BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » National Stereotypes

veecee · July 8, 2012 4:26 am

RE: the Olympics
I posted about this someplace else on the forum. I believe Danny Boyle said in the June issue of American Vogue that we was bringing something from Frankenstein (which he staged for Benedict C. and Jonny Lee Miller) to the Olympics. I've recycled my copy, so I don't have any exact quotes for you now. You might be able to find it online. It's probably in British Vogue somewhere, too.

The Skull · July 8, 2012 6:36 am

veecee wrote:
RE: the Olympics
I posted about this someplace else on the forum. I believe Danny Boyle said in the June issue of American Vogue that we was bringing something from Frankenstein (which he staged for Benedict C. and Jonny Lee Miller) to the Olympics. I've recycled my copy, so I don't have any exact quotes for you now. You might be able to find it online. It's probably in British Vogue somewhere, too.

Here's a link: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/30/danny-boyles-olympics-ceremony_n_1554901.html
Should be interesting to see what he came up with!

Sherlock Holmes · July 8, 2012 2:10 pm

Davina wrote:
We have a BIG problem here with young people, very young people, drinking to excess. Binge drinking is a cultural thing here. The hospitals are seeing a large increase in the number of under 25 year olds with serious liver damage from excessive alcohol consumption. Scotland has just imposed a minimum price for a unit of alcohol as many supermarkets have alcohol as 'loss leaders' which encourages drinking. You have to be 18 to legally purchase alcohol here and most supermarkets etc. ask for people to be over 25. They have to ask for ID for proof of age. I actually prefer the idea such as in Canada where alcohol can only be bought from the liquor store.

Smoking cigarettes is banned inside all public places, at work and in cars used for work in the whole of the UK. Sometimes smoking outside a building e.g. a hospital is also banned by the management. Since this law was introduced and expanded the number of people successfully giving up smoking has increased a lot. Sadly smoking cigarettes is still popular with the young here and in particular young women/girls who will often use it to keep their weight down. Legally you have to be 16 to buy and smoke cigarettes but lots of under 16s smoke. I notice when I go to Canada that far fewer people smoke cigarettes and when I come back to the UK the number of people who smoke always stands out to me.

Binge drinking, yes, I was just about to mention that. Definitley a cultural stereotype of the British now, sadly.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 3:43 am

KeepersPrice wrote:
KeepersPrice is about to attempt a very sneaky caper. I just made sure that both John and Sherlock are not at home at 221B tonight. (I think they might have gone for Chinese - but John said it's not a date). Luckily Mrs. Hudson is busy in her kitchen baking a meat pie with Yorkshire pudding and won't be able to hear me. So now I'm sneaking up the stairs very quietly (have to be careful of the 5th one because it creaks). Sshh. Now I'm at the door with my trusty Swiss Army knife with the built in all-purpose lock picker. This is delicate work but luckily it opens on the first try. (Gee, you'd think a brilliant detective and his partner, err friend, err colleague, would have better security!) Luckily they've left a small light on in the kitchen so I can see what I'm doing. I make my way over carefully to the comfy arm chair on the left near the fireplace. There it is! - a small pillow with the Union Jack emblem. Tsk, tsk Quickly I remove this offending object and pull from under my jumper it's rightful and proper replacement - a pillow bearing the stars and stripes!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY AMERICA!!!!!!

bwahahahahahaha! Best post EVAH, KP. OMG. You had on a jumper? You mean one of those sleeveless dress things that you can stick a turtleneck or blouse under? *runs away laughing*

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 3:56 am

Irene Adler wrote:
Another stereotype, probably influenced by the movies...
Over here we think the 4th of July every American goes to the nearest mount (or gets into their yacht) to watch the fireworks with the whole family
That said... Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans!!

No, we really do watch fireworks on the 4th, and it often (maybe usually) is a family thing. If we can't make it outdoors to the nearest stadium, park, beach, etc, to see what our town's putting on for the celebration, we can sit at home and watch the multimillion dollar fireworks displays from Boston or NY, live. Where it's legal, many folks have their own fireworks in their backyards for the neighborhood. We all grew up with 4th of July fireworks, and we still love them on that holiday. I don't actually think that's a stereotype.

That more than a very few of us own yachts, now THAT'S a stereotype for sure.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 4:09 am

KeepersPrice wrote:
Molly must have gone to bed so now it's up to me to sneak the Union Jack pillow back to it's rightful place.....
"Wait! Hold on just a moment," he commands. He points to my pillow still adorning the other arm chair. "My uh.....friend, John, actually found that pillow rather comfortable last night. He said it made his leg feel better - or maybe it was his shoulder - I can never remember which. So, if you don't mind I'd like to keep it. For some strange reason I find I enjoy making that man happy".

