> > > > One little snag though - why are we always the baddies in action films? What have we ever done to you?
> >
> > Taxation without representation. You'll never stop paying for that, you know. :-)
> >
> > Seriously, probably just because a badguy with a thick, proper British accent simply makes an interesting paradox of a character.
>
> Do you want a flattering reason, Chrico? It's because, rightly or wrongly, the educated tones of the BBC are still synonymous with class, sophistication and authority to a lot of people. And a highly intelligent badguy is *far* more scary than a great big thug who goes "dur" and hits people with a pointy stick. He usually has subordinates to do that, anyway. ;-)
>
> No, really it's an educational conspiracy. Kids usually think movie badguys are cool, so by making all the badguys scarily well educated and stylish, we hope to raise a new generation of cultural sophisticates. Of course, they'll also all be trying to destroy the universe, but there's a downside to everything.
>
> Brunnen-"it's our responsibility to the supervillains of the future"G

Well, this seems true but I want to talk about my favorite movies with evil British accents. The Star Wars Movies. Except for Vader just about every one of the Imperial Officers had British accents, and while the education aspect plays into this there are some other reason.

The Empire of Star Wars was supposed to reflect the negative aspects of two of the greatest empires of earth history, the Roman and, yes the British. This actually makes a double case for useing the British accent, becasue most of the old Roman Epic movies stared Brits, as both good guys and bad guys. So, to American Audiences (which Lucas was aiming for, really) had the English accent connected to the Roman Empire.


And for British stereio types, well, again Star Wars. Grand Moff Tarquin (Evacuate now? In our moment of triumph?) seems to sum up all the negative Brit sterio types.

The thing I don't get is the obsesion with the Monarchy. Parliment has striped them of just about all power of the centuries, yet the tabliods on both sides of the Atlantic are filled with them. And MTV thinsk they invented the Real World (soap opera with out actors, writers, etc.)

It odd that we American have the negative sterio types of Brits that we do. What with James Bond, the Avengers (the old TV show), Douglas Adams, Monty Python, Red Dwarf, and Faulty Towers you'd think we would think of the Brits as either sexy adventurs spys or hilarious slapstick funny men.

And ofcourse all the negative things we associate with the Brits (pompus, arrogant, tightwads, no regard for anyone else, no taste for anything fun) actually apply better to the Puritan Pilgrims who setteled Plymoth Rock. They left because the rest of the Brits wern't pompus, arrogant, tightwad, or unfun loveing enough for there taste. Kinda funny when you think of it.

Speed'proudtobeanAmerican'ball