The British Thread.

[eg1]

Not handy with pictures, but how about:

The Two Ronnies
Mr. Bean
Blackadder
Joker's Wild
Inspector Morse
Heartbeat
Yes, Minister
Changing Rooms
Ground Force
Thunderbirds
Spitting Image
Fawlty Towers
Chef
Absolutely Fabulous
anything by Nick Park
28Up (and so on and so forth)
Coronation Street
Father Ted (God rest his soul ...)
Civilisation
The Railway Children
anything by Enid Blyton

I could go on, but I rather have, wot?

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by benecios

Speaking of Ricky Gervais....

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Homme

Can't have a British thread without:

I don't understand the whole thing about British teeth being terrible.

I have never had cosmetic dentistry nor do I plan to and by all accounts I am a vain person; but in America it seems if you don't have some form of whitening or braces, you are viewed as having "British teeth".

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I don't understand the whole thing about British teeth being terrible.

I have never had cosmetic dentistry nor do I plan to and by all accounts I am a vain person; but in America it seems if you don't have some form of whitening or braces, you are viewed as having "British teeth".

I don't get why their teeth are so bad. I have a fair amount of English roots and nobody born in America has bad teeth.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

I don't get why their teeth are so bad. I have a fair amount of English roots and nobody born in America has bad teeth.

It's just a stereotype that doesn't really hold true anymore. There are plenty of americans with horrible teeth, people just like to pick on the british for whatever reason, in the same way we say that everyone from san francisco is ga... er, sorry Matt

 

[v0rtex]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

I don't get why their teeth are so bad. I have a fair amount of English roots and nobody born in America has bad teeth.

In the US, only the rich can afford decent healthcare, especially when it comes to non-essential procedures so an unnaturally straight set of pearly whites can be seen as a status symbol. As people put an emphasis on it even not so wealthy parents will make sure to get orthodontic treatment for their kid due to the perceived benefits it can bring.

In the UK we have (supposedly) free healthcare. Everyone's basic needs are met, so good general health isn't going to impress anyone or convey a status message. So only the very rich bother with non-essential dental work and everyone else just gets basic work done on the NHS (or, in the last 10 years, not go to the dentist as the NHS is suffering a massive shortfall in dentists and is probably in it's death throes).

At least, that's my theory.

Signed,
Mr Above average teeth in the UK, mediocre teeth in the US

 

[j]

I thought it was because they didn't have fluoride in the water until recently or something....

 

[Dormouse]

Chiclet veneers are an alternative

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by v0rtex

In the US, only the rich can afford decent healthcare, especially when it comes to non-essential procedures so an unnaturally straight set of pearly whites can be seen as a status symbol. As people put an emphasis on it even not so wealthy parents will make sure to get orthodontic treatment for their kid due to the perceived benefits it can bring.

In the UK we have (supposedly) free healthcare. Everyone's basic needs are met, so good general health isn't going to impress anyone or convey a status message. So only the very rich bother with non-essential dental work and everyone else just gets basic work done on the NHS (or, in the last 10 years, not go to the dentist as the NHS is suffering a massive shortfall in dentists and is probably in it's death throes).

At least, that's my theory.

Signed,
Mr Above average teeth in the UK, mediocre teeth in the US


I'll also point out that most my British relatives have bad teeth. Same genepool 10,000 miles west, no bad teeth. I'm not talking a few crooked teeth, I mean they are pretty bad. Every Brit I have talked to refers to the Americans as being overly pretentious with their teeth. I don't see how wanting straight teeth or brushing is bad.

Also I think that this is wrong: "only the rich can afford decent healthcare" I grew up lower middle class and many of my friends had braces. I'm not sure how policies work but I would bet that in the US, straight teeth aren't considered an elective procedure like a nose job or something. If the UK had free healthcare, who wouldn't want a decent set of chompers?

 

[skalogre]

Fine, my contributions:

 

[tiecollector]

Let's not forget my favorite condiment in the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branston_Pickle

It also comes in a sqeeze tube now, but I much prefer the chunk.

 

[Connemara]

 

[Patrick Bateman]

 

[Bona Drag]

Lark's vomit?!!?!!??!???!?

 

[LabelKing]

I do not have very straight teeth and I do not really care for the American pre-occupation with cosmetic dentistry.

Also, considering how British men had such a traditional fixation on grooming, I would find it odd that they specifically neglected their teeth.