There’s a fun website called How it Should Have Ended that takes gaping plot holes from popular movies and re-imagines their endings based on fixing them.

In this video they present how Harry Potter should have ended and it really makes a lot of sense!

Source.

Hilarious Video: How Harry Potter Should Have Ended is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais insults Johnny Depp and Madonna as well as the ceremony itself during the awards. Here’s a video of Ricky’s highlights from last night.

What did you think of Ricky Gervais at the 2012 Golden Globes? How did he do?

Golden Globes: Video Highlights of Ricky Gervais Hosting the 2012 Golden Globes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This is pretty hilarious. It’s like going back to 1993!

A couple of Whovians start throwing out some Doctor Who yo mama jokes. Written by Dave Urlakis. Directed by and starring Dave Urlakis and Zack Whittington. Edited by Ryan DiGiorgi. Music “Fig Leaf Rag” by Kevin MacLeod – Incompetech.com.

Check it out below:

Doctor Who: Fans do Doctor Who Yo Mama Jokes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

A group of British Sailors on the HMS Ocean have made a fun video where they pretend to sing Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You.

They were celebrating the end of their most recent tour of duty – originally 7 weeks that turned into 214 days as they were called up to take part in the Libyan conflict.

Friday Fun: British Sailors on HMS Ocean Sing All I Want for Chistmas… is a post from: Anglotopia.net

We’ve had a long relationship here at Anglotopia with Author Mike Harling. Mike is an American expat – or accidental Anglophile as he likes to say – who moved to Britian a few years ago to be with his English wife. He’s been writing about his experiences since on his blog, on Anglotopia (Dispatches from the South) and in his first book Postcards from Across the Pond.

This summer, Mike has come out with a brand new book that continues his expat journey in Britain, aptly title More Postcards from Across the Pond.

This book picks up where the last book left off and continues Mike’s bemusement at the quirks presented to him by life in Britain.

More Postcards from Across the Pond focuses on his home life, work life and we also get to journey with him as he takes advantage of Britain’s generous, pretty much forced, vacation time.

Each chapter is short and easy to read. I’ve always loved Mike’s writing style, which is best described as simple, engaging and often humorous. Mike is not afraid to write about true life in Britain, warts and all. He’s not particularly much of an Anglophile so he really isn’t under Britain’s spell like a lot of us are. So his books provide an excellent insight into what it would be like to live in Britain for real.

My favorite topic he writes about is the process he takes to actually becoming British and taking on British citizenship – a process he enjoys with detached amusement and the joys of government bureaucracy.

It’s quite easy to be jealous of Mike – he’s living the ‘Anglophile Dream’ after all – but after reading his wry observations of life in Britain, I’m rather glad I don’t live there but I’m quite happy to visit as often as possible.

That said, I highly recommend More Postcards from Across the Pond and I very much look forward to Mike’s next inevitable book and I hope that life in Britain continues to entertain him (and us!).

Book Review: More Postcards from Across the Pond by Michael Harling is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The War of 1812 was the last war in wich the US fought the British. But who really remembers what the war was about…

College Humor has this funny spoof video that envisions that the participants in the war had as much of an idea as to why they were fighting as we did.

Pretty funny:

All humor aside – the main issues of the War of 1812 were impressment – the British kidnapping our sailors and forcing them to serve on British ships, British trade embargoes and the desire to expand into the British controlled Northwest Territories. In case you were curious.

Video: College Humor Takes on the War of 1812 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

They continue to call it a “special” relationship, but the more accurate adjective would be “particular.” Plainly put, the mixed feelings between the British and the Americans are a result of unmistakable historical bonds and cultural links clashing with awkward and sometimes drastic disagreements in such matters. Yet we always seem to avoid completely dissolving our strained allegiance to one another, in no small part to our mutually evolved ability to tolerate the others difference of opinion. With that said, a number of petty matters continue to persist when it comes to British/American clashes of cognition. The following are six relentless rabble-rousing articles of dispute between the two friendly nations and the true winner of each determined with utmost objectivity:

#6: Mobile or Cell

The difference in what British and American subscribers call their portable battery-powered phones is a testament to the never-ending and inevitable nature of our differing taste for words within the same language. Americans of course call their devices cell phones and the British call theirs mobiles. While “cellphone” remains a commonly used term on the street-level of the United States, American service providers have seemingly stopped referring to their products by that name. They either refer to them as “mobile” devices or just dance around it, e.g. the “HTC 4G phone”. Since the advent of the smartphone it won’t be long before “cell phone” becomes obsolete.

