British writer and comedian Ariane Sherine shared her thoughts about living in the UK with Bored Panda. From the pros and cons to the current cost-of-living situation, as well as how life in the country has changed since the Brexit vote.
"Let's start with the good things first: we have the NHS, a healthcare system which is free at the point of use. It's not perfect, but it needs to be cherished and protected. So medical procedures are free, except for dentistry, which is subsidized, as are prescriptions. We also have the right to choose and abortion is free and available on the NHS," comedian Ariane shared with Bored Panda.
"Then we have strict gun laws which mean almost nobody has a gun and there's virtually no gun crime," she said. "We have seasonal weather which means you never really know what you're going to get. But it's nice to have changing seasons, with occasional snow in winter. I guess climate change is going to alter that though."
She then went on to list some of the bad things about living in the United Kingdom. "It rains a lot and is quite gloomy weather-wise for much of the time. People are quite negative, sarcastic, and bitter though I don't mind that so much. But it is quite a conservative country and a right-wing party has been in power for 12 years now, with all the corruption and incompetence you can imagine. Still, it's a free country and you have the right to criticize the government as much as you want, which is something," she said.
"52% of the people who voted in the referendum also voted for Brexit, which has been a disaster. And now we have the cost of living crisis with energy bills rising to ridiculous levels. So don't move here if you don't have much money!"
According to Ariane the inflation and cost-of-living situation haven't been too bad so far, but she believes that things are going to get worse in October. "And then even worse in January as the energy price cap rises. It's going to affect so many people badly that it's quite terrifying—and so far the government have barely done anything to mitigate this." In short, the worst is still to come. This winter will be difficult, there's hardly any doubt about that.
In the comedian's opinion, the quality of life in the UK has gone down since the Brexit vote. "Though how much of that is due to Brexit varies depending on who you ask," she noted that things aren't as clear-cut. "Some of it is down to the pandemic and the global economy. But, yeah, everything costs 1.5x the amount in the shops, our energy bills are spiraling out of control, there's a shortage of home appliances and our new prime minister promises to be just as incompetent. So if you can move to, say, France or Germany or Canada instead, I'd strongly advise it!"
At the time of writing, the Great British Memes project had 924k followers on Facebook, 15.7k fans on Twitter, as well as another 1.6 million loyal supporters over on Instagram. It’s easy to see why the memes are so popular. GBM covers a wide range of topics, from current news to evergreen jokes about daily life as a Brit. From rising costs of, well, pretty much everything, to quips about the outgoing PM, Boris Johnson.
Yours truly spent over half a decade living in the UK, so when it comes to British culture, I know a bit about everything. And for any cultural gaps in my knowledge, I just put on a random episode of ‘Blackadder’ and let Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie explain the nuances in comedic form. Either that or I rewatch the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy for the umpteenth time. There's something about small country towns that just hit different, isn't there?
What I personally think of when I think of the British is reserved politeness, genuine warmth once you crack through that icy exterior (perhaps they thought I was French?), and an awe-inspiring array of biscuits and snacks on offer with the cup of tea you’re offered. (I prefer Earl Grey with a splash of milk, no sugar, in case you were wondering, Pandas.)
To truly get British humor, you have to be a fan of sarcasm, multi-layered irony, and a strong sense of cynicism. You should also, ideally, be open to taking the mickey out of yourself. There’s something about being geographically separated from the rest of the European mainland that changes how people approach life.
Suddenly, you have a massive navy, a desire to conquer the world, build endless gorgeous parks, and talk about the weather while in a queue for, well, pretty much everything. At the same time, British humor is extremely universal and relatable, as well as very niche and personal.
A while back, Bored Panda had a couple of great chats about British culture and humor with comedy writer and comedian Ariane, from London.
In her eyes, the character of the British as a nation can be described as “witty, grumpy, cynical, endearing, passive-aggressive, repressed, kind, tolerant, and reserved.”
For comedy expert Ariane, some of the things that are thoroughly British include: "National Trust historic properties, Grade II-listed houses, Routemaster buses, ancient magazines in doctors' waiting rooms, people moaning about the weather (and also moaning about public transport and celebrities and the government)... queues, sunburn, red postboxes, the Royal family, pop music, and great jokes.” And while some of these are totally British, others are a tad more relatable.
The comedy expert’s gastronomic advice for anyone who’s going to the United Kingdom for the first time was as follows: "Go to the seaside town of Whitby and try fish and chips. Or a steak and kidney pie with gravy. You can thank me later," she told Bored Panda.
