# Why do American men have such great reputations amoung foreign women? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746 "2002-11-07T17:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/21 "2002-11-07T22:41:57Z")
On the other hand, plenty of American ladies just swoon at my English accent (if anyone out there requires swoonage, I’ll be happy to oblige) ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/22 "2002-11-07T23:12:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > \*\*[gross linguistic hijack] > > The Gaspode is from marvelous talking dog of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld: The Gaspode. But somewhere in the back of my head, I hear the word _gospodin_ which I always thought meant “Sir” as a polite greeting, rather than the title. > > Anywho… Spasiba, gosposcha (sp?) > > [/gross linguistic hijack] \*\* [back to gross linguistic hijack] _Gospodin_ in common usage does, in fact, mean “Mister.” Think of it as analogous to the English “Sir.” In one context, it’s an ordinary, modern formal greeting; in another, it connotes knighthood/nobility. \*Gospod, \* however, is a more archaic form, and means “Lord.” And sorry I’m not familiar with Terry Pratchett! I apparently don’t read enough fiction in English, as you can probably tell by my own username… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/23 "2002-11-07T23:19:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*This is not just amoung poor nations. In Japan and Taiwan, I have been told, that the attraction is particularly strong. \*\* I have heard that American men have plenty of luck in Japan, but the Japanese women I know in the US (mostly students who are planning to return to Japan) universally refuse to date American men. The only possible exception is Japanese-American men who aren’t too Americanized. I’ve heard several gripe that they just won’t be able to have boyfriends until they get back to Japan. These women don’t seem to find American men unattractive per se, but feel that the cultural differences are too great to make a serious relationship possible. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/24 "2002-11-08T04:22:26Z")
I’ll agree with **scr4** for what attracts Japanese women to American men. The stereotype (in Japan) of what a Japanese man should be is someone completely devoted to his company, willing to work obscenely long hours, only coming home long enough to sleep a few hours, wolf down a meal his wife cooks and perhaps conceive a kid or two, who are then raised completely by their mother. Basically, a sperm donor with a monthly salary. Also (to continue the stereotype), fidelity is a low priority, with mistresses, or at least fooling around at sex clubs, the norm. This stereotype is reinforced by many TV programs and movies made in Japan. When they watch American TV shows or movies, however, they see husbands who are home at 5, take an active role in raising the kids, and routinely hug or kiss their wives (_Bewitched_, _Little House on the Prairie_, and _Full House_ were long-running favorites on TV here. _Dharma and Greg_ was also popular for a while). Also, most TV shows (the older ones, anyway) portray fidelity as an absolute necessity that both husband and wife take very seriously. In large part because of the media images they see, many Japanese women think of American (and other western) men as more romantic, better emotional providers and (according to some of my housewife students) better lovers. Inaccurate, perhaps, but who am I to complain? Money, in this case, never really enters the picture. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/25 "2002-11-08T04:31:08Z")
To comment on _Lamia_’s observations, perhaps the women living in America, seeing us in our natural habitat, realize that the image they’ve been getting from movies and TV is a far cry from reality and are turned off. The desire to return to their home country and the expectation that most of the guys they’ll meet have no interest in moving to Japan probably play a large part as well. I do know several Japanese women who’ve married American guys they’ve met in the States. Most of them, however, had already finished school and were looking at living at least semi-permanently in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/26 "2002-11-08T07:05:26Z")
Perhaps because American men are taller than average? Height has been showing to be an attractive factor in men (sorry, no cite at hand). ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/27 "2002-11-08T07:13:48Z")
Well as I guy I always got the impression that a good portion of the female community just liked foreign guys period. So American guys do well with foreign women and conversely a good number of American chicks go for foreign guys.(Usually European but not always.) Then again I am a guy so I’m probably totally clueless:D ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/28 "2002-11-08T08:04:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Perhaps because American men are taller than average? Height has been showing to be an attractive factor in men (sorry, no cite at hand). \*\* **Muad’Dib** originally wrote this: _“Many of the women and girls have said to me … that men from their home countries were useless slobs and that American men were the best husbands, fathers, lovers, etc, etc in the world.”_ I doubt that any of these things would have been influenced greatly by height. **Dave\_D’s** observation, on the other hand, is similar to my own experience. ---
**Author:** ![Eidolon909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce7236/32.png) [@Eidolon909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eidolon909)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/29 "2002-11-08T09:10:32Z")
Well, here in Korea foreign (white) guys have it extremely easy. Korean girls/women are attracted to them for a variety of reasons and its not uncommon to see a fairly average looking white-guy by North American standards with a stunningly beautiful korean girl. Its not just Americans though, any caucasian. US, Canada, British, Australian. Alot of it has to do with novelty, ie. blue eyes and hair-colour other than black. Also, Korean men tend to be fairly domineering, demand their women be virginal. In fact, hymen replacement surgery is a big business in Korea and the majority of women who get married who have had pre-marital sex get it done so their husband has the illusion of marrying a maiden. Whereas western men tend to treat the women more to a degree they like, more casual, not afraid of their girlfriends expressing their sexuality etc. Its also not uncommon here for a girl to get involved with a western male just to practice/improve her English. I could go on, but bottom line is that ugly white guys get hot korean girls. Korean girls also tend to be a attracted to men who aren’t incredibly masculine, more feminine actually. But it varies… anyhow… the Korean men who are considered extremely handsome are definately more “pretty boy”-ish than ruggedly handsome. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/30 "2002-11-08T13:45:16Z")
Mrs. Gas–no, that doesn’t work, let’s just say my wife–is Egyptian. The Egyptians tell this joke: Mother 1: It’s been a long time! So how are your two children, a boy and a girl, right? Mother 2: Yes–my daughter is married now, and she’s SO happy. She married an American, and he’s just wonderful. He cooks, cleans, takes care of the children, sends her flowers. . . Mother 1: And your son? Mother 2: He married an American girl, and he’s miserable, it’s just horrible. Mother 1: Why? Mother 2: She expects him to cook, clean, take care of the children, send her flowers. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/31 "2002-11-08T22:39:07Z")
So it is true? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/32 "2002-11-08T22:53:51Z")
i can’t really give a good answer to the OP. i’m too modest. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/33 "2002-11-09T01:26:01Z")
Wow. How come no one brought this up in my thread about reasons to travel? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/34 "2002-11-09T03:17:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > **Countries you mentiuon are fairly _machismo_, as Eva Luna noted. I too have lived in Spain and with a Spanish woman for three years. Her parents generation (born 30s and 40s) hasn’t got a clue about eqaulity. I read somewhere that among older Spaniards, some 70 % refuse to take out the garbage, 'cause thats a chore for wimmin.** The Brazilian women I know who have married American men (including my wife!) have made many comments supporting this theory. On a recent trip to Rio, we were at my wife’s cousin’s house watching her (the cousin) prepare lunch. We were going to take care of some business afterwards, so we had a guy with us who was a friend of the family. He was from a different region of the country, where the “machista” still rules, and he went on to describe how when he comes home for lunch, he sits down and waits to be served. He will not get up to fill his plate even if the food is already prepared and he is starving. He sits and waits for his wife to serve him. Several minutes later, I walked over to and retrieved a plateful of delicious home-cooked food from the pot on the stove. Before we began to eat, we noticed that this fellow’s plate was empty. I was mortified to see my wife spring up from her chair and promptly fill his plate, after having watched me retrieve my own food. Of course, she did so out of habit, good manners and all. She hadn’t even connected her action with the story we had just heard, and once I told her, she kicked herself for not having made him do without. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/35 "2002-11-11T19:36:46Z")
> [@](#): > > In fact, hymen replacement surgery is a big business in Korea and the majority of women who get married who have had pre-marital sex get it done so their husband has the illusion of marrying a maiden. Wow. Science marches on… ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/36 "2002-11-12T00:12:25Z")
yeah, sorry, i don’t rate the north americans as highly as i rate most european men. admittedly i’m probably not talking typical male here, but the americans i know (mostly students, aged 22-28) act much more immaturely towards women than irish guys their age…actually they act more like 15 year olds, or members of particularly rowdy fraternity. these guys discuss certain things, loudly, in public, that don’t really belong outside of the bedroom, and so tend to be less respectful of casual partners than irishmen, who generally keep their mouths shut. the nicest american guys, as far as their attitudes to women go, i know are non-white, of various flavours and combinations, including native american/mexican, and peurto-rican/nigerian they seem to have the “women are equal” attitude, without the “obnoxious braggard” attitude on the side. ---
**Author:** ![caitiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@caitiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caitiff)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/37 "2002-11-12T00:53:18Z")
I seem to remember reading quite a few articles about obesession with American culture, in Asian countries at least, and i think that would naturally lead to an obsession with American men. Sorry i have no specific examples, but it should be to hard to see how well American clothing sells in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/38 "2002-11-12T00:53:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sofa King \* > **(The catch phrase above seems to have been used in both Australia and in Britain, and it contains a grain of truth. American soldiers really were better paid, and most of that pay was disposable because they were already fed, roomed, and clothed.** One cause of resentment was that the Commonwealth countries were running out of money by the time the Americans arrived, and their exchange rates were falling. The result of which was that by 1943 an American sergeant got paid more than an Australian major. So the Americans had more to spend on candy, flowers, and nylons, as well as having been raised to do so. According to my mother (who was dating in Sydney during the War), American servicemen tended to be notably polite, considerate, and generous, whereas British officers were rude, condescending, and tight. She had just sworn off Englishmen when she met my father. Dad was an officer in the RN, but was (1) immensely tall, (2) rather a dish, and (3) an exception among poms. Regards, Agback ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/39 "2002-11-12T01:02:23Z")
I should have mentioned that this trend was not very noticable in European nations. Except that it is instead American women that are said to have above average reputations. ---
**Author:** ![dimsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/77aa72/32.png) [@dimsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimsie)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746/40 "2002-11-12T03:37:41Z")
I actually wrote an essay on the World War II thing quite recently (although it was about New Zealand, not Australia). The general gist was that New Zealand men had created a very male-oriented culture which was really non-communicative: plus New Zealand women’s culture was more oriented towards consumer capitalism (movies, department stores) than the men’s culture, which was all about rugby and tough ‘man alone’ stuff. So American men seemed great because they actually enjoyed dating and talking and spending time (as well as money) with the Kiwi girls. And teeth. You have no idea how many New Zealand women who lived through World War II go on and on about American soldiers’ excellent teeth… odd, generally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-men-have-such-great-reputations-amoung-foreign-women/135746.md?page=3)