Someone's changed their tune! Ellie Goulding ditches her penchant for flesh-flashing and covers up in baggy trousers and a sporty jacket * Chris Hemsworth Having a whale of a time! Chris Hemsworth looks shipshape as he films In The Heart Of The Sea Ahoy me hearties, what a fine looking sailor * Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful autumn eyes Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful hair and nails How to do the perfect mix of sweet and sexy * Cult comedy: The group's surreal TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 1969 It's NOT a dead parrot! 'Hard-up' Monty Python stars to reform 30 years after they last worked together They will only be missing Graham Chapman * Cara Delevingne out and about with sweatpants 'Just parka up right there': Cara Delevingne dons a big fur collar as she grabs a taxi outside her New York hotel Spent weekend partying with Rihanna * Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Becoming a nightlife entrepreneur * Pregnant singer Gwen Stefani was spotted running errands with her husband Gavin Rossdale in Studio City, California with her signature red lipstick firmly in place Pregnant Gwen Stefani conceals blossoming baby bump with stylish grey coat while out with husband Gavin Rossdale Stylish singer expecting her third child * Kristin in The Boy Next Door Less hair, more fun? Kristin Chenoweth works her sexy new pixie cut on movie set putting co-star Jennifer Lopez in the shade Very different look * Dream come true: many a '90s girl will be rejoicing at the news, and making sue they get tickets for the UK dates of the Spring tour Bring it on, bring it, bring it on now! All Saints are getting back together for 2014 to support Backstreet Boys on tour They know where it's at! * Liam Gallagher splash out on lobster and cocktails to impress his new girlfriend, Debbie Gwyther, but the morning after the pair looked pretty bleary eyed Bleary eyed: Rocker Liam Gallagher heads home with new girlfriend Debbie after a night indulging in lobstaaar and cocktails Moving on after Nicole * Rest in peace: Diane Disney Miller, 79, daughter of Walt Disney, the only biological child of Walt Disney, died November 19, 2013 in Napa, California from injuries sustained in a fall Diane Disney Miller who inspired her famous father to create Disneyland dies at 79 Eldest and only biological daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney * Rachel Zoe It's a cover-up! Pregnant stylist Rachel Zoe dresses her bump in a flared grey peacoat as she works high platform boots Not long now * She stripped down to her skimpy black bra on Friday to twerk for the cameras in New Orleans and now the 25-year-old has been spotted giving shoppers another dance show. Rihanna dances in a New York tattoo shop while she stocks up on body jewellery in sexy leather trench coat and trouser combo Loves the attention * Guests arrive at a Caudwell Foundation Moving up in the world: Amy Childs wears golden gown to rub shoulders with Eva Longoria at charity dinner New Hollywood pal * 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' * Kesha gives good tooth There's gold underneath that rainbow! Ke$ha bares shiny metallic tooth at LAX while contemplating her next outfit change Never a dull moment * Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer Willis were seen leaving from the back exit at 'Matsuhisa' Japanese Restaurant in Beverly Hills All that's missing is the motorbike! A leather- clad Rumer Willis enjoys a girls' dinner with mother Demi Moore Japanese meal in Beverly Hills * Miley Cyrus More like a 'wreck-ed ball': Miley Cyrus hides under her hood as she is put on 'voice rest' after X Factor appearance Was really covered up for once * Fun in a bun! Sienna Miller wears elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan for the launch of Kelly Hoppen's new book Sienna Miller supports ex-stepmother Kelly Hoppen in elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan at launch of new book Still close * Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles daughter Carmen Her little bundle of joy: Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles her baby daughter Carmen...before showing off her post-baby figure in a clinging grey dress * Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps angelic white for goth chic as she heads out in Canada Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps her angelic white for a bizarre gypsy-inspired Gothic ensemble as she heads to fan Q&A session In Toronto * Erin W Puff Preview 'I go for a very Kate Middleton look': US Fox sports reporter Erin Andrews on how she veers away from 'sexy' when on the job Wants to be serious * Canceled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1m for his charity after mass furor over racial profiling claims Cancelled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1million for his charity after furor over racial profiling claims * In the front row: Tom Cruise and John Travolta side-by-side in the front row as the Church of Scientology's Flag Building in downtown Clearwater, Florida is opened. The building is rumored to have a floor where members can get 'super powers' The house that Scientology built: Tom Cruise and John Travolta in front row to see opening of $145m cathedral of 'super powers' * Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere She's on amber alert * Jena Malone sports sheer dress slashed from thigh to cleavage for Hunger Games Los Angeles premiere You're a tribute not a commando! 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How the Harry Potter films narrowly avoided a relocation to America by studio bosses who wanted to turn it into a 'US teen drama' By Tom Goodenough PUBLISHED: 11:12 GMT, 4 August 2012 | UPDATED: 11:46 GMT, 4 August 2012 * * * * 65 View comments With its towering turrets and set in an ancient castle, Harry Potter's wizarding school Hogwarts might seem like a quintessentially British creation. But the producer who worked on the film franchise of J.K.Rowling's hugely-successful books has revealed the plans by some film bosses to turn the story of the boy wizard into an American teenage drama instead. David Heyman, the 51-year-old who bought the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 2009, said in initial discussions with Warner Brothers it was proposed that the wizarding saga should be relocated to across the Atlantic. Huge success: The Harry Potter films became the highest-grossing series of all time, but movie bosses wanted to turn the story into that of an American teenage drama Huge success: The Harry Potter films became the highest-grossing series of all time, but movie bosses wanted to turn the story into that of an American teenage drama 'In some of the first talks with writers in America there was talk of moving it to the States, you know, cheerleaders and the like,' he told the Independent. More... * Branch out! Children and adults love treehouses and they can add value to your home * Fifty Shades of Grey outsells Harry Potter. The 'mummy porn' novel breaks another record and outsells all SEVEN J K Rowling books on Amazon 'That just never really rang true because it really was culturally so British.' Harry's Potter beloved sport of Quidditch, pictured, could have had some American touches added including cheerleaders if film bosses had got their way Harry's Potter beloved sport of Quidditch, pictured, could have had some American touches added including cheerleaders if film bosses had got their way Despite the apparent pressure to make Harry Potter more attractive to American viewers, Heyman - who subsequently produced all of the films in the £5bn-grossing franchise - says he is glad that he stood his ground over keeping the film version true to the original. 'It wouldn't have made sense for the homes, the institutions and those gothic structures to be set in America.' Following on from the success of the books written by British author, the movies met with unparalleled success and are now part of the highest-grossing film series of all time. The stars and author of the films, left to right: Daniel Radcliffe, JK Rowling, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, pictured at the premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows The stars and author of the films, left to right: Daniel Radcliffe, JK Rowling, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, pictured at the premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows But despite earning its creator J.K.Rowling a fortune, it seems that converting Hogwarts into an American-style high school would have fundamentally gone against the author's wishes. She had initially insisted that the principal cast in the film be kept strictly British, in keeping with the original novel. And it seems that Rowling's fears that she 'didn't want to give them (movie bosses) control over the rest of the story' by selling off the rights to characters, could have been well-founded if the plans to Americanise the film adaption had gone ahead. 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[icon_comments_74.png] Comments (65) Share what you think * Newest * Oldest * Best rated * Worst rated View all The comments below have not been moderated. [4856454_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Urs, US, 1 year ago I probably would have enjoyed it more. My children put me through these movies, insist I read the books, Which I find intolerable. I would have enjoyed a typical stupid HighSchool movie more. Just my opinion. 26 0 Click to rate [4985740_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Mr_Memo, Why?, 1 year ago Dragons Den is based on a Japanese programme. 2 3 Click to rate [5625806_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Chris Jones, Leeds, UK, 1 year ago He bought the rights in 1999 not 2009 0 11 Click to rate [6324398_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Caroline, USA , 1 year ago I love Harry potter! I'm so glad this didn't happen!!! Ps: Hate 50shades of grey... (should never e compared to Harry potter) 1 32 Click to rate [4504729_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Student, 17, Bradford, UK, 1 year ago NO. NO. NO!!! DON'T YOU DARE! 3 27 Click to rate [5391391_p.jpg?cb=20131120] cynthia brennemann, belleville, Illinois USA, 1 year ago Thank heavens they stood their ground. Hollyweird is possibly the least creative place on earth. American television is becoming increasingly generic. We don't even watch broadcast television anymore. 4 67 Click to rate [6215462_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Henry, Henryville, 1 year ago ""Memphis Belle" was supposed to be about a Lancaster bomber crew, but the yanks insisted it be about a US crew." - Brian, London, UK, 5/8/2012 8:48. --- Historical fact: it was a B-17 with an American crew, not a Lancaster with a Brit crew. 324th Bomb Squadron out of Bassingbourn. 1 43 Click to rate [1012169_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Brian, London, UK, 1 year ago "Memphis Belle" was supposed to be about a Lancaster bomber crew, but the yanks insisted it be about a US crew. Hugh Laurie got the part of "House" partly because a caster thought he was american (but mainly because he's a bl00dy good actor). 26 13 Click to rate [6320054_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Lisa, Hawthorne, New Jersey, U.S., 1 year ago @ Homunculus 9,Oldham. I LOVE British humour. but i'm half English and half America my parents from Elmbridge,Surrey. i just love The Inbetweeners, Outnumbered,Fridat Night Dinner,Come Fly With Me, Twenty Twelve and many many more shows. thank you BBC AMERICA. TAKE THE MICKEY. LOVE FROM THE U.S. and one more thing to say. GOOD SHOW GREAT BRITAIN, THE OLYMPICS ARE AWESOME 6 25 Click to rate [4052362_p.jpg?cb=20131120] Penny, Hants, 1 year ago Stop bashing the Americans- this is a problem with the Hollywood film industry, not America or Americans. Hollywood is so scared of loosing money that it has lost any love for film that it ever had and so it plays to the largest cinema audience in the world, which is America. If you make a list of the top 50 films in English at least 45 of them would be American, same with TV shows, so stop being so harsh just because the industry has such a low opinion of it's own country-men that it won't credit them with the intellegence to enjoy non-American settings... 12 65 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [topcommenter.png] Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now Bing (_) Site (_) Web Enter search term: ____________________ (Submit) Search Like MailOnline Follow @MailOnline FEMAIL TODAY * Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car launch Too much botox Simon? Cowell pulls series of odd facial expressions after arriving at car event Father-to-be looked alarmed in LA * Living life in the past lane! Simon Cowell joined by exes Terri Seymour AND Mezhgan Hussainy at Jaguar launch Living life in the past lane! Simon Cowell joined by exes Terri Seymour AND Mezhgan Hussainy at Jaguar launch No Lauren Silverman * Cheryl Cole Vintage vixen: Cheryl Cole oozes sex appeal in retro leotard and cat-eye shades in calendar shoot photo At this rate, we won't need to buy it! * Making friends: Cara Delevingne cosies up to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as she continues her week of partying in New York Making friends: Cara Delevingne cosies up to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as she continues her week of partying in New York Never a dull moment * In it for the long-term: Ken (Bill Roache) and Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) have had a long and colourful relationship together on the show Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride 'broke down in tears' while filming Deirdre scenes without co-star Bill Roache He's been suspended * I'm A Celebrity 2013: Matthew Wright and Joey Essex get buried alive in latest Bush Tucker trial I'm A Celebrity: Matthew Wright and Joey Essex get buried alive in latest Bush Tucker trial Faced their fears in huge hourglasses * 'My boys all wrapped up': Coleen Rooney shares cute photo of sons Kai and Klay in woolly hates and scarves 'My boys all wrapped up': Coleen Rooney shares cute photo of sons Kai and Klay in woolly hats and scarves Designer gear of course! * Reality star Chantelle Houghton and her daughter Dolly pop to the local supermarket Dolly made a friend: Chantelle Houghton takes daughter shopping where they meet a little toddler She just loves shopping with her Mum * Jennifer Love Hewitt is ready to drop as she steps out to visit a pal in Los Angeles on Tuesday A well rounded performance: Heavily pregnant Jennifer Love Hewitt is in high spirits as she shows off her growing baby bump Looking swell * What a genius: An anonymous artist as photoshopped the image of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in Bound 2 music video into a number of comical locations Kanye West and Kim Kardashian share their Bound(less) love on a rollercoaster and more funny locations in spoof photos Reaction to racy video * * One Direction Mass hysteria is still the Story Of Their Lives! Harry Styles leads the way as One Direction touch down in America to a sea of screaming fans * CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD Is that your X-ray you're wearing? Craig Revel Horwood steps out in bizarre skeleton- print trousers whilst clutching a walking stick following hip operation * Friendly exes Billie Piper and Chris Evans share a joke as her husband gets overly amorous with costar MyAnna Buring Friendly exes Billie Piper and Chris Evans share a joke as her husband Laurence Fox gets overly amorous with co-star MyAnna Buring * Proud parents to be: Ginnifer Goodwin and her fiance Josh Dallas are expecting their first child together Ginnifer Goodwin announces pregnancy as she and actor fiancé Josh Dallas reveal they are expecting their first child together Baby on the way * Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag make their way across LAX Airport on Tuesday You wouldn't get away with that on The Hills: Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag attempt a low-key outing... in garish, mismatched outfits * That'll 'throw a spanner in the works'! Joey Essex 'set to be joined by ex-fiancée Sam Faiers in I'm A Celebrity jungle' That'll 'throw a spanner in the works'! Joey Essex 'set to be joined by ex Sam Faiers in I'm A Celebrity jungle' He's been flirting with Amy Willerton * Worn out: Luisa Zissman posted a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed along with the words: 'My afternoon result of burning candle at too many ends'. All burnt out! Luisa Zissman lies in hospital bed on drip after 'burning candle at too many ends' Too much partying and working * A model display! Smouldering Miranda Kerr shows off her super slender figure in baby blue top and pencil skirt A model display! Miranda Kerr shows off super slender figure in baby blue top and pencil skirt at Jaguar event Has been linked to Leonardo DiCaprio * Abbey Are you sure that's Matalan?! Abbey Clancy revamps bargain brand with curve-kissing designs Scouse model looks Strictly stunning * Not the best advertisement! Khloe sports gaudy floral pajama bottoms for Kardashian Kollection meet and greet in Melbourne Not the best advertisement! Khloe sports ill-fitting floral pajama bottoms for her Kardashian Kollection at meet and greet in Melbourne * Taking style tips from Kim? Kendall Jenner dares to bare in risqué new photo shoot just a day after her big sister donned an eerily similar style Kendall Jenner keeps up with Kim in a sheer top for her most risque shoot yet Since turning 18, hasn't taken her long to sex up her image * Kylie Jenner and Jaden Smith I'll buy you diamonds, I'll buy you jewels! Kylie Jenner gets the full 'girlfriend treatment' as Jaden Smith clasps gold chain around her neck during shopping spree * Pixie Lott attends the Global Gift Gala in London on Tuesday evening Anyone seen Ken? Pixie Lott channels her inner-Barbie in powder pink at Global Gift Gala Supporting her model boyfriend Oliver who hosted the bash * Katy Perry stuns in a gold dress as she sings about unconditional love Katy Perry shows off her couture wardrobe as she breaks down in video for John Mayer inspired love song Unconditionally Emotional stuff * Settling into LA life: Essex born beauty Jaime Murray looks right at home as she enjoys a cosy lunch date with her boyfriend Settling into LA life: Essex born beauty Jaime Murray looks right at home as she enjoys a cosy lunch date with her boyfriend Hustle star looks happy * Demi Lovato Her Disney days are well and truly past her! Demi Lovato wears very low-cut black ensemble to white carpet premiere of Frozen She's got the X Factor * Kelly Brook at bar launch From glitz to glam: Kelly Brook swaps sparkly gown for an LBD and fur coat at opening of her new bar Steam & Rye New business venture * Kim Kardashian Keeping Up Appearances! Kim Kardashian reveals her cleavage AGAIN in ultra-sheer top Headed out after sexually charged video * Kate Marilyn The Duchess of Cambridge has a Marilyn moment! Kate braves wintry weather on charity visit to combat cyberbullying Navy skirt blew up * Doctor Who's Jenna Coleman wears vintage-style blue skirt and polo-neck for Somerset House exhibition Well she is a time- traveller! Doctor Who's Jenna Coleman wears vintage-style blue skirt and polo-neck for Isabella Blow exhibition * Mick & L'Wren Fashion Satisfaction! Mick Jagger is by girlfriend L'Wren Scott's side as she launches new fashion collaboration at star- studded party * Jo Wood The ex-wives club! Rolling Stones divorcees Jo Wood and Jerry Hall step out for the Strangers On A Train press night Getting Satisfaction * She's in fashion: Princess Beatrice shows off her slim figure as she mingles with the style elite at Isabella Blow exhibition party She's in fashion: Princess Beatrice shows off her slim figure as she mingles with the style elite at Isabella Blow exhibition party * She could have done with a fitting herself! Victoria Beckham wears long gown with awkward gaping back for Global Gift Gala She could have done with a fitting herself! Victoria Beckham wears long gown with awkward gaping back Drew attention to her tattoo and trademark zip * Amy Willerton Jungle heat! Amy Willerton offers Joey Essex an intimate back massage, while fellow I'm A Celebrity... campers compare the pair to 'watching porn' * Backseat changer! Myleene Klass switches her dress THREE times in one night during an evening of party hopping Backseat changer! Myleene Klass switches her dress THREE times in one night during an evening of party hopping TV presenter is a social butterfly * 'Best early Christmas present ever': Kelly Clarkson announces that she is expecting her first child with Brandon Blackstock 'Best early Christmas present ever': Kelly Clarkson announces that she is expecting her first child with Brandon Blackstock Pair married last month * dresses Why I despise the rise of the WBD, by ARLENE PHILLIPS: 'Why bother dresses' are as cynical as they are revealing They might as well be out in their lingerie * Robert De Niro vies for the part of mobster Sonny Corleone in failed Godfather audition Don't call us... Robert De Niro vies for the part of mobster Sonny Corleone in failed Godfather audition Can you believe he didn't get in the first time? * farmers Watch out for that heavy machinery! Sexy young farmers strip off for a roll in the hay wearing nothing but flat caps and wellies All for charity * 'I love being naked': says Adam Levine as he is crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive 'I love being naked': says Adam Levine as he is crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive Maroon 5 frontman's new title has divided critics * And for my next trick... I'll make Kanye West smile! David Blaine reduces rapper to fits of giggles on Real Or Magic And for my next trick... I'll make Kanye West smile! David Blaine reduces rapper to fits of giggles on Real Or Magic Rapper isn't always moody * She's still a glamourpuss! Original Catwoman Julie Newmar looks incredible at 80 as she prowls around Los Angeles She's still a glamourpuss! Original Catwoman Julie Newmar looks incredible at 80 as she prowls around LA Ageing very well * Flattering dress: LeAnn Rimes displayed her curvy figure in a clingy dress on Tuesday as she and husband Eddie Cibrian attended an event in Beverly Hills, California The hourglass is back! LeAnn Rimes puts her curvy and healthier figure on display in a clingy grey dress At gala with husband Eddie Cibrian * Black lace beauty: Amelle smoulders in fitted black dress at Global Gift Gala Pert and proud: Sugababe Amelle Berrabah cuts a curvy figure in black lace dress She showed plenty of cleavage * Nicole Scherzinger Taupe marks! Nicole Scherzinger knows how to keep it classy in her one-shouldered silk dress and super sleek hair on the red carpet * Eva Longoria She wears it well! Eva Longoria dazzles in a Victoria Beckham dress as she cosies up to the designer herself (and her BFF) on the Global Gift Gala red carpet * Denied: Russell Brand has denied Lauren's allegation that the pair had a fling EXCLUSIVE: Russell Brand denies sleeping with Lauren Harries, stating her claims are 'as fraudulent as her evaluation of Ming vases on Wogan' * Miranda Kerr and Miley Cyrus Random friends alert: Miley Cyrus and Miranda Kerr get close in a selfie at VIP party A match made in narcissism heaven with their love of