February 22, 2006

Curious George: Cheeky Little Monkies. Is British society more randy than its Yankee counterpart?

My special lady friend and I are watching The Office at present and are a bit surprised by the overt sexuality and sexism bandied about on that show -- and the degree to which the women put up with it. Of course part of it is just that show and how the humour rests with the obnoxiousness of the blokes in charge. But it seems that other elements suggest a more sexualized experience in English life -- the page 3 girl, for example -- and many of the monkeys here from across the pond seem to be quick with the blue pun. (Even Shakespeare included a good deal of racy humor. See the porter in Macbeth and the nurse in R&J.) On the other hand, given Hollywood's fetish for sex and lust and nakedness (we've got a prime time show called Sex in the City after all), it seems unlikely that Americans would take a back seat in the race to be the most overtly R-rated. Perhaps this is another example of America's puritannical roots in heady conflict with its unchained id. What do you lot think?

posted by scartol 18 years ago
  • It's deeply complex. The dead spectre of political correctness so prevalent in the US has not taken off on this side of the pond, and sarcasm and piss-taking are widely accepted between both sexes, and this can be of a sexual nature. Perhaps it's because we're more relaxed about sex, and can laugh and joke about it's reality, whereas the US doesn't seem relaxed about anything and has to put up unrealistic role-models. These's nothing sexist at all about The Office, it's a different experience.
  • Agreed.
  • Show us yer cock.
  • "My special lady friend and I..."
  • Titter ye not!
  • *Nudge nudge wink wink* Knoworrimean? Say no moah!
  • Ding Dong!
  • Culture manifests in different ways. People are born in one and tend to take for granted the things within it that might stand out in other cultures. Take a look at disaffected North American white suburbanite youths who co-opt inner-city culture because of a disassociation with their own (crushing cultural imperialist) culture. Learning about panty vending machines in Japan might make you think that the Japanese are perverted, but it's just a ethnocentric pereption of one thing standing out in the lot. And that's alot like seeing the differences in the expression of sex and sexuality in the UK and US. (US)Americans come to Canada for the live lesbian sex acts in our titty bars. Ethnocentricism isn't a bad thing, per se. But it hurts sometimes, dawg.
  • Woooah! Back up a little.... You have what acts in your what bars? I say, missus! *logs on to British Airways*
  • Everyone wants to fuck people with British accents. Especially British people.
  • I'm as British as they come. Fnaaar!
  • On the other hand, while we may want to have sex with you, the collected works of Benny Hill have tempered the seriousness with which we pursue that cross-pond intercoursin'.
  • *slaps Fes on head*
  • *cough* Puritans *cough*
  • Republicans?
  • Quakers? I'm a-quakin' and a-quiverin' and a-comin' up to see you sometime and put some of the Jesus up in ya, you soulless heathen. Also: buy oats.
  • I think a peek at the carnal escapades of the Republican party will put that rumor to rest. see "Illinois Senate Race and Jack Ryan (Divorce Proceedings)" for example. We're all huge prevert tanghounds.
  • I lke you already!
  • There's a tagline somewhere in Fes's comment, but I'll be damned if I can figger out where.
  • Monkeyfilter: a peek at the carnal escapades of the Republican party ?
  • THANK YOU.
  • Everyone wants to fuck people with British accents. Especially British people. Hang on - there's a button for that? As said above, different cultures have different standards. We have topless ladies on Page 3 of our tabloid newspapers. On the other hand, the range of pornography available in US and Continental European newsagents shocked, astonished and near bankrupted this poor simian. In the workplace, we have yet to be conquered by the dead hand of political... oh, hang on. What I mean by that is that many workplaces have very bad reporting and ethics procedures, as a result of which a lot of low-level sexual harrassment is tolerated, or more correctly ignored.
  • mct, did you want: Monkeyfilter: we're all huge prevert tanghounds as well?
  • Get yer kit orf.
  • Hmm...nope, nope that wasn't...wait.. MonkeyFilter: see "Illinois Senate Race and Jack Ryan (Divorce Proceedings)" for example. There, that's it.
  • Oh please, it's not like the culture was influenced by the Puritans or anyth- damn you Nickdanger!
