Culture fun in fiction

[sparkindarkness]

Has anyone ever read a book or fic where the author clearly didn't have a clue? I mean, seriously writing about something they clearly were so unbelievably ignorant about that it beggared belief? And they were actually trying to set it in that setting - not a send up or alternate world, but that setting?

My brother's got this fantastically funny ghost story written by a dear American lady. I call her dear because she gives the fantastic impression of being a nice, pleasant little innocent who has never moved more than 5 miles from where she's currently living (the bio apparently backs me on this). Unfortunately this lady decided a ghost story set in England would be a great idea. My brother needs to tell me the title because it makes classic comedy.

We have:
English people putting cream in their tea. Actual CREAM. Not full-fat milk. CREAM! Not just one weird eccentric. EVERYONE. I assume this is because of confusion over 'cream teas.'

Tea is treated like heroin. If any member of the cast does not get their tea fix for an hour they start shaking. Coupled with the cream my mental picture is of them all being about 20 stone.

We have a short, hour long drive from Cambridge to Edinburgh. In an hour? AN HOUR?! What is she driving?!

A family of less than affluent means buy a 4 bedroom house in central London. Free and clear.

Everyone wears hats.

I'll leave the obvious things English people don't say - I'm sure Rick is spouting more Anglicisms than an Eton prefect but every now and then this 20th century group of working class people will turn round and start speaking like Elizabeth the first is still on the throne. But this is just a few. It really is classic.


I just wonder how many hilarious fics there are out there...

Comments

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

*rubs face* the americanisms run rampant...this is why if i have to write indepth on any culture i'm not personally familiar with or hasn't been researched within an inch of its life? it will be a purely invented reality. =p

Tea is treated like heroin. If any member of the cast does not get their tea fix for an hour they start shaking.

*SNERK* that was me on mountain dew. i'm slowly weaning myself off, now. it's...interesting.

...okay, she's never lived anywhere near ANY major city, british or american. the 4bdrm houses in oblivion, nj start at 450,000 and up. we are still 2+ hrs from nyc. =|

rick's not too bad, really. it's easier to fake american english in all its mutant forms than anything else, probably. and basing it in ny was probably a good idea in that they've got all kinds. if you tried to tell me he was from the inner city, i'd probably roll my eyes at you, but for the average well-educated n.e. coast white guy, he mostly passes muster. just suggest that he's from the 'burbs, originally, and that covers a lot. i mean, i babysat for an austrailian-born couple. they still said "rubbish" this cracked me up endlessly. then a mounth later, i was saying "rubbish" too. because their 3 yr old merely looked at me funny if i said "trash." i pick up accents waaaaay too easily. =|

i dunno. how many americans are writing fics supposedly set on the isles? *snerk*

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

When I deal with different cultures I try to make a point of not making the culture a major thing - kind of like the setting is pretty irrelevent. To be honest, Rick and Darren could be in New York or Los Angeles or Melbourne or Aukland or Toronto and it wouldn't make it that different - so long as the culture was vaguely Anglo (so I wouldn't have to make vast changes) and was far away from Britain (since Darren was running like hell).

i'm slowly weaning myself off, now. it's...interesting.

Isn't it shocking how hard addiction to caffein is?

okay, she's never lived anywhere near ANY major city, british or american.

That was my thought. A 4bdrm in central London? You can easily pay £1,000,000 ($1,770,771.58) or more (unless you're in a REALLY crappy area).. My cousin paid £750,000 for a 3 bedroom end terrace in London.

and basing it in ny was probably a good idea in that they've got all kinds.

That's what I hoped - melting pot and all. Rick is from San Francisco originally but he has been in NYC for some time now. His parents were (and are) wealthy, he is pretty well educated (in an 'expensive education, relatively disinterested student' kind of way. He's not dumb or ignorant, but he's not academically motivated).

i pick up accents waaaaay too easily. =|

LOL, I have to switch accents. Accents round our area are pretty harsh (quite horrible and hard edged). I went to uni and law school and developed a generic, educated English accent - but it's inclined to make elderly members of my Yorkshire family irritated.

how many americans are writing fics supposedly set on the isles?

How many Harry Potter fanfics are there? *wince*

[lalajia.livejournal.com]

Is there a link? I almost have to see this for myself :)

Harry Potter

[xenu.livejournal.com]

Imaginable numbers. You know what bothers me the most, though, is that the books were insultingly "translated", from english to American english. While most of us are, yes, insufferably stupid, I think we could cope without the translation.

Re: Harry Potter

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Gah, there was really no need to 'translate' the books at all.

I was immensely saddened and amused by them changing the anme of Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone because it was felt that too many American kids wouldn't know what a philosopher was/wouldn't be aware of the legend of the philosopher's stone.

There was a meme on the internet for a time - Harry Potter and The Magic Rock - now further dumbed down for American kids.

Really, there's no need for that. Kids won't learn if we treat them like they're idiots

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

It's a paper book. I actually almost asked my brother for the title so I could buy it for the mockery.

[the-yellow-king.livejournal.com]

I said a while back that I would start commenting on previous posts. Since this is from the beginning of the year, I thought it would be a good place to start. And take a break from legal studies. So.

English people don't put cream in their tea? *puzzle* Whyforever not?

Granted, as far as I am aware, the U.K. does not have that institution of the American South, sweet tea. No, this is not tea that has had some sugar added after the fact. This is tea that is usually brewed in gallon sizes, to which, in the process of brewing, 2-4 cups of sugar are added. Yes, that was 2-4 cups. .47 to .95 liters in a measuring cup, if my conversion serves correctly. Serve over ice. Maybe with mint.

I assume that this same author mentioned lives in the American South. We do have 4-bedrooms in the middle of the state capitol going for 450-500k.