'Chuckle at America's expense' Day
Differences between British and American smiles
I definately have a British smile, all cheeks and squinty eyes. I'm so not looking forward to those crows feet.....uh, smile lines i mean!
And this *points down there* made me nearly wet myself. hehehe
------------------------------------------
Declaration of Revocation:
by John Cleese
To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus togovern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories.
Except Utah, which she does not fancy.
Your new Prime Minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a worldoutside your borders) will appoint a Minister for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Then look up "aluminium." Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and'neighbour'; skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness onyour part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skippinghalf the letters.
You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise."
You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra' e.g.Edinburgh You are welcome to re-spell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' ifyou can't cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels.Look up "vocabulary." Using the same thirty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "uhh", "like", and "you know" is anunacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
Look up "interspersed."
There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary, then you won't have to usebad language as often.
2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier).
You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents ---Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.
While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is"Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American Stateswill become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.
4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters.
British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not bere-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.
5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
6. You should stop playing American "football." There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game.
The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside yourborders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football.You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football.
Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies).
We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005.
You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host anevent called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball,you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders," which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.
7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permitif you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "IndecisiveDay."
9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap, and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call 'French fries' are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat.
The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat.
Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantityto be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.
12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling "beer" is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referredto as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near- Frozen Gnat's Urine."
This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in the Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.
13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "gasoline," as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those ofthe former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon -- get used to it).
14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun
15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.
16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to1776).
Thank you for your co-operation.
I definately have a British smile, all cheeks and squinty eyes. I'm so not looking forward to those crows feet.....uh, smile lines i mean!
And this *points down there* made me nearly wet myself. hehehe
------------------------------------------
Declaration of Revocation:
by John Cleese
To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus togovern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories.
Except Utah, which she does not fancy.
Your new Prime Minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a worldoutside your borders) will appoint a Minister for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.
A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Then look up "aluminium." Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and'neighbour'; skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness onyour part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skippinghalf the letters.
You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise."
You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra' e.g.Edinburgh You are welcome to re-spell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' ifyou can't cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels.Look up "vocabulary." Using the same thirty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "uhh", "like", and "you know" is anunacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
Look up "interspersed."
There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary, then you won't have to usebad language as often.
2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier).
You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents ---Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.
While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is"Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American Stateswill become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.
4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters.
British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not bere-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.
5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
6. You should stop playing American "football." There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game.
The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside yourborders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football.You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football.
Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies).
We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005.
You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host anevent called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball,you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders," which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.
7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permitif you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "IndecisiveDay."
9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap, and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call 'French fries' are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat.
The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat.
Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantityto be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.
12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling "beer" is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referredto as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near- Frozen Gnat's Urine."
This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in the Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.
13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "gasoline," as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those ofthe former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon -- get used to it).
14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun
15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.
16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to1776).
Thank you for your co-operation.
9 Comments:
At March 02, 2005 9:58 AM,
RR. said…
Haha awesome!
Suck it, America.
:)
At March 02, 2005 10:03 AM,
Strongblade! said…
Hahahah... I had heard a bit of it before, but it's great to finally read the whole thing. :D
At March 02, 2005 12:11 PM,
Anonymous said…
I love Monty Python!
J.R.
At March 03, 2005 11:07 PM,
Sir Richard of E-Ville said…
Whoever this "John Cleese" is, and his terrorist organisation "Monty Python" it is obvious he hates freedom and liberty. US intelligence sources link him with whoever they wish to attack next as to spread democracy and Subway across the globe. Don't even look at the US sideways North Korea/Iran/Random Australian University Campus, because Jarred will be over there in a flash ramming 5 grams of freedom down your dissent spreading terrorist food hole. Feel free to then fill it with a 7 Big Macs®tm so your aSS will conform with the rest of the "free" world's. Get fat, get shit TV, get Americanised. Yall.
At March 04, 2005 11:18 AM,
Rhiannon (u.s) said…
HEY!! we dont all like baseball!
and i dont like america either but please dont acuse us all of being lazy hotdog eaters! DOWN W/ BUSH!!!
ANARCHY MOTHER F*****!!!!
At March 04, 2005 11:28 AM,
Anonymous said…
You Know what you might have stolen my hairstyle....but that doesn't mean you have the right to discrace the name Rhiannon by being a poser!!!!! You ozzi's are such wannabes! you make fun of America but you live in the middle of Fu**in nowhere with the Crocadile hunter and kangeroos!!
No stop playing video games and get off your fat a** and do somethin' cool like surf!!!!
At March 04, 2005 2:06 PM,
reanon said…
i stole who's hair cut? show me pics!
ps maybe you should get off your ass too and stop commenting :P
alas i get paid for sitting on my fat ass. poor me!
At March 08, 2005 5:47 AM,
angrydem said…
God bless John Cleese. That was some funny shite. (Yes, an American used the word shite. It became part of the American dialect thanks to Trainspotting)
Apparently, I am in the 2.15% of people he's referring to who "get it" when it comes to the outside world.
Fact is that America is full of good but ignorant people. We've got way too many religious wack-jobs out there using their religion as a political tool. I can't stand it. Some of these people are so corrupt and mean-spirited, I can't stand it. (Google for "Pat Robertson" or "Jerry Falwell" and you'll see what I mean).
However, dispite the humor (yes, I'm still going to use use my "incorrect" American spelling), there are a couple things that I couldn't help but comment on for those of you that aren't American.
1) Yes, it's stupid to call American "football" football, as there is little kicking involved. The game started as a variant of soccer and rugby and evolved.. the name stuck.
2) American football is one of the most action packed and violent sports on the planet. If Rugby players hit each the way American football players hit each other, all without wearing pads, most of them would be dead or have severe brain damage by game's end. Unless you've played it in an organized manner, you simply can't appreciate how rough and how fast it really is.
3) Baseball is a kids game. Players these days are so overpaid that families can't afford to go to many games. Ticket prices are outrageous. Oh, and that game is kinda boring, too. At least, until the playoffs. "World Series" is a stupid name for the championship. Some marketing genious probably chose is 80+ years ago.
You want to talk about crap sports? Try NASCAR. Never heard of it, google for it. It's a stupid car racing league where cars go around in ovals at 200 mph OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It's only really popular in the South, where people are generally dumber than average anyways. (NASCAR is all the rage is the major "red" states. The same states that LOVE George W. Bush. Coincidence? I think not.)
Lesson: Bush supporters find cars going around in circles entertaining.
4) In regards to pronouncing "burgh" as "burra", brits are just plain mad. "GH" is a "guh" sound. How on earth do you get a "urra" out of "gh"? Riddle me that one, Batman!
5) Oh.. and btw, German cars are way overpriced. Benz's from the 80's were and are amazing. But the new cars are just as problematic as American ones.. and American cars HAVE gotten much better. I should know.. as almost everyone I know owns one.
6) Yes... I don't know WHY they're called French Fries. Probably some stupid American was in Europe 100 years ago and was too drunk to remember that he had them in Belgium, not France.
Personally, I think Freedom Fries sounds way better, anyways. ;)
---
http://angrydem.blogspot.com
At March 08, 2005 9:25 AM,
Jimbo said…
Absolutely fantastic! Shame Mr Cleese omitted to mention that the Yanks ought really to be playing the far superior sport of cricket instead of baseball.
But would we really want the Americans in the Commonwealth games? It would make it a lot harder for England and Australia to win medals then.
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