WINNER: THE BRITISH

#5: British Actors do American Accents Better than American Actors do British Accents

Simply put, the monotone accent of the American Midwest and general WASP-stock is a manner of speaking easier to imitate than the angular and highly varied accents of the British isles, even “BBC English.” It’s challenging to adapt regional American accents for the screen, and with that said the British have an enormous advantage over American actors who struggle to fine-tune their British accents in a similar manner. American failure to impress is a result of British ears being familiar with a wider variety of Anglo accents which to outside ears (Americans) sound similar.

WINNER: THE BRITISH

#4: The Removal of the Letter ‘U’ from Words

Reading publications printed in the opposing country will quickly bring your attention to the removal of, or inclusion of, the letter ‘u’ from countless words in the English language. Examples include colour/color, labour/labor,and odour/odor. For starters, the English language isn’t regulated like French and other European languages. The necessity of the “u” is at best disputed. But the bottom line comes down to costs: consider how much money American printers save by omitting the letter “u” from words. It could be thousands or even millions of pounds/dollars shaved off national printing needs every year.

WINNER: THE AMERICANS

#3: Who Really Won World War Two?

According to every just about every American in existence, the USA saved the day during World War Two. According to the British, Hitler would have conquered the world if they hadn’t held firm to their little island. The truth is both of these sentiments are far inflated and farther from reality. People forget that despite the war and despite the Great Depression, the United States had an unwavering economy and the British had an Empire. If you want to know who the hero of World War Two was, look to the Soviet Union, which had less and gave more than any other member of the Allied Forces.

WINNER: THE RUSSIANS

#2: Is it Better to Drive on the Left Side or Right Side of the Road?

Historically everybody drove their carts or buggies on the left-side of the road. It would have made sense at a time when most people were right-handed as they could better defend themselves in case of attack by someone traveling in the opposite direction. Why the opposite orientation was adapted throughout mainland Europe and the Americas is for the most part uncertain. Some say Napoleon changed it in the countries he conquered because he was left-handed, although this is considered untrue by most credible historians. Today, the overwhelming majority of traffic flows right. With that said, the majority of human beings remain right-handed. In the event of apocalypse wherein we were reduced to non-machine means of travel, those who stay to the left will live longer.

WINNER: THE BRITISH

#1: Aluminum Versus Aluminium

The man credited with discovering the element was British and went by the name of Humphry Davy. That seems to settle the debate for most folks who insist that aluminium was the official name given to an element discovered on English soil and is therefore the definitive way to spell it and pronounce it. But it turns out the controversy existed from the get-go. Davy originally called his discovery aluminum and had published his findings with that as the printed spelling. But fellow scientists objected to his choice, ultimately deciding that “aluminium” was a more proper name for his discovery. The reason: it didn’t sound scientific enough. So while the British spell it the way the scientific community at the time wanted it to be pronounced, Americans stick with what the discoverer wanted.

WINNER: THE AMERICANS

From this day forth, let no more debates come to blows on account of Anglo-American differences of opinion regarding the aforementioned topics. It was fun while it lasted, but the matters are settled. It’s time for us to choose new things to argue about, like which country has the creepier press or most shameless politicians. Our relationship remains particular, but here’s to putting the small stuff behind us.

Guest Post: Six Brawl-Inducing Pub/Bar Debates Between Brits and Americans Settled Once and For All is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This video is making the rounds on the web so I thought it was worth sharing. Two young Brits have taken the opportunity to browse around an American Wal-Mart and tear our society to shreds in the process, to hilarious affect.

Check it out below:

Hat tip to Laughing Squid for the discovery.

Video: Two Young Brits Visit a Wal-mart – Make Fun of Everything About America is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Much online copy has been spilled about the ongoing controversy surrounding Rupert Murdoch and News International. I’ve avoided covering it because it truly shows Britain at it’s worst and that’s not what this site is about.

However, here’s a fun video from A Bit of Fry and Laurie that imagines a world where Rupert Murdoch hasn’t been born. It’s hilarious and rather apt right now.

Video: A Bit of Fry & Laurie – If Rupert Murdoch hadn’t been born… is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Hot on the heels of our success with our Top 100 Best British Slang Phrases, we thought we’d explore the beauty of Cockney Rhyming Slang next.

Rhyming slang is believed to have originated in the mid-19th century in the East End of London, with sources suggesting some time in the 1840s. It dates from around 1840 among the predominantly Cockney population of the East End of London who are well-known for having a characteristic accent and speech patterns.

It remains a matter of speculation whether rhyming slang was a linguistic accident, a game, or a cryptolect developed intentionally to confuse non-locals. If deliberate, it may also have been used to maintain a sense of community. It is possible that it was used in the marketplace to allow vendors to talk amongst themselves in order to facilitate collusion, without customers knowing what they were saying. Another suggestion is that it may have been used by criminals (see thieves’ cant) to confuse the police.

