Americans are stupid, fat, and impolite...I don't get it.

[Mr. Google]

As far as fat and stupid go there's a few people here. But in Ohio i have come across very polite people. So we have two out of the three.

Yay Ohio!

 

[quiet_samurai]

So I just got back from a vacation in LA and I don't understand some of the stereotypes centred around Americans. I imagine most of us have heard these stereotypes, and I myself have been guilty of making them from time to time. But in the week I was there, I didn't see an abnormally high number of fat people. I didn't think anyone I talked to was stupid. Everyone seemed polite and there were few people who were especially inconsiderate. I didn't notice a higher number of any of those types of people in the US than anywhere else.

So are these stereotypes just untrue? Because I've known people who would swear that they are, and insist that every stereotype is accurate. Did I just have an unusually pleasant experience in the States or is are people in California just a breed apart from their countrymen? Please Escapists, enlighten me.

Well... LA is known for it's incredibly attractive people. Being beautiful is a huge part of the culture down there. And the stupid and arrogant thing.... that's just a media sensation. Most people in general are pleasant and nice no matter where you go, and intellignece these days is higher then it has ever been everywhere.

The only places in the US I can think of where all three of those stereotypes apply is a few places in Texas I have been. Nearly 80% of the people there were obese, loud, and ignorant. It was.... awe inspiring.

 

[Stevo_s]

No, most of them are true, but you have to remember that a stereotype is a generalization. Not everybody is going to be fat, loud, and obnoxious.

Plus, those stereotypes that other people think of Americans are usually those boisterous Texans and trailer trash. It's no wonder you did not see anybody of that kind in LA.

Wow really?
Do you believe everything you see on tv?
Or read from the internet?
Stereotypes are true and untrue everywhere people can be fat, stupid, and impolite. Generalizing everyone in a certain place just because of a few people there is ridiculous.
Look at yourself and how you perceive "trailer trash" Ive lived in two trailers do you automatically see me as white? Ignorant? Loud? Do I sit on my ass all day drinking beer in a white stained muscle shirt with my fat rolls popping out?
Well if you do, take a good look around. Please do not point the finger.

 

[JLML]

You must have fantastic luck, my friend.

Everyone here in my town is a fat fucking moron.

maybe you're just living in the wrong town?

OT: I think it's partially that the stereotypes are false, or a bit incorrect, and the fact that you went to LA. Seriously, the stereotypes I know of differs from area to area. In some parts everyone's stupid (the typical southern stereotype for example) and in some a lot of people are really fat. In some areas people don't differ that much from us in Europe. Hell, from what I've heard, Americans stereotypes other Americans. It's a large place after all.

Just California is roughly the size of Sweden, and here we have lots of stereotypes about other Swedes. (damn all skåningar... and stockholmare. And boråsare... They're not worthy of being Swedes! (at least we in Göteborg sometimes joke about them not being worth it... =P))

Oh, we have someone from Göteborg here? En go gôbbe! Concerning Borås, I cant stand the city. The people are okay, I guess; it's the city itself that's horribly cold, in a way that can't be measured with a thermometer.

Yea, that's why me and my friends say Borås isn't a part of sweden. Same with Skåne, for different reasons. 1. The people there sound like they're half-Danish, half-Swedish or something. 2. All the racists and Nazi guys come from there. (ok, not all, but Sverigedemokraterna and their leaders. Damn Nazis) 3. People down there actually vote for Sverigedemokraterna. =.=" (ok, people do that here too, but most of the support is from Skåne)

Also, I just wonder... Which city should be the REAL capital? =P

 

[firemark]

I would have to say that stereotypes are helpful in preparing for a visit, but they do not define the population as a whole or even a majority. I have been to many different cities and states in the U.S. and there are some where the people are nicer than others. As for the parts concerning the intelligence and obesity. Well if you look around the states more towards the Mid-West it saddens me to say, that I have seen a considerable amount of child obesity. The intelligence really is relative to your own. I surround myself with people that are smarter than me and push myself to keep up. To them I'm probably sometimes the dumb one, but at the same time I meet other people and feel like "dumb American's" is a fairly accurate statement.

In the end I feel it's safe to go somewhere with stereotypes in mind, but don't expect them to be true.

 

[Sinclair Solutions]

No, most of them are true, but you have to remember that a stereotype is a generalization. Not everybody is going to be fat, loud, and obnoxious.

Plus, those stereotypes that other people think of Americans are usually those boisterous Texans and trailer trash. It's no wonder you did not see anybody of that kind in LA.

Wow really?
Do you believe everything you see on tv?
Or read from the internet?
Stereotypes are true and untrue everywhere people can be fat, stupid, and impolite. Generalizing everyone in a certain place just because of a few people there is ridiculous.
Look at yourself and how you perceive "trailer trash" Ive lived in two trailers do you automatically see me as white? Ignorant? Loud? Do I sit on my ass all day drinking beer in a white stained muscle shirt with my fat rolls popping out?
Well if you do, take a good look around. Please do not point the finger.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. I was just saying that the people that Americans are sterotyped for are those nut cases on the Jerry Springer show and this guy: http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/09/rich-texan-the-simpsons.jpg.

Of course I don't see everyone who lives in a trailer to be white trash. There are plenty of fat, loud, and ignorant people around where I live. I was just trying to describe the Jerry Springer-type person.

I'm sorry if I offended you, but I assure you I didn't mean it.