I nod my approval as he rises and places the Union Jack right next to the Stars and Stripes together in the same chair. They look lovely side by side - the colors blending as if they had always belonged together. I find I'm grinning from ear to ear at that perfect union and notice that the great man too has something of a lopsided smile on his face.

Finally he looks at me and says, "No need to rush out I would think. The fireworks are over now aren't they? Why don't you stay for a bit. It does get rather lonely when John isn't here. I'll have Mrs. Hudson bring us up a bit of that Victoria sponge and some tea. You'll never find a better housekeeper in all of London. Now sit down and tell me all about this Forum of yours. Whatever do you talk about all day long?"

OMG! Priceless! Where have you been all my life?? This was *fabulous*. OMG. *faints*

Your story reminds me of one of MY British stereotypes-- that they love us Americans, in spite of our current politics and politicians, and that they've never forgotten the sacrifices our troops made to help keep Hitler on the other side of the Channel back 70 years ago. I'd like to think that they'd return the favor, if we ever needed their help to keep us free.

Too heavy for this thread? Apologies.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 4:28 am

Smoggy_London_Air wrote:
.....The laws here are very stringent regarding alcohol consumption by minors. Under 21, drinking alcohol, and you get caught? It's bad news.

Also extremely bad news for the business and its employees that did the selling to a minor. Liquor licenses are pulled (big loss of revenue!), employees are let go without notice, there can be criminal charges made against the sellers, especially if the alcohol was used in a criminal situation of any kind, or a DUI. Undercover young-looking cops are sent into places suspected of selling underage, and if a business is caught, it's baaaad news. No one messes around with underage drinking here.

Fines and driver's license revocations and jail time have been stepped up for DUI charges too, especially if there's large property damages, bodily injury or loss of life. More bad news.

About 30 states messed around with that under-18 drinking age, back in the early 70s, and the experiment was a dismal failure. The thinking at the time was that if we required 18 year olds to go off to war, they should be able to drink alcohol and vote. Well, here we are almost three decades later, and the 18+s are still voting, but it's a no go on the alcohol. That right was yanked out from under them by federal law, back in 1984, when they were shown not to be able to handle it.

In my state, it's required that a purchaser appear to be at least 26, or ID must be requested by the seller. Same goes for bartenders serving in bars and wait staff in restaurants. The idea of having a designated driver, someone who abstains for the evening to drive everyone in their party home later, has caught on in a big way.

There are no alcohol ads in grocery store flyers. In fact, in my state, there is only beer and wine available in the grocery stores; for the hard stuff, we have to go of one of about 10 state-run liquor stores that are spread all around the state.

No hard liquor ads on TV-- only beer, and at Xmas, sometimes sparkling wine, and what beer ads there are are mostly centered around sporting things like the Super Bowl. You don't see beer ads when you sit down to watch prime time shows or daytime shows. No alcohol ads in magazines, either, that I know of. No tobacco ads anywhere, not in magazines or on TV or on baseball park walls, or anywhere. Tobacco is sold in grocery stores, under lock and key, and I don't know about the age requirements there, but I do know you have to ask for what you want from a clerk.

This could be why, as someone posted earlier, the US is "way down there" in per capita alcoholic consumption or alcoholism stats, or whatever it was.

And I think this was probably boring. Apologies again.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 4:31 am

Dramagod wrote:
....One thing that's true, is (based to many polls made) that we have the top school education and health-care.

Um, I think the US could be said to be tops in both education and health care. Our health care is not paid for by the state, since we have a system of private health care insurance that allows about 10% of us to fall through the loopholes (or to say it in a more positive light, 90% of us DO have coverage), but if I had cancer or needed a heart transplant or had some kind of god-awful weird health thing, I'd rather be here than anywhere.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 4:33 am

SusiGo wrote:
How about Ben and Martin carrying the Olympic fire into the stadium? That would be nice. And they could make deduction a new discipline, together with roof jumping, dog chasing, Quavers eating, window falling, pig harpooning … there are so many possibilities. But I guess I'll be watching it even without Sherlock although it would be much more fun. My hope's on the German field hockey teams.

Pig harpooning! Poor piggies! But that really is funny-- they could have both individual and team events.

I'd like to see an event where the athletes are wrapped in white sheets. Or expensive cashmere greatcoats, for that matter. heh

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 4:36 am

221B Baker Street wrote:
Um....what about smoking in your countries? I know there is a law restricting smoking in public in many European countries. Still there's no such law in Russia, but it has been discussed by Government and I think it'll come into force in the nearest future. According to the statistics 65% men and 30% women are smokers in Russia. And most are around 20-35 years old.

