Do different countries have different stereotypes of Americans? Or is there one universal stereotype? Can I get a couple ‘What [country] thinks of Americans’ replies?
Loud, boorish and packin’ heat. They’re right about that.
We all talk with a southern accent. They’re wrong about that.
From my admittedly limited travels in various Third World countries–Venezuela, some Caribbean island, etc.–there seemed to be a strong presumption that all Americans are rich. Admittedly, in comparison to their pervasive poverty, most Americans are rich. Inn fact we’re certainly no richer than most Western Europeans but the other nationalities didn’t seem saddled with same assumptions of ritzy cars, servants, pools, etc.
Maybe it’s the ubiquitious presence of American TV but other nationalities didn’t seem–at least to me–to carry quite the same automatic assumption of wealth. When people asked where I was from it was strange trying to describe a farming area. They didn’t seem to realize that many Americans do mundane things like work in factories, farm, wait tables, etc. One poor soul was indignant and disbelieving when he learned that “Dallas” wasn’t a realistic view of American life.
There just seemed to be a larger gap between reality and how Hollywood glitz has portrayed us.
Very impressionistic, but there ya are.
Veb
There are a few stereotypes I can think of, the Californian Surfer Dude, the Southern “Deliverance” Hick, the New Yorker cabbie.
In Canada, at least in the circles I swing in, it’s never a personal attack against individual American’s, but we’ll occasionally appologize, ie;
“Where are you from?”
“The U.S.”
“Oh, I’m Sorry.”
Also, no one likes the fact that Nashville, Atlanta of Phoenix have hockey teams, not to mention Tampa Bay or Anaheim.
And, no one I know can believe you guys chose George Bush jr. as your President. One of our politicians called him a moron, and the press went crazy about the ramifications of it (though no one was questioning if it was a sound assessment).
I’m not sure where you live, but I’ll grant, even in the worst of places, no more than 2 in 10 are loud, never met anyone boorish, and I’ve known one person in 36 years here who has owned a gun. Let’s be realistic.
American (negative) stereotype in Finland:
- Americans are stupid and uneducated.
- Americans are fat.
- Americans are arrogant. They think that one American is more worthy to live than 100 foreigners and that American culture is better than anything else.
- Americans love war, as long as there aren’t too many Americans dying.
- Americans are overtly religious.
- Americans are in love with their weapons.
- Americans are sue-happy.
Seems to be a bit common, too. There’s this Finnish board, tech-related, where the occasional America story (Americans bomb something or sue someone, mostly) is guaranteed to provoke a lot of “There the goddamn Yankees go again” type comments.
Just don’t ask. In this part of the world - just don’t ask. Keep watching Fox News and CNN, and don’t bother asking.
No offense intended, istara, but that last post sounded kind of ominous.
When I talked to my friend Char in England last week, I told her I was going to bake cookies today. Her reply - “That’s SO American!”
Same here in Ireland.
One thing that’s surprised me here is how many Irish people think that Christmas isn’t really a big deal in America. They’ve heard so much about how big Thanksgiving is, they just assume it means Christmas isn’t. I guess they think you can’t have two big holidays or something.
I think most Americans have a hard time believing that.
BTW, zuma, I was joking- I don’t think the stereotypes are true, although I can see where they come from.
Someone said Europe views US as being too religious and conservative while IMO, for the most part in the Third World, Americans are perceived (wrongly) as being very sexually promiscous! Must be the pervasive image of hookers and the other mildly sexual scenes in Hollywood films.
Check out the Grim Reaper scene in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.
Kantalooppi: I may be fat, stupid, and uneducated, but I don’t love my guns. We’re only going steady. 
Really? Wow must be a totally regional thing. At least half the people I know own a gun. And other 1/4 have owned a gun in the past, or have considered buying one but havn’t got around to it. I know 12 guys who have more than 30 guns, and around 15 with a ccw. Only three of them carry a gun on their person as a matter of habit, the rest just have one in their glove box. It kind of surprises me when someone says they have never shot a gun.
All I can say is that the SDMB has forced me to rethink an awful lot of my preconceived ideas about Americans.
Well, I’ve never shot a gun. Never felt a particular need to.
It most certainly is a regional thing. For instance, in the city of Chicago it is essentially illegal to own a handgun, much less carry one in public.
Here in NW Indiana, less than 30 miles away, we have some of the most liberal concealed carry laws in the nation. There are LOTS of people in my neighborhood carrying guns, both men and women.
Which is probably confusing to those outside the United States. The guns laws vary not only from state to state but also city to city. There is no consistent set of rules for the entire country.
My experience is the same as Zuma’s. In my 21 years, I’ve known 1 person who owned a gun, and then only for hunting. I don’t know anyone who keeps a “self defense” gun or anything like that, just various rifles that they use to hunt with. I’m in MA, FWIW.
Just out of curiousity, TheLoadedDog, what were some of your preconceived ideas about Americans and how has the SDMB caused you to rethink them?
I have never shot a gun of any kind. But I’d actually like to try it, just to see what it’s like. I’ve never even held a gun.
I know few people who have guns, but every now and then, I’m surprised to discover that someone that I know has guns. I suspect that many gun-owners keep silent about it unless they know that the person they are talking to is not anti-gun.
Anyway, I was watching British Who’s Line is it Anyway, and someone was supposed to play an American. He walked around saying “How ya doin’?” a lot.