#146458 - 02/03/2003 02:00
Stupid British culture question
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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A friend of mine has become slightly obsessed with the BBC sitcom Coupling. However, there's one thing that he and I are not sure of. The character Sally is a neurotic hairstylist who's something of a loser. What we can't figure out is whether her hairstyle -- namely stringy, flat, parted too far on the wrong side, and generally inappropriate for her face (at least in USian style) -- would be considered stylish in England, or if the fact that it's so bad (combined with the fact that she's a hairstylist herself) is just a running joke about her being a loser. So, those of you more in touch with British sensibilities, please enlighten.
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Bitt Faulk
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#146459 - 02/03/2003 04:15
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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I don't see Sally to be a loser in the sitcom ??? She has problems with relationships and her self image, but isn't that the point ???
I like her hair too. I thought this could be a problem in exporting British humor to the US, you just don't get it over there. Why does her hair style matter ??? Stop thinking there has to be a moral and meaning behind every little thing and just relax and enjoy what is the best comedy sitcom ever to have come from these shores.
Cris.
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#146460 - 02/03/2003 04:21
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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Well I'm British and I don't find her attractive.  I don't think her hair is too offensive though.
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Cheers,
Andy M
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#146461 - 02/03/2003 08:01
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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So, those of you more in touch with British sensibilities, please enlighten.
I can't help you out on the whole sensibilities angle, but I will say this:
If someone could convince Sally to find *me* attractive, well...I'd be highly inclined to reciprocate!
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Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.
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#146462 - 02/03/2003 11:37
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
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whether her hairstyle [..] would be considered stylish in England
And you're asking us lot?? 
Being English but arguably not stylish, I can't see anything wrong with her hair. If it is a running joke, it must be one aimed squarely at women and/or hairdressers; it's completely lost on me.
Peter
"Next on BBC America: Suzannah and Trinny and Bitt..."
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#146463 - 02/03/2003 13:09
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I like her hair too. I thought this could be a problem in exporting British humor to the US, you just don't get it over there. Why does her hair style matter ??? Stop thinking there has to be a moral and meaning behind every little thing and just relax and enjoy what is the best comedy sitcom ever to have come from these shores. Easy, there, cowboy. Don't take it so seriously.
You said it yourself. She ``has problems with ... her self image''. Wouldn't her having a bad hairstyle be funny?
The reason I ask is because we just happened to watch an episode that had an unmitigated British-only reference. It was an early episode and Sally and Susan were talking about, apparently, a Tory politician who they said could pull off being ``naked with socks''. That joke was totally lost on us, and we started thinking about what else we might unknowingly be missing.
Neither of us is fashionable in the least, and Sally's hairstyle isn't awful in the US, but it looks sorta like one someone would have who wants to be glamorous but is failing at it. Combine that with the fact that sitcom stars over here are pored over by the fashion press (for example, when Friends, with which Coupling obviously has a lot in common, became very popular, there was seldom a week that would go by without someone in the popular press commenting on Jennifer Aniston's hair), and I just wondered if it was intended to be good, or if it was more funniness. Now I know, which is why I asked.
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Bitt Faulk
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#146464 - 02/03/2003 13:13
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: peter]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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If it is a running joke, it must be one aimed squarely at women and/or hairdressers; it's completely lost on me. That's sort of my point. Here sit two guys in the US, not much inclined to fashion at all, who both remark on how bad Sally's hair is. (Probably partially due to the fact that she's pretty but, IOHOs, could be much prettier with a different hairstyle.)
Those of you in the UK find it uncommentable. Fair enough. Cultures differ. (For example, Jane is obviously supposed to be phenomenally attractive, but I wouldn't say that that would be the widely accepted opinion in the US. I doubt that US people would generally find her to be the most attractive on the show. Not that she's ugly by any means. Then again, I don't get why people find Julia Roberts attractive, so maybe I'm wrong.) I just wasn't sure if this was a case of it or not.
Edited by wfaulk (02/03/2003 13:19)
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Bitt Faulk
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#146465 - 02/03/2003 13:26
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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(for example, when Friends, with which Coupling obviously has a lot in common, became very popular, there was seldom a week that would go by without someone in the popular press commenting on Jennifer Aniston's hair) Ah-ha. That explains the whole thing. Coupling is a deliberate Friends clone, right down to the characters: One of the female leads has to have funky hair. Somewhere, there's a very strict "sitcom formula" written down, and that's one of the rules.
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#146466 - 03/03/2003 02:21
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: tfabris]
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enthusiast
Registered: 28/03/2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Dudley, UK
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That explains the whole thing. Coupling is a deliberate Friends clone
....... and don't forget the uncanny similarity in the number of main characters (6) - ahhhhhhhhh, ummmmmmmm. I also see a pattern - but what does it mean master?
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#146467 - 03/03/2003 08:12
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2858
Loc: Atlanta, GA
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Then again, I don't get why people find Julia Roberts attractive
You know, I've never heard a guy talk about Julia Roberts being attractive, though she certainly isn't ugly. I've even had this discussion with my wife, who is an avid Roberts fan. I honestly think (though I could easitly be wrong) that it's more women who find Julia Roberts attractive than men.
