Top 20 Fibs Mancunians Tell To Appear More Cultured

SAM | 5th May 2017

One in ten Mancunians have claimed they have visited a place they have never been to, enjoyed a book they’ve never read, or eaten food they secretly can’t stand, in a bid to appear more “cultured”.

Researchers carried out a new study into cultural experiences, which reveals the hilarious exaggerations Mancunians tell to appear more interesting, better-travelled and more worldly wise.

According to the survey, 20 percent have even fibbed about where they have been in the world – with New Zealand, Paris, Australia and Rome emerging as popular places people wish they had visited, but haven’t.

Meanwhile four in ten Mancs claimed to have watched a film they’ve never seen, while nearly one in five (17 percent) have claimed to be more well-read than they actually are.

A similar number (15 percent) have also given the impression to their family and friends that they are more into ‘cool’ music than they actually are.

There are even a handful of people who’ve gone as far as to be economical with the truth when the topic of plays, operas and arthouse films crop up.

According to the study, the films the British public are most likely to have claimed to have watched when we haven’t, include Pulp Fiction, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Pulp Fiction.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were the top three plays that Mancs said they have seen when they actually hadn’t.

When it comes to books we haven’t even picked up, Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace was popular, as was Animal Farm by George Orwell and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

One in four Mancunians (25 percent) make out that they are ‘foodies’ to their friends, family and colleagues – suggesting they regularly dine on oysters, quinoa and sushi – when in fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Other popular pretends include an over exaggerated interest in politics, in a bid to impress one’s peers (13 percent).

A further 33 percent claim they would consider a cruise to a destination such as the Mediterranean or Caribbean in a bid to appear more cultured.

Antonio Paradiso, Country Manager of MSC Cruises UK, who commissioned the research among adults aged between 16 and 65, commented saying: “As a travel company, we know that guests seek to visit new countries in order to broaden their horizons beyond the everyday.

“Visiting somewhere such as the Mediterranean or Caribbean on a cruise is a great way to visit different countries without having to unpack a suitcase and discover differing cultures, cuisines and traditions in a short amount of time, giving guests plenty of new stories and experiences to share with family and friends.”

Despite the penchant for a bit of ‘spin’ from time to time to boost our social status the study found most Mancunians do get their fair share of culture.

According to the data the average Manc typically reads 16 books a year, will enjoy a fine dining experience on nine occasions and will visit the theatre 10 times.

On top of that they watch 26 documentaries a year, watch seven independent films and visit three countries or cities.

Do any of these from the top 20 lists below ring true? Do you often claim to appear more cultured than you really are?

Top 20 places Mancs claim to have visited in a bid to appear cultured