Us and Them

[posted by Callimachus]

Ricky Gervais, the genius behind "The Office," gives a great, painful modern summation of the two-century-old British attitude toward Americans in a Newsweek Q and A

Were you nervous about the NBC version of your classic BBC show "The Office"?

Well, no. I tried to distance myself. The show has had time to grow and find its own feet. Rather like America being part of England. We started it off, and now they're doing well without us.

That's a rather colonial attitude.

Exactly. It's like a son you didn't think would amount to anything. You don't like the way he's made his money, but at least he's doing well. You'd rather he'd become a lawyer or doctor, but he owns a casino.