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-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
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#146468 - 03/03/2003 08:15
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Apologies to Andy M, but it's widely reported and criticized in the UK, that the BBC doesn't do culture anymore, it's all been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#146469 - 03/03/2003 10:43
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I thought this could be a problem in exporting British humor to the US, you just don't get it over there
Too true! Your post sounds condescending, but I'd have to agree. Not because the humor is superior or inferior, but the culture and sensibility differences are quite great.
Speaking of which, did anyone see last night's Simpsons? They commented on this exact subject when a Simpsonian movie star invited Helen Fielding to a Springfield women's book club. There she said that she didn't care if anyone read "Bridget..." because Americans wouldn't understand the British humor. She consequently runs out the door in a Benny Hill spoof, with bobbies chasing after her.
Personally, I never found Benny Hill very funny *ducks*
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Matt
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#146470 - 03/03/2003 10:57
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: simspos]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I also see a pattern - but what does it mean master? It means, Grasshopper, that the pod people have now taken over England as well as Hollywood.
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#146471 - 03/03/2003 11:43
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Hehe... Yaketysax is the ringtone on my phone.
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#146472 - 03/03/2003 13:06
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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addict
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 510
Loc: NY
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The reason I ask is because we just happened to watch an episode that had an unmitigated British-only reference. It was an early episode and Sally and Susan were talking about, apparently, a Tory politician who they said could pull off being ``naked with socks''. That joke was totally lost on us, and we started thinking about what else we might unknowingly be missing.
You didn't miss this because you're American. You missed it (I assume) because you're a heterosexual male. A fair percentage of men (at least in my experience) will not, or try not taking they're socks off before sex (my last/current bf is one of these).
While it's not scary like the sight of a naked man bent over, I've yet to see a man who does not look totally ridiculous wearing nothing but his socks.
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Heather
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." -Susan B Anthony
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#146473 - 03/03/2003 13:26
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Heather]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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No. I understand the point about ``naked with socks''. I was just using that as a point of reference for someone who might have seen that episode and wanted to enlighten me. The part I didn't get was the Tory politician. Sally refused to have sex with a Tory and Susan claimed that some guy, apparently a Tory politician, might be able to pull off the ``naked with socks'' look. I'm assuming he's particularly attractive, but I don't really know. He might be some octogenarian, for all I know.
There was actually a really funny bit earlier about not missing the sock zone -- that area after you take off your shoes but before you take off your pants that is the only opportunity a guy really gets to take off his socks without looking like a total feeb.
Also, I happened to just get around to seeing American Psycho over the weekend, and it was pretty funny watching Christian Bale running around totally naked with jogging shoes and a chainsaw. That might be more ridiculous than socks.
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Bitt Faulk
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#146474 - 03/03/2003 14:54
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: lectric]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Hehe... Yaketysax is the ringtone on my phone
I gather that's the Benny Hill theme? Well, you'll never hear that coming out of my saxophones
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Matt
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#146475 - 04/03/2003 02:48
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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If you went down to any beach here in England duing the summer you would understand the meaning of "naked with socks". You will always find a batch of middle aged men wearing socks with sandels and shorts on, this creates a geek culture around people wering socks when you shouldn't, ie when naked.
The best way to find out if you can pull it off is to stand infront of a full length mirror with you socks on and otherwise naked, and see how silly you look. This would be a turn off to a British woman, hense the reference "naked with socks"
I think ???
Cheers
Cris.
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#146476 - 04/03/2003 03:43
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Cris]
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enthusiast
Registered: 28/03/2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Dudley, UK
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The best way to find out if you can pull it off is to stand infront of a full length mirror with you socks on and otherwise naked
Nah, tried it, looked stupid, won't be doing it again 
Cheers, Sim
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#146477 - 04/03/2003 03:52
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: tfabris]
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enthusiast
Registered: 28/03/2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Dudley, UK
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I also see a pattern - but what does it mean master?
It means, Grasshopper, that the pod people have now taken over England as well as Hollywood
..........Sh*t, run for the hills
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#146478 - 04/03/2003 04:10
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: simspos]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Although the Red Hot Chili Peppers, amongst others, seemed to pull of the naked with socks look pretty well*. Or maybe that should be naked with sock.
*According to my wife
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Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
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#146479 - 04/03/2003 06:40
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: frog51]
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enthusiast
Registered: 28/03/2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Dudley, UK
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Although the Red Hot Chili Peppers, amongst others, seemed to pull off the naked with socks look pretty well
Yeh, must be all those oh so masculine tattoos detracting from the fact that you look stupid with just socks on.
Cheers, Sim
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#146480 - 04/03/2003 08:56
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Again, I understand ``naked with socks''. That reference was incidental.
As a vaguely famous citizen of Burlington, NC (outlet store capital of the world) once said, ``Yankees are down here fighting over socks like they'd never seen them before, which you know isn't true, since they're always wearing them with sandals.''
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Bitt Faulk
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#146481 - 04/03/2003 08:57
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: simspos]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I don't believe that you understand where they wore said socks:
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Bitt Faulk
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#146482 - 04/03/2003 09:03
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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enthusiast
Registered: 28/03/2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Dudley, UK
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You're right, but I think I'm catching on fast - 
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#146483 - 04/03/2003 11:04
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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"naked with socks''
I don't know about England, but here in Virginia, supposedly it's illegal to "do the deed" with your socks on...or in anything but the missionary position
At least that's what I've heard
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Matt
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#146484 - 04/03/2003 11:08
Re: Stupid British culture question
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Yeah, it's the theme song.
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