2 hours Ago By [email protected] (Matt Davies)
A US expat has provided a list of 12 cultural icons that she'd "never heard of" before leaving America but are instantly recognisable to most Brits. Kalyn, who has lived in the UK for almost a decade, runs the Girl Gone London channel on YouTube, which offers her take on the UK and the US' cultural differences and boasts more than 45,000 subscribers. In a recent video, Kalyn shared her thoughts on a series of cultural icons that most Brits would take for granted, but apparently haven't quite broken beyond our borders and made their way to the US.
Her list of 12 well-known figures provides some rather surprising and not-so-surprising names, including one that Kalyn suggests could be "straight out of a horror film". 1. Postman Pat Kalyn revealed that she'd never seen an episode of the beloved children's series Postman Pat but inexplicably knows the theme song.
She added that Pat seems like a "nice character" but "clearly doesn't deliver across the ocean". 2. Moomins She explained that she knew that the Moomins were not British, with the characters originating in Finland, but believed that every Brit knows them.
Unsure what the Moomins actually were, Kalyn speculated that they could be hippos or an "alien kind of creature". 3. Pingu Kalyn said the lovable claymation penguin is "not well-known" in America and if you reference the show stateside, locals would probably just assume that you pronounced 'penguin' incorrectly.
4. Mr Blobby Kalyn said: "Next on my list of British cultural icons that I had never heard of, and this is where the term 'cultural icon' gets very loose, but it is something or someone called Mr Blobby. "Mr Blobby's definitely something mentioned here in like jokes and memes and it all goes way over my head.
I have no idea if Mr Blobby is meant to be a fun children's character or if he's something straight out of a horror film." 5. Guy Fawkes She admitted it was "strange" calling the Gunpowder Plotter an icon, but Kalyn argued that he's well-known in the UK, highlighting his relevance to Bonfire Night and, of course, the burning of Guy Fawkes effigies.
However, according to Kalyn, Americans have "zero idea" who he is, likely because it "doesn't really relate" to US history. 6. Father Ted Kalyn said she understands that Father Ted is a "bumbling" Catholic priest, but the character isn't one with whom Americans are familiar, and most people would have "no idea" what you're talking about.
7. David Brent (The Office) Ricky Gervais' iconic character from The Office isn't known in the US, according to Kalyn, who explained that Americans are more likely to reference the US version of the show, whose David Brent character is called Michael Scott and played by Steve Carell. 8.
Bananaman Kalyn said she'd never seen Bananaman, a superhero character who appeared in UK comics such as The Beano and The Dandy and a cartoon series in the 1980s, and other Americans would have "no idea" what you're talking about. 9. The Chuckle Brothers The Chuckle Brothers, played by Paul Elliott and his late brother, Barry, were a much-loved TV fixture, with the duo appearing in their own comedy show, ChuckleVision.
However, Kalyn said her knowledge of the brothers is "very low". 10. Ant and Dec Instantly familiar to any Brit, Ant and Dec have been gracing UK screens for more than 30 years, but Kalyn admitted that she was "not aware" of the Geordie presenters, although she noticed that they "pop up" in "various places".
11. Take That Despite their huge popularity, Kalyn claimed that most Americans have never heard of Take That , adding that it's a similar case with Robbie Williams, although she conceded that she likes some of the group's songs. 12.
Mary Berry Finally, Kalyn pointed out how former Bake Off judge Mary Berry, who was generally unknown stateside, has now "made a name" for herself..
