Hello all-
I don't know if you all have seen the new edition of this Joe Millionaire business over in the UK, but I just wanted to note that this drivel seems to draw on the broadest and most idiotic stereotypes of Americans...so this time "Joe" is a cowboy...haha, there are like a total of 2000 real cowboys in the States, so I find this categorization pretty damn funny. That would be akin to coming over to the UK and expecting everyone to be dressed a la some sort of Dickens novel...anyway, I also wanted to say that I'm coming over to do research at the University of Sheffield (about regional development, etc.), so I'd love to meet up with some people from this fine, fine forum and such.

Max

Never heard of it mate what is it another crap t.v. show?

On a serious note Im sure youll like Sheffield though, if youre staying near the University theres plenty of countryside in walking distance and plenty of bars/clubs. Daughters freind from Pheonixhas just stayed with us for 2 weeks and she likes it here, although its a little cold for her.

All the best


Bill

If you're coming over here and intend being a regular on the forum you'll have to sign off your posts with a different name, 'cos I was here first. Otherwise, welcome and we look forward to seeing you in our fair city.

Max.

Is Joe Millionaire the programme where a guy pretends to a few women that he is a millionaire but is really a builder with no money whatsoever? I have heard a few people talking about it.

Originally posted by InTheStates
Hello all-
I don't know if you all have seen the new edition of this Joe Millionaire business over in the UK, but I just wanted to note that this drivel seems to draw on the broadest and most idiotic stereotypes of Americans...so this time "Joe" is a cowboy...haha, there are like a total of 2000 real cowboys in the States, so I find this categorization pretty damn funny. That would be akin to coming over to the UK and expecting everyone to be dressed a la some sort of Dickens novel...anyway, I also wanted to say that I'm coming over to do research at the University of Sheffield (about regional development, etc.), so I'd love to meet up with some people from this fine, fine forum and such.

Max
I've heard of Joe Millionaire. A friend of mine from the States got down to the last contestant and then decided it wasn't for him.

Never got chance to see the final show, but from what I hear he had a lucky escape. By all account the guy, who was 'picked' after him had a rough time of it in the press and media.

Having worked and lived in the states I find a lot of the stereo types funny that are made from Europeans and British.

But I don't think that American are stereotyped as cowboys. I'd say that the most common thing I heard on my return was the following:
i) Are all American really fat?... erm no!
ii) Do American just know about America and little education about the rest of the world?.. to be honest they seem to care more about their own country and not know (especially geography) where other countries are. They are very patriotic (not a bad thing) but focus a little too much inland and aren't as interested about the rest of the world (just the impression I got).
iii)Are they really arrogant and self centred?...No.. not at all. I got a very welcoming response from our American cousins.

So the cowboy stereotype wasn't there for me. I can say hand on heart I've never met a cowboy. So I wouldn't worry about that being the stigma of the American public.

However don't be offended if get called a Yank or Yankee, because that's just a generic name for American... as Limey is for English.

Hi everyone-
Thanks for the responses (and Max, I shall post as Maxwell from now on :) It seems like there is quite of interest in universities, and their relationship with Sheffield, regional development, and as that is exactly what I will be researching when I'm there, I look forward to talking/meeting you some of you if you are interested....and it's true that Americans are fairly ignorant of geography, and unfortunately, geography is not as valued a subject in school as it is in the UK!.
Best,
Maxwell

what channel is 'joe millionaire' on? E4? i've seen trailors on terrestial telly. is it a bit like that 'mr right' prog that ulrika presented (and ended up marrying the mr right guy) except for its a bit of a hoax/social experiment?

Originally posted by InTheStates
I shall post as Maxwell from now on :)
Your courtesy is appreciated.

Max.

Welcome to Sheffield Maxwell!! :D :headbang:

Well, as someone who opposes Dubya's war for oil, sorry on 'terror' (how can one have a war on a noun?) you'd expect me to dislike the American public, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Despite all the preconceptions about the American public, I've always found you to be a generally benign lot who care greatly about your country but are perhaps suffering from a lack of information about the outside world thanks to your lazy media (I'm looking at you Rupert Murdoch) who only repeat the government line. Historically, I look towards the likes of Emma Goldman, Woody Guthrie, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Bill Hicks, Chuck Palanuk etc and know there's a lot of Americans I truly admire. So, welcome to Sheffield and if you want to meet up for a beer then let me know!

:thumbsup:

Ask a yank who the president of mexico is, and have a look at the blank visage.

Then ask a person of any other nationality who the PM/President of their neighbouring country is.

Some stereotypes are scarily accurate

The first series of Joe Millionaire was the biggest load of crap on TV. But I tell ya it was like a drug, I had to watch. It was like a bad soap opera. Terrible acting, bad hair dos, too much make up, bitchy, slutty women getting into cat fights all the time. It was obsessive, compulsive watching. Everybody was talking about it and we couldn't believe how gullible and phoney all those girls were. The guy turned out to be a regular Joe "Thousand".
Anyway, the 2nd series is even funnier. Those European girls are even bitchier. Meeeoooow. I can see the hair pulling already.
I want to see a show where it's a girl who fools the guy. Oh, that happens all the time right? Nothing new huh!
Americans make fools of themselves all the time but what I don't like is that they are making the Europeans look like a laughing stock. Oh well that's TV for ya. :rolleyes:

Oh and welcome to the Forum.
So where are you InTheStates, in the States??:wink:

Hi everyone-
Thanks for your good cheer and such. Actually, I'm working towards my PhD in Wisconsin, but I've lived for extensive periods in Seattle and Chicago. As for Americans not knowing political leaders, I would say that's fairly accurate, though given the immense amounts of time that Brits and Americans spend watching TV, buying stuff and so on, I would say that both countries spend too much time spending money and not enough time listening to each other and learning about the world around them....though I am jealous of the fine programming provided by the BBC, as the news here in the US is absolutely horrible, especially locally produced broadcasts. It's usually best I think to try to treat people as individuals, rather than make broad sweeping generalizations...though let me ask this in closing...does anyone in Sheffield like McEwans?

Thanks much,
Maxwell

Not sure why this is still in General Sheffield Chat, so I have moved it to for you. :)

Welcome to the forum Max 2 :P

Originally posted by InTheStates
Hi everyone-
Thanks for your good cheer and such. Actually, I'm working towards my PhD in Wisconsin, but I've lived for extensive periods in Seattle and Chicago. As for Americans not knowing political leaders, I would say that's fairly accurate, though given the immense amounts of time that Brits and Americans spend watching TV, buying stuff and so on, I would say that both countries spend too much time spending money and not enough time listening to each other and learning about the world around them....though I am jealous of the fine programming provided by the BBC, as the news here in the US is absolutely horrible, especially locally produced broadcasts. It's usually best I think to try to treat people as individuals, rather than make broad sweeping generalizations...though let me ask this in closing...does anyone in Sheffield like McEwans?

Thanks much,
Maxwell
You need BBCAmerica to give you a fix. We get that channel with our digital cable lineup.
Also C-Span at midnight, Central Time, you get the 6am BBC morning news from London (sometimes, not all the time) I came across it one night and caught up with the traffic report from the M25 and the M1. It was also interesting to hear the news on the war in Iraq from the British point of view. Made a change from listening to CNN, MSNBC and Geraldo Rivera!