Before anyone gives out to us for posing this ‘racist’ question, let’s first make it clear that we’re not the ones asking. It was put by the English themselves for a 2018 TV show. It’s their question; they want other countries to provide the answers.
They’ve even put a #HateTheEnglish hashtag on Twitter to invite responses. So, it’s down them, ok?
Phew. Glad we made that clear. So yes, it seems the penny may have dropped somewhere in England that all those years invading other people’s countries doesn’t tend to make you popular.
With this is mind, English comedian Al Murray has presented a documentary for British Television called: Al Murray: Why Does Everyone Hate the English?
In the latest episode, Murray says with a huge dollop of understatement: “This week I’ve come to Ireland to find out why they might have a gripe with the English.”
His guide for the trip is Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell, who says: “I’m going to teach Al what an absolute pain in the arse the English have been.”
Maxwell then proceeds to take Murray through some of the episodes in Irish history when the English didn’t exactly bathe themselves in glory in Ireland… Cromwell, the Famine, Bloody Sunday massacre at Croke Park, the Troubles and all the way up to the posturing over Brexit… the list seems endless.
The show wasn’t afraid of tackling the big events and the devastation they caused, but it also managed to remain upbeat and entertaining.
It was perhaps ironic that Murray should be the one chosen to host the programme because his most popular character as a comedian was his alter ego, the Pub Landlord – the epitome of the patriotic Englishman.
At the end of the show, Murray says with a wry smile: “I can see many reasons to be angry with the English.”
In the lead up to the programme, the producers did a survey of 700 Irish people, asking what they disliked about the English. Surprising it wasn’t the great atrocities of the past that featured, but the more mundane behaviour of the present day.
These are the top 20 answers.
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- Football hooliganism
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- Brexit
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- They think they’re the best at everything
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- Arrogance
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- Their obsession with winning the World Cup in 1966
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- Drunken people singing very loudly in the streets
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- Expecting everyone to speak English
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- Their obsession about Royal family
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- Binge drinking
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- Rudeness
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- Their tribal attitude to football
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- Their general ‘pomp’ when it comes to tennis and cricket
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- Going on about the war
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- The fact they seem to have no intention to learn any other language
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- Beer bellies
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- How much they moan
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- Wearing socks with sandals
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- Why people feel the need for orange fake tan in winter
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- They complain a lot
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- Their obsession with soap operas
At this stage, in the interests of balance and international relations with our next-door neighbours across the water, should we admit that this list might be a tiny bit hypocritical. I mean… beer bellies, moaning, wearing socks with sandals? It’s not as if that could ever apply to us is it?
And obsession with the Royal Family… as if half of Ireland wasn’t glued to the TV during the Royal Wedding. Binge drinking and singing loudly in the street? No, no we’d never do that.
Maybe we have more in common with English that we like to admit.
Just for you… an extra scene from @almurray & @andrewismaxwell‘s visit to Ireland for #HateTheEnglish. pic.twitter.com/wAmuiwMklO
— HISTORY UK (@HISTORYUK) October 23, 2018
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