self-portraits! * An obese fast food fanatic 'I just kept pressing play!' Obese fast food fanatic drops ten dress sizes and 211lbs with fitness DVDs Rebecca Privitera worked off the calories * Scott Wolf It's a real-life Party Of Five! TV favourite Scott Wolf and wife Kelley expecting their third child (and first daughter) in May Got his hands full * hulk hogan 'I hit rock bottom': Hulk Hogan reveals he contemplated suicide after his marriage breakup with wife Linda, end of reality show and son's legal woes * Britney Spears caught kissing hunk in desert... but it's only for a scene in her new music video Ready, set smooch! Britney Spears caught kissing hunk in desert... but it's only for a scene in her new music video Not her boyfriend David Lucado * Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are engaged Are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody engaged? Actress 'ecstatic after The O.C. star surprises her with proposal after dating for only nine months' * The Svelte Queen! Kristen Bell shows off her amazing post-baby body in black-and-white frock at Frozen premiere with husband Dax Shepard The Svelte Queen! Kristen Bell shows off her amazing post-baby body in black-and-white frock at Frozen premiere with husband Dax Shepard * Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare are matching caped crusaders at launch of L'Wren Scott's Banana Republic collection Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare are matching caped crusaders at launch of L'Wren Scott's Banana Republic collection Red alert * Pictured: Rita Ora appears for the first time since her dramatic collapse from 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' Pictured: Rita Ora appears for the first time since her dramatic collapse from 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' Still looked pale * Madonna tops the 2013 Forbes list of highest-paid musicians, beating out Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Justin Bieber for the No. 1 spot Madonna tops the 2013 Forbes list of highest-paid musicians, beating Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Justin Bieber to the No. 1 spot Queen of pop still on top * Kanye West's fury at being surrounded by paparazzi during New York stroll, as one snapper is sent flying in scrum Pictured: Kanye West's fury at being surrounded by paparazzi during New York stroll... as one snapper is sent flying in scrum Lost his temper * Kim Kardashian keeps baby North under wraps on family outing... but mommy's in the mood for showing off (of course) in plunging tuxedo jacket Kim Kardashian keeps baby North under wraps on family outing... but mummy's in the mood for showing off (of course) in plunging tuxedo jacket * 'I'm taking it step-by-step': Fergie reveals belly dancing yoga is the secret behind her post-pregnancy weight loss... but ensures she's taking the slow and steady approach 'I'm taking it step-by-step': Fergie reveals belly dancing yoga is the secret behind her post- pregnancy weight loss... but ensures she's being slow and steady * ¿I hope to resolve my marriage in a positive fashion': Michael Douglas talks reunion with Catherine Zeta-Jones and says he feels 'underestimated' by Hollywood 'I hope to resolve my marriage in a positive fashion': Michael Douglas talks reunion with Catherine Zeta-Jones Talks to GQ magazine * Justin Bieber gets a kiss from a pretty girl in a revealing leather ensemble while filming his new music video Justin Bieber gets a kiss from a pretty girl in a revealing leather ensemble while filming his new music video Posed for a photo with the blonde * Doting dad: Rod Stewart escorted his two-year-old son Aiden to school in Los Angeles on Tuesday Daddy's little rock star! Doting father Rod Stewart, 68, holds hands with his two-year-old mini-me son Aiden as singer takes him to school * The Hunger Games: Catching Cold! Jena Malone wears a leather jacket over her dress at Toronto premiere after baring her body in daring dress the night before The Hunger Games: Catching Cold! Jena Malone wears a leather jacket over her dress at Toronto première after baring her body in daring outfit the night before * Can't make up your mind? Uma Thurman looks awkward on the red carpet as she sports leggings and a skirt Can't make up your mind? Uma Thurman awkwardly sports leggings and a mini skirt for bar opening party in New York All black ensemble * Need more cheering up? A glum Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrive home in Los Angeles after weekend sojourn in New Orleans Downcast Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrive home after weekend sojourn in New Orleans... just days after they were forced to put his pet bulldog down * Dinner outing: Leonardo DiCaprio, shown earlier this month in Paris, and Miranda Kerr, shown earlier this month in Tokyo, dined together over the weekend in Las Vegas 'Having a great time': Newly single Miranda Kerr and Leonardo DiCaprio 'dine together in Las Vegas' following supermodel's split from husband Orlando Bloom * Kaley Cuoco sports 'bride' top and fluffy tiara as she enjoys bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs with gal pals Pictured: Kaley Cuoco sports 'bride' top and fluffy tiara as she enjoys bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs with gal pals Getting in the spirit * Allison Williams highlights her trim figure in purple leather at CNN Heroes tribute... while pregnant Melissa George looks ready to pop Girls star Allison Williams highlights her trim figure in purple leather at CNN Heroes tribute... while pregnant Melissa George looks ready to pop * Fire and ice! Mother-of-three Melissa Joan Hart proudly displays her curves in a tight-fitting blue bandage dress as she joins her family for Frozen premiere Fire and ice! Mother-of-three Melissa Joan Hart proudly displays her curves in tight blue bandage dress as she joins her family for Frozen premiere * 'I didn't twerk, I went to rehab': Demi Lovato defends close pal Miley Cyrus telling Katie Couric singer 'knows what she is doing' 'I didn't twerk, I went to rehab': Demi Lovato defends close pal Miley Cyrus telling Katie Couric singer 'knows what she is doing' Loyal Disney pal * That's not like her! Jennifer Lopez hides her famous curves under a bulky overcoat as she continues filming new thriller That's not like her! Jennifer Lopez hides her famous curves under a bulky overcoat as she films new thriller Shooting The Boy Next Door * Not her usual look! Alyson Hannigan spices up her style in racy shorts and knee-high boots to run errands Not her usual look! Alyson Hannigan spices up her style in racy shorts and knee-high leather platform boots Spotted in Los Angeles looking ravishing * Together in the City of Love! Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington walk hand-in-hand through the streets of Paris Together in the City of Love! Lara Bingle snuggles into Sam Worthington as couple walk hand-in-hand through streets of Paris Honeymoon period * Follow my lead: Christina Aguilera showed the singing hopefuls how to do it on Tuesday as she performed on The Voice Class in session! Christina Aguilera steals the show as she strips down to see through bodysuit during sexy medley of Jackson tunes on The Voice * Forgive and forget? Monty Python members £1m payday that has made the poisonous Pythons reunite: Torn apart by jealously, bled dry by ex-wives... guess what's brought Monty Python back together * Topless Kim Kardashian straddles fiance Kanye West in raunchy video for Bound 2 Topless Kim Kardashian, a jiggly ride and a nip slip... Kanye West and his fiancée simulate sex in shockingly gratuitous video for Bound 2 * Has topless Kim Kardashian's waist been digitally slimmed down in Kanye West's VERY racy music video? ... but has Kim's waist been slimmed down? The 33-year-old reality star's waistline looks even smaller than normal in the passionate scenes * 'We were just practising all the time!' Smitten Kanye West on Kim Kardashian's surprise pregnancy... and how he's trying to avoid a 'jump on the couch' moment 'We were just practising all the time!' Kanye West on Kim's surprise pregnancy... and how he's trying to avoid a 'jump on the couch' moment * Jessica Hart and Isabel Lucas look lovely as they pose in preppy ensembles for Vogue Australia Jessica Hart and Isabel Lucas look lovely as they pose in preppy ensembles for Vogue Australia Fresh-faced and fabulous * No time for a hairdryer! On-the-go mom Alessandra Ambrosio leaves home with wet hair on outing with her children No time for a hairdryer! On-the-go mom Alessandra Ambrosio leaves home with wet hair on outing with her children Such a busy schedule * The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Only Connect Head Office Is one twerking? William and Kate struggle to keep straight faces as energetic young dancer performs for them High energy routine * Imogen Thomas Imogen Thomas and daughter Ariana forced to evacuate their smoke-filled apartment as ground-floor restaurant goes up in flames * 'The more money he makes, the bigger my check!' Brandi Glanville backhandedly promotes ex Eddie Cibrian¿s new movie as she jokes about getting more child support 'The more money he makes, the bigger my cheque!' Brandi Glanville 'promotes' ex Eddie Cibrian's new movie as she jokes about getting more child support * Ruby Tandoh has admitted she thinks The Great British Bake Off is ¿c*** TV¿ and that women who watch it are ¿silly¿ Ruby's four-letter blast at Bake Off: Finalist risks alienating fans by launching scathing attack on 'silly' women who watch it That's rich * Operation success: The Voice judges pose as doctors during secret filming for new advert Lost your Voice? Kylie Minogue, will.i.am and Tom Jones play doctors as they film advert for new series of The Voice It'll be a prescription to watch * Goulart Puff Not a dimple in sight! Victoria's Secret beauty Izabel Goulart flaunts her perfect derriere AGAIN for Brazilian swimwear brand She has no worries * She's no fashion victim: Scruffy Kristen Stewart dresses down in skinny jeans, sweater and her favourite trucker hat She's no fashion victim: Scruffy Kristen Stewart dresses down in skinny jeans, sweater and her favourite trucker hat Spotted out with friends * Too late: even Scarlett's soft toy looks away as Juneeeeeen decides she's not that unhappy about Michael after all Pucker up: Joey & Janine, Kat & Alfie, that bird & that bloke... it was a night of illicit, scandalous kissed in EastEnders, writes JIM SHELLEY * Ageless beauty: Cindy Crawford showed off her lean limbs in the December issue of C magazine Cindy Crawford, 47, shows her ageless beauty and lovely lean limbs in sensuous photoshoot Supermodel poses for C Magazine cover * Separated at birth 'I wouldn't change a single second': Baby swapped at birth speaks for first time after 18 years to reveal she doesn't want anything to do with her birth mother New Autograph M&S Optez pour un look chic et assuré cette saison avec notre nouvelle collection. more DON'T MISS * Charlie Sheen 'decides to end hostilities against LA child services so he can get access to his boys' Charlie Sheen decides to end hostilities against LA child services so he can get access to his boys It had become a battle of attrition * Just gotta have it! Gwen Stefani satisfies her pregnancy cravings on gourmet food run with husband Gavin Rossdale The Sweetest Thing! Gwen Stefani satisfies her pregnancy cravings during a gourmet food run with husband Gavin Rossdale Sweet Butter Kitchen * Her baby bump makes her body proud! Kristin Cavallari lands in Los Angeles in a form-fitting black outfit that flatters her growing tummy A bumpy landing! Kristin Cavallari touches down in Los Angeles in black outfit that clings to her growing baby bump Keeping her wardrobe chic * Lost star Josh Holloway is expecting second child with wife Yessica Kumala 'I've got another one on the way!' Lost star Josh Holloway reveals he is expecting second child with wife Yessica Kumala Gushed with excitement * Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos get airbrushed off for new cover shoot celebrating her figure Mary J Blige's disappearing act: Singer's prominent tattoos are airbrushed away for new cover shoot celebrating her figure * I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful I've nothing but love for that show': Dianna Agron says Glee cast rift rumours has made dealing with Cory Monteith's death all the more painful * Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for alcoholism led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Brandi Glanville 'refuses on-air intervention for drinking problem led by Real Housewives co-star Kim Richards' Co-stars 'concerned' * Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria share photos of baby's first flight just days after he called America's obsession with celebrity lives 'tragic' * Tamara Ecclestone She'll shop 'til she pops! Pregnant Tamara Ecclestone indulges in her favourite pastime as she hits Harrods yet again Her favourite store * Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' Camille Grammer lodges complaint to judge as ex-boyfriend she accused of assault 'continues to avoid being served with restraining order' * 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to re-team with Michael Keaton 27 later for Beetlejuice 2 'It might be happening': Winona Ryder, 42, in talks to revisit her Beetlejuice role 27 years on Likely re-teaming with Michael Keaton * Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave Boston chill Baby, it's cold outside: Usually barefaced Gisele Bundchen sports heavy make-up and a warm winter coat as she and daughter Vivian brave the Boston chill * Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's wine voted the best rose of the year Wine developed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at their estate in Provence is named 2012's 'Best Rosé in the World' Cheers * Brooke Vincent shows off her bustier side in a seductive selfie on her Instagram page 'Tis the season to be busty: Brooke Vincent posts sexy pouting selfie showing ample cleavage Captioned with a snowflake * Stylish in shades: January Jones' son Xander looked hip in his silver sunglasses as the two went out in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday January Jones and her leading man Xander are quite the double act with mummy and son shades Both looked the part out in the sunshine in Beverly Hills * Gabe Day-Lewis has released a video for his rap song 'Green Auras' which references being bipolar, his famous dad and drug addiction 'I'm about to Gabe-Day lose it' Daniel Day-Lewis's son raps about famous father, drug problems and being bipolar His musical alias * 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure 'We went wrong with the casting of Lindsay Lohan': Writer Bret Easton Ellis blames troubled star for The Canyons failure Widely panned by critics * Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet Pictured: David Arquette's girlfriend Christina McLarty debuts her baby bump in an outfit that looks borrowed from his ex Courteney Cox's closet * 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are ALREADY working on baby number three 'We're going for the tiebreaker!' Mario Lopez introduces two-month-old son Dominic and says he and wife Courtney are working on baby No 3 * Sir David Jason Sir David Jason wipes away a tear as he reprises the role of Granville whilst filming an Open All Hours Christmas special Emotional scenes * Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Split already? Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'spend time apart' just as he's seen getting a kiss from ex Karina Smirnoff Didn't last long * Martha Stewart 'This looks like prison food': Domestic goddess Martha Stewart is slammed on Twitter for 'disgusting' photos of her dinners Not very appetising * Nicholas Lyndhurst Back to their old tricks! Nicholas Lyndhurst wraps up warm as he films BBC comedy series New Tricks in London Filming 11th series * Platinum curls, red lips and a little black dress... there's no mistaking who Katherine Jenkins took for inspiration this week to entertain UK troops in Afghanistan. Katherine's Monroe moment! Singer Jenkins channels Marilyn's glamour to perform two concerts for troops in Afghanistan... as well as a special happy birthday * Roy Cropper cuts a glum figure as he attends wife Hayley's funeral SPOILER ALERT: Coronation Street's Roy Cropper cuts a sad figure as the people of Weatherfield turn out for Hayley's funeral Tearjerker central * Natalie Cassidy FIRST LOOK: Natalie Cassidy returns to EastEnders as Sonia Fowler (but there's no sign of the trumpet) Has split from husband Martin * Duchess of Cambridge That looks familiar! The Duchess of Cambridge recycles her bargain £162 Orla Kiely dress for charity visit Visited charity volunteers in London's Kings Cross * Jessie J Back to black: Jessie J returns to her roots as she dyes her blonde quiff dark again Dyed hair blonde in March after shaving it off for Comic Relief * spencer EXCLUSIVE: Spencer Matthews reveals the truth behind his £500,000 bar bill and why he's buying Lucy Watson kinky handcuffs for Christmas * Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up upon as he catches a flight from Heathrow airport Need a trim? Harry Styles ties his hair up as he catches a flight with One Direction and Lily Allen His curly locks are growing unruly * Joyus: Katie Percy and Patrick Valentine leave their wedding at St Michael's Church in Alnwick in February RICHARD KAY: Love spell broken for Lady Katie Marital bliss seems to have eluded Lady Catherine Percy and Patrick Valentine * Eva Longoria Never in the shade! Eva Longoria dresses up her all-black outfit with sexy studded cuff boots ahead of Global Gift Gala Co-hosting charity bash in London * Doesn't feel like November! Cara Santana exposed her back in black maxi dress as she pampered at a nail salon in West Hollywood, California on Monday Jesse Metcalfe's fiancée Cara Santana puts her back into it as she visits nail salon in slinky black dress Certainly dressed to impress * 9021-Over? Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' 9021-Over: Jennie Garth 'splits with boyfriend Michael Shimbo after three-month romance' She's deactivated her Instagram * No down time! Pregnant Rachel Zoe took her son Skyler out for treats in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday 'There's no down time:' Heavily pregnant Rachel Zoe continues to stay active by taking son Skyler out for sugary treats as she edges closer to her due date * Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Former Disney star Jake T. Austin, 18, 'named in four-car hit-and-run' in LA Audi with New York plates reportedly drove into three parked cars * Health and beauty hints Rub vigorously to lose your double chin and don't wash your hair on a cloudy day: 1910 beauty book offers bizarre and outdated advice * Suki Waterhouse Suki Waterhouse puts her pins on parade in a swinging 60s-inspired minidress as she turns on the Christmas lights Did the honours in Kildare Village in Ireland * Peter Andre and pregnant Emily MacDonagh mingle with stars at Eva Longoria's charity gala Bumping along! Peter Andre's pregnant girlfriend Emily MacDonagh conceals her shape in loose-fitting LBD at Eva Longoria's pre-gala dinner * Signature look: The Duck Dynasty cast in their signature wardrobe Duck Dynasty, the fashion label? The reality show's stars Jep and Jessica Robertson announce they will launch a clothing line next year * Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and says Alex Reid 'took her number' Lauren Harries says Russell Brand won't admit 'fling' because he's a 'mummy's boy' and claims Alex Reid 'took her number' Looked glam in shoot * 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes thanks fans for their prayers as she reveals potentially life-threatening condition 'I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lung': NeNe Leakes seeks comfort from her granddaughter Potentially life-threatening * 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and pop star is forced to admit mistake 'We've never met:' President of Mexico denies Justin Bieber's claims of a meeting and the pop star is forced to admit mistake Ooops * 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' 'I am very excited': Howard Stern announces his return to America's Got Talent 'for one more season' Announced news on his SiriusXM radio show * Tapped out! Kate Gosselin abandons multi-millon dollar lawsuit in which she accused former husband Jon of hacking and wire-tapping Tapped out: Kate Gosselin 'abandons multi-millon dollar hacking and wire-tapping lawsuit against ex-husband Jon' Stars of Jon And Kate + 8 * Elle north korea chic North Korea chic? Elle comes under fire for linking 'edgy' military fashion trend to brutal dictatorship Trend story written by the creative director Joe Zee * Chris Hardwick's touching farewell to father Billy on Talking Dead Touching moment comedian Chris Hardwick shared news of father's death on TV The champion bowler died of a heart attack at 72 * Capitol Couture Get the Katniss look! Sneak peek of Hunger Games clothing line ahead of its launch on Net-a-porter Ready-to-wear pieces and jewellery * Dennis Stock Rare photos featuring James Dean, Marylin Monroe and Marlon Brando revealed in stunning new book Dennis Stock: American Cool * Last Tango In Halifax was one of the 'most brilliantly acted pieces of television' Claudia Connell has seen this year Marriage? You need something old, and something else old... CLAUDIA CONNELL reviews last night's TV Last Tango In Halifax (BBC1) * Kelly Brook Pamper me, pronto! Kelly Brook rushes between beauty salons and clothes store ahead of her new bar opening Launching Steam and Rye in Central London * Ferne McCann TOWIE's Ferne McCann showcases toned and tanned bikini body as she frolics in the sea on girls' trip to Dubai Has forgiven cheating boyfriend Charlie Sims * Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA premiere as film posters prove deceptive The height games! Jennifer Lawrence towers above Josh Hutcherson at LA première as film posters prove deceptive He's 5ft 7, she's 5ft 10 * 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why the critics should leave Justin Bieber alone 'People were pretty mean': Evan Rachel Wood on her controversial romance with Marilyn Manson and why critics should leave Justin Bieber alone * She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' She's his jungle Jane! Declan Donnelly flies his girlfriend out to I'm A Celebrity in Australia, telling friends she's 'the one' Can't bear to be apart * Susanna and Fiona Susanna Reid shows off her deep Strictly tan and lean dancer's figure... while former co-star Fiona Fullerton is stylish in a military-inspired jacket * Karolina Kurkova Karolina Kurkova shows off her incredible legs in a series of revealing outfits as she rocks the runway for charity Czech her out! * Ouch: Louise Thompson gets a black eye Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson shares picture of her black eye after 'drunken night out' Didn't elaborate on how she got it * 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as famous family open up about their alcoholism 'He was running around on me': Duck Dynasty's matriarch talks candidly about her husband Phil's adultery as family opens up about their alcoholism * Peaches Geldof It really is a MINI party! Peaches Geldof flashes her legs in barely-there denim shorts as Kimberley Garner wears (another) eye-wateringly short skirt * Rose McGowan Even the most glamorous of stars have bad skin days! Rose McGowan lifts her mood with bright red lipstick as she suffers the perils of an outbreak * I¿m A Celebrity star Ashley Roberts appears on ITV show This Morning in a bottoned up denim skirt and black leather pencil skirt combo Not so grubby! I'm A Celeb Ashley Roberts teams buttoned up denim shirt with leather pencil skirt for appearance on This Morning * Attention! Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Two-year-old Delilah shows mom Kimberly Stewart who's boss on school run dressed in a cute military-inspired outfit Lead the way * She's faced nonstop travel arrangements and public appearances, but as Khloe Kardashian Lipsy had to work hard to keep a brave face in Sydney, Australia All by myself: Khloe Kardashian stuns in floral dress as she takes promotional tour to Sydney... and works hard to keep brave face Husband Lamar in LA * Kim k How facial hair removal keeps Kim Kardashian young (let's hope Kanye doesn't ban lasers too) Spends a lot of time and money on her looks * Strangers on a Train by Craig Warner and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman at the Gielgud Theatre. Laurence Fox as Guy and Jack Huston as Bruno 'This spine-snapper of a stalker tale': QUENTIN LETTS reviews Strangers On A Train at the Gielgud Theatre There are no fewer than six stage managers * Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Lily Allen channels Jackie O in stylish pink coat and leopard print heels ahead of interview on Radio 1 Promoting comeback single * Stepping out: Jenna Coleman steps out in a wintery coat before her Daybreak interview No whisks here! Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman trades in her tool belt as she mixes pretty with punky in rocker boots, frilled dress and wool coat * Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Not the best way to celebrate your birthday! Rachel McAdams shoots funeral scene for new movie in Hawaii as she turns 35 Youthful as ever * Naomi Campbell looks stunning on the red carpet in a dazzling white gown with beaded overlay at the 2013 GQ Awards in Sydney on Monday night. Naomi Campbell dazzles in white beaded dress at GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney The Face judge looked fabulous in floor-length number * Ellie Goulding reverted back to her covered up style at BBC Radio 1 Someone's changed their tune! Ellie Goulding ditches her penchant for flesh-flashing and covers up in baggy trousers and a sporty jacket * Chris Hemsworth Having a whale of a time! Chris Hemsworth looks shipshape as he films In The Heart Of The Sea Ahoy me hearties, what a fine looking sailor * Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful autumn eyes Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead shares her top tips for beautiful hair and nails How to do the perfect mix of sweet and sexy * Cult comedy: The group's surreal TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 1969 It's NOT a dead parrot! 'Hard-up' Monty Python stars to reform 30 years after they last worked together They will only be missing Graham Chapman * Cara Delevingne out and about with sweatpants 'Just parka up right there': Cara Delevingne dons a big fur collar as she grabs a taxi outside her New York hotel Spent weekend partying with Rihanna * Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Kelly Brook squeezes one last gym session in LA before heading back to Britain for the opening of her new bar Becoming a nightlife entrepreneur * Pregnant singer Gwen Stefani was spotted running errands with her husband Gavin Rossdale in Studio City, California with her signature red lipstick firmly in place Pregnant Gwen Stefani conceals blossoming baby bump with stylish grey coat while out with husband Gavin Rossdale Stylish singer expecting her third child * Kristin in The Boy Next Door Less hair, more fun? Kristin Chenoweth works her sexy new pixie cut on movie set putting co-star Jennifer Lopez in the shade Very different look * Dream come true: many a '90s girl will be rejoicing at the news, and making sue they get tickets for the UK dates of the Spring tour Bring it on, bring it, bring it on now! All Saints are getting back together for 2014 to support Backstreet Boys on tour They know where it's at! * Liam Gallagher splash out on lobster and cocktails to impress his new girlfriend, Debbie Gwyther, but the morning after the pair looked pretty bleary eyed Bleary eyed: Rocker Liam Gallagher heads home with new girlfriend Debbie after a night indulging in lobstaaar and cocktails Moving on after Nicole * Rest in peace: Diane Disney Miller, 79, daughter of Walt Disney, the only biological child of Walt Disney, died November 19, 2013 in Napa, California from injuries sustained in a fall Diane Disney Miller who inspired her famous father to create Disneyland dies at 79 Eldest and only biological daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney * Rachel Zoe It's a cover-up! Pregnant stylist Rachel Zoe dresses her bump in a flared grey peacoat as she works high platform boots Not long now * She stripped down to her skimpy black bra on Friday to twerk for the cameras in New Orleans and now the 25-year-old has been spotted giving shoppers another dance show. Rihanna dances in a New York tattoo shop while she stocks up on body jewellery in sexy leather trench coat and trouser combo Loves the attention * Guests arrive at a Caudwell Foundation Moving up in the world: Amy Childs wears golden gown to rub shoulders with Eva Longoria at charity dinner New Hollywood pal * 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' 'You don't have to be so mean': Kyle Richards left in tears after Brandi Glanville brings up cheating rumours... as Carlton Gebbia admits 'I'm a witch' * Kesha gives good tooth There's gold underneath that rainbow! Ke$ha bares shiny metallic tooth at LAX while contemplating her next outfit change Never a dull moment * Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer Willis were seen leaving from the back exit at 'Matsuhisa' Japanese Restaurant in Beverly Hills All that's missing is the motorbike! A leather- clad Rumer Willis enjoys a girls' dinner with mother Demi Moore Japanese meal in Beverly Hills * Miley Cyrus More like a 'wreck-ed ball': Miley Cyrus hides under her hood as she is put on 'voice rest' after X Factor appearance Was really covered up for once * Fun in a bun! Sienna Miller wears elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan for the launch of Kelly Hoppen's new book Sienna Miller supports ex-stepmother Kelly Hoppen in elegant leopard print dress and fluffy cardigan at launch of new book Still close * Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles daughter Carmen Her little bundle of joy: Hilaria Baldwin nuzzles her baby daughter Carmen...before showing off her post-baby figure in a clinging grey dress * Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps angelic white for goth chic as she heads out in Canada Back in black! Lady Gaga swaps her angelic white for a bizarre gypsy-inspired Gothic ensemble as she heads to fan Q&A session In Toronto * Erin W Puff Preview 'I go for a very Kate Middleton look': US Fox sports reporter Erin Andrews on how she veers away from 'sexy' when on the job Wants to be serious * Canceled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1m for his charity after mass furor over racial profiling claims Cancelled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1million for his charity after furor over racial profiling claims * In the front row: Tom Cruise and John Travolta side-by-side in the front row as the Church of Scientology's Flag Building in downtown Clearwater, Florida is opened. The building is rumored to have a floor where members can get 'super powers' The house that Scientology built: Tom Cruise and John Travolta in front row to see opening of $145m cathedral of 'super powers' * Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere Flaming beauty! Elizabeth Banks turns up the heat in glitter-embellished orange gown at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere She's on amber alert * Jena Malone sports sheer dress slashed from thigh to cleavage for Hunger Games Los Angeles premiere You're a tribute not a commando! Jena Malone forgoes underwear in VERY daring dress slashed from thigh to cleavage at Hunger Games premiere * Jaden, Willow Not hard to tell they've grown up in the spotlight! Willow and Jaden Smith ham it up at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere Quite the little posers * Justin Bieber All Around the World! Justin Bieber is left stranded by the road when he gets a flat tyre... but still manages to get to the airport Leaving LA * Now that's a sight to behold! Victoria Beckham goes barefoot on her hands and knees as she makes alterations to best friend Eva Longoria's gown Now that's a sight to behold! Victoria Beckham goes barefoot on her hands and knees as she makes alterations to best friend Eva Longoria's gown * Kim Kardashian Well she IS an exhibitionist! Kim Kardashian shows off major cleavage at new Mario Testino exhibit in New York Not exactly modest * 'Mmmmh doughnuts...' Spencer's mind drifts and his eyes glaze over as his poor therapist makes the mistake of trying to explain to the inveterate narcissist and misogynist that his views might be arrant, arrogant nonsense A new low: Spencer sabotages Andy and Louise and watches them start behaving like him. A chilling episode of Made in Chelsea, says JIM SHELLEY * huston_preview.jpg How Anjelica Huston was seduced as a schoolgirl by an actor 11 years her senior: Film beauty's new memoir chronicles her salacious affairs with older men * Ashlee Simpson and Diana Ross Ashlee Simpson enjoys a PDA with boyfriend Evan at Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere... and looks like she's raided his mother Diana Ross' wardrobe * Actress Bella Thorne arrives at the premiere of Lionsgate's Rose without a Thorne: Disney star Bella goes boho in elegant floral gown with a faded henna tattoo and odd nail varnish at Hunger Games LA premiere * She's still his little girl! Lenny Kravitz takes daughter Zoe, 24, as his date to Hunger Games: Catching Fire LA premiere She's still his little girl! Lenny Kravitz takes daughter Zoe, 24, as his date to Hunger Games: Catching Fire LA premiere Family time * Jordin Sparks wows in quilted leather jacket and cut-out top at annual theatre benefit after party Ridin' solo in leather! Jordin Sparks wows in quilted jacket and cut- out top at Broadway benefit after party At The 24 Hour Plays On Broadway * Naked ambition! Khloe Kardashian posts 'topless shot' of herself on Instagram... as her husband Lamar Odom 'agrees to undergo drug testing' for NBA contract Naked ambition! Khloe Kardashian posts 'topless shot' of herself on Instagram... as her husband Lamar Odom 'agrees to undergo drug testing' for NBA contract * Pictured: Rita Ora stretchered into ambulance after 'collapsing' at photo shoot in Miami Pictured: Rita Ora stretchered into ambulance after collapsing at photo shoot in Miami due to 'heat exhaustion and dehydration' * Getting ready for your big crying scene? Jennifer Lopez brandishes tissues as she psyches herself up on set of Boy Next Door Getting ready for your big crying scene? Jennifer Lopez brandishes tissues as she psyches herself up on set of Boy Next Door Emotional scenes * Fashion faux pas! Jennifer Hudson detracts from her edgy, daring LBD with unfortunate visible nude bra straps at her film premiere What a style shame! Jennifer Hudson detracts from edgy and daring LBD with unfortunate visible nude bra straps at Black Nativity premiere * Third time's the charm! Melanie Griffith wears her favourite leather dress as she latches onto Antonio Banderas at film premiere Third time's the charm! Melanie Griffith wears her favourite leather dress as she latches onto Antonio Banderas at film premiere Rare joint appearance * Ancient practice: Christina Aguilera insisted that her singer Jacquie Lee practice yoga on Monday night's episode of The Voice Don't forget to breathe! Christina Aguilera insists her singers on The Voice practice yoga with her as final 10 contestants perform Feeling zen * Wheeling around: Naomi Watts kept up with her son Alexander on Monday during a family outing to a grocery store in New York City Hands-on mom: Naomi Watts keeps up with young boys Alexander and Samuel during shopping trip to New York City market Energetic companions * Sunny side of the street: Gerard Butler wore his sunglasses on Monday as he stepped out in Los Angeles Showing his Hollywood smile! Gerard Butler displays his fit physique in tight shirt as he strolls around LA with a manbag Looking good * Bristol Palin brands Levi Johnston a felon and an absentee father in new custody papers after revealing the 'deadbeat dad' owes $67,000 in child support Bristol Palin brands Levi Johnston a felon and an absentee father in new custody papers after revealing the 'deadbeat dad' owes $67,000 in child support * What a carry on! Chuckling Jennifer Garner carries daughter Seraphina during girls day out in LA, then totes son Samuel around while shopping in Brentwood What a carry on! Chuckling Jennifer Garner carries daughter Seraphina during girls day out in Los Angeles Looking great thanks to exercise regime * george watsky Rapper pictured being stretchered away from gig venue moments after he jumped 35ft from light rigging and broke a woman's arm Not the best move * Zendaya When NOT to do a selfie! Disney star Zendaya is caught taking her own picture at Hunger Games screening in New York Can't someone else..? * Disney She's hardly quiet as a mouse! Jenny McCarthy channels her inner Minnie as she joins guest co-host Demi Lovato for a taping of The View at Disneyland * Tori Spelling seen shopping for wigs at Outfitter Wig Doesn't she have bills toupee? Tori Spelling forgets her financial woes as she goes on a wig shopping spree Hasn't curbing her habit of wanting to dress up * A marriage of the popular dating app Tinder and accommodation rental spot Airbnb, a new room sharing site allows users to scout for guests and hosts based on their attractability. Cosy up with someone attractive! New room rental site in America connects people on the lookout for 'love or sex' (oh, and a place to stay) Next new thing>.. * 'I am home and so grateful for your support': ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas thanks fans after leaving rehab following treatment for alcohol addiction 'Home and so grateful for your support': ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas thanks fans after leaving rehab following treatment for alcohol addiction * Sasha Obama Bring back Sasha's sold-out sweater! Youngest Obama's unicorn design sparks major demand for a reissue from retailer ASOS New Autograph M&S Optez pour un look chic et assuré cette saison avec notre nouvelle collection. more * Today's headlines * Most Read * Kate Marilyn The Duchess of Cambridge has a Marilyn moment! Kate struggles to control her £200 skirt as she braves the... * Emma Way says she has been the victim of cyber-bullying since she tweeted about a collision about a collision with a cyclist 'It's been tough for ME': Woman driver who tweeted about 'bloody cyclists' after knocking man off his bike... * Under EU rules migrants are not allowed to move away from the country of arrival Lampedusa tragedy survivors flee Italy a DAY after being given free accommodation in Rome. Thought to be... * People who turn red-faced when they drink (right) are less able to tolerate alcohol and need to watch their blood pressure, new research has shown. If they drink more than four alcoholic drinks a week they are at increased risk of high blood pressure Does your face turn red when you drink? You could be at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack... * Raid: Officers last night entered the home of Rev Flowers with a forensic team after the Mail on Sunday revealed the scale of his drug taking Drugs police raid home of disgraced former Co-op bank chief filmed attempting to buy crack cocaine and... * Ciaron Dodd said Paul Flowers was debauched and 'showered him with gifts' The rent boy and trysts in rooms paid for by the Co-op: Escort reveals Flowers sent him emails to organise... * Prime Minister David Cameron said Labour leader Ed Miliband was 'frightened' about what an inquiry into Rev Flowers would reveal Cameron threatens Labour with public inquiry into how drug addict Paul Flowers was put in charge of Co-op... * It's not Dvorak! Jeremy Paxman corrected students this week on University Challenge, confusing the Czech music with a Gregorian plainsong Who's under pressure now? University Challenge presenter Jeremy Paxman corrects students on BBC show with... * All change: Just over a year since their £148m lottery win Gillian and Adrian Bayford have confirmed their marriage is over Couple who scooped £148million lottery jackpot to DIVORCE - just over a year since their win * GPS tracker: Gary Brown's BMW Six Series is fitted with this device which recorded the garage worker speeding on the M4 in Berkshire Dragons' Den-winning car repair company 'took motorist's BMW for a 92mph drive when it was taken in for... * Lorry smash M40 Lucky escape for driver as lorry ploughs through central reservation before jackknifing on M40 and crushing... * Sell-off: Ministers have come under fire for the sharp rise in the share price of Royal Mail since the privatisation last month Banks accused of costing the taxpayer millions by selling off Royal Mail too cheap and misleading ministers * Hi-tech: Pedestrians make use of the new Big Belly bin in Aberystwyth town centre Cash-strapped council slammed for buying five bins at £5,000 EACH which send a text and email when they're... * Dream home: And Halswell House near Bridgwater in Somerset could be yours for as little as £250,000 The bargain-basement mansion: Historic house which has been a school, a PoW camp and even the site of an... * Convenience: Commuters will be able to pick up their Asda shopping on their way home Commute and collect: Now shoppers can pick up their Asda groceries from a London Underground or train... * Karin Ward (left) was sexually abused by Jimmy Savile and went on to claim she was groped by Freddie Starr (right) - an allegation he has denied Freddie Starr sues victim of Jimmy Savile for £300,000: Comedian says cancer sufferer's groping allegation... * Sharon Bartley-Powell with her daughter Leah Bartley Schoolgirl, 13, with undiagnosed dyslexia so bad she can't write her own name is taught in isolation for TWO... * Struggling to find a perfect date? Software created by the University of Iowa has been created that can find potential dates based on who a user has contacted before. Formula for the perfect DATE: Software rates attractiveness to work out your perfect partner - and... * A researcher from Texas has discovered that men with attractive wives, such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pictured, have happier marriages and this marital satisfaction remains over time. Love? Trust? No, a GOOD-LOOKING wife makes for a happy marriage (according to men, at least...) * Jake Harris Father-to-be shouted 'I want it to stop' before cutting his own throat after suffering lethal reaction to... * Fluctuating: Ross Edgley first lost nearly two stone in 24 hours then re-gained all the weight within a day. He went from 14st 13lb (left) to 13st 2lb (centre) and then back up to 14st 12lb 'I lost 2 stone in 24 hours - and then put it back ON within a DAY': Sports scientist shows how easy it is... * As Meg Ryan demonstrated in 'When Harry Met Sally...' (pictured) some women are very good at faking orgasms. But new research suggests faking satisfaction is not good for relationships Women who fake orgasms are 'more likely to cheat on their partner' * Catarina Migliorini sold her virginity online for $500,000 Brazilian student who auctioned her virginity for £485,000 hopes to sell it AGAIN after claiming the last... * Fire scene: Police and firefighters cordon off the scene following the blaze which killed two adults and two children Two women and two children die in house fire as third child recovers in hospital * Police looking for missing GP Elizabeth Kinston, 37, pictured with daughter Elise, have found a body on scrubland in Nottingham 'An amazing mum, daughter, sister, wife and friend': Family pay tribute to GP found dead after suffering... * ***COMPOSITE*** return to life The reincarnated children: New book tells the extraordinary story of the children who believe they are a... * Warning: Planning minister Nick Boles warned the Tories will struggle to win without wooing voters who feel unable to vote Conservative at present Young voters think Conservatives are 'aliens from another planet', top Tory minister warns in blast at... * Defence Secretary Philip Hammond warned delaying the recruitment of reservists would cause chaos Defence Secretary pleads with Tory rebels not to cause 'chaos' by delaying plan to replace 20,000 soldiers... * Acrocanthosaurus Seawater dating back 100 million years reveals that the Atlantic Ocean was TWICE as salty when dinosaurs... * Sadia Abdinur, 35, was shunned by her friends and neighbours in Somalia because they became convinced she had been possessed by the Devil when she contracted elephantiasis The woman with a five STONE leg: Somali mother's limb ballooned because of elephantiasis - but neighbours... * Romany Mitchell Female British tourist 'lucky to be alive' after falling 30ft from balcony in Thailand after 'her drink was... * The e-mail referred to this photo of Cpl. Kristine Tejedaa. Ms Arnhart expressed her view that by using images of pretty female soldiers, the 'rest of the message' is lost U.S. Army told to advertise for recruits using 'average looking women' because they are perceived as more... * Proposal: Northern Ireland attorney general John Larkin QC said he was not proposing an amnesty - but deaths prior to April 1998 would no longer be prosecuted Paras could escape trial for 'Bloody Sunday murders' after attorney general calls for amnesty for Troubles... * Alan Miliburn, the government's social mobility adviser, said the middle classes, as well as those on low incomes, struggle to make it to the top Privately-educated graduates a THIRD more likely to get top jobs: Social mobility tsar in call to 'break... * Heading home: Now he's too fat for the TUNNEL! 35-stone Frenchman who was refused travel home by British Airways and a... * Bungee jump without harness Terrifying moment woman bungee jumps off a bridge without a harness... but clings onto a friend who IS... * The city will hope to see an economic boost from the accolade which is handed out every four years 'We're not a crap town now!' Hull comes out of the shadows to be crowned UK City of Culture for 2017 * Left behind: Fathers of second families are twice as likely to lose all contact with children Britain's 130,000 absent dads: One in five fathers lose contact with children from earlier relationships * Winter The beauty of the big chill: Stunning photos capture Britain in all its wintry glory as Snowvember sweeps in * Retro: The Apple 1 was one of only 50 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built to sell at a local shop Is Mark Zuckerberg the mystery buyer of Apple's first ever computer? Auctioneers describe client as someone... * Tough: Rachel Reeves has vowed to tackle Labour's image as being soft on welfare since becoming shadow work and pensions secretary in last month's reshuffle Under-25s to lose jobless benefits under get-tough plan being studied by Labour * Danger: This is the terrifying moment a drug-crazed criminal threatened to hack off a police dog's head with some shears as he stands on his neighbour's car Caught on CCTV: Moment drug-crazed maniac armed with shears is Tasered after brave disabled woman runs past... * Abandoned: Overgrown with weeds and coated in cobwebs and dust, this tumbledown house has become a rotting monument to a by-gone age Inside the home where time stood still: The eerie remnants of a farmhouse that was abandoned mysteriously 20... * Scientists believed the 11 'bluestones' used to build Stonehenge, pictured, came from Carn Menyn in the Presili Hills of Pembrokeshire, South Wales. Origin of Stonehenge's blue stones revealed - but experts still don't know how they travelled 160... * dna Ancient humans 'rampantly interbred' with Neanderthals and a mystery species in Lord Of The Rings-style... * Little Oliver Cahill (pictured with his mother Leanne) picked up the phone, dialled 999 and asked to speak to Fireman Sam, sparking an emergency response. But he was less than impressed when a female police officer answered the call Is that 999? Get me Fireman Sam! Police swoop on home after toddler rang emergency number to ask for... * The best time to take aspirin to reduce the risk of a heart attack is in the evening, a study has shown Bedtime aspirin 'wards off heart attacks': Blood cells least likely to bind dangerously together if taking... * farmers Watch out for that heavy machinery! Sexy young farmers strip off for a roll in the hay wearing nothing but... * A reality stranger than fiction: In a case partially inspired by the novel Fifty Shades of Grey, a New Zealand man has been cleared of raping his estranged wife while pretending to be her young lover without her realising Man who hid his identity to have sex with estranged wife twice in bizarre seduction inspired by Fifty Shades... * Grieving: A woman slept next to the body of her husband, Marcel H (pictured), 79, for almost a year Grieving Belgian woman sleeps next to the grisly remains of her dead husband for almost a year * MORE HEADLINES * `Mum thinks I'm a pillock': Teenager went for drunken night out in Oldham... and woke up in a toilet in PARIS * Couple who scooped £148million lottery jackpot to DIVORCE - just over a year since their win * Grieving Belgian woman sleeps next to the grisly remains of her dead husband for almost a year * Ruby's four-letter blast at Bake Off: Finalist risks alienating fans by launching scathing attack on 'silly' women who watch it * The rent boy and trysts in rooms paid for by the Co-op: Escort reveals Flowers sent him emails to organise drug-fuelled sex from his work account * £1m payday that has finally made the poisonous Pythons reunite: Torn apart by jealously, bled dry by ex-wives, the laughter ended years ago. But guess what's brought Monty Python back together * Beautiful but heart-breaking pictures of terminally ill and elderly pets in one final embrace with their loving owners just before they die * Freddie Starr sues victim of Jimmy Savile for £300,000: Comedian says cancer sufferer's groping allegation cost him work * 'It's been tough for ME': Woman driver who tweeted about 'bloody cyclists' after knocking man off his bike complains SHE is victim of online bullies * What would the world's greatest music legends have looked like if they lived to fade away? * 'The Woman in the Blue Raincoat' who took famous Polaroid of JFK being shot speaks and says she thinks there's 'more to the story' * The beauty of the big chill: Stunning photos capture Britain in all its wintry glory as Snowvember sweeps in * Finders keepers? £60,000 worth of bank notes found floating in Lincolnshire river by dog walker * Is that 999? Get me Fireman Sam! Police swoop on home after toddler rang emergency number to ask for fictional character * Father-to-be shouted 'I want it to stop' before cutting his own throat after suffering lethal reaction to legal high N-bomb * Schoolboy, 13, spent years raping little girl aged younger than 8 after watching internet pornography * Terrifying moment woman bungee jumps off a bridge without a harness... but clings onto a friend who IS attached to a cord * Brazilian student who auctioned her virginity for £485,000 hopes to sell it AGAIN after claiming the last buyer did not have sex with her * Extremely rare deep sea fish with venomous spine, tail like a whip, and long bizarre snout discovered in Canadian arctic * 'An amazing mum, daughter, sister, wife and friend': Family pay tribute to GP found dead after suffering post-natal depression * MOST READ IN DETAIL EDITOR'S SIX OF THE BEST * MELISSA KITE: Cameron swore he'd treasure the Green Belt. What a hollow promise * Selfies - the craze that perfectly captures our shallow culture, writes FRANCES WILSON * £1m payday that has finally made the poisonous Pythons reunite: Torn apart by jealously, bled dry by ex-wives, the laughter ended years ago * Would you pay the plumber by text? You'll soon be able to pay bills with a mobile phone number, but one slip and your cash could vanish * From Lincoln to JFK... the chilling catalogue of guns used in assassination attempts on American presidents and candidates over 148 years * Is one twerking? William and Kate struggle to keep straight faces as energetic young dancer performs for them MailOnline iPad app Love MailOnline? Now you can keep up with the latest news with the MailOnline Bing Toolbar for Internet Explorer. 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EducationState: the education news blog. * Home * Demos * Events * Policy + NCLB * Social Enterprise + Teach for Australia + Teach for America + CfBT + Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation + ARK + Teach First * Exams + GCSEs + A Levels * Educationalists + Daniel Willingham + Andreas Schleicher + Pasi Sahlberg + Alfie Kohn + Diane Ravitch + Michael Barber * Teaching + Teacher Bashing + Working Conditions + Teaching Resources * Unions + ASCL + UNISON + ATL + UFT + TUC + NASUWT + UCU + NUT + NUS * Schools + Special Schools + Academies + Free Schools + Private Schools + National Curriculum + Charter Schools + Pre-School + Primary Education + Secondary Education * League Tables * Ofsted * Media Watch * Education Business + Private Tuition + ICT + Cambridge Assessment + Management Consultants + McKinsey & Co. + Internships + Apprenticeships * Research + Campbell Collaboration + MetLife + OECD + PISA * Politics + Labour + Tories * In The News * HE + Student Finance + Study Abroad + New College of the Humanities + Russell Group + HE Review + Tuition Fees * Education Reform + Merit Pay + Common Core + Managerialism + Standards + Testing * FE + IfL + EMA * ESOL Continuing Americanisation of UK Education Posted by Editors Charter Schools, Education Reform, In The News, Politics, Teach First, Tuition Fees Saturday, December 11th, 2010 WP Greet Box icon Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. With the narrow victory for the Coalition of One over tuition fees and the rise of Teach First, it seems that the UK is moving ever closer to becoming the newest addition to the United States of America. The Special Relationship Teach First is modelled on Teach For America and tuition fees are commonplace in the USA where they can reach over $30K per year. But that’s not all. In the US the poorer (or smarter?) kids go to local community colleges where it is much cheaper (£3000 a year) and live at home. This is also increasingly the trend in the UK. Another trend in the UK is the creation of academies and free schools just like charter schools in the US. The Tories wish to create more private universities. And No Child Left Behind (2001) provided the model for standards-based education reform in the UK. This Americanisation is no surprise. Wikileaks has revealed just how much Tories have been looking to cement the special relationship. This poodling was also Thatcher’s policy. And just like Thatcher, Tory Boy and Chums have savagely cut education funding, and they’re well-known Europhobes. NuLab were no different, however. They looked westward to cowboy Bush for inspiration too. There are a few things that remain different, however. As British comedian Russell Brand quipped to the bemusement of the audience at the 2009 MTV awards: “Instead of truck, we say lorry, instead of elevator we say lift, and instead of letting people die in the street we have free healthcare.” It is just unfortunate that a previous pillar of UK society – its free university education system – wasn’t on Brand’s list. Recent Posts * Why do teachers go on strike? * 4 Reasons Why Teach First Might Be A Good Idea (& 22 Reasons Why It Might Not) * Is The Result Of This Systematic Review Of Teacher Merit Pay A Foregone Conclusion? * What Makes Daniel Willingham A Scientist? * Where’s Wally? How To Spot A Corporate Education Reformer Comments are closed Latest Posts * Why do teachers go on strike? * 4 Reasons Why Teach First Might Be A Good Idea (& 22 Reasons Why It Might Not) * Is The Result Of This Systematic Review Of Teacher Merit Pay A Foregone Conclusion? * What Makes Daniel Willingham A Scientist? * Where’s Wally? How To Spot A Corporate Education Reformer * A Teach First Primer: The American Experience * Is ‘Good Will Hunting’ A Film About The Purpose Of Education? * US & UK Education Privatisation: The Differences * Global Education Reform or Global Education Messianism? Talmon & ‘The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy’ * Does the UK Economy really need ’10,000 extra science graduates’? * Gove’s GCSE Reform Speech: Our View * Finland, Japan, Wherever Next? Labour Twigg Fails To Impress * Charity Begins At Home: TeachFirst’s Executive Pay * AET uses online tutoring to support disadvantaged children * The End is Nigh for the IfL * The NeverEnding Story of Educational Reform: UK PM Callaghan’s Ruskin College Speech, Oct 1976 Archives [Select Month..] Register | Login Tweets by educationstate tweets Take Our Poll STAY UPDATED A Levels Academies Alfie Kohn Andreas Schleicher Apprenticeships ARK ASCL ATL Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Cambridge Assessment Campbell Collaboration CfBT Charter Schools Common Core Daniel Willingham Demos Diane Ravitch Education Business Education Reform Educationalists EMA ESOL Events Exams FE Free Schools GCSEs HE HE Review ICT IfL In The News Internships Labour League Tables Management Consultants Managerialism McKinsey & Co. 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Log in # * About Us * Advertise * Subscribe Herald Scotland * Wednesday 20 November 2013 * * _______________ search Complete archive of articles from 1989 to today [hs-home-mini.png] * News + Home News + Crime & Courts + Health + Education + Transport + Environment + World News + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Politics + Referendum News + Viewpoint + Factfile + Other Political News + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Sport + Football + Opinion + Rugby + Golf + Tennis + Cricket + Other Sports + Commonwealth Games + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Business + Company News + Markets & Economy + People + Opinion + Personal Finance + Bulletin + Farming + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Comment + Columnists + The Diary + Tom Shields + Bloggers + Herald View + Letters + Obituaries + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Arts & Ents + Film + Stage + Music + Visual + Books & Poetry + Opinion + Listings + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Life & Style + Fashion + Homes & Interiors/Gardens + Outdoors/Leisure + Food & Drink + Technology + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Going Out * Puzzles * Weather * Text size [text-size-minus.png] [text-size-plus.png] * Send this article to a friend * Print this article Tweet ENGLAND in the shadow of AMERICA Tuesday 29 September 1998 Custom byline text: Andrew O'Hagan I've now decided. Daft questions are good. One day in 1888 a little American magazine called the Critic asked a really good daft question. It printed it on a card and sent it to a handful of American novelists. [loading-spinner.gif] Loading article content The question was: ''Is it necessary that an author who wishes his readers to weep should first weep himself?'' Now that is fairly good. Authors usually go ape when you prod at the soft centre of their sensibilities. Like the best daft questions - ''Daddy, where do babies come from?'' - this one relied on a kind of metaphysical cheek. Ever so gently, with a bothersome charm, it slings one's eye to the heart of the matter. Mark Twain replied with a stentorian ''Yes!'' And Robert Louis Stevenson, who got wind of the query in Saranac Lake, sent off a letter. ''I am deeply moved and weep like Billy,'' he wrote, ''but the result when I have done with my tearful scribing, and read it by the cold light of tomorrow, seems pretty weak. I have wept over piles of my own scenes as I wrote them; yet I cannot conceive the public weeping over any . . . '' Poor Louis, with his drooping moustache, would weep at the drop of a comma, and Mr Twain, with his sure memory of Mississippi mud and laughter, would drop tear after tear into his river of words. The American and the Scot met soon after. (Twain had admired Kidnapped; Stevenson adored Huckleberry Finn, and read it four times.) They sat for an hour on a bench in Washington Square. I fancy they discussed what you could do in a novel. What you could say. What unsay. And something of that concern has come down to us. In this century the American novel has cast a long and perplexing shadow over British fiction. Manly tears and American big rivers could be seen to swell the oily backwaters of the English novel, and in their large, political, plain-speakingness, those same waters might be seen to have irrigated the fictive soils of the Irish, the Scottish. The Atlantic roar - Moby Dick, Gravity's Rainbow - has broken smartly on Scotland's west coast, and been absorbed inland with ease. The English make much of it too. But where a Scottish novelist, such as Duncan McLean who appears in this special issue, can see the open-hearted good in Texan swing, and like James Kelman fairly revel in the sparse melody of the American southern voice, their contemporaries in England can seem overwhelmed, breathless, dispirited, when confronted with American voices, and big, fat, American novels. Norman Mailer, never shy of an unslender volume himself, has just given us The Time of Our Time (Little Brown, #25), a veritable doorstep of a book, one which tries to wrap a whole republic in its covers, and a whole ego. Once upon a time, Mailer had something to say to British readers. Maybe he still has. But he also had something to say to British writers. ''Has not the time come for the British writer to face the disagreeable notion that, compared to us in America, he has been slack, fought his battles with too little, and surrendered too often to those peculiar betrayals which are worked in the name of good taste, caution, and the public trust?'' Well maybe. But you don't want to go too far on that. Before the fight for William Burroughs and Henry Miller there was the problem of D H Lawrence. And Messrs Stevenson and Twain, on their park bench, may have admitted the possibility of learning something from one another. No literary culture can be unidirectional: Melville, and Hawthorne, and Henry James learned much from Flaubert, George Eliot, and Scott; and the American novel has always been interested in Europe, in being there, or not being there. ''America is my country,'' said Gertrude Stein, ''but Paris is my home.'' Last year I asked Mailer what he thought of Iris Murdoch. ''She's the novelist I'd most like to have been,'' he said. ''I wished I'd written A Severed Head.'' I think he excepted Murdoch from his put-down of British writers, not because she's not British (she's actually Irish), but because she's a philosopher, and her novels are risky. And he had a point there. Who could deny that America is the place where the business of Modernism is now mainly being carried on? Last year saw the publication of Underworld by Don DeLillo, a serious (and seriously complex) song of the American Cold War years; and Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon, a massive, elliptical journey into American history and imagination. These are books which take the subject of America itself. Nothing came out in England last year which had any similar power or dimension. We had a novel about a girl, Bridget Jones's Diary. Or About a Boy. We had novels so interested in reassurance, so prosaic and timid, so historically inert, they could not be seen to be part of any novelistic tradition at all, only as an offshoot of some panting magazine culture, some deleterious riff from the centre of English banality. There was American and Irish and Scottish banality too - but nothing so empty as those feature-written novels, busted with their own nonsense. There is something about America. It gives itself to large gestures. From Fenimore Cooper and Walt Whitman to Rick Moody and Robert Pinsky, it was never going to be the sort of culture where boring men were content to boast about their ordinariness, or if they did it was going to be Herzog, and not The Little Book of Calm. The virtue of America is that it respects its extremes: it may produce some of the worst best-selling, self-help dross in the whole of the known universe, but when it decides to publish literature it does so, and it calls it that, and it can find an audience for it, and know the difference. America gets all the stick going for enjoying its own superficialities. But at least it takes an interest in what junk means. Britain just laughs at them for being so vacuous, and then buys it all up for Channel 4. Britain's critical culture is so lame at present: full of rubbish and rave; you can sometimes feel there's a conspiracy of lazy tripe-mongers; a critical condition in critical condition: Britain (and France) are among the easiest places for bad books to be called good. That is true now. You see it week after week on the book pages: miserable guff as ''masterpiece''. I would say the literary culture in Britain now is the least robust it has been this century. People laugh at America, unthinkingly. But it was in America, not here, that a strange and large book like Underworld could go to number one. It's in America, not here, that someone like Oprah Winfrey could hoist Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon on to the bestseller list, just by discussing it on her show, saying: ''This is an important book. Read it.'' Imagine Vanessa Feltz discussing Julian Barnes's new novel, England, England, on her very English show. Barnes's novel, a bright disquisition on islandness, is about a tycoon's attempt to turn the Isle of Wight into a mini-England. It's the sort of book which could trouble the typical, heritage-loving Anglophile. But you won't hear it discussed in that way. You won't hear the book discussed as if it actually mattered to the way people live their lives here. What is often called the Americanisation of British culture is actually the Britishisation of American cultural output. Vanessa Feltz is much worse than Oprah. The Sunday Times book pages are much worse than the New York Times Book Review. The Spectator is a load of mince next to the New Yorker. The BBC is threatening to cut Bookmark, which means there will soon be more places to watch the intelligent discussion of literary topics in America than here. At least when Oprah discusses books she will discuss them as if they made some sort of difference. Here - eye off the ball, snout in the air - the only chance Iris Murdoch has of getting on to a popular discussion programme is if she were to allow herself to be featured as a writer with Alzheimer's! The Americans might love garbage, but less thoroughly do they mistake it for art. The American novel has often shown what it has been like to be alive in America this past 40 years. Britain has not. Where are the British novelists of supermarkets, nuclear reactors, local politics, middle-class gardens, advertising frauds, new town planning, food scares, de-islanding, new religions, computer components factories? Where are the political satires? The Joycean turns through provincial cities? The breath of Birmingham? People who love Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield and Gogol and Maupassant, who grew up reading these things, now lie in wait for the latest from their offspring, Richard Ford, or Cormac McCarthy, or Alice Munro, or Claire Messud. Americans all. English fiction is sunk in critical laxity and cultural bad faith. It grows pleased with its small ambitions; its proud emptiness. The Indian novel has made it look poky. The Irish and Scottish has made it seem moribund. Having said all this, I would say, for my part, that the trouble with the English novel seems mainly political. You very seldom read an English sentence, about the land, about a face, about a turn of language and mind, a crack-up, and think: ''This is about the whole country. This is something that can stand for the nation itself.'' There is very little political energy. There are English novelists now, whose interest in popular culture, in political effects, has caused them to be called very English - Jonathan Coe, Will Self - but that is not true. It makes them American. It makes them very American. After I wrote that last sentence there was a knock at the door. It was a man in a crash helmet, holding two towers of paper, a veritable World Trade Centre of manuscript. This was the last instalment of Tom Wolfe's new novel A Man in Full. His previous novel, Bonfire of the Vanities, left you in no doubt about those carrying on the tradition established by Thackeray and Trollope. It was a political thriller, an account of the moneyed classes, a view of the Bronx, a breath of society high and low, a long look at how materialism and news entertainment had doused the Manhattan of the 1980s. The first parts of A Man in Full promise another medley of contemporary literary effects: big-time realism; satirical miniatures; Dickensian brio; a superabundance of Nineties manners and follies. It is the sort of book that has become nearly impossible to imagine in a British context. The English novel has largely become a silly conceit of minor affections, devoid of political realities, or indeed possibilities. The founding fathers (and mothers) of American writing loved Stendhal. It was he who put the matter most plainly: ''Politics in a work of literature,'' he wrote, ''is like a pistol-shot in the middle of a concert, something loud and vulgar, and yet a thing to which it is not possible to refuse one's attention.'' The best of the Americans make us nervous. They can give us novels that enter, with prescience, with heart, into the political system of the day, in the manner they learned from Europe's finest. They can give us a stylish novel on Bill Clinton. We will look in vain for such a book about Tony Blair. Who would write it? Jeffrey Archer? The best American writers are political in a more important way. They are open to the politics of everyday life. They can show you power in a handful of dust. And the people who taught them have forgotten how. Tweet Commenting & Moderation We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well and trust you then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here. Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. 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MOST READ SPONSORED LINKS MOST COMMENTED [ianbell.jpg] 81272 * [herald-footer-logo.png] + © Copyright + Herald & Times Group + All rights reserved * Our News Services + Mobile + Apps and Kindle + Newspaper + Digital Editions + Back Issues + Online Archive + Email, Twitter, RSS + Syndication * Our Advertising Services + Family Notices + Book Your Newspaper Ad online + Contact the Sales Team + View Newspaper Ads + Commercial Features * Our Personal Services + Help, Feedback & Contact + Dating + Travel Services + Photo Sales + Crosswords & Sudoku * Our Colleagues + Evening Times + s1 + The Scottish Farmer + Scottish Horse + Newsquest Media Group + Scottish Newspaper Printers * About Us + Herald & Times Group + Terms & Conditions + Privacy Policy + How We Use Cookies + Employment # * About Us * Advertise * Subscribe Herald Scotland * Wednesday 20 November 2013 * * _______________ search Complete archive of articles from 1989 to today [hs-home-mini.png] * News + Home News + Crime & Courts + Health + Education + Transport + Environment + World News + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Politics + Referendum News + Viewpoint + Factfile + Other Political News + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Sport + Football + Opinion + Rugby + Golf + Tennis + Cricket + Other Sports + Commonwealth Games + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Business + Company News + Markets & Economy + People + Opinion + Personal Finance + Bulletin + Farming + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Comment + Columnists + The Diary + Tom Shields + Bloggers + Herald View + Letters + Obituaries + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Arts & Ents + Film + Stage + Music + Visual + Books & Poetry + Opinion + Listings + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Life & Style + Fashion + Homes & Interiors/Gardens + Outdoors/Leisure + Food & Drink + Technology + Jobs + Property + Cars + Dating + Family Notices + Book an ad * Going Out * Puzzles * Weather * Text size [text-size-minus.png] [text-size-plus.png] * Send this article to a friend * Print this article Tweet PM faces fight over TV fears of American invasion Monday 29 July 2002 Custom byline text: Michael Settle Chief political correspondent A POWERFUL group of MPs and peers this week will launch a severe attack on Tony Blair's ambitions to open up Britain's airwaves to American conglomerates - a move which look set to benefit media moguls like Rupert Murdoch. [loading-spinner.gif] Loading article content A joint committee of the House of Commons and House of Lords, chaired by Lord Puttnam, the Labour peer and film producer, will express deep concern on Wednesday at the ''creeping Americanisation'' of British television, which they fear will become much worse if US companies are allowed to snap up parts of the ITN network. It has been suggested the prime minister is keen to placate Mr Murdoch, the owner of BSkyB and newspapers such as the Sun and the Times, in the hope that his media stable will be less hostile during any euro referendum. Whitehall sources already have indicated that Mr Blair is prepared to take on the committee over the contentious issue of foreign ownership and is willing to personally sanction overturning its findings - a move described by one government insider as ''extremely rare''. Mr Blair's position appears to be that it is untenable for the British media to be liable for takeover by European firms and individuals, but not American ones. However, last night, one member of the committee told The Herald: ''There is concern. The committee did not support the government's position on foreign ownership. It felt very strongly about the lack of reciprocation as well.'' This latter point is a reference to the fact that while parts of British radio and television could be opened up to takeover by US companies, UK firms are barred from taking over American stations. The joint committee on the draft communications bill claims the government's arguments on the issue of opening up the British media ''lack force'' and are based on ''an untested aspiration''. It will say if Mr Blair does not do a U-turn on his plans, then British television and radio will be placed in serious jeopardy. The MPs and peers, who include Lord Hussey, a former chairman of the BBC, argue that American media giants such as Disney and AOL/Time Warner would engage in a ''determined and sophisticated attempt'' to move away from UK-based programmes and concentrate on US products such as The Simpsons and Celebrity Boxing. The committee will recommend the whole issue should be reviewed by Ofcom, the media's new regulator when it is created, and that the BBC with its ''dominant'' position should also come under the remit of Ofcom on matters of competition with commercial rivals. It is claimed the committee's recommendations on foreign ownership were finalised after intense lobbying from the BBC and Channel 4. In May, Tessa Jowell, the media and culture secretary, announced the government wanted to open up ownership of Britain's media. The move was seen as of particular advantage to Mr Murdoch, who has for some time wanted to acquire a terrestrial-based television station. The proposed changes would allow him to buy Channel 5. They would further the merger of Carlton and Granada, bringing nearer the prospect of a single ITV company, and relax the rules on radio station ownership. The proposals would also create Ofcom, a single regulatory body for the communications industry to replace the current five watchdogs: the ITC; the Broadcasting Standards Commission; Oftel; the Radiocommunications Agency, and the Radio Authority. Three months of consultation on the draft bill have already started and the legislation is likely to be put before parliament before the end of the year. Last night, a spokeswoman for the Culture and Media Department suggested that while the government would listen to representations on its draft bill the chances of it changing its mind on the foreign ownership proposals were very remote. ''The provisions on cross- media ownership were not tentative proposals, they were decisions,'' she said. 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By David Ellwood | Published in History Today Volume: 52 Issue: 9 2002 Print this article Email this article USA David Ellwood argues that the attempts of British politicians to copy an American ‘role model’ are likely to fail. Within the next five years the United Kingdom will almost certainly be obliged to decide whether or not to abandon the pound sterling and embrace the Euro. The closer this milestone approaches, the more intense becomes the debate on the meaning of Britain’s experience in the twentieth century, the factor more than any other which is likely to decide her fate in the twenty-first. In February 2001, Timothy Garton Ash asked ‘Is Britain European?’ He argued that Britain had long since abandoned the national perspective of a self-satisfied little island at the heart of a great empire: ‘But it is not clear whether what has replaced it is Europeanisation, Americanisation or just globalisation.’ Quite so. A leading political philosopher, John Gray, has attacked Labour’s commitment to the United States as ‘the paradigmatic modern country, which Britain should take as a model’. In contrast Jonathan Freedland, a Guardian journalist, has written an entire volume dedicated to teaching Britons how to ‘live the American dream’, first by eliminating the monarchy and then by installing a republic based on the US Constitution. [padlock.png] This article is available to History Today online subscribers only. If you are a subscriber, please log in. Please choose one of these options to access this article: * Purchase an online subscription * Purchase a print and online subscription * If you are already a print subscriber, purchase the online archive upgrade Call our Subscriptions department on +44 (0)20 3219 7813 for more information. 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Their agreement came during a mayoral debate on BBC Newsnight on Wednesday, itself something of an American procedure, is likely to increase pressure on members of the Cabinet to do the same. A brief row over how much senior politicians earned and whether they would benefit personally from the cut in the 50p rate of income tax following the Budget shows the appetite for the release of such information at a time of squeezed spending and frozen income levels. The practice of releasing tax returns is common in US elections, and the precedent for a presidential candidate releasing their details was set by Republican George Romney in 1967. During his campaign for the presidency that year, George Romney made the groundbreaking decision to publish 12 years worth of tax returns. "One year could be a fluke," he said. "Perhaps done for show" George was of course, the father of Mitt, the current front runner to take on Barack Obama in this years presidential election. Mitt Romney, the millionaire businessman and former governor of Massachusetts himself ran into trouble after initially resisting demands from rival Republicans to release his tax information. Having relented it was shown that while he earned $21.7m in 2010, he paid a tax rate of just 13.9 percent, a lower rate than that of a person earning $50,000, due to the way he organised his bank accounts. In an interesting parallel with the London mayoral candidates' agreement to publish their tax details during a debate, it was a botched answer during a televised debate that heaped pressure on Romney in January. Asked whether he would release information about his tax payments, Romney merely responded "maybe". A response that drew boos from the Republican crowd. He released one year's worth of information four days later. * Contribute to this Story: * Send us a tip * Send us a photo or video * Suggest a correction FOLLOW UK POLITICS Like [DEL: :DEL] 20k ____________________ Subscribe Related News On Huffington Post: More Than 100 Million Unnecessary Tax Returns Filed Each Year Boris Johnson Publishes Tax Records, Putting Further Pressure On Ken Livingstone Unnecessary Tax Returns More Than 100 Million Unnecessary Tax Returns Filed Each Year By David Cay Johnston April 6 (Reuters) - On March 28, the U.S. Justice Department sought to close a nationwide chain of income tax... Boris Publishes His Tax Boris Johnson Publishes Tax Records, Putting Further Pressure On Ken Livingstone London Mayor Boris Johnson has published his tax liabilities, having promised to reveal whether or not he was paid by a company called Finland Station.... Around the Web: [favicon.ico] Boris Johnson, Brian Paddick and Jenny Jones release their income and tax paid ... 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[v2infl-afp.jpg] [v2infl-afp.jpg] Share Are the days of American predominance in the Middle East coming to an end or is US influence simply taking a new shape? How far is Washington, after refusing to try to keep Hosni Mubarak in power in Egypt, facing the same situation as the Soviet Union in 1989, when the police states it had sustained in Eastern Europe were allowed to collapse? The US is obviously weaker than it was between 1979, when the then Egyptian president, Anwar Sadat, signed the Camp David agreement and allied Egypt with the US, and 2004/05, when it became obvious to the outside world that the Iraq war was a disaster for America. At the time, General William Odom, a former head of the National Security Agency, the biggest US intelligence agency, rightly called it "the greatest strategic disaster in American history". Since then, the verdict of the Iraq war has been confirmed in Afghanistan, where another vastly expensive US expeditionary force has failed to crush an insurgency. In the last few weeks alone, Taliban fighters have succeeded in storming Camp Bastion in Helmand province and destroying $200m worth of aircraft. So many American and allied soldiers have now been shot by Afghan soldiers and police that US advisers are under orders to wear full body armour when having tea with their local allies. The Arab Spring uprisings posed a new threat to the US, but also opened up new options. Support for Mubarak was decisively withdrawn at an early stage, to the dismay of Saudi Arabia and Israel. But the Muslim Brotherhood had long been considering how it could reach an accommodation with the US that would safeguard it against military coups, and enable it to chop back the power of the Egyptian security forces. This was very much the successful strategy of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development (AKP) party, explaining why it was prepared to join the US in invading Iraq in 2003 and why it has become the chief instrument of American policy towards Syria in the past year. This alliance with Islamic but democratic and pro-capitalist parties in Egypt and Turkey is obviously in the interests of the US and the Atlantic powers. But their support for democratic change in North Africa and West Asia is determined by self-interest. It does not, for instance, extend to Bahrain where the Sunni al-Khalifa monarchy has been busily locking up its Shia opponents and retreating from promises of meaningful reform. But new allies must at some point mean fresh policies. In sharp contrast to the Mubarak regime, a new government in Egypt is unlikely to support covertly Israeli military action such as the bombardment of Lebanon in 2006 and of Gaza in 2008. A problem for the White House is that American voters have not taken on board the extent to which US influence has been reduced. For all the rhetoric about the Iraq war being a strategic disaster, the American political and military elite has also failed to appreciate the extent and consequences of failure. It is extraordinary to discover, according to recent revelations, that as late as 2010 Vice-President Joe Biden was under the impression that he could blithely decide who would be president of Iraq. Biden's grip on Iraqi geography appears to be as shaky as his understanding of its politics. On one occasion in Baghdad, he lauded all the good things the US had done for Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, having apparently mistaken it for Basra in southern Iraq. The killing of the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and the burning of the US Consulate in Benghazi could have been a worse political disaster for President Barack Obama than it turned out to be. It highlighted that the rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi were not quite as they had been presented by the US government and media during the war past year. The US State Department appears to have had an unhealthy belief in its own propaganda, not seeing that its consulate in Benghazi was in one of the most dangerous places in the world. The assault did not come out of a blue sky. Fighters had shot at the convoy of the British ambassador, Sir Dominic Asquith, in Benghazi a few weeks earlier. In July last year, the rebels' own commander, Abdel Fatah Younis, was abducted and murdered by men nominally under his command in revenge for repressive actions he had carried out before he defected from Gaddafi's forces. Diplomats and soldiers are often curiously blind to dangers facing them. It may be that both live in very inward-looking communities and somehow cannot internalise how somebody outside may think and act. I remember in 1983 in Lebanon talking to the highly intelligent US marine commander whose soldiers were based near Beirut airport. In theoretical terms, he could see very clearly that American forces had some very dangerous enemies and were vulnerable to attack, but he unaccountably failed to take effective measures that might have stopped a truck packed with explosives killing 241 marines when their base was destroyed. Likewise, the Green Zone in Baghdad from 2003 on had elaborate fortifications, but its outer defences were manned at one moment by former Peruvian policemen from Lima and, at another, by ex-soldiers from Uganda hired on the cheap by a security company. A more effective political opponent than Mitt Romney could surely have inflicted damage on Obama over the Benghazi debacle. A measure of Romney's ineptitude is that he failed to do so and, instead of scoring points, he came across as opportunistic and ignorant. After all, Obama has been conducting a policy of retreat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt without quite coming clean about it. Romney's denunciation of Obama for "apologising" for America was shallow demagoguery, though rhetoric on the American right should not be dismissed too casually. George W Bush's supporters used to spout similar nonsense, but only after 9/11 did it become appallingly clear that they believed a lot of what they were saying. Supposing Obama is re-elected in November, will the US stance change at all? The endlessly repeated Israeli threats to launch air strikes on Iran have always struck me as being most likely highly successful bluff, since threats alone have served Israeli purposes so well, isolating Iran economically and diverting attention from the Palestinians. More immediately, will the US move after the election, possibly acting through Turkey, to take military action to displace Bashar al-Assad in Syria? There is something deceptive about David Cameron implying that Russia and China are responsible for the slaughter of Syrian children. A central problem in getting rid of President Assad and the Baathist regime is that the war against him is not just for and against autocracy. If this were the only issue, how come that the Sunni absolute monarchies of the Arabian peninsula are Assad's fiercest enemies? The struggle is also between Shia and Sunni and between Iran and its enemies, guaranteeing that Assad has support in Tehran, Baghdad and Beirut. The quickest way to end the war is to reassure Assad's allies at home and abroad that they are not next in line for elimination. React Now Tweet Enter URL: ____________________ Enter URL: ____________________ Click here... 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View the latest from iJobs Day In a Page * Sun * Mon * Tue * Wed * Thu * Fri * Sat [20] [November.] [2013] (Submit) Go Read Next Paul Flowers was questioned my MPs over the Co-operative Bank's losses on 6 November  PMQs review: High on Flowers power, David Cameron wipes the floor with Ed John Rentoul  We should listen to what Boris has to say about cycling with headphones Fran Yeoman Bomb blasts kill 23 in Beirut: Iranian Embassy is the target in a widening war between Shia and Sunni Robert Fisk: Beirut's Iranian Embassy is the target in a widening war between Shia and Sunni Bomb blasts kill 23 as war in Syria sees sectarianism spread across the border Hope for the future as Malawi battles the Aids virus's capacity to infect succeeding generations Hope for the future as Malawi battles the Aids virus's capacity to infect succeeding generations Jeremy Laurance finds a tiny nation that is finding its own way to battle stigma and refusal of treatment Stephen Poliakoff: Bring back true grit Bring back true grit His last work was a lavish BBC five-parter but Stephen Poliakoff wants TV to return to serious, one-hour plays My house in the middle of the street My house in the middle of the street Since 1927, Jack Haddock has lived in the same council house â a rare symbol of stability in a system now under threat Scenes Putin doesn't want you to see Scenes Putin doesn't want you to see From Sochi to Pussy Riot, Russian film-makers are speaking out The house that High Tech built The house that High Tech built Jay Merrick hears the gospel according to the first couple of British architecture The 10 Best slippers The 10 Best slippers The cold snapâs coming and itâs tempting to hibernate inside. 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Google has outlined the steps for all major browsers: Clearing cache and cookies # #NewsBiscuit RSS Feed NewsBiscuit » Rioters denounce ‘Americanisation’ of British way of rioting Comments Feed NewsBiscuit Ofsted report slams School of Hard Knocks Red faces as George Michael wins Daily Mail’s ‘Dream Cottage’ Betting firms collapse as Indian cricketers retire on winnings NewsBiscuit The news written by you… * Home * Writers' Room * Chat * About * Shop * Rioters denounce ‘Americanisation’ of British way of rioting 'Big ass New York cop don't know jack sheet bout nuthin,' says Simon from Bromley British rioters have hit out at what they see as an unwelcome transatlantic influence on the traditional English way of looting and causing affray. ‘It’s another deplorable Americanisation of our traditional British way of doing stuff – especially free stuff,’ says fourteen-year-old Tottenham rioter Zac (two Sony flat screens and a bag of trainers). ‘Innit.’ And Zac’s fellow rioter Jed,12, (two laptops and a crate of Stella), agreed. ’This American super cop Bill Bratton knows nothing about our way of shopping,’ he said. ‘American cops just don’t know how to behave. You’d think a Tory government would have more respect for the traditional British Bobby. I’m well disgusted.’ But the Prime Minister defended the decision to take advice from Mr Bratton. ’He’s a sort of American Dixon of Dock Green,’ he said. ”Except he uses CS gas, water cannon and rocket launchers against riots and gangs. I think they may well approve of that in Tunbridge Wells.’ Meanwhile David Cameron has ordered 16000 police onto the streets outside secondary schools in readiness for Thursday’s A Level results. ‘Those teenage girls contemplating uncontrolled histrionics when they receive their A Level results, should think again,’ the Prime Minister said after chairing a meeting of COBRA. ‘Police will be ready to deal robustly with excessive screaming or hugging – it’s self- dramatisation, pure and simple and will not be tolerated.’ A police spokesman said they were aware of the threat from A Level ‘rioters’ and would use water cannon if necessary. ’The media should not encourage displays of phantom orgasms,’ the spokesman added. Home Secretary Theresa May said she found the prospect of teenage girls being dealt with by the authorities ‘oddly exciting.’ ’I almost wet myself at the thought of it,’ she told the COBRA meeting. Share this story... * * * * * * * * * * [more.png] * * * [vuible.png] * * * * * * * close * Tweet * IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2011/08/15/rioters-denounce-americanisation-of-british-way-of-rioting/&send=false&layout=button_count&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font * * * x Send to a Friend: Your name: ____________________ Your email: ____________________ Friend name: ____________________ Friends email: ____________________ send Click to send this story to a friend Posted: Aug 15th, 2011 by roybland Tagged as: coalition, David Cameron, government, news parody, news satire, news spoof, Nick Clegg, parody, rioting, Riots, spoof news Click for more stories about: UK News * ____________________ Search * Subscribe to the daily email Loading... Loading... _________________________ _________________________ Subscribe Browse Archives [November 2013.] More from UK News * Prison ‘becoming gentrified’ complain long-term residents of Wandsworth * ‘School of Hard Knocks’ to become ‘University of Life’ * Rumours that BBC may launch Wild and Pointless Speculation Channel * British Intelligence launch subscription surveillance service, GCHQ+ * UK happiness rating downgraded by Moody’s * HS2 abandoned in favour of rebuilding Birmingham 10 minutes closer to London * Full archive for 'UK News' » News In Brief Payday lender told to drop ‘Money Fairy’ from Ads Canadians ootraged at loss of ‘boring’ image Filipinos to stack shelves in return for UK government handout Grandmother in fear of iPad Christmas present Crowds failing to flock to dull sports JFK assassination ‘the perfect backdrop’ for Topshop Christmas ad campaign National thing which happened also happened locally, albeit in a small way Milk teeth loans ‘are aimed at children’, rules OFCOM Coca-Cola drivers “can’t take false beards any longer” McCririck sacking ‘was not arseholeist’, declares tribunal © 2013 NewsBiscuit | Powered by Deluxe Corporation | Stories (RSS) | T & C | Privacy | Disclaimer # * Home * About * Team * Our Supporters * What they say * Donate * Submit an article * Contact * Jobs Login | Signup ____________________ Search × close Site Logo * openDemocracy + About + Can Europe Make It? + Arab Awakening + openGlobalRights + oD Blog + civilResistance * OurKingdom + About + Donate + Debates + OurNHS + G4S: Securing Whose World? + OurBeeb * oD Russia + Queer Russia + Rights + Media + Regions + Ukraine + Green Russia + Khodorkovsky + The Russian Cynic * oD 50.50 + 50.50 Dialogues + Gender Politics Religion + Our Africa + People on the Move + Women and the 'Arab Spring' + Peacework * openSecurity + Cities in Conflict + Beyond Enemy Images + Syria's Peace + Future Under Surveillance + Whose Police? * Transformation + About + Transforming: Economics + Politics + Activism + Society + Ourselves * More + openEconomy + openIndia + Window on the Middle East + Digital Commons + Participation Now + Political Aesthetics * View * What links here The Americanisation of Turkey Dimitar Bechev 18 March 2012 Subjects: * middle east * europe * democracy & power * the future of turkey * future of europe * International politics * Democracy and government * Turkey Printer-friendly version Send to friend PDF version Facebook Twitter Turkey's international profile and domestic politics have long been oriented towards the European Union. Now, both the Arab awakening and the internal momentum of AKP rule are pushing Ankara closer to the United States, says Dimitar Bechev. There was a time when people in Turkey wishfully called their country küçük Amerika ("the little America"). The phrase reflected a strong, even intimate relationship between the two countries. During the cold-war years, Turkey's centre-right leaders - from Adnan Menderes in the 1950s to Turgut Özal in the 1980s - extolled the virtues of the American dream to a receptive public; the Nato alliance was the alpha and omega of Ankara’s security doctrine; Turkey's elite sent its offspring to colleges across the United States; and Turkish audiences lapped up the latest pop-culture imports such as the TV soap Dallas. Then, for much of the two subsequent decades, it looked as if Turkey was following a predominantly European path. It has turned out, however, that this was but a detour. In post-Kemalist Turkey, the earlier American vision is coming to full fruition. Europe’s evident failure to accomplish its transformative mission means that Turkish politics is coming under the sway, not of Europeanisation but of Americanisation. There are many manifestations of the trend. Perhaps the clearest is Turkey's foreign relations. Before the Arab spring of 2011, Turkey had confidently pursued what it called a "zero-problems" regional approach (its own version of Brussels's "European neighbourhood policy" that promotes functional integration with states on the European Union's periphery). But the violent upheavals in Libya and Syria effectively derailed the "zero-problems" principle. Instead, the region's new turmoil reinforced Ankara's bonds with Washington as they forged a common front on the Syrian crisis (while agreeing to disagree on Israel). Turkey shifted towards projecting the notion of a "Turkish model" as something the awakened Arabs could emulate - whose traces of a "freedom agenda" had resemblances to the outlook of neocons in the George W Bush administration. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has even spoken of a "golden era" in US-Turkish relations (which suggests she may be unaware of how close the states were in the 1950s). The contrast with Europe is stark, as Turkey’s relations with EU heavyweights such as France and Germany over its stalled membership negotiations have become poisoned. From Ankara's perspective, the shift towards Washington is natural: after all, what security assets does crisis-stricken Europe have to help Turkey fend off threats emanating from an imploding Syria, an expansionist Iran or an unstable Iraq? A domestic dynamic But the connection runs much deeper than the convergence of strategic interests at a critical juncture - for Turkey is also Americanising domestically. The ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP) may have responded to the weakening of the EU's reformist pressure by succumbing further to an authoritarian temptation in the wake of its third successive electoral victory in June 2011. But even before then, the accommodation of religious conservatism that underpins the AKP's democratic imaginaire closely mirrors a US-style framework while being at increasing variance with Europe’s post-Christian polities. Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his followers, in seeking to bolster the case for Turkey’s accession to the EU, used to cite European-style Christian democracy as a source of inspiration for their moderate form of Islamic politics. In 2012, however, the AKP's social-conservative line on "family values" or the teaching of Darwinian evolution in schools if far more in harmony with attitudes in America’s "red" (Republican) states than in European metropoles. Turkey has its own "culture wars" which are surely intelligible to the median US citizen. A controversy over proposed reforms that would introduce a middle-school level for 10-14 year-olds who can be enrolled in an imam hatip (religious institution) or be taught at home is a case in point. The AKP maintains that this would broaden girls' access to schooling; critics see it as perpetuating social conservatism. The influential religious thinker Fethullah Gülen may have a conflictual relationship with Erdoğan, but he remains an influential fellow-traveller of the AKP - and significantly, he resides in Pennsylvania. None other than the New York Times portrayed the "Gülenists" as "the Islamic equivalent of Christian movements appealing to business and the professions." Both Gülen's movement and the pious entrepreneurs supporting the AKP have embraced the fusion of market-friendly (or neo-liberal) economics and God once popularised by Turgut Özal, perhaps Turkey’s most distinguished Americaniser. Some critics would argue that the religious worldview shared by the AKP and the Gülenists dismisses social rights and redistribution and sees welfare (again similarly to US conservatives) in paternalistic terms as a matter of charity, though in fairness social reforms in key areas such as healthcare have greatly expanded opportunities for Turkey's lower-income groups. In institutional terms, the AKP’s decade-long ascendancy has resulted in a transition from coalition rule to majoritarian politics. The party governs alone, unimpeded either by the need to share power with other political forces (as its predecessors in the 1990s faced) or by Turkey's so-called "deep state". The measures sanctioned by the constitutional referendum of 2010 is a prime example of how the AKP's majoritarianism works: it embodied the growing power of a definition of democracy as governing by the will of the (conservative) majority rather than involving coalition-building, sharing power, reassuring and co-opting sceptical minorities. Erdoğan’s intermittent calls to replace the parliamentary regime with presidential rule (with the three-term prime minister presumably at the helm) charts the next step. The inevitable result is to polarise public opinion and raise concerns that a Turkish form of "Putinisation" may be in prospect. Whether such concerns are warranted or overblown, it is certain that a strong presidency at the heart of Turkey's decision-making system would inaugurate a winner-takes-all political model far removed from the consensual modes of government characteristic of continental Europe. Here is a departure from United States norms, since US presidentialism is part of a functioning checks-and-balances system that includes a powerful legislature and assertive judiciary. This, however, is one area where the US, often blamed for its arrogance, has no particular mechanism to export its constitutional acquis, in contrast with the EU's reliance on membership conditionality. An international lodestar But if Turkey is embracing Americanisation rather than Europeanisation, could this process provide a (better) answer to Turkey's burning questions of citizenship and national identity? Again, the European Union long thought that it had the competence and leverage to make a difference in Turkey. But it now appears that Brussels’s standards tended to reinforce Turkey's post-1920s Kemalist order, which was already informed by the French republican ideal of a single and indivisible political community (and often cast, as also in Germany and much of central and eastern Europe, in exclusively ethno-cultural terms). The retreat of EU influence in Turkey increasingly makes the alternative to Kemalism not one of EU-inspired minority rights, let alone ethnic power-sharing as demanded by Kurdish nationalists, but rather the AKP brand of identity politics which (unlike Kemalism) recognises the multiplicity of ethnic identities while embracing nationalism and the cult of the state. Here, (Sunni) Islam is the overarching, supra-ethnic glue that reconciles the commitment to a strong, sovereign and fiercely patriotic Turkey with cultural-linguistic particularisms. Again, this is a pattern recognisable in the US. Moreover, the AKP’s nationalism - in contrast to the insular and xenophobic nationalisms of today's Europe - resembles the US's in being defined by a sort of mission civilisatrice in the Arab world, which draws inspiration from the glorious Ottoman era. Hence, Turkey's aforementioned shift from "zero problems" to a "freedom agenda" in the middle east. True, this effort to recast nationhood along the mildly Islamist worldview to which Turkey’s current rulers subscribe is but a "project in the making", and it is contested from multiple quarters, not least by nationalist Kurds. Its chances of completion hinge on the possibility that civic norms can be enshrined as the core of citizenship. And as long as the new civilian constitution promised by the authorities is nowhere in sight, the project remains out of sync with crude political realities. So there are also obstacles to Turkey's Americanisation. Turkey’s new establishment has very few knee-jerk Americanophiles (similar to the old secular one, whose attitude to the US was highly instrumental). Turkey's public opinion has traditionally been, as elsewhere in southern Europe, a hotbed of anti-Americanism. The German Marshall Fund’s "transatlantic trends" poll in 2011 finds out that 62% of Turks hold negative views of the US, the highest percentage of all countries surveyed. There is no causal relationship between Turkey’s internal Americanisation and the country’s behaviour vis-à-vis the US, which is essentially a balancing act between the pursuit of security in a turbulent environment and the quest for autonomy. The EU remains by far the most important trade and investment partner for Turkey, even if membership talks have ground to a halt. If the extensive human links between the two are factored in, it becomes clear that the union will remain the biggest external stakeholder in Turkey’s internal transformation for the foreseeable future - whatever the weather. It is also true, however, that the US offers a more intelligible and eye-catching model for a country and society that views itself as rising and believes tomorrow will be better than today. Neither the Europe of supranational institutions and liberal values nor the populist Europe of Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen is a credible or attractive competitor. Europhilia seems to survive in Turkey only in a handful of enclaves in downtown Istanbul and along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts - as well as in Anatolia’s farthest corners inhabited by Kurds. The majority of Turks, having cast in their lot with the AKP, watch Europe’s eurozone crisis with Schadenfreude. Europe's loss of symbolic capital in Turkey is a significant development in a longer chain of events. The Tanzimat reforms of the 19th century sought to transplant European modernity onto Ottoman soil. The Kemalists’ quest to bring "contemporary civilisation" to Turkey was equally informed by Eurocentric ideas. To a great degree, Turkey's semi-integration into the EU (even without full membership) has made the country increasingly prosperous and, despite more recent backsliding, more democratic. But it is by looking to America rather than Europe that the new Turkey might obtain a clearer sense of direction. View the discussion thread. About the author Dimitar Bechev is senior research fellow and head of the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). He is editor of What Does Turkey Think (ECFR, June 2011), a collection of essays by Turkish analysts, policymakers and academics exploring the country’s rapid domestic transformation and dynamic foreign policy Related Articles The AKP years in Turkey: the third stage Gunes Murat TezcurTurkey’s crisis and the European Union George SchöpflinTurkey and Ergenekon: from farce to tragedy Bill ParkTurkey’s “Islamic reform”: roots and reality Mustafa AkyolErgenekon: power and democracy in Turkey Bill ParkTurkey’s risk, Europe’s role openDemocracyTurkey’s election, and democracy's shadow Gareth JenkinsTurkey’s referendum: a democratic dynamic Gunes Murat TezcurTurkey in transition: reality and image Gunes Murat TezcurTurkey’s clash of values: memo to Europe Cem ÖzdemirErgenekon: Turkey's military-political contest Bill ParkTurkey’s election, and democracy's shadow Gareth JenkinsTurkey and the Kurds: politics and military action Hasan TuruncErgenekon: Turkey’s “deep state” in the light Bill ParkTurkey and Europe: a shifting axis Katinka BaryschTurkey: vibrant democracy vs majority rule Bill ParkTurkey's political opening Gunes Murat TezcurTurkey's political-emotional transition Carsten WielandTurkey 's home truths Elif ShafakTurkey and Israel: ends and beginnings Kerem OktemTurkey's “passive revolution” and democracy Kerem OktemArab revolutions, Turkey’s dilemmas: zero chance for "zero problems" Ivan Krastev Read On European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) Dimitar Bechev, ed., What Does Turkey Think (ECFR, June 2011) Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia Kerem Oktem, Angry Nation: Turkey since 1989 (Zed Books, 2010) Turkish election 2011 Turkey: Ending the PKK Insurgency )International Crisis Group, 20 September 2011) Gareth Jenkins Political Islam in Turkey: Running West, Heading East? (Palgrave, 2008) Changing Turkey... Erik J Zürcher, Turkey: A Modern History (IB Tauris, 2004) The Turkey Analyst Cihan Tugal, Passive Revolution: Absorbing the Islamic Challenge to Capitalism (Stanford University Press, 2009) Celia J Kerslake, Kerem Oktem & Philip Robins, eds., Turkey's Engagement with Modernity (Palgrave, 2010) More On Dimitar Bechev is senior research fellow and head of the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. He is editor of What Does Turkey Think (ECFR, June 2011), a collection of essays by Turkish analysts, policymakers and academics exploring the country’s rapid domestic transformation and dynamic foreign policy Creative Commons License This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details. Highlights When anarchism goes pop openDemocracy Sudan protests - will the world take notice? openDemocracy 50.50 Golden Dawn: Whose monster? Can Europe Make It? UK: Don't be afraid of the 1970s OurKingdom Surveillance threatens journalism openDemocracy Domestic workers rise Transformation Global war and the state of exception openSecurity G4S guard bludgeoned woman to death OurKingdom Syria: Women, peace and the lesson from Bosnia oD 50.50 Syria, the next blowback Columnist Paul Rogers Previous Pause Next Stay Informed openDemocracy is a digital commons - a pluralist, high quality online space free and open to all - covering world affairs, ideas and culture. More... Join openDemocracy on Facebook Follow openDemocracy on Twitter Receive the openDemocracy email Subscribe Donate to openDemocracy Most popular If security at universities isn't for students, who is it for? Adam Ramsay _________________________________________________________________ This week's window on the Middle East - November 13, 2013 Arab Awakening _________________________________________________________________ Qatar in change Michael Stephens _________________________________________________________________ Egypt in the balance: what the blogs are saying 8 - 14 November Rana Nessim _________________________________________________________________ Can you change the world from your living room? Jacob Z. Hess Joan Blades _________________________________________________________________ openDemocracy on Twitter Tweets about "opendemocracy" This week's window on the Middle East * This week's window on the Middle East - November 20, 2013 Arab Awakening More Turkish Dawn Eric Arnau/Flickr. Some rights reserved. * Erdoğan the peacemaker? Ali Gokpinar * Emerging ‘Unipolarity’ in Turkey’s political landscape Burak Kadercan * Extreme measures: invoking moral order in Turkey Oguz Alyanak and Funda Ustek More Cities in Conflict [CIC%20Right%20Bar_0.jpg] _________________________________________________________________ * Bankrupting democracy Shea Howell * Kabul: the humanitarian city Marianne Potvin * From civil to civic conflict? Violence and the city in 'fragile states' Thomas Goodfellow, Dennis Rodgers and Jo Beall More Pick of the web Golem on the betrayal of the nation A battle for memory - Mohamed Mahmoud Beloved Doris Lessing The fight for the fourth power in Latin America The word 'author' loses its meaning openDemocracy on Facebook IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fopendemocracy&width=300&height=558&show_faces=true&colorscheme=light&stream=true&show_border=true&header=false AddThis openDemocracy * Home * About * Team * Our Supporters * What they say * Donate * Submit an article * Contact * Jobs * Privacy * Licensing & Syndication * Advertise * Media Inquiries * Vacancies * RSS Feed Sections openDemocracy Free thinking for the world OurKingdom Investigating the crisis of democracy in Britain oDRussia Russia and beyond 5050 Critical perspectives: social justice, gender, pluralism openSecurity Conflict and peacebuilding Transformation Where love meets social justice Most popular If security at universities isn't for students, who is it for? Adam Ramsay _________________________________________________________________ This week's window on the Middle East - November 13, 2013 Arab Awakening _________________________________________________________________ Qatar in change Michael Stephens _________________________________________________________________ Egypt in the balance: what the blogs are saying 8 - 14 November Rana Nessim _________________________________________________________________ Can you change the world from your living room? Jacob Z. Hess Joan Blades _________________________________________________________________ Recent comments openDemocracy Ltd, The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL. Tel: +44 (0) 207 193 0676 # * Home * About * Team * Our Supporters * What they say * Donate * Submit an article * Contact * Jobs Login | Signup ____________________ Search × close Site Logo * openDemocracy + About + Can Europe Make It? + Arab Awakening + openGlobalRights + oD Blog + civilResistance * OurKingdom + About + Donate + Debates + OurNHS + G4S: Securing Whose World? + OurBeeb * oD Russia + Queer Russia + Rights + Media + Regions + Ukraine + Green Russia + Khodorkovsky + The Russian Cynic * oD 50.50 + 50.50 Dialogues + Gender Politics Religion + Our Africa + People on the Move + Women and the 'Arab Spring' + Peacework * openSecurity + Cities in Conflict + Beyond Enemy Images + Syria's Peace + Future Under Surveillance + Whose Police? * Transformation + About + Transforming: Economics + Politics + Activism + Society + Ourselves * More + openEconomy + openIndia + Window on the Middle East + Digital Commons + Participation Now + Political Aesthetics * View * What links here Say 'no' to a Senate, the Americanisation of the UK has gone far enough, an OK competition Anthony Barnett 2 December 2010 Subjects: * Ideas * Democracy and government * UK Printer-friendly version Send to friend PDF version Facebook Twitter An all-party proposal to replace the House of Lords is about to appear. The word is that they will call for an elected chamber to be called...' The Senate'. How unoriginal can you be? An all-party proposal to replace the House of Lords is about to appear. It is being led by Nick Clegg and the guiding spirit is Jack Straw. The word is that they will call for an (eventually) elected chamber to be called ' The Senate'. How unoriginal can you be? In a pre-emptive strike against the report, Timothy Garton Ash in today's Guardian has a fine time puncturing the utterly corrupt and contemptible crony chamber we have today. He then goes on to reject the idea of its capture by the political parties as a step backwards. He is right, of course. He then comes up with his own solution. Ah, Tim, there have been so many! (Including my own modest one.) But he misses the critical point, the one which the machine that runs Westminster is well aware of. All reforms and replacements and in between schemes for the second chamber will be powerless before the executive leviathan unless and until they are set out as one entire half of parliament which has to be redefined as a whole. Leave it as it and you can fiddle (or burn) the upper half and... you are leaving the whole as it is. Peter Carty and I tried to make this obvious point in our book The Athenian Option. No, we actually did make it, more than once. Established thinking, however, prevents it from being registered. And Tim goes along with this received failure of wisdom. For example, you have to empower the Commons to be the legislative chamber, so that the second one can scrutinise it. But today, we have two legislative chambers. Retain this structure and it follows that the upper house has to be controlled by party whips. If it is taken in isolation from the Commons, there can be no democratic reform of the House of Lords Calling it a 'Senate' is a classic, spin doctors way of evading this. New Labour always wanted Britain to become like America without having to have a constitutional revolution. What could be 'more radical' than 'replacing' the Lords with a Senate? But what a betrayal of the English tradition - that we have to reach across the Atlantic to bring back a term consciously modeled on Rome so that no one mistook the new republic as looking to Greece and democracy? Surely, whatever it is, we can call it something that is rooted in our own traditions? OurKingdom will award a copy of Steve Pincus's 1688 The First Modern Revolution to the reader who suggests the best new name for a second chamber however it is organised. PS: My approach to a new upper house would include this proposal by The Earl of Clancarty from an 11 October debate (starts 3.14 pm) in the Lords: a modern reformed House of Lords should recognise that, rather than being a lesser other place, it could be celebration of public involvement in government. Rather than narrowing down politics to tighter control by professional politicians, should we not be opening up our second House to the British people? If we retain an appointments system to introduce expertise and life experience into the Lords, should it not be decoupled from party-political involvement, perhaps by bringing ordinary citizens into government of their peers through a jury system View the discussion thread. About the author Anthony Barnett (@AnthonyBarnett) is the founder of openDemocracy Creative Commons License This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details. OurKingdom * About * Debates * Team * Get Involved Follow us: Email sign-up form OurKingdom Facebook page OurKingdom on Twitter OurKingdom RSS feed Support OurKingdom [£2 - monthly.] Subscribe Donate Accepted credit/debit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express Highlights Vote Yes for the multitude A non-nationalist argument for Scottish independence Will governments ever obey their own law? Home Truths: the decline of the Welsh language Rethinking the 1970s We have to change the way we tell the story of our past Dear England, please listen to what the Scots are actually talking about Privatisation, a very British disease The triumph of populism Hiding behind the cenotaph Cameron will seek to re-write history Bludgeoned to death - by a G4S guard Not just 4 lulz Previous Pause Next Exploring the Financial Curse Tax Justice Network * The Finance Curse - introduction Nicholas Shaxson and John Christensen * More than a lobby: finance in the UK Tamasin Cave * The metropolitanisation of gains, the nationalisation of losses Adam Leaver * The ills of financial dominance Doreen Massey * The resource curse, or the paradox of poverty from plenty Nicholas Shaxson More Reclaiming the NHS reclaiming * Asleep on the job - England's young doctors and the NHS reforms Guddi Singh * Too posh to care Sue Paraszczuk * Rushing off a cliff - privatisation of patient transport services Julius Marstrand More OurKingdom comments Powered by Disqus OurKingdom is reading * My grovelling apology to Herr Schäuble – Telegraph Blogs * Margaret Thatcher Reviewed by John Gray | New Republic * Peace envoy Tony Blair on yacht in Mediterranean as West debates air strikes on Syria | Mail Online * The RAF's secret spies: Declassified CIA documents reveal British pilots flew U2 missions over Soviet Union during the Cold War | Mail Online * Why the Jimmy Mubenga case won't be a watershed moment for government outsourcing more openDemocracy * Home * About * Team * Our Supporters * What they say * Donate * Submit an article * Contact * Jobs * Privacy * Licensing & Syndication * Advertise * Media Inquiries * Vacancies * RSS Feed Sections openDemocracy Free thinking for the world OurKingdom Investigating the crisis of democracy in Britain oDRussia Russia and beyond 5050 Critical perspectives: social justice, gender, pluralism openSecurity Conflict and peacebuilding Transformation Where love meets social justice Most popular If security at universities isn't for students, who is it for? Adam Ramsay _________________________________________________________________ This week's window on the Middle East - November 13, 2013 Arab Awakening _________________________________________________________________ Qatar in change Michael Stephens _________________________________________________________________ Egypt in the balance: what the blogs are saying 8 - 14 November Rana Nessim _________________________________________________________________ Can you change the world from your living room? Jacob Z. Hess Joan Blades _________________________________________________________________ Recent comments AddThis openDemocracy Ltd, The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL. Tel: +44 (0) 207 193 0676 # * Home * About * Team * Our Supporters * What they say * Donate * Submit an article * Contact * Jobs Login | Signup ____________________ Search × close Site Logo * openDemocracy + About + Can Europe Make It? + Arab Awakening + openGlobalRights + oD Blog + civilResistance * OurKingdom + About + Donate + Debates + OurNHS + G4S: Securing Whose World? + OurBeeb * oD Russia + Queer Russia + Rights + Media + Regions + Ukraine + Green Russia + Khodorkovsky + The Russian Cynic * oD 50.50 + 50.50 Dialogues + Gender Politics Religion + Our Africa + People on the Move + Women and the 'Arab Spring' + Peacework * openSecurity + Cities in Conflict + Beyond Enemy Images + Syria's Peace + Future Under Surveillance + Whose Police? * Transformation + About + Transforming: Economics + Politics + Activism + Society + Ourselves * More + openEconomy + openIndia + Window on the Middle East + Digital Commons + Participation Now + Political Aesthetics * View * What links here The British Election Debates, the Lib Dem Surge and the Americanisation of Our Politics Gerry Hassan 22 April 2010 Subjects: * Democracy and government Printer-friendly version Send to friend PDF version Facebook Twitter The British election campaign is shaking many of the in-built assumptions and contours of British politics. The British election campaign is shaking up many of the in-built assumptions and contours of British politics. Despite three decades of upheaval under Thatcherism and Blairism, the advocates of these approaches implemented their ideas, while keeping many of the traditional structures and assumptions of the British political system intact. These are now being exposed, questioned and put under scrutiny in a way they seldom have before. After all of this it is apt that we have witnessed so far the most disastrous Labour election campaign since 1983 – described accurately by Andrew Neil ‘as a TV on in the corner of a room that no one is watching’ (1), while the Conservative campaign must be the most inept in post-war history by a party coming into an election in the lead in the polls. What for instance are the Labour and Conservative campaigns about? Beyond the obvious self-preservation of the political order which has so aided their stitch up of political power. Labour have the narrative of ‘securing the recovery’, but seem to be tone deaf to everything else and even sanguine about finding themselves in third place in the polls. The Conservative campaign surprisingly has no core theme and this for a party which has spent five years reinventing, modernising and detoxicating itself. Post-crash the Tories have veered across the political spectrum, until finally in the election deciding to land on ‘the big society’ without any real warning or detail. All of this with an £18 million election kitty. The only election campaign which has shown itself more out of touch than Labour or Conservatives has been UKIP and the amateurish, rambling, potterish interviews of Lord Pearson of Rannoch, UKIP leader, who seems to be oblivious to most of the content of his party’s manifesto (2). The Lib Dem surge seems to have caught a large part of the political cognoscenti by surprise and unaware of the state of our politics, democracy and society, and the anger in the country at bankers, politicians and fat cats. Daniel Finkelstein, a week before the election was called was declaring ‘a Tory landslide there for the taking’; post-debate Kelvin Mackenzie was still predicting a ‘Tory landslide’. The Lib Dem rise is the product of many factors, some long-term, such as the class dealignment of British politics and the decline of party identification, some more immediate, such as the anger at bankers and politicians. In short, a vote for the Lib Dems is a yearning for a different kind of politics, way of doing our politics, and fundamentally, for a different kind of country. Labour and Conservatives seem oblivious to the country they have created over the last thirty years. A new book by academic Danny Dorling shows that the UK is the fourth most unequal country in the developed world – only Singapore, the US and Portugal being more unequal. The wealth of the top ten percent is worth on average 13.8 times that of the bottom ten percent across the UK. London is the most unequal city in the Western world with levels of inequality which even put the rest of the UK to shame. The top ten percent living in London have wealth worth on average £933,563, while the poorest ten percent have on average £3,420 – some 273 times less. The culture and values of inequality permeate and distort every part of our society; the UK for example has a mere 7% of children privately educated, but this accounts for a quarter of school education spending, a figure only exceeded in Chile (3). Then there is the issue of liberty. What kind of country has 5.4 million people on its DNA database? This is over one in ten of the adult population – and the demographics of this group reveal that they are a snapshot of a more marginal, disconnected Britain: more poor, young and black, less educated and politically engaged. The Americanisation of British Politics: Living in a Fantasy, Liberal World The kind of country the UK is geo-politically; whether it is a ‘normal’ European country or an offshore extension of the United States, is another central issue the two big parties don’t want to go near. Labour and the Tories both clearly want us to be the latter, and prevent us discussing the potential of the former. The Americanisation of British politics can be illustrated in how our political and media elites see much of the public life of our nation, a good example of which is the Prime Ministerial debates. Our political and media classes inhabit a mythical, imagined Camelot – a fantasy land of ‘Anglo-America’ – where all their references to politics are either British or American ‘real’ politics, or the make believe of the TV series ‘The West Wing’. It is as partial a view of the US as it a distortion of the UK: a world of brave, crusading liberals taking on the forces of darkness and prejudice, ‘the New Deal’, ‘New Frontier’, ‘Great Society’ and so on, and never the Goldwater, Nixon or Reagan versions, and certainly not the mad hatter Tea Partyiers. Therefore, our political and media discourse about the UK debates nearly exclusively engages in a comparison with the US Presidential debates. Thus we are endlessly told the stories of Kennedy’s clean cut look on TV, Nixon’s five o’clock shadow, Gerald Ford saying that Poland was not under Soviet dominance, Reagan’s ‘there you go again’ refrain to Carter, Lloyd Bentsen’s ‘Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine’ rebuke to Dan Quayle, and Clinton’s folksy charm on the recession against the first George Bush. Even the usually excellent Michael Cockerell in his ‘How to Win The TV Debate’ only looked at the US elections, cited all these now familiar landmarks, and made no reference to any other country (4). There is a kind of collective cognitive dissonance going on here: of telling a set of stories so often that they become part of us and how we understand ourselves. Maybe Kennedy beating Nixon in 1960 really is part of British politics, because our political and media elites seem to think so. There is something beyond lazy journalism here; instead there is an undercurrent of how the world and the UK are seen by our elites. The following other countries could be drawn as examples: French Presidential Debates: The French have been having Presidential debates since 1974 when Giscard d’Estaing put Mitterand down with the comment that ‘you don’t have the monopoly of the heart’. In the 1988 election debate Mitterand standing for re-election as President after winning in 1981 faced Jacques Chirac, who created a controversy by refusing to call Mitterand, ‘President Mitterand’. In the 2002 election, Chirac was himself standing for a second term as President, and refused to debate with National Front leader John-Marie Le Pen. Australian leadership debates: The Australians have been having election leadership debates since 1984. When a charismatic three times election victor Labor leader (Bob Hawke) finally gave way to his less popular, technocratic Treasury Minister (Paul Keating), Labor thought it was going to lose the election. This was 1993; it had been ten years in office; there had been a painful recession and a weak and slow recovery. The election debates between Keating and Liberal leader John Hewson aided Labor to an unexpected fourth term. New Zealand leadership debates: Both Australian and New Zealand debates have been characterized by the embracing of new technologies such as ‘the worm’ which charts voter reaction during debates. This has been referred to as ‘the wormology’ of Australian and New Zealand debates, with leaders making a play for emotions and positive feelings which they know will get good responses. In the 2002 New Zealand debates, a minority party candidate did so well in the debate - Peter Dunne’s United Future New Zealand (charted by the worm) - that their popularity soared and they became part of the governing coalition. In the 2008 debate primarily between Helen Clark and John Key voters could ask questions by posting 30 second questions on YouTube. Canadian leadership debates: Canadian debates began in 1968 and coincided with the election of Pierre Trudeau and the first of his three consecutive Liberal victories. The 1968 debate took place three days after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy with all the candidates trying to pay the most fulsome tribute. Trudeau’s charisma and relative youthfulness led to the phenomenon of ‘Trudeaumania’. German Chancellor debates: These have been running for several elections now; in 2005 after Schroder prematurely called a national election, and trailing massively in the polls to the CDU/CSU, he turned around his party’s fortunes in the debate, being seen as winning the argument against Angela Merkel, the CDU/CSU leader. This produced a very close election result and a ‘Grand Coalition’ between the two big parties. As you can see our obsession with the US debates is not even an issue with the English language, as Australia, New Zealand and Canada all have leader debates. This points to this being about the fact that our political and media elites see British and American politics as umbilically linked and interwoven. The stories of some of these other countries are similar to ours and more relevant than the US given American exceptionalism. The journey of parties of the centre-left: the French Socialists, German SPD, Australian Labor and New Zealand Labour, have many lessons for British Labour. All of these have undergone crises of what they stand for, what they do in office, and who they represent in recent years, which they have not adequately answered. Australia’s and New Zealand’s debates about privatisation, deregulation and the marketisation of society, and concerns over the pitfalls which result from these, in terms of concerns over health and well-being (and thus the exclusion of the economy from progressive debate), would seem very familiar to British audiences. These deep issues about the future direction and nature of the United Kingdom are ones our mainstream political classes do not want to bring into the public domain in a general election or any other time. Most of our mainstream debate seems to want to exclude talking about the limitations of the society and kind of country Thatcherism and Blairism has bequeathed us: one of the most unequal societies in the developed world, a place where eight million adults (21%) of the population are economically inactive, and where huge parts of the UK – in places like Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester – have whole communities and several generations permanently excluded from society. And our language of talking about the problems of an ‘underclass’ – now used across the political landscape – shows that our politicians have given up thinking about how we abolish relative poverty. I am not completely confident that the Lib Dems radical urges and intent will not be dampened down and compromised by the pressures of a British establishment which will do all it can to keep its power. Yet the emergence of them in the general election does provide a popular, powerful vehicle for voters to express their disquiet and anger at the state of things. It has turned the election into a rare opportunity, should we take it, to blow apart this rotten system and consensus, and challenge the kind of country Thatcherites and New Labour have made it these last three decades. Notes 1. The Daily Politics, BBC Two, April 22nd 2010. 2. See this fairly representative example of Lord Pearson’s interview style, http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5931508/the-worst-ever.thtml 3. Danny Dorling, Injustice: Why Social Inequality Persists, Polity Press 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8615126.stm 4. Michael Cockerell, ‘How to Win The TV Debate’, BBC Two, April 12th 2010, http://www.wikio.co.uk/news/Michael+Cockerell View the discussion thread. About the author Gerry Hassan is Research Fellow in cultural policy at the University of the West of Scotland who has recently been awarded his PhD on political and cultural contemporary debate in the public sphere of Scotland. Gerry is the author and editor of numerous books including ‘The Strange Death of Labour Scotland’ and the just published 'After Independence' (co-edited with James Mitchell). His 'Caledonian Dreaming: The Quest for a Different Scotland', the first in a series 'Open Scotland' will be published in early 2014. His website is: www.gerry.hassan.com Creative Commons License This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details. 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Tel: +44 (0) 207 193 0676 # #Polari Magazine RSS2 Feed publisher Polari Magazine » Villains: How British Christians are being Americanised Comments Feed * Send us Mail * Follow us on Twitter * Join our Facebook Group * Subscribe to our RSS Feed * Search Site Submit ____________________ * Home * Up Front + Editorial + Clementine: The Living Fashion Doll + Polari Safari + Polari HQ + Bulletin Board + Polari Facts * Features + Interviews + Features + Gallery + Opinion + Heroes & Villains * Community + Oral Histories + Coming Out Stories + Relationships + IDAHO + LGBT History Month + Blogs * Reviews + Books + Film and Television + Music + Stage + Visual Arts + Classics: Books + Classics: Film and Television + Classics: Music * About + About Polari Magazine + Contributors + Become a Contributor + Contact + Subscribe + Suggestion Box Exploring art & culture from a uniquely queer perspective You are here: Polari Magazine / Heroes & Villains / Villains: How British Christians are being Americanised Villains: How British Christians are being Americanised * 21 Jan 2012 / 0 Comments / in Heroes & Villains/by Rebel Scum It is a truth universally acknowledged that the 21^st century British take their lead from Americans. Look at the war in Iraq, and the failed attempts of the BBC at US-style sci-fi. And look at how the formerly mild-mannered British Christians are starting to ape the politics of their more aggressive North American counterparts. The Christian Institute, an organisation previously featured in Rebel Scum for their support of the dread Lillian Ladele, runs a propaganda website that feeds stories to unquestioning outlets such as the Daily Mail and the Telegraph, who then re-run said content without questioning it. The stated aim of the Institute’s work is to show how Christians are being persecuted and their rights taken away. What this means in effect is that Christians should be free to persecute others based on whatever random quote from the Bible they can drudge up to support them. Traditionally, the Americans have been the pit-bull terriers of Christ, tearing up everything in their path and crapping over the aftermath. The British have been the fluffy bunnies of Christ, hopping around the field and leaving behind little hard pellets in the form of sermons. The latest round of religious fervor in response to an uncertain world post-9/11 has seen British Christian organisations taking point from the Americans. The Christian Right in the US has perfected the art of recasting itself as a victim. It is the passive-aggressive in extremis. The rantings and ravings of Linda Harvey, the subject of last month’s Rebel Scum, are founded on this cynical use of marketing tactics. The real key is to make an unsupportable claim and then bolster it with a quotation, or ‘truth’, from the Bible. Any Scripture will do, even if the letter does contradict the later teachings of Christ. The intricacies of theology do not concern them. The unsupportable generalisation is the way at The Christian Institute. Take this example from the About Us page: “The Christian Institute is a nondenominational Christian charity committed to upholding the truths of the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the supreme authority for all of life and we hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. We are committed to upholding the sanctity of life from conception.” Inerrancy? In other words, nothing in the Bible is wrong. So what truths do they follow? Do they love their neighbour, or do they support the idea of mass genocide when it’s perceived to be for the greater good, i.e. as their God did when he drowned everything that wasn’t sanctioned to fit into Noah’s boat. Incidentally, I find it shocking that this is a story they are happy to tell to children. It’s far more twisted than post-watershed ITV crime dramas, or all the gay storylines on soaps that gets the Institute into such a lather. So, what do they believe? The ‘What We Believe’ page is straight-forward and painfully naïve: • Governments exist to restrain evil • Marriage is sacred • Parents have a God-given authority over their children • Drug taking is wrong •‘ Harm reduction’ approaches are un-Christian • Life is sacred from conception • Gambling is wrong The aim here, as it is in their propaganda stories, is to generate an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, a rule by prohibition. “The Politically Correct Brigade is out to get you! They’ll take away your Cross and divert funding from Cancer charities to Gay Pride Parades.” When Tesco decided to support London Pride in 2011 the situation got very heated. The Christian Institute jumped at the chance to once again generate fear, and wrote as if the UK is a theocracy. In the opening salvos neither side behaved particularly well. Tesco will now not be funding Pride again. In 2009 the Institute supported a Christian woman whose child was told off by her head teacher for, as the Institute framed it, talking about her beliefs. What actually happened was that the child had been scaring the hell out of other children with stories of fire and brimstone and damnation. But the Institute again fought for the right of the Christian to persecute others. There is an excellent article by Terry Sanderson on the National Secular Society website about this incident, how the Christian Institute manipulate the press, and how their rule of thumb is that the Christians should be free to persecute whomever they wish. Read the article here The danger that the UK will become even more like the US is a very real and a very scary one. It is already there in the military misadventures, in the erosion of the NHS, and even the fact that the British now clap at the end of each song in musical theatre instead of waiting until the interval. Religion is a major player in the political life of the US, which makes a mockery of the out-dated republican Constitution. (Thomas Jefferson, as it happens, wanted a Constitutional Convention at most every 50 years on the grounds that one cannot expect a man to wear a boy’s jacket.) It is not a major player in the UK and we should therefore take a stand against propaganda outfits like the Christian Institute and expose their manipulation of news whenever necessary. * * * * * * This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Related Posts Did you like this entry? Here are a few more posts that might be interesting for you. Related Posts St Petersburg anti-gay law wielded Russian Orthodox church activist attacks a gay rights protester The Literal Russian Attack On Rights Hillary Clinton addresses LGBT Rights The kid who stood up to Bachmann Pro-LGBT Activists Arrested Spheksappeal WTF?! 