"British" Perception: A View from Media
Before arriving in London for a month long of studying, I have had many different assumptions about the culture and people who are British. Many of these perceptions come from following the Royal family, tennis, and comedians, specifically James Corden. As an avid follower of all things pop culture, the Royal family seems to be in the spotlight in one way or another, with anything from pregnancy announcements to cheating rumors.
No matter good or bad, truthful or not, the Royals’ life is always under a microscope and broadcast to the entire world. Because of the large importance the media places on the Royals, I assumed that all people in the United Kingdom were fans of the Royal family and wanted to be kept in the know of what was going on with them. I know that the family does not have any political say, but I assumed, because of their great history and family lineage, the British would respect their position and still look up to them as important figures within the English community.
Another important aspect to my perceptions of the British comes from following professional, specifically Wimbledon which is held outside of London every year. Looking back to 2013, Andy Murray, a British tennis player, won Wimbledon. His win was monumental for the country of England because he ended a 77-year drought of an English man claiming the Wimbledon men’s singles title. I remember watching this match and seeing the joy not only on Murray’s face but those in the stadium with him.
It was such a great triumph for a British man to claim a title in his home country that the joy for him was clear among all the faces of all British fans. After witnessing that great win from a British athlete within the walls of London, I get the perception that all British people are very proud to be where they are from. The love for the city runs very deep and that was clear after Murray’s win.
The final influence for my perception of the British is James Corden. James Corden is one of my favorite comedians, and watching his carpool karaoke and crosswalk musical videos, I get the idea that his sense of humor is very dry and witty, which is common for most English people.
After watching multiple clips of James Corden and his comedian tid bits thrown into his late show, I get the impression that English people are naturally funny and witty. His sense of humor impresses me because of how clever some of the comments are. I am interested to see if that style of humor will be common for all English people as I intend it to be or if it is specific to James Corden’s comedic styling.
Overall, most of my perceptions and ideas about the British come from modern day media and sports. With the royals always being in the media, I assume that all of England is as obsessed with them as the media is but that might not be a very accurate assumption. Regarding sports, specifically tennis, after seeing Murray win Wimbledon in London, the English are obviously proud of their heritage and love their country. Finally, with James Corden, and his comedic styling, my perception of the English is that they all have very dry witty senses of humor. As the month goes on in London, it will be interesting to compare my assumptions made before had to the experiences I’ve had in England.
