I think the american thing about "eating icecream out of the container after a breakup" stems from trying to give the viewer the impression the female is so despondent over her loss that she can't even be bothered to place it in a bowl, and assumes she will eat the whole thing anyway,(because apparently a despondent female must make up for the lack of eating properly while dating to impress upon her male that she is dainty, thin, health conscious and inexpensive to maintain... )
I have never been that worked up over the loss of a relationship, but then my parents instilled in me a belief that I am worth better than someone who would hurt me so deeply. I just get mad,and move on to better game. and Yes, Chocolate is really the best comfort food when bummed out. No not all of us feel the need to binge when bad things happen. Some of us go the opposite way, and forget to eat.

As a British girl I have to say most of us don't sit with an entire tub of ice cream to drown my sorrows over being dumped. An entire bar of chocolate yes but not ice cream. Maybe its because its too cold here most of the time to eat ice cream straight from the tub, I mean doesn't the tub freeze your hands when you hold it??

Also we really don't have paper bags here. I've been given a paper bag a few times, mostly as a promotional thing and they've always been small easy to carry by the handles. A few shops, like Topshop do paper bags, but their quite a novelty. Food wise, paper bags just don't exist, to me they're a very American thing.

Oh and Manda, those red cups are iconic, I've only ever seen them on American TV. To me they are very American high school/college things. We generally drink out of white/clear plastic cups in the UK.

Wow. I never knew the red plastic cups I drink from every day was so iconic. o_O Why?

Dan, as you're not a girl, I don't think you can really comment about the ice cream binging. Size, sure... feminine use as comfort food, no. Come back as Danielle (or Bridget Jones) and we'll talk.

As to paper, which I prefer, it's really very strong (I know it doesn't seem like that would be the case), and even stronger when you double-bag them. Trader Joe's, where I do most of my shopping, has the awesome handles, which is way better. For regular use (including cans and other heavy objects) they work very well. Can you carry a 25-lb. turkey in one? Yes, if you double-bag it and it's the only thing in there and you support the bottom, rather than using the handles. (And the same turkey in a plastic bag causes the handles to slice into my hands.)

Plus, I use the paper bags over again as trash bags, and for my recycling (just carry the whole bag down to the bin and pitch it in). The plastic ones I collect and return to the store, where they (hopefully) recycle them. They say they do, but who knows.

Your welcome, Bob.

My favorite thing about her article are the comments and reading where someone used the word "Ossome." Took me a few minutes to realized that they meant "Awesome."

@No1Dad: That as may be, but it's not normal practice for girls to buy them regularly in the UK, and cry into it when they get dumped by their boyfriends. Maybe it's not in the US either, but that's the impression US TV gives.

@BC: Not convinced. Those paper ones always look damn difficult to hold (from underneath?) on US TV, whereas plastic ones have nice handles. The paper ones with handles... I'd be scared that paper handle's gonna rip. Anyway, they're trying to get us to buy canvas bags these days to save the environment these days.

@Ryan: They can also hang the donuts on their ears because of the hole, while they apprehend suspects.

It's always bothered me that invariably sticking out of the paper bag of groceries is a baguette. Sure I buy baguettes occasionally, but people on TV only seem to eat baguettes.

There is actually logic behind why cops eat donuts. Mainly it's because donut places tend to be open 24 hours, and where for a long time one of the few places where a officer on the beat can stop to use the bathroom and get coffee in the middle of the night.

No, paper bags aren't used in the UK. We just have plastic ones. Paper ones just rip, surely. So, that looks odd to us. Also, I think it's the SIZE of those ice cream tubs that astonishes us Brits, as American portions are - shall we say - a little on the large side.