"You Americans..." - Mini rant

[Draka]

You know, this does get infuriating a lot. I have taken to quickly exiting certain threads that even elude to that type of thinking. I found that if I stopped to read them I had an overwhelming urge to reach through the monitor and smack someone, so I stopped reading them.

Unfortunately, we are guilty of that within the US towards each other. We stereotype each other by state. We have a preconceived idea of what someone from California, Alabama, Texas, Iowa, or Tennessee is like. You think of each state and you can draw a mental picture of somekind of what someone there might look, act or sound like. With all the differences we have across this country, stereotyped and actual, I really find it amazing that anyone outside of this country can determine any general stereotype that we all are suppose to fit. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[Nanda]

Unfortunately, we are guilty of that within the US towards each other. We stereotype each other by state.

That is so painfully true. My best friend was born and raised in Alabama (and if any state gets painted in a negative light, it's Alabama) and I know he's very tired of all the stereotypes that go along with it. He's an intelligent, thoughtful, accepting and tolerant man, but the minute anyone hears Alabama, they begin to make assumptions.

 

[Sahar]

who want nothing more than to kill Arabs, steal oil

So only your government wants this??!!!

 

[SoyLeche]

So only your government wants this??!!!

No, he's right. We all want it. It's one of the few things we all agree on.

 

[MaddLlama]

I have to admidt that there's A LOT of things in this country that I'm not fond of. But no country is perfect.

I too get sick of people labeling all of us Americans the various stereotypes that have been given to us. It seems people just see the word "American" and that's all they need to form a judgmental opinion about that person.

And it's even worse if your a California resident. Then you get "Hollywood" label as well.

Same thing with New York. Most people assume that I live in the city. NY is a biiiiiig state. Also, people make a connection between living in NY and shooting people for some reason.
There seem to be a bunch of different sterotypes, but I imagine the midwest people have it the worst. There's the California sterotype, the New York sterotype, the New England sterotype, the Midwest and the Southern sterotype.

 

[Reverend Rick]

As a nation, we are dumber as a whole. Our education system is in the toilet. When I went to high school, a 95% was a "B". Now a 91% is an "A".

Calculators were contraband in school unless you took calculus. You had to show your work, and multiple choice tests were for the slow kids.

Spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure eludes college students now.

We have become self centered, vain, and think every individual is some how important. To other countries, we are arrogant and misinformed.

Not only do we not understand other cultures, we cannot even locate their countries on a map. How many Americans can speak more than one language?

Despite our ignorance's, we still have a higher standard of living and are the worlds only super power. That makes people jealous of us.

 

[Nanda]

Same thing with New York. Most people assume that I live in the city. NY is a biiiiiig state. Also, people make a connection between living in NY and shooting people for some reason.
There seem to be a bunch of different sterotypes, but I imagine the midwest people have it the worst. There's the California sterotype, the New York sterotype, the New England sterotype, the Midwest and the Southern sterotype.

I always thought the south had the worst stereotype, but that could just be because I'm from the north east.

 

[mostly harmless]

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to Radio Frequency X.

HAHA I got that too!

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Yeah, Us Americans are all a bunch of evil, selfish, capitalist, corporate, individualistic, uncultured, Evangelical Christians who want nothing more than to kill Arabs, steal oil, and convert the world to Christianity. Wow, that felt good!

Being a narrow-minded, fanatic, bigoted, homophobic, fundamental, Bible-believing Christian I can only say, "Wow!"

 

[jonny]

I live with a guy from England who is constantly complaining about "American this" and "America that." My response is usually, "if you hate everything about this place so much, why don't you just leave." If I hear it one more time I think I'll deck him.

 

[jonny]

Same thing with New York. Most people assume that I live in the city. NY is a biiiiiig state. Also, people make a connection between living in NY and shooting people for some reason.
There seem to be a bunch of different sterotypes, but I imagine the midwest people have it the worst. There's the California sterotype, the New York sterotype, the New England sterotype, the Midwest and the Southern sterotype.

My favorite stereotype I heard was from a group of friends from Iraq that I met in Germany. They said that they would never visit America because of the Mafia. :cover:

 

[MaddLlama]

My favorite stereotype I heard was from a group of friends from Iraq that I met in Germany. They said that they would never visit America because of the Mafia. :cover:

Oh yeah that's another great one. You know, my husband was afraid to meet my father when we first started dating when he found out my dad was an Italian from Brooklyn. I get the mafia bit all the time. :cover:

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Oh yeah that's another great one. You know, my husband was afraid to meet my father when we first started dating when he found out my dad was an Italian from Brooklyn. I get the mafia bit all the time. :cover:

LOL..........well there ARE some things about the Brooklyn stereotype that is true when I lived in NYC/Manhattan for a year. I had friends that lived in Brooklyn so I'd be there to visit many times:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxA_i4clupg




C'mon, what's there NOT to love of Brooklyn?



Peace,
Mystic

 

[MaddLlama]

Oh, god I love that commerical. It's just so true. That is definately one NY sterotype that is totally based in truth

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I love the lady hanging out her Brownstone window.......



It's OK to stereotype by region IMO when it's an endearing kind. Whatever happened to looking to the South for "southern hospitality?" I loved being on the East Coast in the Yankee states for teaching me never to take anything personally. LOL



And California surfer-talk.........what up, brah? *does the hang-loose hand mudra*



I'm so entrenched in the Midwest that the only stereotype I truly know of is that we don't really have "neighborhoods" and that all of us live on farmland. I didn't know our farm was only a half-acre wide and sitting right next to a supermarket parking lot.



Peace,
Mystic

 

[MaddLlama]

I love the lady hanging out her Brownstone window.......

She's every NYers grandmother, I think. lol

 

[pete29]

We saved Europe from Germany twice. Because of us people in one half of Korea aren't starving. In this country you can call the leader anything you want without fear of being locked up or killed. We give money to every country on earth. We basically fund the United Nations. We feed the World. If you have a natural disaster we give medical aid and help rebuild your countries. We die for the World. We cry for the World. We sweat for the World. The United States sure is one terrible place.:sad:

 

[jonny]

We saved Europe from Germany twice. Because of us people in one half of Korea aren't starving. In this country you can call the leader anything you want without fear of being locked up or killed. We give money to every country on earth. We basically fund the United Nations. We feed the World. If you have a natural disaster we give medical aid and help rebuild your countries. We die for the World. We cry for the World. We sweat for the World. The United States sure is one terrible place.:sad:

They hate us, but they sure love our money...

 

[Radio Frequency X]

Being a narrow-minded, fanatic, bigoted, homophobic, fundamental, Bible-believing Christian I can only say, "Wow!"

Yes, you see, our arrogance is justified and anyone who says any different, looks any different, or has something we need or want, or who says anything that could be construed as contradicting our deep, national, Christian values better watch out! TeHe. :beach: