# Cheap jokes about Americans **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342 "2005-05-18T01:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/41 "2005-05-18T16:23:12Z")
> [@sewalk](#): > > Hey! Everything I know about Canada, eh?, I learned from Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, eh? So take off, eh? 😃 I learned quite a bit from the [Molson rant](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/joesrant.htm) . ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/42 "2005-05-18T16:36:49Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Oddly the fat American isn’t a stereotype I can ever recall seeing anywhere outside the US. Some Americans in humour are fat but no more often then anyone else. Go rent _The Triplets of Belleville_. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/43 "2005-05-18T16:40:49Z")
I supposed you Canadians/Canadiens can explain this [joke? 😕](http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_03.27.97/plus/necrofile.html) ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/44 "2005-05-18T16:43:38Z")
WTF? I am a "Merican, and I can tell you. “Joking” rhymes with “smoking” It’s poking fun at anti-smoking decrees. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/45 "2005-05-18T16:53:58Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I’m pretty sure the beer-canoe joke predates Python. …and if it didn’t, that’s still a joke non-Americans are making about Americans, right? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/46 "2005-05-18T17:01:17Z")
I was just thinking about this as I watched love, Actually, the other day. It was written by [Richard Curtis](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0193485/), who also wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones’ Diary among others. His movies always seem to take a poke or three at Americans. The standard cliches: 1. Americans are culturally and historically ignorant. (In Four Weddings, an American character asks a British character if he knows Oscar Wilde.) 2. Americans are all religious nuts. (The three fantasy American girls in Love, Actually are all religious, and get especially excited when they think the British character is, too. Four Weddings features a brief shot of a faith healer from Minnesota.) 3. Americans are generally boorish, with some exceptions. If you want to see a horrible mish-mash of ignorant stereotypes about Americans in general and American Southerners in particular, just rent [Stars and Bars](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0096166/) featuring Daniel Day Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/47 "2005-05-18T17:05:05Z")
Not exactly jokes, but I once had an Italian acquaintance visiting here. She called us megalomaniacal when she saw the large number of American flags flying around the Washington Monument. She thought maybe we overdid the patriotic bit just a tad. (This was 1991, very much pre-9/11.) An English family visiting us was astonished to see the food being served at the Cheesecake Factory. They said one person’s dinner is enough to serve a family of four. My English friend also was amazed that you are allowed to pass someone on a multi-lane freeway by passing in the slow lane. Strictly illegal in England. For an Italian’s view of the US I recommend [Ciao, America! : An Italian Discovers the U.S.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767912365/002-0311391-0204804?v=glance) by [BEPPE SEVERGNINI](http://www.beppesevergnini.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/48 "2005-05-18T17:09:23Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > She called us megalomaniacal when she saw the large number of American flags flying around the Washington Monument. Tell her never to visit Denmark. Those guys \*\*love \*\*their flag. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/49 "2005-05-18T17:55:07Z")
> [@Nunavut Boy](#): > > Reminds me of a good joke: > > Ok, so there’s this hot blonde, a fat chick, a Canadian dude and an American dude riding on a train. The train goes through a tunnel, everything goes dark and they hear a “SLAP!” noise. > > The train comes back into daylight and the American is rubbing his surprised face, thinking, “who slapped me?”. > > The fat chick thinks to herself, “I bet that filthy American tried grabbing the blonde in the tunnel and she slapped him for it”. > > The blonde thinks, “I bet that filthy American tried to grab me in the tunnel, but accidentally got the fat chick in the dark, and she slapped him for it”. > > The Canadian thinks to himself, “Gee, I hope we go through another tunnel so I can slap that dumbass American again”. This goes back at least to WWII occupied France. Replace Canadian with Frenchman, American with German, fat chick with old lady. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/50 "2005-05-18T18:20:09Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > The thing that comes through most in the American stereotype that I have seen is how ignorant they are to the rest of the world. Some Americans live up to this stereotype, when in New York my brother was asked if they had electricity in Scotland… Ha! Back in '84 I dialed in to a big old BBS (In Texas, if I remember right?) that I’d heard had some super features, like allowing several people to connect at once and a “chat” feature that allowed currently-connected people to talk in real time. (Cool!) “Chatted” with one fella, and the conversation went something like this:[spoiler] ]I’m calling from Vancouver, Canada. —How are you powering your computer? ]I have a 4Mhz Z80 with 144k of RAM. —No, I mean, how are you powering your computer? ]What do you mean? —You have a generator?[/spoiler]:smack: ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/51 "2005-05-18T18:46:51Z")
One summer when I was still a teenager, my family drove down to Kansas to see a cousin, and in a Kansas City McDonald’s we were asked if Canada was up in Idaho. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/52 "2005-05-18T21:39:24Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > This goes back at least to WWII occupied France. Replace Canadian with Frenchman, American with German, fat chick with old lady. Also, the guy that gets slapped thinks, “Gee, that other guy kissed the cute girl in the dark, and I get slapped for it.” ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/53 "2005-05-18T22:48:44Z")
I find it interesting to learn what stereotypes are held of Americans. Maybe their stereotypes aren’t as engrained as ours. I do know that in every country that I’ve travelled in, I’ve been treated with courtesy and kindness. This was especially true in Denmark, and, more recently, in France. I was delighted to see last year that people in France were as glad to see friendly American faces as I was to see their welcoming smiles. (Of course, it may have had to do with the sixteen year old mlle. with me.) ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/54 "2005-05-19T14:14:35Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > My English friend also was amazed that you are allowed to pass someone on a multi-lane freeway by passing in the slow lane. Strictly illegal in England. Um, that’s illegal here too (though I have never seen it enforced). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/55 "2005-05-19T14:57:41Z")
Depends on the state. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/56 "2005-05-19T15:12:08Z")
I take it there is also a difference in state laws regarding the use of the left lane. When I was learning to drive in Ohio, the instructor told me that when driving on a highway I should “pick my lane and speed” and stick with it. This included the fast lanes. The rule was that excessive lane-shifting is a hazard on the freeway. Once I was a passenger in a car driven by someone who had learned to drive in New York. I notice that she constantly changed lanes. When I asked, she said, “Well, the left lane is the _passing_ lane; when you’re not overtaking another car, you’re supposed to stay in the right lane.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/57 "2005-05-19T16:04:26Z")
One small humorous story will tell you one critical difference between Brits and Americans- “Americans think that something that is 100yo is _old_, and the British think that 100 miles is _far_.” The British get all upset when we confuse “British” with “English” and the Australians same with them & NZ. OTOH, they both call us "Yanks’, a term that really only applies to those from far N.E. USA. Here in America- you can still find a few “real” cowboys, and of course some few Indians still use traditional clothing, but the “Wild West” has been gone for a hundred years (“a long time” 😃 ). Oh, and guys- no hijacking this thread into “passing on the left” debate- I have seen those go on for _pages_, and spill over into the PIT. Let’s just say that the laws vary from area to area, and if anyone wants to explain further, start another thread. Please? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/58 "2005-05-19T16:20:46Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I find it interesting to learn what stereotypes are held of Americans. Maybe their stereotypes aren’t as engrained as ours. I do know that in every country that I’ve travelled in, I’ve been treated with courtesy and kindness. This was especially true in Denmark, and, more recently, in France. I was delighted to see last year that people in France were as glad to see friendly American faces as I was to see their welcoming smiles. (Of course, it may have had to do with the sixteen year old mlle. with me.) I had the same experience in Japan. They all treated with me with courtesy and kindness - it was a great place to visit. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/59 "2005-05-19T20:11:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The British get all upset when we confuse “British” with “English” and the Australians same with them & NZ. OTOH, they both call us "Yanks’, a term that really only applies to those from far N.E. USA. Yeah, but there’s a slight difference - Yankland is the only one that doesn’t actually exist 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342/60 "2005-05-19T22:56:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > OTOH, they both call us "Yanks’, a term that really only applies to those from far N.E. USA… In American English. In Australian English, you are all Yanks. Sorry, but you don’t get to decide your own nickname, others do that for you. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-jokes-about-americans/304342.md?page=4)