# Thats the way to make the US look good! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622 "2005-10-24T04:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/1 "2005-10-24T04:23:44Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/23/rice.straw.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/23/rice.straw.reut/index.html) Good grief. As if the world didn’t have a poor enough opinion of the US. Now we all look like a bunch of backwoods hillbillies. At least noone asked him to ‘squeal like a pig’. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/2 "2005-10-24T04:47:57Z")
This was an SEC game. We have certain priorities in the South. As one of the Alabama natives, Dr. Rice understands these things – even though she was temporarily distracted by California. Notice that she did not attend the Stanford game. As for _jackstraws_, sure – I used to play with 'em as a kid. Sometimes we called 'em pick-up-sticks. Why would Condi take 'em to a football game? Why import them from England? Stuck up woman. (You are in the wrong state for pig-squealin’. That’s _Georgia_. I guess all backwoods hillbillies look alike to you.) ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/3 "2005-10-24T04:58:25Z")
Oh, I don’t know if this made us look bad specifically. A few anouncers got his name wrong (you should see what they used to do with MY name when I played football 😛 ), and some bozo didn’t know what his name was at all (she did know ‘I’ve seen you on TV, and they said you were from England’…give her a break, least she didn’t think he was from France or something). This is another of those questions that at its heart is to show just how dumb America and American’s really are. I’m guessing though that I could find some rural places in England or France (or myriad other enlightened nations) and take an American diplomat to a football (soccer) game and get a similar response…hell, there might even be a good old fashion riot there depending on how the match goes and who looses. -XT Really, the interesting question is…whats Condi up too? She going to be a playah??? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/4 "2005-10-24T05:00:31Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Really, the interesting question is…whats Condi up too? Maybe she decided it’s just not a good week to be in Washington. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/5 "2005-10-24T05:01:08Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Good grief. As if the world didn’t have a poor enough opinion of the US. Now we all look like a bunch of backwoods hillbillies. At least noone asked him to ‘squeal like a pig’. I suppose we can excuse the ethnocentrism displayed by Mr. Straw when he referred to football as “rugy with more commercials.” I had no idea a game of Cricket lasted for five days and I can understand the stunned silence. Why is it we say “don’t judge the whole nation based on the actions of a few” when referring to foreign places but we don’t give the same leeway to the United States? Marc ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/6 "2005-10-24T05:06:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Maybe she decided it’s just not a good week to be in Washington. Yeah, I’m with you there. Were it me, I’d be staying away in case (or in the hope of) all that stupidity reaches a critical mass and the whole government implodes into a black hole. I don’t recall exactly where SecState is in the line of succession, but she has to be in there somewhere…and maybe she get lucky. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/7 "2005-10-24T05:06:39Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > I suppose we can excuse the ethnocentrism displayed by Mr. Straw when he referred to football as “rugy with more commercials.” Well, it’s not that much like rugby, IMO, but there are certainly a hell of a lot more commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/8 "2005-10-24T07:47:51Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > …I’m guessing though that I could find some rural places in England or France (or myriad other enlightened nations) and take an American diplomat to a football (soccer) game and get a similar response… That’s exactly right (but not restricted to rural areas). Up until Tom DeLay got himself into hot water very few people in the UK, Australia or most likely anywhere else would have any idea who he is. Even now most people would just recognise his name and that he’s an American politician. ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/9 "2005-10-24T07:57:33Z")
You’re right Gabe. World opinion of the US was irrevocably harmed by, what happened now? Sorry I already forgot what your article was about. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/10 "2005-10-24T08:36:37Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > I suppose we can excuse the ethnocentrism displayed by Mr. Straw when he referred to football as “rugy with more commercials.” I had no idea a game of Cricket lasted for five days and I can understand the stunned silence. It doesn’t. Usually. That it, five days it a bit long even for cricket though it’s happened. And more than one day is not uncommon for test cricket. And like Loopydude said, it’s not an unfair statment, there ARE more commercials (and he didn’t make any scathing comments about our wimpy American need for helmuts and padding 🙂 ) Anyway, I can’t say I blame Ms. Delahoussaye for not knowing who he is. The only embarrassing thing I see here is that some of the speakers screwed up he name and title. How hard is Jack Straw to remember? And if you’re giving a public address do your homework and get the names of things right…if a lot of them screwed it up that seems rather rude. At least tell me though, that they know there’s another Birmingham :D. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/11 "2005-10-24T08:52:28Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > (You are in the wrong state for pig-squealin’. That’s _Georgia_. I guess all backwoods hillbillies look alike to you.) I’m from rural California. We’ve got pig-squealers here too. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/12 "2005-10-24T09:03:55Z")
Off topic, but: [Jack Straw](http://www.thewe.cc/thewei/&/images3/2004_war_photos_11/ready_to_listen.jpe) [The Demon Headmaster](http://www.fiona.co.jp/images/JUVENILE_BOOK/DEMON_HEADMASTER_STRIKES_AGAIN.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/13 "2005-10-24T09:07:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Off topic, but: > > [Jack Straw](http://www.thewe.cc/thewei/&/images3/2004_war_photos_11/ready_to_listen.jpe) > [The Demon Headmaster](http://www.fiona.co.jp/images/JUVENILE_BOOK/DEMON_HEADMASTER_STRIKES_AGAIN.jpg) I’m honestly not sure what most of that has to do with the topic at hand? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/14 "2005-10-24T09:08:24Z")
Would it help you if I called Jack Straw ‘Mr England’? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/15 "2005-10-24T09:25:51Z")
Sorry, suffering from insomnia, and just hearing a big _whooooosh_. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/16 "2005-10-24T09:26:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Would it help you if I called Jack Straw ‘Mr England’? Well… personally it’d help if the first link didn’t return the message “Blocked due to host server carrying SPAM” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/17 "2005-10-24T09:29:46Z")
> [@](#): > > **Cynical Gabe** : I’m from rural California. We’ve got pig-squealers here too. But is it part of your _heritage_? > [@](#): > > **betenoir** : At least tell me though, that they know there’s another Birmingham . Oh, yes. Before I could walk, I knew the difference between the “silver bowl” Birmingham and the “Iron Bowl” Birmingham. And before I could hold the pencil, I knew which bowl to capitalize. Sister Sally Kate’s dying words at age two: “Woe-wah eagle…” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/18 "2005-10-24T09:33:26Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Well… personally it’d help if the first link didn’t return the message > “Blocked due to host server carrying SPAM” 😃 Strange… works for me… OK, lets try again: [Jack Straw (AKA ‘Mr England’)](http://www.gap.org.uk/uimages/suppstraw150.jpg) [The Demon Headmaster](http://www.fiona.co.jp/images/JUVENILE_BOOK/DEMON_HEADMASTER_STRIKES_AGAIN.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/19 "2005-10-24T09:48:03Z")
Weird… now it works. Gremlins? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622/20 "2005-10-24T09:51:46Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > But is it part of your _heritage_? Thankfully, no. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-way-to-make-the-us-look-good/327622.md?page=2)