Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the..

In article <1146761518.935167.126160.DeleteThis@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com>,
linch9.DeleteThis@gmail.com says...
> magnate wrote:
> >
> > P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
> > watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
> > about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
> > does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
> > of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?
> >
> You have to blame Mike Myers of Austin Powers who started all things.
> Though, he make it popular in some of his skits while he was with
> Saturday Night Life.

Whatever started it, it wasn't Mike Myers.

I'd guess it goes back to the 50s. Probably British dental care was
not great, whereas USians started getting their teeth whitened and
straightened to a degree which Rightpondians found as freakish and
unnatural as silicone tits. So both sides were inclined to rib the
other about it.

- Gerry Quinn
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

Gerry Quinn <gerryq DeleteThis @DELETETHISindigo.ie> writes:

> In article <1146761518.935167.126160 DeleteThis @e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com>,
> linch9 DeleteThis @gmail.com says...
>> magnate wrote:
>> >
>> > P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
>> > watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
>> > about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
>> > does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
>> > of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?
>> >
>> You have to blame Mike Myers of Austin Powers who started all things.
>> Though, he make it popular in some of his skits while he was with
>> Saturday Night Life.
>
> Whatever started it, it wasn't Mike Myers.
>

I always thought it was more the Irish who were mocked for the worst
teeth, although the UK comes a very close second.
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

"Hadron Quark" <hadronquark RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:87hd45fyfr.fsf@gmail.com...

> I always thought it was more the Irish who were mocked for the worst
> teeth, although the UK comes a very close second.

Drinkin' and fightin'll do that to yeh.
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

Bret Ripley <ripley.RemoveThis@gotsky.com> looked up from reading the entrails of
the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

>On Thu, 4 May 2006 10:17:18 -0500, Middlebrow wrote:
>
>> "magnate" <chrisc.RemoveThis@dbass.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:1146754633.077732.62490@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
>>> watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
>>> about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
>>> does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
>>> of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?
>>
>> Just a guess but might it have to do with the two countries in the
>> nineteen-fifties, one of which was obsessing about hygiene
>
>Not only hygiene: we were also obsessing about communism and the threat of
>imminent nuclear destruction. One finds that one wishes to put on a good
>face when one is about to be vaporized.

Stop, Drop and Cover, but don't forget to brush?

Xocyll
--
I don't particularly want you to FOAD, myself. You'll be more of
a cautionary example if you'll FO And Get Chronically, Incurably,
Painfully, Progressively, Expensively, Debilitatingly Ill. So
FOAGCIPPEDI. -- Mike Andrews responding to an idiot in asr
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

Bret Ripley wrote:
> On 4 May 2006 07:57:13 -0700, magnate wrote:
> > Bret Ripley wrote:
> >> On Wed, 03 May 2006 12:46:50 GMT, Bill Huffman wrote:
> >>> "magnate" <chrisc.TakeThisOut@dbass.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> >>> ...
> >>>> It is painfully easy to sound like you're saying "americans are morons"
> >>>> when you mean to say "America is ruled by very bad people pursuing very
> >>>> bad policies". Really and truly, most of us only mean the latter. It's
> >>>> just that it gets us really steamed and we start to sound like we're
> >>>> slating individual americans, when most of them don't deserve it.
> >>>
> >>> Well this past election most did vote for Bush although the majority was by
> >>> the slimmest of margins and his popularity rating has taken a nose dive as
> >>> more Americans are realizing that he's a dangerous self-serving foolish
> >>> incompetent president.
> >>
> >> Did you see Stephen Colbert roast Dubya, while taking swipes at the lapdog
> >> Washington Press along the way? Colbert had a captive audience, and he
> >> didn't waste the opportunity.
> >
> > [links]
> >
> >> A lot of the humor will be lost on those unfamiliar with American politics,
> >> but it may be an eye-opener for those who have this idea that Americans are
> >> a gang of goose-stepping automatons.
> >
> > Thank you - it was a great read. I probably missed about half the gags,
> > but it was still great. (Having watched a few episodes of the West
> > Wing, I knew americans were capable of appreciating incisive swipes at
> > their own administration!)
>
> Sure -- it just doesn't tend to happen when the big guy and several of his
> minions are sitting just a few feet away, unable to interrupt or respond.