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Benefits to registering with us comment on stories Comment on stories Customise daily e-mail newsletters Customise daily e-mail newsletters Arrange your newspaper/digital subscriptions online Arrange your newspaper/digital subscriptions online Offers, promotions and deals from partners Offers, promotions and deals from partners Sponsored by Country Living Glasgow Christmas Fair * Wednesday 20th November 2013 * * * weather-icon Cloudy 4°C / 6°C Edinburgh 5-day weather forecast CloseX Thursday 21 Nov Cloudy Temp High 6°c Low -1°c Wind From North Speed 14 mph Friday 22 Nov Sunny spells Temp High 4°c Low 1°c Wind From West Speed 7 mph Saturday 23 Nov Cloudy Temp High 6°c Low 1°c Wind From West Speed 7 mph Sunday 24 Nov Cloudy Temp High 4°c Low 1°c Wind From South west Speed 6 mph Monday 25 Nov Cloudy Temp High 6°c Low 4°c Wind From South west Speed 7 mph * Scotland * UK * World * Politics * Transport * Education * Sci-Tech * Environment * Health * Celebrity * Odd * Opinion * Obituaries * Top stories * Edinburgh, East & Fife * Glasgow & West * North East * Tayside & Central * Inverness & Highlands * South * Top stories * Scottish independence * Columnists * Friends of The Scotsman * Leader Comment * Letters * Cartoon [news;pgid=12554252;sz=2x2;ord=[timestamp]?] Dynamic Dart Advertisement Picks of the day * Scotland ring changes for Australia autumn Test * Homecoming Scotland 2014 TV campaign launched * Christmas Gift Guide * St Kilda visitor centre in Hebrides step closer * Michael Fry: Anglo-Irish and Anglo-Scots relations * Edinburgh Festival Fringe tickets go on sale * £8 for a £20 food voucher at The Verandah Discover The Most ... * Viewed * Discussed * 1 Outlander star Sam Heughan hails Scotland’s beauty * 2 Scottish independence: ‘Fiscal black hole’ warning * 3 Rumour Mill: Celtic | Rangers | Scotland * 4 Fabled King Arthur ‘was a Scottish warlord’ * 5 Rumour Mill: Scotland | Celtic | Craig Levein * 1 Rangers complain over Lawwell ‘Rory Bremner’ jibe * 2 Rumour Mill: Celtic | Rangers | Scotland * 3 Scottish independence: ‘Fiscal black hole’ warning * 4 Scottish independence: Labour grandee backs Yes vote * 5 John Swinney: We’ve all lost £900 due to Westminster Stephen McGinty: The case for US and them Picture: Warner Brothers Picture: Warner Brothers * by STEPHEN MCGINTY Published on the 29 September 2012 00:00 Published 29/09/2012 00:00 1 comments Print this Sponsored by Country Living Glasgow Christmas Fair THERE’S a long history of the guardians of the English language battling bravely against creeping Americanisms, but the reality is that it’s a two-way process, writes Stephen McGinty “Cops?” My wife’s lip curled up into a smug little sneer. “Where do you think we are? Boston.” I could, at that moment, have pointed out that Glasgow does share a grid system of streets which makes it a convenient stand-in for the average American city, but figure this would only delay chastisement for a linguistic dalliance with my current “Americanism” of choice. For I’m shamed to admit that I have an unconscious habit of referring to the police by an American slang. Still, it is preferable to referring to them as the police “service” which has replaced the word “force”, probably on the grounds that it sounds friendlier. However, to my mind, a service is optional, you can either choose to make use of a service or not, and yet the role of the police is to enforce the law, obedience to which is not at all optional. Why I refer to them as “cops” is the same reason that I say, and typing this makes me cringe a little, that I will “touch base” with someone or agree that an idea “came out of left field”. Now I’m reasonably comfortable with the use of American baseball terms, for in my youth I played short stop for the Dalriada Demons (no smirking at the back, please) which was set up in Lanarkshire once the locals discovered baseball bats had an alternative use to the one to which they were usually, and vigorously, applied. In fact, I was chosen to represent my country against England, but the promise of an international (baseball) cap floated away with the mound when the game was rained off. I don’t mind certain Americanisms, those words and phrases that wheedle their way into everyday usage such as “talented” and “reliable”. You weren’t aware that both words originally hailed from across the Atlantic? OK. Neither did I before I researched this column, but, apparently William Coleridge cast his disdain on “talented” which he described as a barbarous word in 1832, but Gladstone didn’t seem to mind as he was using it in speeches a few years later. The letter writers to the Times, like their counterparts in corresponding to The Scotsman, have always sought to protect the English language, with one writing in 1857 to describe the new American word “reliable” as vile. It was a Scot who first coined the term “Americanism”. John Witherspoon, the president of Princeton College, first used it in an article published in the Pennsylvania Journal, in which he wrote: “The first class I call Americanisms, by which I understand a use of phrases or terms, or a construction of sentences, even among persons of rank and education, different from the use of the same terms or phrases or construction of similar sentences in Great Britain. The word Americanism, which I have coined for the purpose, is exactly similar in its formation and signification to the word Scotticism.” When the Founding Fathers set sail for America, the English they spoke upon landing would have been identical to that spoken in Plymouth, but over the decades and centuries subtle differences have emerged. They were first codified by Noah Webster, a linguist from Connecticut who familiarised himself with 26 languages, and wrote An American Dictionary of English Language in 1828. It was he who struck out the “u” from colour and the extra “l” from travelled and sneakily swopped a “c” for an “s” in defence. But they wouldn’t let him have his way with women, which he wished to spell “wimmen”. If the appearance of American words caused mild consternation to poets and letter writers to the Times in the early 19th century, it was probably just as well that they were long dead when the marshalled forces of the American English began to lay siege to our nation during our darkest hour. When movies (yes, that could be described as an Americanism, but is also, I would argue, accurate when used to describe an American film) developed sound and recorded dialogue in the 1930s American words and phrases poured from the cinema screen into British ears. Then, when hundreds of thousands of American GIs descended into English towns and villages the frottage between words was heated. There are those who cannot stand “Americanisms”. A few years ago the BBC encouraged listeners to write in with their foulest examples which included “bi-weekly” instead of fortnightly (surely bi-weekly should be used for any occurrence whose frequency is twice a week?); “eaterie”, “hike” as in to raise prices, “going forward” and “you do the math” which, to my mind, is particularly callous, bullying the letter ‘s’ away from his friends m, a, t and little h. Others were enraged by the insertion of redundant words, as in “I got it for free” or the counter-intuitive “I could care less”, which in its literal meaning indicates that you do care a reasonable amount but that this could be lowered, when what the person actually meant to say is: “I couldn’t care less.” Clearly British people do not wish to have “an issue” but prefer to have “a problem” and then we come to aural and linguistic atrocities such as “my bad” for “my fault”. The utterances of a repentant three-year-old should never form the basis of an adult’s vocabulary. (A small aside which indicates that we, in Britain, are equally capable of mugging the English language and leaving it stunned in a ditch: since when did the cloying, saccharine phrase “little ones” become synonymous with “children” or “toddlers”? And, please, can anyone who uses it go immediately to the “naughty step”.) Yet if I have a current pet hate among “Americanisms” it is the phrase “reaching out”. I recently sent an e-mail to a company in Los Angeles who said they could not be of assistance but thanked me for “reaching out”. Have you ever heard a more belittling collision of two words? To ask, in which both parties are on equal footing, has been usurped by a phrase which elevates one and reduces the other. I was the pitiful party drowning in a quicksand of my own ignorance but bravely “reaching out” as if towards the security of a branch or vine. I accept, however, that there is nothing to be done about “Americanisms” other than to make a personal choice about which ones, if any, you are prepared to admit into your everyday vocabulary. Personally, I’m happy to take the lift over the elevator, but would prefer to live in an apartment rather than a flat. When it comes to my car, which is an American Chrysler, I’ll still remain British and swerve around the gas tank, hood and trunk, in favour of petrol, bonnet and boot. The English language will continue to evolve and it is impossible to build a fence around what has, over centuries, blended German, French, Dutch and Latin into its own rich stew of letters. It is, however, important to remember that words and phrases, like little linguistic cargo vessels, are constantly bobbing back and forth across the Atlantic. This week Kory Stamper, associate editor for Merriam-Webster, whose dictionaries are used by the majority of American publishers, said more words were finding their way into American vocabulary. So while we shake our heads over people who use the term “the fall” instead of “autumn”, our opposite number, who happens in this case to be Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist at Berkeley, is curling his lip with disdain as a friend says that something is “spot on”. As he said this week: “ ‘will do’ – I hear that from Americans [as well]. That should be put into quarantine.” There is even a blog, run by Ben Yagoda, professor of English at the University of Delaware, which tracks the appearance of British words in American English and highlights words and phrases such as “cheeky”, “sell by date” and “the long game”, which, according to the BBC, was used by Barack Obama in a recent speech and is derived from the British card game, whist. Among the most prominent figures leading the fight back for British English is JK Rowling who bestowed upon that great nation the word “ginger” as a means to describe a redhead. While many words in her first Harry Potter novel were given an American substitute, a few “snuck” through including the quintessentially British word “snog”. Hopefully her latest book, The Casual Vacancy, with its portrait of an English parish council, will help redress the balance. 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BBC BBC criticised for creeping ‘Americanisms’ The BBC has been criticised for an increased use of ‘Americanisms’ and slang terms by its presenters. Martha Kearney, newly appointed presenter of The World at One on BBC Radio 4 Martha Kearney was singled out for using the term ‘fess up’ instead in an interview last week on the Radio 4 programme The World at One. Urmee Khan By Urmee Khan, Digital and Media Correspondent 5:48PM BST 04 Apr 2010 Comments Comments Radio listeners have noticed slang terms more commonly heard on the other side of the Atlantic creeping into common usage on BBC shows. Examples include presenters using the phrase 'ahead of' when they mean 'before', 'face up' instead of 'confront' and 'fess up' instead of 'confess'. Martha Kearney was singled out for using the term ‘fess up’ instead in an interview last week on the Radio 4 programme The World at One. In a discussion about cutting public spending, the broadcaster asked Terry Smith, chief executive of money broker Tullett Prebon, whether it was fair to expect the Conservatives to “fess up” the details of future public spending cuts when they did not have access to all the facts and figures. Mr Smith responded: “I don’t think anyone will be regarded as credible until they ‘fess up’ to the terrible truth that some of the services will have to go, in terms of jobs and projects.” The exchange sparked a furious debate on the BBC messageboards about whether this was the latest example of an Americanism creeping into accepted use by BBC presenters. One post asked whether Kearney, 52, was “born in Compton?” – an area of Los Angeles known for gang warfare. The message added: “When has it become acceptable for radio journalists, politicians (I've heard David Cameron use the same phrase) and serious individuals in general to use this American slang? It's lazy, and not very clever. “This is just slack lazy language, which should not be coming from the mouth of anyone who has a reasonable level of education; Even when that 'someone went' to a private school." Another listener added it was a “sad example of the desire to be 'in' and updated”. “The Feedback programme used this expression too last week. What is wrong with just saying 'confess'? It is easier to say and I think no one would be in any doubt about what was meant,” another post said. "If I hear another Beeb reporter telling someone that "it's a big ask" or "it might of been ..." I will scream” Another post said the BBC should be setting an example and listeners should not condone such 'abuses' of the language. “The BBC should be an example. It isn't there to be street-smart, it is there to uphold the Reithian values of educating and informing ... it isn't there to be hip, that is the job of the entertainment channels,” said another post. “We're stuck with most of this, but we don't have to lie down prone, supplicate and accept our inevitable crushing by the juggernaut.” Nick Seaton, Campaign for Real Education, said: “It is not a surprise that a few expressions have crept in but the BBC should be setting an example for people and not indulging any slopping Americanised slang.” “BBC bosses should remind their broadcasters what they have to be careful and they have a duty to protect the high standards which we expect from the BBC.” Some commentators have warned that an increase of imported American children’s shows, such as High School Musical, Arthur and Ben Ten, had led to slang being incorporated into every day language. The corporation was forced to monitor the use of slang on its children's CBBC channel following complaints about poor language and declining standards of spoken English on programmes such as Dick and Dom show. A BBC spokeman said: "We are not aware of there being any issues with use of language and believe that the public enjoy our presenters' turn of phrase." A list of Americanisms that have annoyed BBC listeners: * 'Fess up' instead of 'confess' * The Americanisation of dates - July the fifth is now 'July fifth' or January the fifth becomes 'January five' * 'Take a look' instead of ‘have a look’ * 'Ahead of' instead of 'before' * 'Face up' instead of 'confront' * It's a big ask * 'It might of been' instead of 'It might have been' BBC * News » * Media » * TV and Radio » * Urmee Khan » Related Partners * Love puzzles? 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Home» 2. News» 3. UK News Scottish festival bans 'American' Hallowe'en A pumpkin, yesterday Jack O'Lantern: persona non grata north of the border By Tom Chivers 1:01PM BST 26 Oct 2007 A Scottish Hallowe'en festival is banning "consumerist" pumpkins in favour of turnips. The spooky celebration, at Scone Palace, Perthshire, is being organised by Scottish firm Herald Events as a riposte to the Americanisation of the traditional autumn festival, based on the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain and co-opted by the Church. Speaking to the BBC, Jock Ferguson from the company said: "We will be having none of that pumpkin or trick-or-treat rubbish. "Pumpkins are banned and will not be allowed beyond the front gate." Related Articles * Halloween Inc 31 Oct 2004 * Bishop claims success at rebranding Hallowe'en 12 Apr 2008 Instead of Jack O'Lanterns and trick-or-treating, which organisers condemned as representative of "American big business and rampant consumerism", the festival will offer traditional Scottish activities such as "dooking for apples" and turnip-carving. In "De'il Tak the Hindmost", children will be lead around the grounds of the Scone Palace by the ghost of a Jacobite soldier, Dougal Murray, telling of the dark history of the old building. Heather McArthur, Events Manager at Scone Palace, said: "We wanted to move away from the normal 'trick or treat' type of activities this year and give Hallowe'en a Scottish twist. "'De'il Tak the Hindmost' combines traditional ghost stories with good old fashioned devilish fun and we think it will appeal to children and parents alike who are looking for something a bit different’. UK News * News » In politics Almost two million employees who are still part of final salary schemes could lose the legal right to have their retirement income rise in line with inflation Pensions face new blow from ministers Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visits the arms factory ORSIS Pictures of the day External Links * Scone Palace website In UK News Guinness World Records LEGO City Coast Guard 60014 Must have Christmas toys Victorian life in London James, 30, from Commando Training Centre Royal Marines strikes a fighting pose for the March shot of the 2014 Go Commando charity calendar calendar in Arbroath, Scotland. Go Commando charity calendar Advertisement Advertisement More from the web Loading Advertisement More from the web IFRAME: http://s.telegraph.co.uk/international/Barnebys/International/Barnebys_Intl_Medium.html News Most Viewed * TODAY * PAST WEEK * PAST MONTH 1. Labour: We'll scrap benefits for under 25s 2. 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Home» 2. News» 3. World News» 4. North America» 5. USA British anti-Americanism 'based on misconceptions' British attitudes towards the United States are governed by ignorance of the facts on key issues such as crime, health care and foreign policy, according to a new survey. Donald Rumsfeld shakes hand with Saddam Hussein in 1983 Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein in 1983. Most of those surveyed believe the US sold over a quarter of Saddam's arsenal to him By Alex Spillius in Washington 7:25PM BST 17 Aug 2008 A poll of nearly 2,000 Britons by YouGov/PHI found that 70 per cent of respondents incorrectly said it was true that the US had done a worse job than the European Union in reducing carbon emissions since 2000. More than 50 per cent presumed that polygamy was legal in the US, when it is illegal in all 50 states. The poll was commissioned by America In The World , an independent pressure group that launches on Monday and aims to improve understanding and appreciation of the US in Britain and around the world. Tim Montgomerie, its director, said factual inaccuracies and mistaken assumptions have contributed to Britons and Europeans taking a hostile stance towards their most powerful ally, which often acted against national interests. "We wanted to find out how British people understood America and found that there was an unbalanced view. Maybe there are good reasons but if we cleared a lot of that factual ignorance we would have a better understanding of what America really is," said Mr Montgomerie, who also founded the influential ConservativeHome website three years ago. The survey showed that a majority agreed with the false statement that since the Second World War the US had more often sided with non-Muslims when they had come into conflict with Muslims. In fact in 11 out of 12 major conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, Muslims and secular forces, or Arabs and non-Arabs, the US has sided with the former group. Those conflicts included Turkey and Greece, Bosnia and Yugoslavia, and and Kosovo and Yugoslavia. Related Articles * New Yorkers lift school bus to save pregnant woman's child 16 Aug 2008 * Texas school allows guns in class 17 Aug 2008 Asked if it was true that "from 1973 to 1990 the United States sold Saddam Hussein more than a quarter of his weapons," 80 per cent of British respondents said yes. However the US sold just 0.46 per cent of Saddam's arsenal to him, compared to Russia's 57 per cent, France's 13 per cent and China's 12 per cent. "Ideas get around. Perhaps it's that old picture of Donald Rumsfeld with Saddam," suggested Mr Montgomerie, whose website includes a petition against anti-Americanism. "Hollywood and all its violence has something to do with it, and the awful Bush diplomacy," he added. Almost a third of Britons believe that "Americans who have not paid their hospitals fees or insurance premiums are not entitled to emergency medical care"; by law such treatment must be provided. More than half the respondents believed that polygamy is legal in some US states, while it is illegal in all US states. Most Britons were unaware of positive aspects of the US, such as the robust environmental movement or the social justice work of evangelical churches, he said. Apart from US-bashing being a favourite topic around European dinner tables, it has serious affects on national policy. The controversial missile defence shield in eastern Europe might have happened sooner with a more favourable climate, while public opinion helped Turkey's leaders deny the Americans an invasion route into Iraq from its territory, aiding the northward flight of elements of the Saddam regime. USA * News » * UK News » Related Partners * The best way to transfer money overseas In USA November 22, 1963: President John F. Kennedy slumps down in the back seat of the Presidential limousine as it speeds along Elm Street toward the Stemmons Freeway overpass in Dallas after being fatally shot. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy leans over the president as Secret Service agent Clint Hill pushes her back to her seat. 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