THIS ARTICLE HAS MOVED TO LONDONTOPIA

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR TOP 100 COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG WORDS AND PHRASES.

Language: Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases is a post from: Anglotopia.net

A classic painting of Salisbury Cathedral by John Constable has been imaginatively improved by placing some Star Destroyers from Star Wars in the scene.

Awesome.

Source.

Salisbury Cathedral Painting Improved with Star Destroyers is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I missed pantomime season around Christmas, but I did manage to squeeze in one panto during my year in England, even if it was a little less traditional.  Directed by theatre master Teo, a group of Camphill residents and coworkers had been working hard on Robin Hood since January.  Six months may seem like a long practice time, but not when you consider that with only one day a week or practice, the residents themselves had a hand in creating the script, choosing the costumes, and picking the songs (including YMCA performed by the Merry Men).  All that commitment culminated in two nights only at our Chrysalis Theatre.

The base of the play was the traditional Robin Hood panto, but from the start, there were distinctive Camphill twists.  Residents dressed as bakers offered bread and jam from our bakery and food processing, a few in overalls called out, “WE WORK IN TOOLS!  DOES ANYONE NEED ANY KNIVES SHARPENED?”  And when Maid Marian needed a token for her beloved to keep near his heart, she offered a beetroot from the Camphill garden.  Jokes about Camphill community life made the play all the more hilarious to those of us who live here.  When Robin Hood proclaimed (in thick Brazillian accent) that the organic beetroot had saved his life, I nearly fell out of my seat with laughter!

Musical support for the play came from the always entertaining Bolivian Sunshine Dogs Band.  There were no dogs nor Bolivians in the band, but they did come in fancy dress and play a saw and spoons.  The live band really added a lot to the performance and provided bits of their own humor from the sidelines.

What panto would be complete without a man in drag?  Luke, a tall English coworker in frills and colorful beehive was Robin Hood’s mother, Mother Hood (groan!).  He led the “boys and girls” in our cheers and boos, and tricked the Sheriff of Nottingham into marriage.  More than once, he had to be reminded of his lines by a resident!  The resident who played the Sheriff had clearly seen many pantomimes in his life, and I could tell by the way he struggled to keep a straight face that he really enjoyed being the baddy. Residents in the audience also enjoyed booing him without being told off!

While my first British pantomime might not have been flawless, I found it charming and representative of the creative things that our residents can do.

Dispatches from Milton Keynes: My first pantomime…Camphill style! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I post this without comment.

Source.

Humor: What Sean Connery’s Keyboard Looks like is a post from: Anglotopia.net

British English is a fountain of beautiful words that we don’t normally use in America. Some are hilarious, some are rude and some are… interesting.

Here’s our list of our top 100 favorite British slang words and phrases. Oftentimes, it’s not so much the word itself that’s awesome – but the usage of it so we’ve included what the word means approximately ‘in American.’

There are some rather rude words and phrases on this list – you’ve been warned!

What’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Top 100 Most Beautiful British Slang Words and Phrases is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I don’t normally post David Mitchell’s Weekly video column – it’s usually just complaining about something – this week’s it’s funny and informative.

If you’re curious about that strange British event called the Stag Night – check out the video below.

David Mitchell’s Soapbox: A Guide to Stag Nights is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This video is hilarious.

Language NSFW.

Doctor Who: The Doctor as a Gangster with Big Guns – Video is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This is a fun video and the strangest mashup of two characters I’ve ever seen.

Check out Michael Jackson v Mr Bean.

Michael Jackson vs Mr. Bean from Pascal Blais Animation Studio on Vimeo.

Video: Michael Jackson vs Mr Bean Mashup Video is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I post this with no comment.

Source.

How Brits Deal with an Emergency is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The big news this week was that Princess Beatrice’s… er… classic hat that she wore to the Royal Wedding is on sale on eBay for Charity.

This video explains how to make your very own home version!

How to Create Your Own Papercraft Princess Beatrice Hat is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Photo courtesy of The Gorilla Organisation

Britons do love a challenge. From the London Marathon to the Three Peaks Challenge, people are constantly looking for the opportunity to train hard and push themselves. Of course you don’t have to be a serious athlete to compete in a challenging event. In fact, as it happens you don’t even have to be very serious. Pack your running shoes, book some hotel deals and join in some of the most entertaining and bemusing physical challenges across the country.

