such an interesting piece abigail! especially as an american living in london haha <3 i wrote about the album too but didn't have the insight u do, and i really appreciated reading this!
Really enjoyed this conversation, Abigail! I haven't listened to Lily's new album yet, but I'll be sure to tomorrow. The differences in cultures and gender roles is so fascinating to me! Lovely advice there at the end, too. ❤️
Honestly sometimes I forget my boyfriend is British, until we go to the UK and I am lost in the cultural nuances that I don't understand. What a great reminder!!
Hahahah we’ve not been back in a couple years (his green card fears with the current administration) but plan to in February. I’m curious how lost in the sea of nuance I’ll get 🏊 It adds something though, doesn’t it?
The Brits are very polite, which can come across as passive aggressive to me...like tell it to me straight, please. 😂 It's so funny though, just takes a little navigating.
Yeah, 100%. I sometimes overhear Joe’s work calls and text him, “This is one of those situations where you have to say it painfully plainly, babe,” because I’ve heard him enough times say, “I warned them of this…” and I say, “Did you actually, or did you Britishly?”
This is so interesting! I totally get what Joe means about the subversiveness. I think British men feel less pressure to play gender straight, and can be subversive about that too. I’m thinking of Zendaya and Tom Holland and that Umbrella Lip Sync - I feel like American men would just never. And yet it’s incredibly sexy because he’s just so comfortable in his masculinity. There’s more of a tradition of straight men cross-dressing and just being more wink-wink about gender it seems.
I do think the American male characteristics are extremely regional. Like I can’t imagine anyone in the Northeast (Boston here) saying “Hello friends” - would come off as incredibly cheesy. I had a Midwest work colleague who would begin one-on-ones by saying “Hello friend!” and I’d have to remind myself that he’s not being sarcastic or insulting. Boston men love banter and consider insults a form of affection. They’re very direct though, which is a difference from British men, it seems.
Awwww we love you back. Thanks for 'seeing' us so well in this. I really love your analysis on the chat. You're totally right - while we're both rigid in our own ways, we've both always wanted to find our own way, and not model what we've always known. Our communication has always been fluid between us, but it's not always been THIS clear. We've worked our way to it 🥰 Trial and error and enjoying it all the while...
Thanks so much for reading with such presence and love, Markos!
Brilliant! I enjoyed this a lot, will not be analyzing.
😘😘😘😘😘 hahaha and I bet you'll be happier for it! Thanks, Soph 🥰
such an interesting piece abigail! especially as an american living in london haha <3 i wrote about the album too but didn't have the insight u do, and i really appreciated reading this!
Aww glad you liked it. I’ll have to check out yours!
Aww glad you liked it. I’ll have to check out yours!
Really enjoyed this conversation, Abigail! I haven't listened to Lily's new album yet, but I'll be sure to tomorrow. The differences in cultures and gender roles is so fascinating to me! Lovely advice there at the end, too. ❤️
Thanks, Katrina!! I'm glad you enjoyed it. You HAVE to do a full listen start to end. It's a performance!
Ah, my favorite way to listen to a new album!
Honestly sometimes I forget my boyfriend is British, until we go to the UK and I am lost in the cultural nuances that I don't understand. What a great reminder!!
Hahahah we’ve not been back in a couple years (his green card fears with the current administration) but plan to in February. I’m curious how lost in the sea of nuance I’ll get 🏊 It adds something though, doesn’t it?
The Brits are very polite, which can come across as passive aggressive to me...like tell it to me straight, please. 😂 It's so funny though, just takes a little navigating.
Yeah, 100%. I sometimes overhear Joe’s work calls and text him, “This is one of those situations where you have to say it painfully plainly, babe,” because I’ve heard him enough times say, “I warned them of this…” and I say, “Did you actually, or did you Britishly?”
Did you Britishly?! LOL so funny. Sometimes I need a translator when we're speaking the same language. 😂
Married to a German woman and I’m originally from near Philadelphia. She’s a lot more direct than I. It’s always been a problem.
And you make it work despite! I love a direct lady 😘 and love to hear the Germans live up to the reputation.
Wowww!! Loved reading it!! Very Interesting
This is so interesting! I totally get what Joe means about the subversiveness. I think British men feel less pressure to play gender straight, and can be subversive about that too. I’m thinking of Zendaya and Tom Holland and that Umbrella Lip Sync - I feel like American men would just never. And yet it’s incredibly sexy because he’s just so comfortable in his masculinity. There’s more of a tradition of straight men cross-dressing and just being more wink-wink about gender it seems.
I do think the American male characteristics are extremely regional. Like I can’t imagine anyone in the Northeast (Boston here) saying “Hello friends” - would come off as incredibly cheesy. I had a Midwest work colleague who would begin one-on-ones by saying “Hello friend!” and I’d have to remind myself that he’s not being sarcastic or insulting. Boston men love banter and consider insults a form of affection. They’re very direct though, which is a difference from British men, it seems.
Awwww we love you back. Thanks for 'seeing' us so well in this. I really love your analysis on the chat. You're totally right - while we're both rigid in our own ways, we've both always wanted to find our own way, and not model what we've always known. Our communication has always been fluid between us, but it's not always been THIS clear. We've worked our way to it 🥰 Trial and error and enjoying it all the while...
Thanks so much for reading with such presence and love, Markos!