Andrew Sullivan today expresses appreciation for the American culture of service friendliness.
[T]his service ethic of fake cheeriness began in the US of A. It was one of those things I noticed and loved immediately arriving here, and over the last quarter century saw spread throughout my country of origin. The service culture – which is indeed a kind of performance – makes everything more pleasant to buy, blends consumerism with entertainment and enjoyment.
It's a good point, but it's mostly good as a plausible excuse to present this brilliant update of Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch. If you haven't seen it before … you really will want to see it now. It's less than 2 minutes. Work can wait.