When Clark firsts starts driving after they arrived in England he ran into two different cars and then the bike rider. All three of them acted very nice , overly so, about the accidents. One even saying "I should be thanking you!" Was this some joke or reference I completely missed? Every time I watch the movie I try to figure it out with no luck. Why are they so overly friendly in these situations?
shareComedy.
shareI am English, born in '81, and as far as I can ascertain, it was (perhaps not so much any more) a commonly held belief from Americans that the British are always nice and polite. Like a lot of the film, it plays on national stereotypical traits (ie the scene with the surly French waiter) though how true it actually is would be anyone's guess.
shareThe joke is that some of the English act - or are- apologetic by default just for existing even when their own life is being threatened, particularly those of good old military type upbringings, often from the south of England.
Eric Idle's bicyclist was a spoof/parody of Monty Python and the Holy Grail black knight. Clearly you can see the parallel with the initial accident.
shareExaggerated stereotype.
The English were overly nice.
The French were rude and snobby.
The Germans were bad tempered and hostile.
The Italians were crooks.
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I dunno why really but the English are stereotyped as being overly nice and kinda pushovers. Like in the episode of Family Guy how the English football team were prancing around, skipping rope and all that lol
shareI've been to France and I can tell you the French definitely came across as snotty and rude. We stayed outside of Paris near where my husband was working and the area people we met seemed annoyed and frustrated that we didn't speak French. Many came across as rude. But once we got to Paris the people there were very welcoming and friendly. I guess they were more use to dealing with American tourists.
shareuniversal health care.
Oh God. Fortune vomits on my eiderdown once more.