The weekend with Ann was great. I am starting up a staging biz of my own and am halfway through an Interior Design degree, so it was super for me. Ann and I spoke about the differences between Brit and American culture (something that fascinates and often vexes me, since I have spent time in the UK) and I mentioned how there is often more than just a subtle undertone of anti-Americanism directed at Ann… I mentioned that sometimes it comes from Alistair and she said that he could at times be a bit, and here she used a British phrase, “up my nose.” But she indicated that there is a sort of British sensibility that likes to, I guess we would use the word “tease” here—although for them it is not quite teasing. She did mention that he is very arty and does not much like hosting the shows he does. And I seem to recall seeing on his site once (I have not visited it in quite a while) that what he wants is to host a “real” television show. Poor Alistair, he only hosts TWO shows at once… and I haven’t booked a commercial in a year.

I have ALWAYS found the original British version of any show (CHANGING ROOMS esp, but also WHAT NOT TO WEAR—just love Trinnie and Susannah—and THE OFFICE) to be SOOOOOO much more charming, clever and genuine. It’s like an American netowrk puts it through some sort of schlock-machine and it comes out more like vaudeville—I can’t stand all the mugging and playing to the camera that they do on TRADING SPACES! It’s not pleasant to watch. So I watch BBC America and get my GROUND FORCE and etc. fix…
I tried one episode of the American version of THE OFFICE and it felt mean-spirited. It’s as if the Americans did not grasp the subltleties and pathos of the original and just made it uncomfortable for the sake of it, instead of letting that come through the characters, Like Gervais did.