I couldn't work out whether he was actually present or not - one of the
early gags seemed to hint that he wasn't. It is astonishingly bold if
he was!

> In years past I used to watch the House of Commons "Questions for the Prime
> Minister" -- it was remarkable how nasty those sessions could become.
> That Neil Kinnock could be a ruthless bastard!

Next Wednesday at noon (GMT+1), go to www.parliamentlive.tv

PMQs is still the high point of UK parliamentary theatre. Sadly you've
just missed Michael Howard, the previous opposition leader - he and
Blair made great comedy. The new guy (David "Dave" Cameron) is too
nice, though he did apparently throw a wobbly last week. The next few
Wednesdays should be really interesting - Blair suffered massive losses
in yesterday's local elections, and his deputy has very recently been
exposed as having an affair with a secretary. The government is really
on the ropes - the BNP (ultra-right party) doubled their seats
yesterday. Scary.

> >> Put another way, judging Americans based on the actions of the US President
> >> is every bit as risible as judging all Brits based on the pronouncements of
> >> whomever happens to be receiving mail at 10 Downing Street.
> >
> > Agreed. So it should be easy to discern whether someone is really
> > "anti-american" or just slagging off the Bush administration.
>
> You would think so. However, it is possible for the distinction to be less
> clear than it should. Some people seem to have difficulty sorting out
> their own prejudices.

Agreed again. I know I do, and I see it often in others too.

> > P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
> > watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
> > about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
> > does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
> > of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?
>
> It was also a prominent gag in the first Austin Powers film.
>
> I'm not really sure of it's origin, but it is possible that this particular
> joke is based on a misperception stemming from differences between American
> film and television actors and their British counterparts.

I like your actors theory, but I think I'm probably leaning towards the
British indifference to cosmetic surgery being at the root of it. We're
catching up now, but you guys are 40 or 50 years ahead of us. My wife
watches those awful "extreme makeover" shows, and has already said
half-seriously that she wants a butt lift when she hits 30 ...

Of course, that pretty much *is* your theory, since actors are where
the differences would be most widely noticeable.

CC
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

On 5 May 2006 03:21:47 -0700, magnate wrote:

> Bret Ripley wrote:
>> On 4 May 2006 07:57:13 -0700, magnate wrote:
>>> Bret Ripley wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 03 May 2006 12:46:50 GMT, Bill Huffman wrote:
>>>>> "magnate" <chrisc RemoveThis @dbass.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> It is painfully easy to sound like you're saying "americans are morons"
>>>>>> when you mean to say "America is ruled by very bad people pursuing very
>>>>>> bad policies". Really and truly, most of us only mean the latter. It's
>>>>>> just that it gets us really steamed and we start to sound like we're
>>>>>> slating individual americans, when most of them don't deserve it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Well this past election most did vote for Bush although the majority was by
>>>>> the slimmest of margins and his popularity rating has taken a nose dive as
>>>>> more Americans are realizing that he's a dangerous self-serving foolish
>>>>> incompetent president.
>>>>
>>>> Did you see Stephen Colbert roast Dubya, while taking swipes at the lapdog
>>>> Washington Press along the way? Colbert had a captive audience, and he
>>>> didn't waste the opportunity.
>>>
>>> [links]
>>>
>>>> A lot of the humor will be lost on those unfamiliar with American politics,
>>>> but it may be an eye-opener for those who have this idea that Americans are
>>>> a gang of goose-stepping automatons.
>>>
>>> Thank you - it was a great read. I probably missed about half the gags,
>>> but it was still great. (Having watched a few episodes of the West
>>> Wing, I knew americans were capable of appreciating incisive swipes at
>>> their own administration!)
>>
>> Sure -- it just doesn't tend to happen when the big guy and several of his
>> minions are sitting just a few feet away, unable to interrupt or respond.
>
> I couldn't work out whether he was actually present or not - one of the
> early gags seemed to hint that he wasn't. It is astonishingly bold if
> he was!