  • All we wanted was an alternative to your Roman-influenced Orgy, Bathhouse and Vomitorium culture. three taglines in three sentences! I am flushed with pride.
  • And around here, I'll have you know, it's purrrrrrrritans! Meow!
  • *basks in self-satisfaction that as a Canadian, he gets to enjoy American liberalism without the baggage, and British banter without les dents anglaises*
  • Oh please, it's not like the culture was influenced by the Puritans... Hard core pornography is my calling. You thought that was it, Fes? MonkeyFilter: an alternative to your Roman-influenced Orgy, Bathhouse and Vomitorium
  • We (Brits that is) have a long history. In that long history (sorry guys the US starts at 1776 - I can trace my family back waaaay beyond that here in blighty,) we have a long history of sauce and bawdiness. Take Chaucer f'rinstance. There was nice chap who wasnt afraid to put pen to paper when it came to debauchery and things of the flesh. Advance to 600 years later. Nothing change much in the pleasures. Then the Victorians tried to spoli our party but whe showed 'em in the Sixities - the so called Sexual revolution. In short its in our genes and our inheritence to be randy all the time!
  • Zaphod is quite correct. British people actually reproduce via sexual activity - that is, via ejaculation of semen into the vagina. That's why, since at least the rise of vertebrate life in Britain, they've all been fucking one another silly. American people, however, reproduce by slaughtering a newborn under a full moon while chanting the mantra of Thargos next to an open grave - a demon of the underworld then inhabits the putrefying corpse within the grave, which rises from its casket and then they all go bowling or whatever.
  • Bowling is SO yesterday - NASCAR, dude! Better chance to see some ichor.
  • What's your point, quidnunc? *checks lunar calendar*
  • *cough* Puritans *cough* -trout-smacks Nickdanger- Monkeyfilter:Reproduction by slaughtering a newborn under a full moon while chanting the mantra of Thargos next to an open grave - a demon of the underworld then inhabits the putrefying corpse within the grave, which rises from its casket and then they all going to bowl or whatever.
  • hey, exactly whose putrefying corpse are we discussing here????
  • Heyyyy . . Yeah!
  • The thread is moot as the UK no longer exists.
  • hey, exactly whose putrefying corpse are we discussing here???? The quorpse is usually quid.
  • The thread is moot as the UK no longer exists. Post-global warming geography. No more Caribbean islands, Madagascar, UK... and Japan is snuggling a littl too much to the continent. And as much as I'd love to tackle in depth the sex+english citizens theme, I will just say this: WHOOOOOHOHO!!
  • Post-global warming geography. No more Caribbean islands, Madagascar, UK... and Japan is snuggling a littl too much to the continent. Don't worry, I just filled the ice-cube tray! (It's biodegradable!)
  • Nick and Pete nailed it (woah-ho! That sounded a bit naughty, what what?) We cultural descendants of the Puritans love the sex, and we have a lot of it. But we like to keep our sex dirty so that we can have a good time feeling guilty about it afterwards. Nothin' like a fresh cup of guilt to wash down your birth control pill. You Limeys and your clean, fun-loving, whimsical page 3 girls!
  • I'm surprised that Japan is snuggling a little too much to the continent as land is at such a premium there.
  • Greenland is gone, too. And it's HUGE!!!
  • Taglining is a serious business. I hope you young'uns think before you post. *GramMa scowls*
  • *Kit hopes a nice round of good old English spanking is in the offing if GramMa's in a mood* *'accidentally' knocks vase over* Ooops!
  • MonkeyFilter: taglining is a serious business MonkeyFilter: posted by BlueHorse at 3:29AM UTC on February 23, 2006 Thanks GramMa!
  • *'accidentally' knocks vase over* What's really going to bake your noodle later on is: If she hadn't said anything, would you still have knocked over the vase?
  • i imagine that we're equally enamored with nasty hot sex and bad food.
  • *shakes head in sorrow at InsolentChimp's obvious disregard for the maturity and responsiblity needed to post a Monkeyfilter tagline* *picks up Kitfisto, dips in bucket, and stuffs through mop wringer*
  • Oooh. That's gonna leave a mark.
  • wow, i missed this thread completely. is sex dirty? it is if you're doing it properly. (woody allen, i think). is the office overtly sexual or sexist? no, at least not by non-u.s. standards.
  • Is sex in the office dirty? Only if you do it on your desk.
  • or in the office kitchen.
  • Mm. clean head.