Not dumb; impatient. I think the media generally anticipates that the viewer will only give a programme/book so much time to sink in before they give up on it. If a britishism is there and potentially will stand in the way of instant comprehension they consider that dangerous.
With regards TV programmes, i don't think it's just about making it 'American' and therefore easier to relate to. It's also about what the average American viewer expects as standard as compared to what the average British viewer expects as standard. Our programmes are made on much lower budgets. The American viewer is, in some ways, much more sophisticated and expects a great deal more from a programme. What they aren't expecting, or expected to do, is to do the mental maths when presented with something that is primarily representational. The American viewer expects to see on screen what a british viewer will add in their minds. Because we are used to programmes that have lower budgets. You guys have much slicker shows in many ways.
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