Week Three Blog Entry: American Culture as Viewed by Other Cultures

This clip of Fry and Laurie was not very long, but it showed a lot about the way Americans are viewed in England. I am from England originally, and all of my extended family still lives there, so I do have some additional insight into how we are viewed. The first thing I noticed about this clip is that he just kept repeating “America” and “the States.” I think that this showed that the American culture is viewed as being very proud of ourselves and slightly arrogant about this fact. The second thing I noticed is the attire that Hugh Laurie was wearing. He had a bandana tied around his head and was wearing an unbuttoned plaid shirt. This showed that our culture is viewed as all having that type of style. His attire and the way that he was singing seemed like he was a country singer. This showed that we are viewed as all liking this type of music. The last thing that I noticed was the ending where the other man came in and punched him. This showed that the British culture is different to the American culture, and that they get annoyed with people who fit the stereotype that Hugh Laurie is portraying.