Yes, Bush was there -- the early gag you mention referred to Dick Cheney,
who was not present. The President was seated at the head table, only a
few seats to the left of the speaker.

>> In years past I used to watch the House of Commons "Questions for the Prime
>> Minister" -- it was remarkable how nasty those sessions could become.
>> That Neil Kinnock could be a ruthless bastard!
>
> Next Wednesday at noon (GMT+1), go to www.parliamentlive.tv
>
> PMQs is still the high point of UK parliamentary theatre. Sadly you've
> just missed Michael Howard, the previous opposition leader - he and
> Blair made great comedy. The new guy (David "Dave" Cameron) is too
> nice, though he did apparently throw a wobbly last week. The next few
> Wednesdays should be really interesting - Blair suffered massive losses
> in yesterday's local elections, and his deputy has very recently been
> exposed as having an affair with a secretary. The government is really
> on the ropes - the BNP (ultra-right party) doubled their seats
> yesterday. Scary.

I see now that there's been a bit of a shakeup -- wow.

>>> P.S. What's the origin of the thing about Brits having bad teeth? I was
>>> watching Family Guy on DVD and there's a hysterically funny episode
>>> about that. It's been in the Simpsons too, and other comedy - where
>>> does it come from?? I mean, why are we lampooned for our teeth instead
>>> of greasy hair, bandy legs or any other physical impairment?
>>
>> It was also a prominent gag in the first Austin Powers film.
>>
>> I'm not really sure of it's origin, but it is possible that this particular
>> joke is based on a misperception stemming from differences between American
>> film and television actors and their British counterparts.
>
> I like your actors theory, but I think I'm probably leaning towards the
> British indifference to cosmetic surgery being at the root of it. We're
> catching up now, but you guys are 40 or 50 years ahead of us. My wife
> watches those awful "extreme makeover" shows,

Ugh. You have my sympathy. Fortunately, my wife doesn't go in for that
sort of thing. Mind you, she is British so maybe she's still behind the
times?

> and has already said
> half-seriously that she wants a butt lift when she hits 30 ...

A butt lift? Lift it where? Does she think she can just hike it up and
store it between her shoulder blades?

> Of course, that pretty much *is* your theory, since actors are where
> the differences would be most widely noticeable.

So, you think I may be right? I'm not used to people thinking I may be
right. How many more of you do I need before I can start my own cult?

Bret
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

On Fri, 5 May 2006 18:12:26 -0700, Bret Ripley <ripley.TakeThisOut@gotsky.com>
wrote:

>
>So, you think I may be right? I'm not used to people thinking I may be
>right. How many more of you do I need before I can start my own cult?
>
>Bret
All you need to do is design a space-sim that doesn't work have the
time and CTDs alot. Release it 10 times in a different box, with
different titles, and you'll be ready for your own coke machine. =P
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the.. 

"Bret Ripley" <ripley.DeleteThis@gotsky.com> wrote in message
news:1tpbtrgtjc2ir.if6qp6vcwdd4.dlg@40tude.net...
> On Thu, 04 May 2006 11:23:18 +0100, Lemming wrote:
....
>> Why wait? It's much, much worse than having the flu'.
>
> It's the cinematic equivalent of tuberculosis?

This is terribly unfair. It is more like pneumonia.

>>>Are there any British television programmes I should watch out for
>>>(keeping
>>>in mind that it may take a while before it migrates to BBC America)?
>>
>> I don't watch much TV so I'm the wrong person to ask. That said, I've
>> heard there is a show called "Big Brother" which is very popular over
>> here. Basically it involves a room full of morons sitting around
>> watching other morons sitting around.
>
> It sounds vaguely familiar. No, it sounds chronically familiar.

Reverse chronically ordered familars, to be exact.
 >> Stay informed about: Recently my son, Jack, committed suicide after loosing the..