Typical American

Another America bashing thread... really?????????

reply to post by WashingtonGrewHemp


Sorry mate, I was probably a little harsh in my wording of my previous post. I should say that I have met many individual Americans who were really nice people, and I have also come across my fair share of arrogant ones too. I don't blame everyone in the whole country for what the actions of a few do - I am most certainly not that illogical. What I do detest though is the 'attitude' of many Americans - and indeed the country as a whole. When I hear or read about how America is the greatest, without America you would all be dead blah blah blah I just want to puke. No other country in the world carries on like that. Yes, everyone has pride in their country and every country likes to talk good about itself, but America seems to take it to a whole new level - an over-the-top grandstanding approach that is hated by many people from other countries all over the world.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Great thread. On my phone...wish ATS MOBILE Was working.... want to add: it is a preconeived emotion. Each person will have a more acute example yet on a broader term most Americans can relate to the guns, tacky tourists over weight, fast food and obese kids.

There are so many ways this could go...typica american (in the sense of) political, religious, work ethic, play ethic...etc

We are a prideful clan of citizens composed of 50 individual states that unite to form The United States of America - and for all her flaws and what "we/i" could change and make right...


One man. One vote.

reply to post by Skyfloating


Yeah, I get it, by perceiving differences (so subtle you can't even name) in the clothes and table manners of tourists you can tell where they were born and/or where they live. Because 9 out of 10 people ARE a stereotype, otherwise they wouldn't look and act in such a way that allows you to identify them more precisely than an entomologist identifies a cricket, just by looking at them.

Anyway, I should say something to the topic too I guess: the typical American is female, aged 38.1 years, urban, white, protestant, lives for 80.81 years, and has 2.06 children.

Originally posted by arbitrarygeneraiist
Whenever I hear somebody mention anything about the "typical American" I instantly realize that the person talking is an idiot. And idiots don't ever have anything intelligent to say, so I don't listen.

Really? That's a lie, you "listened" enough to post in this thread. Thank you for the thread bump, as posting in threads brings them to the top and makes all the members aware they exist!

Anyway, what was that about intelligence, again?

Originally posted by grifta
This is a sad thread.
I had just this type of thinking, through ignorance, until I managed to get posted over in San Diego for a while.
I was not looking forward to it, due to this pre concieved notion of a "typical American" and all that goes with it.
How ridiculous did I feel? I made more friends in the first week than i did in the first couple of mnths in my home country (UK).I love the place, and I love the people. I would live there if I could.
Never again will I ever pre-judge a solitary person, let alone a whole country.

I appreciate your observations, but disagree 100 percent this thread is "sad". I think this thread is wonderful, it has been so far, quite civil, and inter4esting to hear the various opinions.

I will explain again, what inspired this thread. It was someone on another thread, whose location was Canada, I believe, and they used the phrase, Typical American.

It got me, An American, thinking, what IS a Typical American, and how do foreigners perceive the Typical American?

Nothing sad about that.

Originally posted by NewlyAwakened

Originally posted by SaturnFX
Yes, typically a person is only a "racist" until they actually travel...then suddenly they realize the people whom are generalizing a entire nation are often the backwoods idiots that never travel anyhow.

This squares with my experience with travel as well, and reminds me of a quote from Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts."

So is education fatal to those personality defects.

With the internet, one can educate them selves on any country, and communicate with actual real people from other countries, and that can also can be fatal to bigotry and narrow mindedness.

And there is nothing wrong with being ignorant, if when you discover your ignorance you take steps to obliterate it.

Originally posted by Soldier of God
Another America bashing thread... really?????????

Where?

Have you read this thread, or my OP....Really?????????

Please link to the America Bashing in my OP.

reply to post by hotbakedtater

If you are one who is anti American, how do you envision the Typical American?

You have only asked for replies from people who consider themselves anti-Americans so there is no point really replying to you're queries. With that line you have setup a bait and people who are replying to you're question on this thread will be classified as anti-American.

Imo you didn't really wanted a honest opinion just a bait to ridicule people.

Originally posted by amc621
reply to post by ldyserenity

 

The thing is there is no such thing as a typical American. That's the beauty of our country. Our country is made up of ALL kinds.

Precisely! And that's why you have the freedom to look at statistical prevalence of a particular kind. If you travel outside of the United States, you start noticing that out there, there are few people who are overweight (case in point -- the picture in the OP). Same applies to (multiple) gun ownership. It's as trivial as saying that a typical African person is black. It's not an exaggeration.

Russians drink a lot of vodka

I am a typical Russian and I can assure you that yes, we do.

