A common language

This weekend's Financial Times includes a short discussion about the faux pas that follow from using a common language in foreign settings. The first example is about the America intolerance for British irreverence: "On evenings out eating, drinking and laughing with corporate types, I have occasionally extended the jokes to their own organisations and bosses. Stony silence. Once I appeared on panel at a New York conference on corporate social responsibility. During the discussion someone asked how we could get across that responsibility was good for the bottom line. I said much as I was in favour of corporate responsibility, there was no consistent evidence that it was good for the bottom line. As I stepped from the stage it became clear that this had not gone well. The organiser mouthed a frosty "thank you", and everyone else avoided my gaze. I had expressed disbelief to a community of believers."

It reminds me of the time when I attempted to run a workshop on documenting Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks to the assembled believers in the value of the quality standard ISO9000. There's an interview with Jennifer Saunders I saw once where she reminisces about the faux pas she almost committed attending a conference in New York with Joanna Lumley to honour them for their support in Absolutely Fabulous for gay people - despite the manic disrespect for everything that AbFab stood for, she was expected to be serious

Does the Financial Times sell many copies in Pattaya?

Maybe if they included an index of currency exchange booth rates on Walking Street, Viagra prices at various pharmacies, and a breakdown of where you can buy breakfast for under 120B .....

Here's an idea. As you're always complaining that English is a "foreign language" to Americans; perhaps you failed to communicate. Did you know that the largest secondary market for BBC programs and comedy shows is the US Public Broadcasting System (PBS) ? There is a huge audience for British comedy and irreverance. There are even several purely British streaming services.

I have a feeling the failure was all yours.