Very hard to be a smoker in the US now. Tobacco products are fabulously expensive (taxed to the hilt). No one can smoke anyplace public anymore-- not in restaurants, theaters, outdoor cafes, public transportation of any kind, not in cabs, not at work, not anywhere on hospital campuses, not anywhere on school campuses, nowhere pretty much. And in NYC, I hear there are more and more apartment buildings that are banning smoking in people's private apartments or condos-- the stink goes right through the ceilings and walls, and there are *complaints*.

SusiGo · August 2, 2012 3:18 pm

In Germany regulations have become quite strict as well and shall be made even stricter. On the station platforms there is a spot framed by a painted white line on the ground where smokers may stand. It looks totally ridiculous.

Last edited by SusiGo (August 2, 2012 3:19 pm)

Mattlocked · August 2, 2012 3:29 pm

Yes Susi, I always miss the glass-walls around it.

That leads me to a question which stroke my mind a while ago, but I couln't find out: What do you know/think: Is Ben a smoker?

SusiGo · August 2, 2012 3:49 pm

I think he is or was. Somewhere I read about him rolling a cigarette and asking if he was allowed to smoke.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 5:17 pm

Mattlocked wrote:
That leads me to a question which stroke my mind a while ago, but I couln't find out: What do you know/think: Is Ben a smoker?

Might have been at one time. Most everyone tries it in college, especially guys.

You know that scene in ASiB where Mycroft tempts him with the cigarette in the hallway outside the morgue at St. Bart's? Ben said in the DVD commentary that he really enjoyed that cigarette.... the first time.... but they had to do 3 or 4 takes of that scene, all that inhaling over and over again, and he said it made him feel pretty bad. Said he barely slept that night from the nicotine he wasn't used to, had a big scene the next AM and was pissed off he couldn't sleep. Then he added something like, kids, don't start that thing, it'll kill ya, and everyone on the commentary all laughed knowingly, as though yeah, they'd all been there.

I used to tell my boys when they were growing up, don't start, you'll just have to quit someday, and you won't like it.

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 5:18 pm

SusiGo wrote:
I think he is or was. Somewhere I read about him rolling a cigarette and asking if he was allowed to smoke.

He most certainly is at least an ex-smoker. You can tell by the way he inhales that it's a familiar activity. I can always tell an actor who's a non-smoker, inexperienced-- they don't inhale the smoke like real smokers do. Ben inhales.

Mattlocked · August 2, 2012 6:03 pm

ancientsgate, that's how I can usually see, too, who smokes only on stage - doesn't inhale.
Reg. Ben I found some different information, so I couldn't really figure out. I think I heard him say in an interview that he doesn't smoke. Then, in some magazine he said, he had two coffee, some water, 5 cigarettes and a juice and so he's fine.
During my research I found some pics:
http://whatareyouwearingbenedict.tumblr.com/post/22439917462/do-you-know-if-benedict-smokes-or-not-it-wont-change

Anyhow, I try to quit since years now, but........

ancientsgate · August 2, 2012 6:37 pm

Mattlocked wrote:
....I think I heard him say in an interview that he doesn't smoke. Then, in some magazine he said, he had two coffee, some water, 5 cigarettes and a juice and so he's fine.

Probably just being silly. ha, ha you know. "I'm awake now, with my liquid breakfast and 5 smokes." ??? No idea. But from his comments about that morgue scene with Mycroft, he sure sounded as though he used to smoke, doesn't now, and doesn't miss what it did to him.

The Doctor · August 3, 2012 11:13 am

Hmpf, I stand corrected, looks like Benedict is still battling with smoking. Bah!

Last edited by The Doctor (August 5, 2012 11:38 am)

hepzibah · August 3, 2012 6:42 pm

I read somewhere on the interweb, maybe on Tumblr (don't judge me) the blog of a girl who went to the BAFTAs this year and stood outside all night.She met Ben when he came outside several times for smoke breaks. There was also an article, possibly by Caitlin Moran, where she interviewed him on location and he was smoking and drinking coffee. Oh well, he has to have a flaw, doesn't he, to make him human. We couldn't cope if he was totally perfect.

Link to a site with the article. I haven't been able to locate the original.

http://cumberbatchweb.tumblr.com/post/14690012019/caitlin-moran-my-love-affair-with-sherlock

Last edited by hepzibah (August 3, 2012 6:49 pm)

Davina · August 3, 2012 9:03 pm

I seem to remember that whilst filming Sherlock he had to try and stop smoking and avoiding alcohol. I'm actually pretty sure that he does still smoke cigarettes.