Japanese are short and smart

...and they drink a lot of sake and sochu!

The sterotypes exist because those type of people exist, but it's no where close to the majority of that group of people.

Read my thesis above, about statistics. I don't recall seeing obese kids anywhere I traveled. I'm sure they exist there as well... Just not "typical".

reply to post by Wallachian


OK, if you need me to spell it out for you: In general, Americans are significantly less well dressed than Europeans.

(Im an American btw and happy to be American, so dont accuse me of American-Bashing)

show me 1 country where every kid is built like 300? give me a break, there are fat kids in every developed nation. first people were complaining of the stick thin model look, then some kids have meat on their bones and they complain of that too. as for the arrogance and chest beating of americans, who acts like that? i'll tell u who...winners. while i have to admit it its rather uncouth to act in that manner, who usually complains most of those sort of antics?.....losers. same way we see alot of people complaining that the world is unfair, those people have more than me blah blah blah., some of the biggest winners on earth talked tons of smack but they could back it up. case in point michael jordan, floyd mayweather, muhamad ali etc etc... problem is now the world has a point because at this point in the game america cant really back up the trash talk. hopefully we wont turn into a nation of whiners because in my opinion that would be much less attractive.

Originally posted by Sheol
reply to post by hotbakedtater

 

If you are one who is anti American, how do you envision the Typical American?

You have only asked for replies from people who consider themselves anti-Americans so there is no point really replying to you're queries. With that line you have setup a bait and people who are replying to you're question on this thread will be classified as anti-American.

Imo you didn't really wanted a honest opinion just a bait to ridicule people.

I would appreciate you quoting my ridicule and baiting in this thread, please. My OP does not preclude anyone from replying and contributing. And I have not called anyone Anti American, I need you to quote that otherwise it seems you are the one baiting and ridiculing.

Anyone who posts here knows you cannot ask for replies from anyone, nor would I presume to do so. If that is how my original post came across to you, it was not intended that way.

I appreciate everyone's responses.

reply to post by buddhasystem


Come visit me in Kentucky, you will see enough childhood obesity to last your entire lifetime!

Originally posted by Arrius
I think Homer Simpson is the typical American.
2nd line.

well, i like Homer. he`s a nice man. a bit infantile, but that`s what makes him awesome. he loves his family and is not angry. (i hate angry people.)

also how about the creators of such shows as The Simpsons, Futurama, South Park, Ugly Americans, American Dad, Family Guy etc. ??? i think they are the typical Americans. they are not afraid to point out to social problems. i dont know of many other countries that produce so many self-critical shows.

your typical american is the same as any typical person in the world. it is the extremes that stick out. last year i took my family to disney land and almost everytime i saw a fat sloppy mess of a family walk by they had a southern drawl to them. People com from all over the world to go to disney land and when they see this mess of a family walking by that is what they remember as americans. a normal typical family blends right in and you can't tell where they are from.

Ahh your american is like your typical human being.

They want to live free and in safety , take care of their family, harm noone else, and just get along in the world the best way they can. TPTB see none of us different we are all sheeples and slaves.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
I would appreciate you quoting my ridicule and baiting in this thread, please. My OP does not preclude anyone from replying and contributing. And I have not called anyone Anti American, I need you to quote that otherwise it seems you are the one baiting and ridiculing.Anyone who posts here knows you cannot ask for replies from anyone, nor would I presume to do so. If that is how my original post came across to you, it was not intended that way. I appreciate everyone's responses.

No probs. thank you for clearing that up. I think Americans are just normal people like you can find in any other country - fat, thin, smart, lazy, genius or dumb etc. Not much difference from citizens of any other country except one thing. I feel the people in America should not blindly believe everything shown on MSM such as Fox News/ MSNBC for their world view and try to find more details and news from sources outside USA -putting it mildly. Only then the American citizens will acquire some critical thinking and begin to ask questions that matters.

reply to post by Sahabi


"Most American girls are unworthy of marriage because they are overly promiscuous, can't cook, can't clean, party too much, and are not faithful. Only worthy of dating and sex, but not to marry. "

i can confirm this statement, it was told to me by a man from south africa who immigrated here 30 years ago, he said his villiage elders told him, "when you go to america, you have fun with american women YOU DONT MARRY THEM!"

as a single man who has lived his entire life in america i can aggree with that statement, there are exceptions, LOTS of them but overall most american women fit that bill IMHO


SORRY TO ALL THE VERY WONDERFULL WOMEN IN AMERICA!! i know they exist, my friends have married them!!lol


BE SAFE PEOPLE

reply to post by hotbakedtater


...and I thought NY was bad