C'mon, out with it...all you non-Americans, let us know what you REALLY think of us (Americans, that is).

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Don't hold anything back now.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, there is that smell that we Canadians have been too polite to mention for the past 135 years.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Say no more, say no more.

*courtesy flush*

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Well hell, we just lost Jersey.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Was it even really ours?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:19 (twenty-two years ago)

New Jersey : America :: the chainsaw you borrowed from your neighbor and never gave it back cause it was broken and you were ashamed : tools in your shed

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Welcome to Broken Chainsaw Country" = best of all possible Jersey border billboards.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

you seem, on average and at face value (which makes this comment of practically no value), to have fewer issues with self-worth.

as tourists, you speak louder than anyone else on public transport.

i like the folks i've met from the west coast.

― Clare (not entirely unhappy), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

In his satirically-titled book Why I Hate Canadians, writer extraordinaire Will Ferguson says that the only reason Canada thinks we're so polite and tolerant is in comparison to USA.
He says it's like living next door to Def Leppard, and thinking you're a model citizen, which struck me as a little, since there are dozens of American bands he could have cited instead.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I've actually noticed that too Clare (the loud-on-public-trans thing). In fact one of the main criticisms of Americans that I've heard that is actually rather quite spot-on is that we're a loud people/culture. I wonder why that might be?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

That varies by region, doesn't it? (I don't know if non-Americans would notice if it did or not, among American tourists.) One of the first things I noticed when I moved to New Orleans from New England was how much quieter the busses were, barring the routes bringing kids home from high school.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

from my observations on a cable car i take home from work some days, which is often packed with tour-bussing americans, it has to do with two things: the already mentioned self-worth and the fact that compared to us (nzers) you move your tongues more when you speak. i love that about you guys - it's like your mouths are full of something and you are trying to talk; it's like mouth exercises for the previously mute are part of your lower school education. love it.

― Clare (not entirely unhappy), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i like the folks i've met from the west coast.

As Americans it is our sacred duty to turn this into a chauvanistic W v. E coast shouting match, drowning out all the quieter foreigners trying to express their delicate opinions which don't matter anyway.

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

We have so much less density that we're used to shouting (to people downstairs, across the lawn, etc.)

I've noticed that suburbanites do this more than urban people, but maybe that's because they don't ride trains often and it's really exciting for them. [/prejudice]

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Bunch of silly billies ;)

No, but SERIOUSLY! I think Americans get a raw deal because it seems that the loudest, brashest, most obnoxious ones make the most noise (errr, durrrr!). To actually meet Americans face to face is more often than not a quick lesson in keeping a tight rein on ones preconceptions and prejudices.

― Badger (Badger), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

we're a loud people/culture. I wonder why that might be?

Crackpot historical theory: Because for a couple hundred years there, we were constantly spreading out and finding our own space, and therefore didn't have to be mindful of our neighbors as much as if we were living on a small island with no place to go. (Unless those neighbors were Indians, in which case we just killed 'em.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I s'pose that's akin to Kerry's "density" idea.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

What about those emigres living on both coasts? Stuck in the middle, and unable to truthfully flip the finger....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Your women are fantastic. Send more. But why do they like to jog around London in sweatshirts that champion their alma maters?

Your newspapers are rubbish.

Your national rail system should be improved.

Your "indie" is GREAT, not like the "boy band with guitars" UK version.

Your hip hop is much better than ours. thanks.

We like your crap tv.

You're all incredibly tan and healthy.

Your sports make no sense, and your sports fans too polite. very "Un American". Illogical.

As I always tell my girlfriend, It's AmeriCAN, not AmeriCAN'T.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

My density theory is totally half-assed, BTW. But I think there's some truth to it. When I speak loudly, it's because I can't be bothered to walk all the way over to the person.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

We midlings here in flyover will just sit back and watch you coasties fight it out.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

You do seem to have this habit of asking questions at the till when there's a big line-up behind you. Other than that, fine

― dave q, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"oh - i like the people i know who live on the east coast too" - said in a very quiet nz (but not twangy) accent.

― Clare (not entirely unhappy), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

You're all incredibly tan and healthy

OMG!

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Shh, don't let on.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

b-b-but twangy NZ accents = TOO MUCH THE SEXY!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

>You're all incredibly tan and healthy.

Um, actually we're a bunch of fat slobs.

― fletrejet, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I am not a slob! *humph!*

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

we're a loud people/culture. I wonder why that might be?

it's because we're all nuts. for chrissakes, the very symbol of our freedom and liberty has a plaque reading "give me the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me."

would you expect a nation that solicited the world's homeless to be anything BUT loud and obnoxious? so yeah, in general we're kinda noisy and perhaps a little artless but that's only because this country was founded on the premise of "fuck it, you can't tell me what to do. i'm gonna do whatever the hell i like."

― otto midnight, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I think a Boston accent is rather endearing

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Your women are fantastic.

I agree wholeheartily, but, well, urm...I'd go so far as to say ALL WOMEN are fantastic.

Your newspapers are rubbish.

This couldn't possibly be any more true.

Your national rail system should be improved.

