Britannia Rules the Waves
This episode – and this post – is all about Anglophilia.
It’s also about nostalgia, our formative years, borrowed cultures, and the strange comfort of returning to the music, TV, and identities that first made sense to us.
And have we got a multimedia extravaganza for you: words (right here), audio (if you prefer), video (up above), and a Britpop playlist (down below) – it’s all here!
When I read Stephanie’s post back in October 2024 – From the Diary of an Anglophile: My Love Affair With All Things British – I knew right away we were going to get on like a house on fire.
Some friendships begin with shared politics or parenting woes. Ours began with Britpop:
“More upbeat Brit bands like Supergrass, Pulp, and Suede began to replace the gloomy, heavy, American alternative formations that had built the bulk of my listening pleasure up until then and for the moments my episodic melancholy still overcame me, I had Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, and Portishead! My obsession for all things British just flourished from there…”
This topic hits close to home for me as an Anglo-American who grew up bouncing between both cultures, and still regularly muddles the two. We’re talking accent crises, identity questions, and loads of cultural confusion.
Here’s what we chatted about:
How one becomes an Anglophile
Being a millennial, technically, but Gen X in spirit
Uncanny overlaps – military fathers, time spent in Germany in American schools, moving around, little bubbles of Americana abroad
How not being able to grow roots anywhere leaves you in this “nationless realm” and “a citizen of the world”
Who or what are you, identity wise? American? German?
Being multilingual (and the obligatory bit where I lament my lousy language skills)
Britpop and Cool Britannia happening in the UK while we were both in the US, being stuck in a kind of cultural purgatory (in the early-mid 90s, Britpop felt niche in America, where the likes of Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveller ruled the airwaves – it was hell, though the upside was seeing all these bands, like Oasis on their Definitely Maybe tour, in smaller, 500-capacity venues)
Being a royalist
Both of us going through a grunge, alternative phase, even gangsta rap (when I first moved to Germany, in 1989, I was really into Public Enemy and Young MC)
How we’re both strangely out of touch with modern UK television and more in tune with the 90s
You can find Stephanie’s writing here: Stories - A Journey To Self, Peace & Love
More reading and recommendations
Revisit my post, Is Éireannach go hoifigiúil mé. Nó an bhfuil mé?, on identity, belonging, accents, and citizenship.
These three excellent Substackers bridge the Anglo-American divides and all the fun things that come with it:
An American’s Guide to British Life by Marianne Jennings: “A twice-monthly exploration of life as an American in the UK, sharing stories of cultural surprises, recipe adaptations, and the charming chaos of bridging two worlds.”
The Immigrant Chronicles by Gabrielle Donnelly: “The adventures of a Londoner turned LA lady who finds life amusing on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The fabulously named E Pluribus Yum by Laura | E Pluribus Yum: “A Brit's exploration of American history, culture and community through classic American food.”
And a special bonus: a Britpop mix, my favourite tunes, made just for you!
(Technically speaking, not all the tracks are classically Britpop, hence the name of the playlist, “Britpop, In & Around” – these were songs popular around the early-mid 90s that featured heavily in my rotation, and they’re in a loose chronological order; when making mixes I employ a strict rule of only one song per artist, otherwise half of it would be Suede tracks.)
