UK embassy apologises for 'burning White House' tweet

paulschapmanpaulschapman Posts: 35,536
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28929626
The British embassy in Washington has apologised after tweeting a picture of a White House cake surrounded by sparklers, "commemorating" the burning of the building 200 years ago.

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,888
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    Oh for gods sake. It's sparklers. If I put candles on a photo cake does it really mean I want to burn dear nanny Nora? No.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,482
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    Can the US apologise for making Brits so evil in their movies and tv shows?

    At least we have a sense of humour about it, see: that car advert (jaguar? who cares.)
  • Raquelos.Raquelos. Posts: 7,734
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    Massive sense of humour failure from a couple of uptight Americans. I thought it was pretty funny myself.
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    They actually outright said that this was commemorating the British burning down the White House :eek: "Only sparklers this time!" they say?

    This was posted by the British Embassy in Washington DC? These are the people we pay to represent the UK in America? These are the people who are supposedly trained in international diplomacy.

    Yeah, its just a cake and some sparklers. But seriously you got to wonder how well our embassies are being run when they think this would go down well in America. Its like if the US embassy in Japan put a picture of a crater online to commemorate blowing Hiroshima to shit. "Don't worry guys, its just a mashed up cake this time! Peace!"

    Not the end of the world. But still...morons.
  • stoatiestoatie Posts: 78,106
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    Helbore wrote: »
    They actually outright said that this was commemorating the British burning down the White House :eek: "Only sparklers this time!" they say?

    This was posted by the British Embassy in Washington DC? These are the people we pay to represent the UK in America? These are the people who are supposedly trained in international diplomacy.

    Yeah, its just a cake and some sparklers. But seriously you got to wonder how well our embassies are being run when they think this would go down well in America. Its like if the US embassy in Japan put a picture of a crater online to commemorate blowing Hiroshima to shit. "Don't worry guys, its just a mashed up cake this time! Peace!"

    Not the end of the world. But still...morons.

    Yeah, aren't diplomats supposed to be... well... diplomatic? No Ferrero Rocher for a week.
  • coughthecatcoughthecat Posts: 6,876
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    Helbore wrote: »
    They actually outright said that this was commemorating the British burning down the White House :eek: "Only sparklers this time!" they say?

    This was posted by the British Embassy in Washington DC? These are the people we pay to represent the UK in America? These are the people who are supposedly trained in international diplomacy.

    Yeah, its just a cake and some sparklers. But seriously you got to wonder how well our embassies are being run when they think this would go down well in America. Its like if the US embassy in Japan put a picture of a crater online to commemorate blowing Hiroshima to shit. "Don't worry guys, its just a mashed up cake this time! Peace!"

    Not the end of the world. But still...morons.

    I agree that in these days of "instant offence" being taken at just about anything, it was somewhat naive ... but let's keep a sense of perspective! Comparing the 1814 burning of the White House to the bombing of Hiroshima is pushing things a bit ... to put it mildly!

    Mind you, I'm not really up on US history, so perhaps over 100,000 Americans were killed when the White House was torched! :o
  • lightdragonlightdragon Posts: 19,059
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    I laughed.

    Then I laughed again at "poor taste" being all caps. because it's something to get all capslock over. :p
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    I agree that in these days of "instant offence" being taken at just about anything, it was somewhat naive ... but let's keep a sense of perspective! Comparing the 1814 burning of the White House to the bombing of Hiroshima is pushing things a bit ... to put it mildly!

    Mind you, I'm not really up on US history, so perhaps over 100,000 Americans were killed when the White House was torched! :o

    My point wasn't that they were comparable in the loss of life, but in that both are likely to cause offence. But more importantly, we are talking about an official tweet from an embassy to its host nation, making light of the fact that we once invaded their capital and burned down the seat of their President.

    If it were a bunch of random British folk making a joke, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I've no actual problem with tasteless humour. Heck, I often quite enjoy a bit of tasteless humour.

