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Urban Chick

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Wednesday, September 21, 2005

It's exhausting being British sometimes

Y'know: having to be sarcastic, cynical and ironic all the time.

I blame Monty Python.

posted by Urban Chick @ 12:49 pm  

15 Comments:

  • At September 21, 2005 1:02 pm, Blogger surly girl said…

    stop trying to deflect attention from those shoes.

    i love monty python, me. to the extent that the other half absolutely refuses to watch any of their films with me on the basis of my incessant pre-empting of every single line.

    i would have made a fabulous student.

     

  • At September 21, 2005 1:19 pm, Blogger Justine said…

    I'm now "Da da da daaa daa" -ing(Python theme) very happily. Love the squashing foot.
    Hmm, I wonder what made you post this...? Somebody say something?
    My darling mother is so all those things. I don't know how she keeps it up.

     

  • At September 21, 2005 2:15 pm, Blogger Wyndham said…

    Well spotted. Americans seem to have no working knowledge of British comedy beyond Monty Pi-thon. Oh, and Benny Hill. It's like Terry and June never happened.

     

  • At September 21, 2005 3:21 pm, Blogger Jenny G said…

    Hee! Your post reminds me of the Simpson's episode from the other night:

    Sara: Well, I wish someone had read the book since I did invite the author, Helen Fielding.

    Helen: Oh never mind, as long as they all bought the book, I'll still get the money. Besides, most Americans can't understand the sophisticated subtlety of British humor. I bid you good day :exits the room in Benny Hill style:

     

  • At September 21, 2005 3:35 pm, Blogger mireille said…

    dear exhausted Briton ... nice shoes. also found it greatly encouraging that the oldrooster became an attorney (barrister? solicitor?) at advanced age. Like myself. zockso!

     

  • At September 22, 2005 1:43 am, Blogger katiedid said…

    Wait - I love Red Dwarf! Of course, this is not exactly sophistication, so perhaps I should just keep my fool mouth shut? Oh well - anything that's perfectly silly tends to keep me entertained, so you see, this is the appeal of Python to this particular non-Brit.

     

  • At September 22, 2005 9:08 am, Blogger Stef the engineer said…

    It's actually on my degree certificate, in Latin, that if I ever stop being sarcastic, cynical and ironic, the university authorities are entitled to come round and rip it up in front of me. Could be worse; I believe the Irish have the same thing tatooed on their body - Dylan Moran would probably show it you for a bottle of whisky & a packet of fags.
    The Canadians, of course, have citizenship withdrawn if they ever show any sign of understanding what "irony" actually is. It's in their national anthem;

    "Isn't it ironic?
    Well, isn't it?
    Ironic? Isn't it?
    It's like rain?
    It's like dying tragically.
    Sorta."

    [Canadian National Anthem: "Someone explain what irony is please, before I cut my wrists with the tragedy of it all" by Dame Alana te Morissey]

    Bless 'em.

    (Love the shoes. Slade tribute act?)

     

  • At September 22, 2005 8:08 pm, Blogger Meegan said…

    If it makes you feel better, we Americans greatly appreciate British humor. And we recognize the fact that it's superior to ours (very often). So please keep it up!

     

  • At September 23, 2005 8:13 am, Blogger Urban Chick said…

    stef mr engineer: national stereotyping? tut tut

    now you wouldn't want foreigners to think we all had a sense of humour like jim davidson's, would you?

    **slaps back of naughty stef's wrists**

    [meegan: believe me, there is some very grim stuff that passes for 'humour' over here too e.g. aforementioned jim davidson)

     

  • At September 23, 2005 9:42 am, Blogger Stef the engineer said…

    Me, national stereotyping... ?

    I love Canadians, and Canada - it's like America with a healthcare system and better spelling. They do have a bit of a production line in angst ridden female singer-songwriters 'though (Sarah, Alanis, that 12 year old in the baggy trousers). Love 'em all. (Saw Alanis in concert once; like paying money to watch a nervous breakdown live on stage. I gather she's mellowed since then. Shame.)

    As for the Irish? One of my Irish friends described them as the "bipolar nation" - they're either having the time of their life or contemplating ending it all. Sometimes all during the same party.

    Luckily I think the British are the weirdest of the lot. Y'know, being sarcastic, cynical and ironic all the time?

    I did once laugh at a Jim Davidson routine. Does that make me a bad person?

    And what about that Bernard Manning, eh?

     

  • At September 23, 2005 9:53 am, Blogger Stef the engineer said…

    p.s. Can I have another slap please?

     

  • At September 23, 2005 10:44 am, Blogger Urban Chick said…

    you might like to read this very amusing analysis of ms morrissette's well-known ditty (quite hilarious): http://www.mellowfellow.com/ironic.shtml

    as for the request for another slap: this is a family friendly, pre-watershed blog - stop being cheeky (ahem)

    however, there is in fact a blog for slapping (slapoftheday.blogspot.com) - perhaps you could ask bela...

    enjoy!

     

  • At September 23, 2005 2:18 pm, Blogger Stef the engineer said…

    "Ironic" analysis. Yay! Mind you, there was an Irish comedian who did a great standup piece on this. Shame I can't remember his name.(*)

    Slap of the day: That's going on my sidebar next update. Thank you. Not quite what I'm after 'though. I once had a very attractive Lebanese dentist, with a penchant for work clothing that was probably inappropriate. I remember feeling very torn when she asked if I'd like anaesthetic, or wanted to feel the pain. (***) Erm, that's probably a British thing as well.

    (*) Most of my current favourite comics are Irish; Dave Allen, Dylan Moran, Ardal O'Hanlan (the real one who did 'Father Ted' and stand up, not the evil Doppleganger who did the witless 'My Hero'), Charles Clarke MP (**)

    (**) Not, strictly speaking, Irish or a comedian, but his sticky out ears, goofy grin and comic antics make me laugh so much that it ensures his inclusion here.

    (***) That's exactly how she phrased it. And this was on the National Health!

     

  • At September 23, 2005 11:43 pm, Blogger Bela said…

    I'm ready and willing.

    Exhaustedly yours,
    Bela

     

  • At September 28, 2005 12:36 am, Blogger katiedid said…

    Stef - have you considered a side career in writing t-shirts? Because I would love to have one with this on it:

    "I love Canadians, and Canada - it's like America with a healthcare system and better spelling."

    And I usually steer clear of shirts with any lettering, words, or logos on them.

     

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