English speakers and anger

Alain Quay
Alain Quay Posts: 534
edited November 2012 in The cake stop
Is there some inherent connection? Discuss
Example 1:
It seems only the Anglo cyclists in the TdF get really angry with crowd/cameramen/journalists
Example 2:
Verbal abuse: British football fans; Aussie cricket team and fans; Saafer rugby fans
Example 3: street violence
It seems to be so much worse in UK, Oz, USA, etc.
Example 4: who but an English speaker would write these song lyrics:
I crashed down on the crossbar
and the pain was enough to make
a shy, bald buddhist reflect
and plan a mass-murder

Do other cultures equate language containing eloquent threats of violence to a third person(s) with being cool?
Example 5: UK/US/Oz car drivers v cyclists road wars.

I once caught a bus in Thailand and it was late departing. Because of this, one passenger, a Londoner, gave the Thai driver a 5 minute, loud mouthed bollocking in front of about 50 other, mostly Thai passengers.

Etc. Continentals at least seem so much more mellow in comparison.

Comments

  • Yes, both very good examples. But in Italy is that just an organised fascist minority, and in France the jobless Muslims in Paris suburbs? What about say, comparing small town England/Scotland/Wales v the same in Italy/Germany/France?
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    How many languages do you speak?

    When you listen to Russians speaking Russian at Russian events, what do you think about what they say? And the Chinese? Indians? Brazilians?
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,974
    Perhaps we get really angry because we can't vent the frustration by firing guns into the air.


    To reply to your examples though...

    Ex1. Perhaps the Anglo cyclists see the interference as anti-UK/proFrench, especially if they are doing the dodging and not the french riders?

    Ex2. I've seen (TV) a brazilian manager chased by opposing fans across the pitch and stabbed in the back as he tried to climb to safety in his fans half.

    Ex3 I wouldn't say we have any worse here than other countries.

    Ex4 Don't know, you'd have to speak a lot of languages well to be able to find out I'd say

    Ex5. Ive seen standing fights in the street between cars drivers in Greece. The greeks would rather drive over you in the street than give way or deviate from their path and are bloody maniacs behind the wheel but laid-back otherwise.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Comparing the UK to other countries I've inhabited (France, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia), I'd say that the aggression exists elsewhere, but takes different forms.

    When living in the other countries I would sometimes walk around city centres on Friday or Saturday nights just soaking up the atmosphere. I would never, ever do the same over here. In fact, since I moved back to England in July 2010, I haven't been for a single night out on the town. I can't face it.

    OTOH, the aggression of the drivers over there is terrifying. It's like every third driver's a psychopath intent on killing as many innocent people as possible.

    Conclusion: Ban British people from drinking alcohol and Johnny Foreigner from driving cars.