    But this isn't a bunch of random Brits having a laugh, its our official office of diplomatic relations to the United States. That is a tad different. The people we employ to represent the UK to an allied nation shouldn't really be making jokes about that hilarious time we invaded them.

    One might hope that those trained in diplomatic relations would possess above-average levels of tact and common sense.

    Like I said its not the end of the world and I don't see a US aircraft carrier group doing a sail-by in response to this heinous offense. I just think it shows up our embassy for being rather incompetent in doing the thing its there to do.
  • stoatiestoatie Posts: 78,106
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    Helbore wrote: »
    My point wasn't that they were comparable in the loss of life, but in that both are likely to cause offence. But more importantly, we are talking about an official tweet from an embassy to its host nation, making light of the fact that we once invaded their capital and burned down the seat of their President.

    If it were a bunch of random British folk making a joke, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I've no actual problem with tasteless humour. Heck, I often quite enjoy a bit of tasteless humour.

    But this isn't a bunch of random Brits having a laugh, its our official office of diplomatic relations to the United States. That is a tad different. The people we employ to represent the UK to an allied nation shouldn't really be making jokes about that hilarious time we invaded them.

    One might hope that those trained in diplomatic relations would possess above-average levels of tact and common sense.

    Like I said its not the end of the world and I don't see a US aircraft carrier group doing a sail-by in response to this heinous offense. I just think it shows up our embassy for being rather incompetent in doing the thing its there to do.

    I'm inclined to agree. Although now I'm considering the possibility that there may be plenty of friendly banter that goes on between rival nations' diplomats which on the face of it probably looks awful, and that I'd really like to see it because I bet it's hilarious. Find me THAT stuff, Snowden.
  • Ethel_FredEthel_Fred Posts: 34,127
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    Touchy folk
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    stoatie wrote: »
    I'm inclined to agree. Although now I'm considering the possibility that there may be plenty of friendly banter that goes on between rival nations' diplomats which on the face of it probably looks awful, and that I'd really like to see it because I bet it's hilarious. Find me THAT stuff, Snowden.

    Oh I'm sure there probably is and its also probably hilarious. But I'd also expect it to be well-judged between diplomats who have come to know each other and their sensibilities. That's good diplomacy, after all; build a rapport with your diplomatic counterpart. I would love to hear some of the stuff these guys say to each other behind closed doors!

    Putting it on Twitter for the whole world to see - not so diplomatic!
  • dip_transferdip_transfer Posts: 2,327
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    Some people really need to lighten up and and have a chuckle once in a while
  • yaristamanyaristaman Posts: 1,840
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    Some people really need to lighten up and and have a chuckle once in a while

    This 100%
  • ste likes boobsste likes boobs Posts: 677
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    Our British/sarcastic/dry sense of humour doesn't work well in North America.

    I live in Canada and only my English born colleague gets my sense of humour.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 262
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    They can definately give it but taking it is another story....
  • coughthecatcoughthecat Posts: 6,876
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    dese_5757 wrote: »
    They can definately give it but taking it is another story....

    Being "offended" by trivia is hardly an American thing. We've got more than our fair share of such people over here! ;-)
  • J4ckieBr0wnJ4ckieBr0wn Posts: 1,108
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    Perhaps they just don't like to be reminded that they were trying to annexe parts of British North American Territory (now Canada), were depriving the native americans of their land and refusing to set up a buffer state for them between the U.S. and Canada and they were a tad pee'd off that the Brits kept besting them at sea :p
  • epicurianepicurian Posts: 19,291
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    dese_5757 wrote: »
    They can definately give it but taking it is another story....

    They?
  • Duffman2000Duffman2000 Posts: 1,372
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    dmuk wrote: »
    Can the US apologise for making Brits so evil in their movies and tv shows?

    At least we have a sense of humour about it, see: that car advert (jaguar? who cares.)

    Can the US apologise for portraying us all as having bad teeth?
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