# "America Parties" in Other Countries; Are They Real? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031 "2014-07-25T16:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/1 "2014-07-25T16:25:26Z")
In last week’s issue of Time Magazine, I came upo na piece by humorist Joel Stein on the subject of “America Parties,” which he claims are now a popular fad in many countries: > **[Party in the USA](https://time.com/3000988/party-in-the-usa/)** > > What I learned about this great country of ours when I threw an America-themed party According to Stein, the whole idea is to cover a house with excessive patriotic decor, then drink a lot while mocking the cheesiest aspects of American low culture. I’m just curious, IS this really a popular pastime? Have any non-American Dopers attended such a party or heard of one? If so, what did the party entail? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/2 "2014-07-25T17:23:22Z")
Here’s a couple more data points for you: > **[This Is What American-Themed Parties Look Like Around The World](https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/this-is-what-american-parties-look-like-around-the-world)** > > SHAZAM. > **[This Is What Polish People Think An American House Party Is Like](https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/this-is-what-polish-people-think-an-american-house-party-is)** > > One of my online friends from Poland had an American house party. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/3 "2014-07-25T17:31:41Z")
Most parties in suburbia probably fit that description, but nobody sees enough irony in it to assign a name to the phenomenon… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/4 "2014-07-25T18:36:05Z")
Huh… the American flags I get. The burgers I get. The tacky clothes, I get. But what’s with all the red cups? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/5 "2014-07-25T18:42:40Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Huh… the American flags I get. The burgers I get. The tacky clothes, I get. But what’s with all the red cups? > **[How the Red Solo Cup Became an American Party Staple](https://slate.com/business/2011/10/red-solo-cup-how-solos-disposable-drink-vessel-became-an-american-party-staple.html)** > > A short while back I was walking through a grocery store when I noticed a radical development. The classic red Solo cup—a keg party staple for nearly... ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/6 "2014-07-25T18:50:59Z")
Ha. A lot of those pictures, I was just like, “Yup. Looks like a college house party.” ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/7 "2014-07-25T18:55:03Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Huh… the American flags I get. The burgers I get. The tacky clothes, I get. But what’s with all the red cups? You must not have gone to college? The red Solo cup is iconic. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/8 "2014-07-25T19:17:53Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > You must not have gone to college? > > The red Solo cup is iconic. I went to an Ivy League college- by subway. I lived at home. Frat parties weren’t part of my college experience. Live and learn. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/9 "2014-07-25T19:57:01Z")
They’re essentially \*required \*for playing [Beer Pong](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_pong), which I’m glad to see is spreading worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/10 "2014-07-25T21:24:13Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Huh… the American flags I get. The burgers I get. The tacky clothes, I get. But what’s with all the red cups? There is even a song about them that I believe was quite popular (although I’m not sure why): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BKZqGJONH68/maxresdefault.jpg "Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup (Unedited Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/11 "2014-07-25T22:21:07Z")
Those pictures are funny! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/12 "2014-07-25T23:36:13Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I went to an Ivy League college- by subway. I lived at home. Frat parties weren’t part of my college experience. They’re certainly _universal_ for college house parties, but hardly exclusive. Party at the beach? Fourth of July BBQ? Picnic at the park? Car camping? The important part is that they’re lightweight and unbreakable. Any time you might have children or drunk people, or have to haul in (and possibly out) all your supplies, or glass isn’t allowed at all, they are a perfect choice. What I really wonder is what other countries use instead… surely _kegs_ aren’t also exclusively American? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/13 "2014-07-25T23:40:46Z")
They look like more fun than the [British-themed parties](http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/this-is-what-british-themed-parties-look-like-around-the-wor), though that’s to be expected. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/14 "2014-07-25T23:47:40Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > What I really wonder is what other countries use instead… surely _kegs_ aren’t also exclusively American? Of course other countries use plastic and/or paper cups - the point is, they’re not red. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/15 "2014-07-26T00:03:39Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Of course other countries use plastic and/or paper cups - the point is, they’re not red. A plastic cup that isn’t red hardly deserves to be called a cup at all. It is missing its sublime inner cupness. Other colors have been tried, sure… and fell short. And _paper_? Might as well lay over and surrender right now, for the nation is already lost. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/16 "2014-07-26T00:41:39Z")
This is only somewhat related but I only learned about it recently and it shocked me. There is a distinct European subculture that tries to emulate the Greasers, Muscle car hot-rodders and Rockabilly aspects of American life from the 1950’s onward with a healthy dose of general white-trash thrown in. It isn’t a new thing, it started about the same time the American versions did but it never died out. It is called [Raggare](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raggare) and is mainly centered in…Sweden but can also be found in Norway, Denmark, Austria and Germany. Some of them live the simulated life of James Dean or even those dang ole Duke boys full-time while a lot more just like to start some shit on the weekends armed with nothing but a ‘50’s era car, a baseball cap and a whole lot of hell-raisin’ attitude. > **[Meet the Swedes Who Love Classic Cars and Elvis](https://www.vice.com/en/article/7be794/the-swedes-who-love-classic-cars-and-elvis-nathalie-rothschild)** > > The Power Big Meet is the biggest American car show in the world—and it takes place in Västerås, a small town in central Sweden. This year, 17,000 car owners from all over the world gathered at the three-day event in early July to do what car... ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/17 "2014-07-26T07:07:07Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > They look like more fun than the [British-themed parties](http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/this-is-what-british-themed-parties-look-like-around-the-wor), though that’s to be expected. At least at those you get cake. Lots and lots of cake. What’s with that? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-parties-in-other-countries-are-they-real/694031/18 "2014-07-26T08:41:10Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > They look like more fun than the [British-themed parties](http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/this-is-what-british-themed-parties-look-like-around-the-wor), though that’s to be expected. They look about equally shit to me, but I confess, I sometimes have problems comparing negative values.