Malden Mud Race

In the 1970s a silly dare made at a local pub turned into an annual competition – to race across the muddy tidal river to a barrel of beer, down a pint, and race back. The beer has gone but the challenge lives on in the annual Maldon Mud Race. In Maldon’s Promenade Park, Essex, competitors aim to make the 200-metre distance across the thick, muddy bed of the River Blackwater… then back again. Only when the tide is out can the race take place and – to make things a little more uncomfortable – this annual event is held in the middle of winter. Of course, it’s all in the name of charity:  the Malden Mud Race raises thousands for good causes each year.

For more info: http://www.maldonmudrace.com/

Great Gorilla Run

In the wake of the London marathon is its smaller, hairier and less competitive cousin, the Great Gorilla Run. This fun event, which has taken place every year since 2003, sees a thousand runners in gorilla suits running or walking a 7km route. The chance to run past famous sights such as Tower Bridge and the Tate Modern dressed as a gorilla entices people from all over the country to book London hotels and sign up for this event. The money raised by participant sponsorship goes towards saving the world’s last 720 wild mountain gorillas. The mere fact there are more “gorillas” running this race than there are real ones in the wild is a great motivation to sign up – and you get to keep the costume.

For more info: http://www.greatgorillarun.org/

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling

Every spring, people from all over the world gather at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester to witness a large round of Gloucestershire cheese being rolled down a very steep hill. Brave competitors attempt to race the cheese to the bottom of the hill; taking part in a tradition which has been around for at least 200 years. It’s an event which sees many injuries, and the official 2010 cheese-rolling event was cancelled due to safety concerns. However, the popularity of the tradition with locals and fans saw it go ahead anyway. Despite speculation that the 2011 event will be cancelled as well, dedicated locals look set to ensure that the Gloucestershire cheese will continue to roll well into the future.

For more info: http://www.cheese-rolling.co.uk/the_event.htm

Wacky British Races: The UK’s Craziest Challenges is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The U.K. is known for its sense of humour, creative edge, and overall quirkiness. What’s more, this eccentricity seems to have spilled over into the foods we eat. Take a look at what’s on the menu …

Breast Milk Ice Cream

Amongst the cobbled streets and boutiques of London’s Covent Garden, you’ll find the somewhat anarchist dessert company, The Icecreamists. These “Agents of Cool” created much controversy with the arrival of their breast milk ice cream named “Baby Gaga” (pictured above). This dessert is made from breast milk which is pasteurised and then churned with vanilla pods and lemon zest. At £14, it’s not cheap, but comes served with a rusk and (for those who want a nostalgic taste of infancy) a shot of Bonjela or Calpol.

Crocodile fillet With Plum Sauce

In London’s West End, hidden among the theatres, bars and cheap hotels, you’ll find Archipelago, a restaurant with grandiose decor and an eclectic menu which features all kinds of wild animals. Here you can dine on crocodile fillet, seared in vine leaves and served with a plum sauce. Or if you’d prefer not to mess with the order of the food-chain, opt for zebra with soba noodles instead.

Deep Fried Mars Bars

Scotland has a reputation for deep frying all kinds of foods, from pizza to haggis. But it’s the deep fried Mars bar which rouses the most interest. Since its beginnings in a humble chip shop in Aberdeen in the 1990s, people have been ordering this deep-fried confection, largely out of sheer curiosity. A chocolate bar covered in batter and then deep fried in hot oil might sound like the recipe for a heart attack, yet the popularity of the deep fried Mars bar sees it remain a firm staple in chip shops across the country.

Snail Porridge

Heston Blumenthal’s scientific curiosity coupled with his nous in the kitchen has earned him the moniker of “culinary alchemist,” and has resulted in the famous tasting menu at the Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire. Dishes include salmon in liquorice; bacon & egg ice cream; and a rather intriguing snail porridge. It must work, as the Fat Duck is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the world. And now the famous chef has opened a new restaurant, simply named Dinner, at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Being housed within one of London’s most elegant hotels, this time curiosity is piqued in style. A dish named “rice and flesh” features calf’s tail and saffron, while a starter of “meat fruit” is goose liver pate disguised as a mandarin. Or, for a dish which is what it says it is, why not order the ragu of pig’s ears?

Delicious? A Taste Of Eccentricity – The U.K.’s Strangest Dishes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

A host of stars, including Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Harry Enfield and Victoria Wood join forces for a period-drama-themed spoof for Red Nose Day.

A fun thing to watch on Sunday morning.

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 1:

Upstairs Downstairs Abbey Part 2:

Comic Relief 2011: Upstairs Downstairs Abbey – Hilarious Downton Abbey Spoof is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This is awesome and hilarious.