Anyone else hate British cuteness?

[TurboPanda]

Is it me or does everyone get annoyed with Americas obsession with making everything sparkly? Like in Twilight every time Edward steps into the sun it reminds me i'm reading a book written for hormonal 14 year old girls.

Im sorry i was just taking 1 aspect of a book designed for kids and applying it too an entire culture.

 

[Daveman]

lol, you're going to pick out "muggles"? It's cutesy because it is an insult meant to mock them, it's meant to sound patronising.

Other than that this is a book for children where the main character's parents are murdered so, yeah, you've got fuck all for an argument mate.

 

[Prince Regent]

The British are just being British. It has nothing to do with cuteness.

And here I though this was about cute things from England (or Great-Britain).

Not quite the same.

Spoiler: As this is British but not English.

 

[hedges1001]

british, cute?
our local football team's manager is an open fascist

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Is it me or does everyone get annoyed with Americas obsession with making everything sparkly? Like in Twilight every time Edward steps into the sun it reminds me i'm reading a book written for hormonal 14 year old girls.

Im sorry i was just taking 1 aspect of a book designed for kids and applying it too an entire culture.

Let's do that with EVERYTHING!!!
Don't you just hate the fact that all italians have moustaches, which is true because it's in Mario.
I mean honestly, get a shave...

 

[maninahat]

I don't know about cuteness. What gets my goat (as an Englishman) is they way in which we always try to fall back on the belief that we have the supreme sense of humour. Yes we have good comics, but it is kind of annoying how we pretend it as a corner stone to our country. It isn't. Every country has good comedy, and yet no other country pretends that their sense of humour is their most defining quality.

 

[XHolySmokesX]

Well this is the first i've heard of britain being cute, and i've lived in england my whole life!

If i had to describe the british i would say there are a lot of cynical people that haven't got the faintest clue about how to be happy (I blame the governemnt, and the weather) but for those of us that do, were a bunch of lively light hearted funny as hell mother fuckers that know how to have a good time.

As for the muggles thing; it doesn't sound cute to me, sounds more like a derogetary term like mongrel.

 

[Gasaraki]

... are you sure you're not thinking of Japan?

 

[Agent Larkin]

The British don't make things cute. They just happen to be the second most sarcastic people in the world.

 

[maninahat]

Another Brit here to join the chorus of "what the crumpets!?" but in a vaguely welsh accent

WELSH? Get back in the cage!

 

[Cheesus333]

Whilst I appreciate your attempt to create an overall picture of our country's vast and varied literary history spanning many, many centuries based on one recent children's book series, I... can't finish this sentence seriously, sorry.

Harry Potter, despite objections from some of its fandom, is a children's book. Of course adults can appreciate it too, but that doesn't change the target demographic. Any appearance of cuteness is a woman understanding her audience. And while we're on the concept of so-called British cuteness, I think Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell might have something to say.

Spoiler: They wrote/illustrated The Edge Chronicles, a series of very good books aimed at children and young teenagers. Let's have a look at some of these creatures.

Spoiler: Angler

Spoiler: Clodwit

Spoiler: Recently-killed Skullpelt

That last one creeped the fuck out of me when I was smaller. British fiction =/= cute. I'm done now.

 

[Daniel Allsopp]

As an American, I do like British culture, especially comedy, but I can't get over their obsession with making everything cute.

I'm not even sure if cute is the right word, it's just the best word I can muster. They don't just apply cute names to things like the Japanese do, but apply cuteness and expect everyone to take it seriously. I can't get into Harry Potter, though I'm sure it's brilliantly written, just because non-magic users are referred to as Muggles. To compare, the Final Fantasy series has creatures called Moogles, but FF doesn't force us to take them seriously.

Again, it might just be the fact that I'm American. I'm used to mystical things sounding sort of Asian or Middle Eastern and putting apostrophes in random places. An ancient secret society should be called Kal'sur and the mystical weapon should be Dor'salim. So if non-magic using people in the HP universe were called Cara'sin instead of Muggles, maybe I wouldn't be posting this on the net, but as it is, Muggles is a word that forces me to accept the fact that I'm reading a book written for an 8 year old even though the later novels grow with the audience.

As it is, I hate British naming of Fantasy things. Posters should feel free to add their own grievances.

Compare, if you will, the word Muggle to that certain racist N word. They sound similar, no? In America, the N word is used in the same way you might call someone "bro". In the UK, it's a poisonous word, and most people will want to strangle you for using it.

Also, fantasy books that use words such as you said.. To me, those books sound really nerdy. HP is written to appeal to everyone, even people who wouldn't be caught dead seeming nerdy. That's why it's so popular.

I suppose cultural differences explain this.

Edit: Just to make this clear, I am a nerd and admit to such. My favourite book series is Eragon.

 

[maninahat]

actualy muggles sound like a racial slur to me. Not exactly that cute.

Quite a lot of our racial slurs sound kind of cute or silly. Words like "Nig Nog" and "Wog". In fact, the term "Ching Chong China Man" used to make my Chinese ex laugh, despite being well aware of the spite behind it.

It's all about familiarity with the term. George Bush was somewhat amused by having shoes thrown at him, because he hadn't grown up in a society where such an act is the greatest possible insult to bestow upon someone.

 

[SinisterGehe]

Mate, I've got no idea what you are talking about.

Most things that come out of Britain are tremendously dull and seedy and dark as far as art and entertainment goes. The British are one of the most cynical people in the world.

Oh come to Finland, it is even more cynical, it is even more north, colder and darker... Tho we don't have that much rain, but they are replaced with long fall and Lots of snow (Up to 1,5 meters in southern Finland and "up to" -30*Celcius weather) We all wear black, drink black coffee, are serious and like building things from concrete, even out forests look depressing, let alone the towns...

And British cuteness? A what now? I think you should study etymology bit more.

 

[GLo Jones]

"Wow, I hate the use of word 'muggle' in the Harry Potter series. I think I'll use that as the basis for my concept of an entire culture."

You know what I hate? America's love of chewing tobacco, it looks and sounds so nasty, and yet it's involved in everything American. You guys sicken me.

 

[BoTTeNBReKeR]

I'm Belgian and I have no clue what the OP is on about. There's plenty of stuff I read/watch/play that's from the UK and none of that stuff seems "cute" to me. A lot of it seems to be more grim/dark in many ways, which is why I usually prefer British entertainment over American.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

The British don't make things cute. They just happen to be the second most sarcastic people in the world.

Second?

Who, pray tell, is the first?

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Mate, I've got no idea what you are talking about.

Most things that come out of Britain are tremendously dull and seedy and dark as far as art and entertainment goes. The British are one of the most cynical people in the world.

Quoted for truth.

You don't appreciate exactly how cynical the British are until you holiday elsewhere. It's something that aids comedy, not hinders.

 

[Stasisesque]

"Wow, I hate the use of word 'muggle' in the Harry Potter series. I think I'll use that as the basis for my concept of an entire culture."

You know what I hate? America's love of chewing tobacco, it looks and sounds so nasty, and yet it's involved in everything American. You guys sicken me.

People have to stop posting seriously when they have adorable avatars.

Galloping tapirs would never be sickened by anything ever.

 

[Vie]

Original Post

Yes I despise British cuteness.

But to be fair I also despise American Modesty, German sloppy workmanship, French military prowess, Italian food, Japan's bizarre hatred of tentacles, Swiss partisanship, Vatican Cities atheism, Australia's high quality of acting talent, Norwegian hatred of fish and the Netherlands repressive drugs laws.