American Stereotypes

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I was a little bit surprised when I saw this exchange in another thread here in the AoDA.

First from Chandros the Red (commenting on Bush):

And then Djieff responds:

Is this true? Is that a common foreign point of view about what Americans are like? Let me assure you that as a whole we are not a bunch of Texas gunslingers!

EDIT:

Well that's the problem with stereotypes - there's usually a grain (or sometimes a boulder) of proof within them, or else they wouldn't have become stereotypes.

[ August 12, 2004, 21:22: Message edited by: Aldeth the Foppish Idiot ]

 

Uummmmmmmmmm, eeeeh, how shall I put this? I was very close to posting the same as Djieff but I thought I would be tactful and refrain. So very broadly generalised that is the stereotype for Americans atleast hereabouts. Note that I too said stereotype as in the same as Italians are loud and boisterious and can never get anything done or that Swedes are cold, unem0tional and suicidal (actually the Swedish stereotype is somewhat correct...).

 

Don't worry, Aldeth - not all of us think that way. Instead, we think you're all a bunch of loud-mouthed, ignorant, self-centred, flag-waving boors.

OK, so that was way over the top. But unfortunately, to a lesser degree, I think it is also representative of the general impression of Americans. Being from Canada, and having visited the U.S. countless times, I know this stereotype is far from the truth, but when you get people trying to sell "Freedom Fries" or doing other such nonsense, it doesn't help dispel the myth.

 

I think unfortunately since the war in Iraq, that international opinions of America have gone down to their lowest point ever. While I know that not all Americans are Texas gunslingers and warmongers, the current leader of your nation has portrayed that image and does nothing to dissuade it.

What sympathy that was felt after the September 11 attacks has been washed away for the most part by what many people see as war mongering, bullying and an unhealthy desire for revenge following the war on terrorism.

We felt your pain and we felt sorrow for your loss, but we no longer do because now it seems that those events are now being used as excuses to attack those who do not conform or bow down to U.S. pressure.

To the world Bush essentially says if you're not like America you're against America. If you're not Christian like America then you are our enemy. If you aren't a democracy like us then you're evil doers.

As mentioned in other posts regarding former presidents and their charisma, I do have to say that even while in office Clinton did wonders for American international relations and world image. The U.S. was viewed as a more peaceful nation. Armed conflict was viewed as a last result and only when necessary. Bush has taken that hard earned positive image and destroyed it completely.

With someone like that as the leader of the country and portraying that image over the media world wide it's hard for the rest of the world not to think negatively about the U.S. People tend to look at the elected leader of a country as being the embodiment of that country and representing all people therein

While I disagree with U.S. foreign policy in many matters, I know and want anyone here to know that Bush is just one man and while he leads the country he does not represent the hearts and minds of all it's people and that most people in America are genuinely good people like Aldeth and everyone else at SP.

 

Um, yes. Unfortunately, the American stereotype that pervades amongst people in my part of the world is that Americans are: brash, loud, ignorant of the rest of the world, and think everyone should do things the same way as them.

I am aware that this stereotype is probably a gross generalisation and serves no useful purpose, but I'm just reporting what the general opinion is down here.

Note that as Joacquin says, Americans are not alone in having an unflattering stereotype. Others include:
English - boring moaners, boorish drinkers, football hooligans
Scots - tight-fisted
French - cowards
Germans - no sense of humour
Canadians - inferiority complex and say 'aboot'
and I guess I'd better include....
New Zealanders - spend an unhealthy amount of time with sheep.

 

It's not just New Zealanders who have that stereotype. Australians and the Welsh do too.

Quite a few English think of the Americans as a nation of selfish gun-nuts or the traditional sports-obsessed person with perfect teeth stealing peoples lunch money and lechering over cheerleaders. I have to stress that I don't trust these stereotypes to give a proper representation.

 

And I guess an equally important question: Is Bush the cause of these stereotypes, or were these long-held beliefs before the Iraq war? Istolil seems to think not, but that's just one opinion.

 

Long held, just strengthened and confirmed in these last few years.

 

Long held. Actually, it was the anti-Bush Michael Moore who reinforced the stereotype enormously in his movie Bowling for Columbine. Those gun-nuts in that show fit the stereotypes pretty well....

I think Bush Jr has done very little to alter the general stereotypes down here. He hasn't been a big factor.

 

Splunge hit it right on the head.

I just want to stress that my quote from Aldeth's post doesn't reflect what *I* actually think about ALL Americans -- only that Bush is the personification of everything I hate/make fun of/am *afraid* of about the US (the slack-jawed, trigger-happy, power-hungry, bible-thumping redneck, etc.) all rolled up into one man.

I'm Canadian, so there's a lot of "US content" in my life. I know there's a lot of good things about the US, but Bush is the exact opposite. As Chandos said in the other thread, most Americans don't recognize themselves in Bush. Let's hope he's right come election time.

[EDIT] Yes, the stereotype was there well before Bush, but mostly as the butt of silly jokes. However, when the stereotype ascends to power, then it kinda stops being funny, especially if the stereotype contains the words "trigger-happy".

[ August 12, 2004, 22:37: Message edited by: Djieff ]

 

the stereotype image of Americans listed above, has been around long before bush. I think its has been around all my life a probably way before it. I sadly can't tell you where it comes from, but what is listed above is what most people I know around Europe consider the general American stereotype.

 

Exactly correct.

That's only because everyone else is so much better than us.

 

The steretypical American tourist that I encountered often around Europe was very loud, expecting foreigners to speak to them in English (i.e. no effort to learn even a few phrases in English or Italian), then complaining when they couldn't find a hamburger for lunch.

 

Anyone remember the Fawlty Towers episode with the obnoxious American who wanted a Waldorf salad? Pretty much sums up the international view of the American tourist.

 

Or go rent "L'Auberge Espagnole" (if you can find it -- great movie) and see how the American kid is portrayed...

 

here, a typical American is viewed as a 200KG bag of fat, devouring fatty fast food with thier little fingers all day long, infront of the tv. Brainwashed and ignorant. And spending oil as mad.

The only bright example i can think of are the scientists. I guess school payed off.

From what I know them, tourists are bad as presented. The people I know on the inet are better, but the sour taste remains and the administration isn't helping it either.

 

I agree, the stereotype was there before but it's just been brought to the fore front more since Bush Jr. came to power.

 

Americans are:

1. Fat
2. Nasty
3. Greedy
4. Lazy
5. Uncultured
6. Materialistic
7. Rude
8. Filthy
9. Ignorant
10. Arrogant

 

And your nationality, ejsmith?

 

Yes, but there was a crucial moment after 9/11 that was lost. All good people in the world were sympathetic and rallied behind the US, even the "nasty socialistic" French. Shrub squandered all that good will with his redneck, Texas gun slinging attitude toward those who could have helped make the world safer for all nations.

Instead, he played the American "superpower attitude" card. It was a heart-breaking moment for those of us who believed that the rest of the world actually mattered and could help make us, and everyone else, safer with their good will. But that would have required an act of humility on the part of the President of the "all powerful" United States. So much for that.

[ August 13, 2004, 03:28: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]