Who was, in your opinion, the original “American Idiot”, and what was their effect on us?
Posted by Jazzlike-Basil1355@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 21 comments
To my mind, John Macinroe (Sp) started a trend. Shouting and arguing with the officials during Wimbledon. I am not meaning to disrespect all those across the pond, with millions of decent people.
poundstorekronk@reddit
Probably the most intelligent and driven idiot America ever produced was Charles midgely Jr. This man single handedly fucked the planet over completely.
He started by introducing tetra ethyl lead to petroleum to eliminate engine knocking. Killed a ton of people with lead poisoning, lied about its toxicity to everyone (eventually contracting lead poisoning himself)
The world will not recover from that for a loooong time.
And..... It gets better!
He then tried to help humanity by giving us better Refrigeration gases and invented fucking cfc's! And the world gleefully punched massive holes into the ozone, taking away the earth's ability to control it's atmospheric temps. We are still trying to recover from that.
And for his swan song?
He contracted polio later in life. Was practically bed ridden. So, he designed a pulley system to help him get out of bed and ended up hanging himself with it.
A fitting end I feel.
Drewski811@reddit
To Brits, it was any number of the thousands of American servicemen who came over during WW2 who completely failed to recognise that the UK had been at war for years, that people had lost families, were being starved by rationing, had had their children removed from their families, and basically lived lives under constant threat for years.
Hamsternoir@reddit
We were also less racist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bamber_Bridge
Blackelvis2000@reddit
"If it wasn't for us, you'd all be speaking..."
What? ENGLISH? The language we gave you?
WorldAncient7852@reddit
And then banged on about the win ever since as if they didn't have allies.
leninzen@reddit
I suppose it depends on when you were born. George W Bush was probably the most impactful American Idiot in regards to my generations childhood
jonewer@reddit
Reagan before him.
The thing is, looking back at it, Reagan seems like a genius compared to George W, and George W seems like a genius compared to Trump.
A sorrowful downward trajectory
poundstorekronk@reddit
Dunno about that, reagn was a senile old fuck long before he took office.
Objective-Manner7430@reddit
I’m old enough to remember the whole “the president’s brain is missing” skit, from Spitting Image. Although, we were completely unaware that Reagan had dementia. But was probably common knowledge to those in the know 🤷♀️
Spudbanger@reddit
I recommend you listen to this effin hilarious and deeply informed podcast on Reagan before pronouncing him a comparative genius to Gerge W.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWgOlUvjkRA
leninzen@reddit
That's true, the choice for Americans has become much worse over time, despite it being pretty terrible to begin with
elom44@reddit
Whoever was the original we all know who is the reigning champion.
Blackelvis2000@reddit
Undisputed....
AdSudden6323@reddit
George Washington - he cheated you out of years of colonial rule and the benefits that come from a constitutional monarchy.
4me2knowit@reddit
John McEnroe made us laugh. He’s a great commentator now and pokes fun at himself
oudcedar@reddit
But the timing of his tantrums was always when an opponent seemed to be getting a grip. Losing the argument didn’t matter as the opponent’s momentum was lost.
dinobug77@reddit
Also his serve was definitely in so he had every right to argue that point.
No_Potato_4341@reddit
Green Day
erinoco@reddit
Yankee Doodle.
sagima@reddit
I was thinking it was Homer Simpson before reading this.
He seemed to make it ok to be stupid - it’d all turn out in the end. At least from this Brits perspective
qualityvote2@reddit
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