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Good Bless America

Zocrates83
Zocrates83
Old Shoe

Nov-16-2006 07:30

Being a citizen of the world i thought it would be fitting the my first thread would be about culture and following in the footsteps of my friend Borat i think it is now time to investigate what stereotypes sleuthies have about Americans. For those playing at home a stereotype is:
1. A simplified and fixed image of all members of a culture or group (based on race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender, national origins)
2. Generalizations about people that are based on limited, sometimes inaccurate, information (from such sources as television, cartoons or comic books, minimal contact with one or more members of the group, second-hand information)
3. Initial predictions about strangers based on incomplete information about their culture, race, religion, or ethnicity
4. A single statement or attitude about a group of people that does not recognize the complex, multidimensional nature of human beings
5. Broad categories about people that fail to differentiate among individuals, peoples, and societies
6. Identification of easily observable characteristics of groups of people

The task for you my fellow sleuthies is simply to state your favourite stereotype in relation to Americans.

Ill start things of:

I figured Americans wouldnt mind this post, as it would be an opportunity to do what all Americans love - talk about the US.

ps. dont make this a rascist thing, its purely fun.

Replies

biggie528
biggie528
Lucky Stiff

Nov-16-2006 08:19

Being from America and all, I figure I'll start (PS I love this idea Zoc lol)

Stereotype: Americans think the world revolves around them and are very egocentric.

My answer to this is.... it doesnt?

;)

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Nov-16-2006 12:23

Growing up all over the world, and being an American who was originally from California, I was told more times than I can count, "Well, since you're from America, you have steak and champagne for breakfast every day, don't you?"

(Thinks hard....) Ummm, nope, never had steak for breakfast (then or since), though it is on the menu for dinner occasionally. And I don't like wine, let alone champagne, so that one's out too. Sorry, guys....

Secret_Squirrel
Secret_Squirrel
Safety Officer

Nov-16-2006 15:12

I come from the sure footing that there are no unrealsitic stero-types of Australia out there to be had LOL

I have lots but I'll just offer:

US citizens all carry guns. I base this on something I read where there's more guns owned than people in the US. So I've always had this vision of a bad Get Smart episode where everyone has a gun: the little old lady has a machine gun tucked under her shawl: the baby has a gun in it's pram: the cheerleader has a discreetly concealed ouzi.

biggie528
biggie528
Lucky Stiff

Nov-16-2006 16:34

I hide my gat in my big mac containers, since we are the most obese country on the planet...all we do is eat fast food after all :)

crunchpatty
crunchpatty
Old Shoe

Nov-17-2006 09:54

Hmmm. The "egocentric" thing...Let's try a little experiment in cross-cultural learning...

Any Sleuthy Canadians remember this?

http://www.mentalstirrings.com/articles/canadian.htm

other notable quotables were:

American: Congratulations, Canada, on legalizing the stapler!
American: Congratulations, Canada on allowing dogs as house pets!
American: [after hearing Canada was getting a $5 coin, called the woody] Congratulations, Canada on getting your first woody.
American: Congratulations, Canada on getting a second area code

Video of the above is really scarce, but here's a little taste:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5198171449512788657&q=rick+mercer

and just to keep things "fair and balanced":

http://www.silverladder.com/literature/humor/canadians/ihate1.htm

:D

yoyofoshow
yoyofoshow
Old Shoe

Nov-17-2006 23:55

Yeah crunch, being 'balanced' is always a good thing to be. :)

Lady Ruby Caplan
Lady Ruby Caplan
Well-Connected

Nov-18-2006 02:47

I never knew until I met a lot of Americans in person (heh, they were G.Is)that America was the only country in WW2 and they were the only people fighting both the Japanese and the Germans.

Zocrates83
Zocrates83
Old Shoe

Nov-18-2006 07:56

I just love it when military personal just disregard history and make up stories to make themselves look tough. Since our resident Aussi Squirrel has remained quiet on the subject i take it upon myself, in honour of remembrance day and as part-time Australian to enlightened my fellow sleuthies and if i could, the wonderfully ignorant US GIs. Lets not only remember the 26,097 Army, 2,208 Navy and 11,061 Australian Air Force personnel that died in WWII, but also the 8,184 captured fighting AGAINST GERMANY and the
22,376 captured fighting AGAINST JAPAN, 8,031 (died while captive). Of course i cannot be sure, but i have always been of the belief that in order to be captured by the enemy, you first have to fight against that enemy. So if Australians were captured by both German and Japanese forces, i think it safe to assume that Australian forces actually fought against Germany and Japan.

Oh, and i think maybe the New Zealand army would have a thing or two to say to the US GIs.

Thanks for listening, Dr. Mil. His. Zocrates

Emma Barlowe
Emma Barlowe
Well-Connected

Nov-18-2006 09:19

My stereotype:

All Americans are rich. *NOT* :)

Marmalade3
Marmalade3

Nov-19-2006 06:32

All americans are fat, stupid, can't talk proper English, spend most of their time in casinos/McDonalds, love globalisation, shoot people and start wars.
(I have American cousins by the way)
on the other hand..
All Scottish people are mean with their money, wear kilts everywhere, do it with sheep, live off whiskey and haggis , know personally the loch ness mnster, have bad teeth and aren't yet civilised.

lol


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