Just going to add this to the team dog team cat discussion (I'm team both, for the record).

In fairness, if they're out, they probably aren't in their territory.

You can make reasonable inferences about motivations, attitude and reasoning about non-human animals too if you know enough about them (on the most basic level for dogs, tail wagging - playful not intending to be aggressive, tail down and cringing - afraid, teeth bared ears back - aggressive).

It's not entirely unknowable - partner just read an interesting book where a guy trained them to be still in MRI scanners 'How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain'.

I think a lot of it is entirely serious. There's just cultural perceptions and stereotypes - particularly given what's imported (some of which is great, give us ALL your HBOs) in terms of sitcom humour (leading to the idea that Americans don't 'get' irony or sarcasm). I don't think it's jealousy of your empire,…

poss-tah? where'd the o come from? and route as rowt? aluminium as aloominum?

"Do people really talk/write like this?"

Sure. There was a case a while back in America where a girl was raped, and all the news (admittedly Fox) seemed to talk about was how it was a shame it could end the young boys promising football career.

Ok, but it's a fetus not a baby. And if it was a baby with a mouth, it still wouldn't be able to talk yet, let alone reason. So I'm not sure what point that makes...

It's precisely and exactly a personal health decision.

"Do all 12 of these things within ONE HOUR"

"is that right to access those and have them paid for, is that such a towering good that it would suffocate the rights of conscience?"

That's reassuring :)

...I find the interest and enthusiasm Americans have for our Princes a bit bemusing, in all honesty.

A few aspects of the excerpt you quoted reads as incredibly self-righteous and self-congratulatory to me...

...that's not actually the case.

Unless your friend with the ruler-shaped naturally skinny body is a Hollywood starlet, she's probably not being referred to here, as the context seems to be the norm/expectations in Hollywood.

I found this a good sum up of some of things I see on tumblr (albeit the title says twitter) but others may disagree - your mileage may vary:

Well, I think it's certainly true that part of the appeal of 'JLaw' is that, despite being a Hollywood starlet, she seems very down-to-earth. And not down-to-earth in the 'I'm so humble, I'd like to thank my Mom and Dad and God' kind of way, but in a vicariously embarrassing, socially awkward, blurting,…

I've seen a few of those 'yourfaveisproblematic' things linked for different people now, and they've all seemed like they were reaching.