We have a national rail system? (wink wink)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's just that our country is too big for a 'rail system' to work well.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that you speak loudly too. I also think that American women in general expect more of their men than Aussie women expect of theirs (well, in the 'what have you done for me lately' kind of way). American men are tall and mostly quite good looking.

― Wouldn't you like to know (Amused), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

New Jersey : America :: the chainsaw you borrowed from your neighbor and never gave it back cause it was broken and you were ashamed : tools in your shed

New Jersey is the greatest state in the union. I'm so jealous of everyone who was lucky enough to have grown up there.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

b-b-but twangy NZ accents = TOO MUCH THE SEXY!

that'll make a lot of provincial kiwi chix very happy, and me too.

― Clare (not entirely unhappy), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Delis everywhere, not just suburban jewish boltholes=also "a good thing".

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

i really don't like you

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

how so, jess?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Did that come out wrong? It shouldn't have.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

americans, i mean, not you, pal

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

phew. Thanks, buddy ;)

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

we're smelly, we talk loud, we're abrasive, our children run wild, we don't respect our artitsts and musicians, we have piss poor cuisine, we like to bomb the hell outta little brown people

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

nickalicious, there's now Amtrak service from Louisville to Chicago!*

*it takes over 12 hours** because of track speed limits between Indianapolis and Louisville.

**driving the same distance takes 5 hours.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

i just bombed out some little brown people myself. i was on the bus today and 3 people were totally on speed and one guy was talkin like a monkey.

― chaki (chaki), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

We (the UK) like to help you bomb the hell outta little brown people. And we're repressed, rude, and anti-social.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

and your cuisine is worse than ours!

― hstencil, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

But at least none of us are French.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Canada, maybe?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i didnt say i liked anyone BETTER than americans, mind

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Blame...oh, never mind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 82 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Hey, isn't a typical Thanksgiving meal pretty American, in the way other national cuisines are? Cranberries, corn, and turkeys are all native to North America, and whatever trace of New England regionalism the meal might've once had has since disappeared.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

a fatal mistake, oops. Next time I go to Madrid, I sure as hell am not gonna talk about baseball on the subway.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry Chester. Could you explicitly state your point so someone as dense as I could get it?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, hstencil. I should have pointed out that w/r/t violence both foreigners view of America and America's view of foreign lands is not totally accurate.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanksgiving traditions, in all seriousness, provide an excellent (and often-used -- dig the Sunday supplement in your local paper next Nov.) focus to compare regional cuisines in the US. But, re: the typical Thanksgiving meal, yeah, I think that's true.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

What 'bout fried chicken?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops:

"(My not very subtle point I guess is that the European-derived ideas of national origin we cling to are really out of synch with how life is actually lived in America.)"

"I thought there was a subtly evolving chauvinism re: what is "American" in this thread and thought I'd try to get some discussion going (to counter it)."

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Fried anything = American?

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:13 (twenty-two years ago)

See, I don't know what you took as being chauvinistic here.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought about that after I posted, chester.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

(i.e., fried Iraqi babies, etc.)

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm having the same problem as oops -- I'm not sure either of us has even made any claims as to anything we've described being uniquely American, except maybe the timescale.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"chauvinistic" is too strong a word and I shouldn't have used it anyway since I don't think any one person was being like that. But concensus seemed to be heading towards this default mode where "American" = steak & potatoes, and that always irks me. But that was all so long ago in this pileup thread I can't even remember if it really happened or not.

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i haven't met many americans. is ned representative of americans? if so, i'd say americans are choice. being perfectly honest though, your country gives me the fear, i'm not sure how justified that fear is.

― di smith (lucylurex), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

...again my point being that "uniquely American" = non-existent (or mostly so) and therefore judgments as to quality of American food actually being "food made in America is good/bad."

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:19 (twenty-two years ago)

is ned representative of americans?

Me as UN ambassador = freaky! (Thanks, Di. :-))

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Ned is much brighter, kinder, and open-minded than a "representative" American. Unfortunately.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

again my point being that "uniquely American" = non-existent (or mostly so)

That's just really not the case, though, unless you set such high standards for uniqueness that you also can't talk about uniquely French or uniquely Italian food, given the vast overlap there. We provided a lot of examples of regional cuisines, many of them [Whatever Nationality]-American cuisines which are distinct from their non-American counterparts.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Tep: this is weird because I didn't feel like I was disagreeing w/ you or Oops at all (other than haggling over the status of "uniquely" as it applies to Tex-Mex, etc.) I thought you guys (and Jaymc) gave good examples. Before you came along people were saying "American food sucks" and the only person I recall giving examples was Sarah McL. (who also used the grebt phrase "OUR Mexican food"). I was simply trying to get people to parse what they meant by "American" which I thought you guys contributed to well.

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm flattered, Mookieproof, and thanks indeed, but I'd prefer to think that there are always going to be great people in every country and culture and then some not-so-great, really. That's just the way of life (and I'm also painfully aware of my own particular imperfections, but that's just me).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Brazilian tourists or maybe Italians and some other cultures are much more loud than Americans. Everytime I'm in a youth hostil it's always someone yelling in Spanish instead of English.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Ned is representative of the 'good' Americans who ~~often~~ always get overshadowed by our ruder, crasser, louder compatriots.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't everyone supposed to hate German tourists above all others?

― chester (synkro), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I was simply trying to get people to parse what they meant by "American" which I thought you guys contributed to well.

Oh :) I think the rapid flurry of posts there probably led to some miscommunication, then.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Americans take up more physical space. They sit with their legs farther apart and walk with their legs father apart.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

This is true, American men are prone to inconveniently enormous penises, which I think non-Americans should keep in mind. And tell others about. Promptly.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

And we all drive our own cars, for personal space reasons. (Hell, my friend and his dad work the same hours at the same workplace and still drive seperately). And we can't stand 'close-talkers'. What can I say, we need our 'personal space'. You all would too, if you could afford it, economically or geographically.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Nice Americans = the nicest, most happy, sensitive, sweet people around. I'm going out with one of them. Bad Americans = everything but everything that's either bad with the western world, or these people make it bad.

Cheap petrol is a very, very bad thing.

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

petroleum is what gas is made of.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Bad Americans = drives SUV

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

anybody on holidays is obnoxious to people who aren't

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Good Americans = SWV

― di smith (lucylurex), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

actually, from what I understand, Quebecois tourists might be the worst of all--I'm sure they're compensating

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Here in Florida, Brazilian tourists are the nightmare of theme park workers.

― fletrejet, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

>>Here in Florida, Brazilian tourists are the nightmare of theme park workers. <<

Knowing tons of people who've been down there working, I know this as truth. You'll often see a group of a hundred of them ducking turnstiles or walking straight through the middle of queueing. The only group more hated by the amusement industry are the Hascidic Jews (who generally have park buyouts where they WREAK HELL EVERYWHERE).

― Alan Conceicao, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

American food = chop suey and burritos.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 10 April 2003 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

New Jersey is the greatest state in the union. I'm so jealous of everyone who was lucky enough to have grown up there.

i'm blushing! but i've been told that princeton =/= rest of NJ, so i don't count!

― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 10 April 2003 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

as fer "bizarro America," that must be either Munich or Frankfurt-am-Main. the former reminding me of a bavarian-stylee LA; the latter, Manhattan on amphetamines.

― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 10 April 2003 03:42 (twenty-two years ago)

My beloved Maryland cuisine is a mix of English, German, Native American, and Caribbean (which is to say mostly African and Indian-as-in-India) elements, but the specific combination and the type of ingredients available fresh and local make it a specific identifiable cuisine. I don't think that this is all that different for the cuisine of any any with a history of trade, imperialism, or immigration.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I do not recognize the town I live in when Tad describes it. Manhattan on barbituates is more like it. It's a farm town with skyscrapers.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Brazilian tourists or maybe Italians and some other cultures are much more loud than Americans. Everytime I'm in a youth hostil it's always someone yelling in Spanish instead of English.

I noticed Brazialians being pretty loud on the Tube in London, also some eastern Europeans talk loud too.

No one ever noticies me on the Tube anyway!

― marianna, Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

How are American women any different than English women, Nordic?

I'm biased, Mandee.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 10 April 2003 08:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks for Poison, Bon Jovi, and Megadeth.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 10 April 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Y'know I didn't think of Maryland as having identifiable cuisine, besides crab cakes and Old Bay.. but then, my part of the state is a little dull and far from the eastern shore where you get all the good fresh seafood.
Oh Maryland, my Maryland, you are not Delaware or New Jersey.

― daria g, Thursday, 10 April 2003 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

unfortunately i'm french, so i suppose i'm not allowed to answer

― Bruno-, Friday, 11 April 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"unfortunately i'm french, so i suppose i'm not allowed to answer"

all the more of a reason to anwser!!

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 11 April 2003 00:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Au contraire, vous etes OBLIGE a nous dire ce que vous en pensez ! :)
Seriously, I'd like to know, pour la meilleure ou la pire.

― daria g, Friday, 11 April 2003 01:03 (twenty-two years ago)

well, i think the answer was partly in what i said

― Bruno-, Friday, 11 April 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm Canadian and I was born about 90 minutes from the border. I've got no problem with Americans. I've got friends and family in the U.S. and even while travelling abroad, the Americans I've met have been 99% cool. There have been a couple of glaring exceptions but there are obnoxious people from every country.

I do disagree with a number of the American government's domestic and foreign policies, your beer is crap and I don't understand how anyone could eat pork rinds. I also hate American spelling. There's a "u" in "colour". Get with it people!!!

So to sum up: Americans good, idiots in Washington bad. Spelling is mildly annoying, but overall there are waaaay worse countries to share a border with.

However, while I'm out drinking with my buddies, I'm obliged to complain about "the bloody Yanks". I'm Canadian and that's what we do. No offence intended.

I'm also looking forward to a little revenge in the upcoming World Cup of hockey. '96 was such a fluke!

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Friday, 11 April 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

we yanks smell like wee

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 11 April 2003 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

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