I think it's interesting that Calum uses peculiarly British slang and references British personalities more than almost anyone else on here. I mean, on one hand, it doesn't seem like that big a deal -- he's Scottish, that's how he talks -- but on the other, in the context of ILX, it's sort of indicative of a blinkered, solipsistic worldview, uninterested in actually engaging with others.
-- jaymc, February 14th, 2005 4:18 AM.
Based on what that appears to say, 'the context of ILX' is all about US culture. Despite the fact that ILX is located in Australia and [as per my understanding] originated on a UK website, and is host to the reach of the internet, i.e. at least 95% of the world's countries. Yet jaymc seems to be suggesting we should abandon our respective cultures and arbitrarily act like US people, because somehow anything else is inappropriate. Personally I find this notion wholly offensive. If anyone here is blinkered and solipsistic, it's certainly not Calum for acting like the Brit he is.
There's an unspoken global assumption that the United States is the centre of the world. On an international level, loads of US people discuss their own country in such a way that the other 95% of the world either does or should know exactly what they're talking about, without any frame of reference whatsoever [fortunately this is not as pronounced on ILX; most of the time, all parts of the world are regarded equally here]. Conversely, many people outside the US treat the US exactly the same way. There's absolutely no sound reason for it.
Against my intentions this will probably make a lot of people irate [and is obviously a generalisation -- I know for a fact there are people in the US who are not like this], but bugger it, it's a very, very pertinent issue and nobody ever talks about it. I hope it can be discussed sensibly.
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)
Having spent most of my life in Baltimore, it's refreshing in a sense that now that I live in London, almost no one has any idea where I'm talking about when they ask where in the US I'm from. But on the other hand, I don't know as much about UK geography as I should, either. I guess if I stayed here for a bunch more years (and FINALLY escaped the gravitational pull of London), I'd get that part down.
I think that these misunderstandings and assumptions also recede the more one is exposed to cultural differences. The internet is not really going to bring people closer in this respect, because we are all still embedded in a physically immersed culture. On the other hand, it can be argued that those who live in smaller countries more necessarily have to look at those on the outside. It's easy to never leave a country as huge as the US, save for a few tourist ventures of no intellectual or more importantly experiential importance. So no understanding.
Wait, did I just answer a question I said I wasn't going to?
― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kingfish MuffMiner 2049er (Kingfish), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― f--gg (gcannon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)
Kingfish: US politics definitely has more influence on the rest of the world than some individual countries [Australia is a prime example; our government has half the influence Bush has on us] so I see your point there.
f-gg: Yep [for the most part], and that's what I really appreciate about this site.
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:16 (twenty-one years ago)
― f--gg (gcannon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:16 (twenty-one years ago)
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:21 (twenty-one years ago)
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)
Case in point is the american politics Jeremy mentions upthread: sure yes, it is nice to be kept abreast of what may affect a lot of the rest of the world, when the politics are global. But very often, senators etc are mentioned with no frame of reference and long discussions go on about them - I have no idea who this Keyes guy is whose daughter is out., and nor would many in Aus I imagine.
One of the mongrels started a thread recently about something specific to Australia that got mocked by someone else (I forget who, a UKian I think) for being boring. Sure, fine - as boring as impenetrable threads about baseball are to us...
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:27 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:28 (twenty-one years ago)
If you're going to read things into what I said [again], I can't really defend it, can I?
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kingfish MuffMiner 2049er (Kingfish), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)
Also what Kate said.
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)
― Orbit (Orbit), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)
THE MOLTEN CORE IS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ONLY THE MORLOCKIANS LIVE THERE. ALL OTHER NATIONS CAN QUIT PRETENDING THAT THEY ARE THE CENTER. SO JUST CHILL OUT, SPARK UP, AND WATCH THE DOG SHOW (IF YOU HAVE CABLE).
PEACE.
― hstencil, morlockian diplomat (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)
blount OTM.
― haitch (haitch), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)
OKAY EVERYBODY, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE CAPS.
― hstencil, morlockian diplomat and lover of foxy australians (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)
I have done it on other threads if many are spawning and assumptions all is known are being made, but a lot of people take the piss if you dare to ask certain things, and whos to know whats known and whats not?
(xpost thats to blount)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)
― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)
though i did have fun when i changed some calum thread into being about Madchester photos
― Kingfish MuffMiner 2049er (Kingfish), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)
OMG Ive turned into Donald Rumsfeld.
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:41 (twenty-one years ago)
But we had an Australian do the same thing!!
― haitch (haitch), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)
I dont think we need to ignore or not understand other countries. I do like to think we can, however, speak in our own voices and not get shit for it.
xpost haha wtf H who did that?
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)
I think it's interesting that Calum uses peculiarly British slang and references British personalities more than almost anyone else on here.
If that were an attack on anything else, jaymc would have said something else. Wouldn't he?
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:44 (twenty-one years ago)
I just worry when I know who Obama and Keyes is and the names of the first daughters and yet when I went to vote in my own country I didn't know who anyone was except the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.
I don't know who my minister of defense is but I know America's. Maybe i'm ignorant, I'm certainly not blaming these things i've mentioned on ilx. It's just peculiar is all.
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― Michael Stuchbery (Mikey Bidness), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)
I think US politics is more relevant to us as Australians than our own politicians. Given that Howard has all but toed the US line since Bush got in.
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)
I have noticed that Australians are becoming more and more American in pronunciation etc
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)
― Andy Jay, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)
I have no problem with British posters talking on a British politics thread without explaining everything for the benefit of non-British posters. I have no problem with the Mongrels and Sheepfuxors thread. I like learning new things about other cultures and relish the fact that ILX allows me to do so. I'd have thought this was all obvious.
My observation about Calum (and it's an observation, not an actual problem, I mean jeez I could care less how Calum acts) -- is simply that he seems so desperate to engage people and wind people up with his tomfoolery but ironically a good number of us don't even know what he's banging on about!
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)
― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)
http://pictures.celebscentral.net/hollyvalance/60.jpg
Safe for work, just too massive to post.
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)
― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman v1.0 (Ferg), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)
As I understand it, Jaymc is a bon vivant and cosmopolitan man of the world.
I mean, it's true, but funny at the same time!
― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)
-- kate/papa november
Kate, I just had an image of the voiceover of that annoying neckless chick from Sex in the City at her laptop with a glass of wine, hacking away at her column, when I read that. Which proves your point.
― thee music mole, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)
― kate/papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)
― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)
― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)
Also, in terms of international exchange, I’m always kinda touched on American-politics threads by the number of Brits who stop in and ask questions—as well as the number of Brits who don’t just stop in and say “hahaha you Americans are so fucked.” I dunno if that’s a Bush-era result of our politics seeming dangerous and worth keeping up with, or just a sign of the kind of thing Autumn started the thread about. But really, every Brit who ever posted “can I get some more background on this issue”—I salute you, and I feel bad for not posting enough to do the same on British-type threads and broaden my knowledge.
― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)
This board always has been (and used to be more dominated by) heavily populated by American Anglo-philes - at least music-wise, and oftentimes much more than that.
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)
Yes, this is definitely part of what I meant.
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)
Call me matyr, sometimes though I feel as if much of the board see things in a very US/UK divide and forget us poor old down-southers exist.
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:33 (twenty-one years ago)
― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― ()ops (()()ps), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)
― Who did release magic family out from the base of $499 (deangulberry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)
― ()ops (()()ps), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― Who did release magic family out from the base of $499 (deangulberry), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)
― thee music mole, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 01:29 (twenty-one years ago)
― ¬_¬ (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 01:41 (twenty-one years ago)
And he did have a "hit" "single" here years back called "I'm an Individual" which was a pile of elephants leavings.
― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)
And the other 210 countries. :)
― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN NATIONS
― Kingfish MuffMiner 2049er (Kingfish), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)
― gramps, Thursday, 17 February 2005 04:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 17 February 2005 05:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 17 February 2005 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)