 

[TOTL_UNIALAYSHUN]

You probably just talked to a bunch of lying Canadian tourists. xD

but what if we are telling the truth?
I believe that we are for about 75 percent of the country.

Very good point! I didn't think of it that way.

 

[AMMO Kid]

I grew up in London and now live in the state of Georgia, and I can say that a high percent of the guys I meet are jerks in America. The girls are good though. You guys have some cute girls

Yes, yes we do. I have to ask though, why would you move from London to Georgia? I can't stand Tennessee let alone Georgia. So what is that about?

Because my dad was missionary over there and the colleges are better over here

 

[Stevo_s]

No, most of them are true, but you have to remember that a stereotype is a generalization. Not everybody is going to be fat, loud, and obnoxious.

Plus, those stereotypes that other people think of Americans are usually those boisterous Texans and trailer trash. It's no wonder you did not see anybody of that kind in LA.

Wow really?
Do you believe everything you see on tv?
Or read from the internet?
Stereotypes are true and untrue everywhere people can be fat, stupid, and impolite. Generalizing everyone in a certain place just because of a few people there is ridiculous.
Look at yourself and how you perceive "trailer trash" Ive lived in two trailers do you automatically see me as white? Ignorant? Loud? Do I sit on my ass all day drinking beer in a white stained muscle shirt with my fat rolls popping out?
Well if you do, take a good look around. Please do not point the finger.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. I was just saying that the people that Americans are sterotyped for are those nut cases on the Jerry Springer show and this guy: http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/09/rich-texan-the-simpsons.jpg.

Of course I don't see everyone who lives in a trailer to be white trash. There are plenty of fat, loud, and ignorant people around where I live. I was just trying to describe the Jerry Springer-type person.

I'm sorry if I offended you, but I assure you I didn't mean it.

Its cool! :]
Its just that I'm from Texas and its frustrating when Texas is put forth as an example of pathetic people. We have a pretty bad reputation but its annoying when people put us in that stereotype.

I mean come on! do we look like were from Mississippi? ;]
Just kidding of course! x)

 

[Forgetitnow344]

>LA
>Polite

Does the LA in your post stand for Los Angeles? That place is the shithole of California culture, even when compared to valley towns (some of which seceded from the Union during the Civil War!).

I don't think California was ours during the Civil War

That's what Google is for.

 

[thahat]

Well people world wide are fat, and Frnce is a very impolite place ya know. And we aren't the stupidest we have the what 2nd highest educational system?

Gotta disagree on one point there. Your educational system is nowhere near second highest. It's a fair chunk lower than the UK's and that's not second highest.

quoted for truth, i meam the uk's system is even below the dutch system. and our system sucks donkey balls in my oppinion XD

Actually we're above the Dutch for education as-well. At-least according to this comparison chart. I wouldn't trust everything this chart says to the letter. It probably is a very good indicator of the truth though considering the amount of variables they take into consideration. The UK's education is easily the best thing about us. Other Scandinavian countries do have a better education system than ours though. I was fairly surprised Denmark wasn't higher.

is finland at the top XD? then the chart might still hold SOME ground, but i mean, seriously? enlgish schools better ? XD? that makes me laugh. a lot. XD maybe 30 years ago, but now XD? hellno.

 

[thahat]

Well people world wide are fat, and Frnce is a very impolite place ya know. And we aren't the stupidest we have the what 2nd highest educational system?

Gotta disagree on one point there. Your educational system is nowhere near second highest. It's a fair chunk lower than the UK's and that's not second highest.

quoted for truth, i meam the uk's system is even below the dutch system. and our system sucks donkey balls in my oppinion XD

Actually we're above the Dutch for education as-well. At-least according to this comparison chart. I wouldn't trust everything this chart says to the letter. It probably is a very good indicator of the truth though considering the amount of variables they take into consideration. The UK's education is easily the best thing about us. Other Scandinavian countries do have a better education system than ours though. I was fairly surprised Denmark wasn't higher.

is finland at the top XD? then the chart might still hold SOME ground, but i mean, seriously? enlgish schools better ? XD? that makes me laugh. a lot. XD maybe 30 years ago, but now XD? hellno.

LOL

You can't judge us all by the chavs. XD

They may make up the loudest portion of our society but there are still a lot of intelligent people here too.

wasent judging you by the chavs. but by general effectiveness of the schools.
but to be honest, you are at a disadvantage in the people actualy attending the school, youve got a valid point there XD

 

[manaman]

snippety snip

yet more snip still

big snip

why should someone not ask if a stereotype is true or not? its possible someone just wants to know how the world works, regardless of age or intention.

also, on average, if you look at statistics. Americans ARE fat.
yet, they are NOT impolite ( and actualy really friendly people, way to go USA! )
also, yes, yes they are stupid, and uneducated, if you compare it to the rest of the western world, by education. but 'stupid stupid' no. they are crafty, can think stuff up to get them along fine etc. the problem is in that you have either very smart, of very uneducated people.

That right there, it's pretty damn wrong. People in the US are no friendlier then anywhere else, going from cold enough to ignore a man dying on the street to warm and friendly enough to invite you in for pie and warm place to sleep for the night.

As for education, well higher eduction in the US is top notch. So much so that the US dominates lists of the top collages in the world. Even lists of collages from other countries (which are far and away biased towards those countries, the list from Mexico has two Mexican Universities in the top 20, where no other list has either of them in the top 50). Even primary education isn't anywhere close to as bad as people make it seem.

The OECD rankings are interesting, because they show the US at about the number 20 spot trailing the median rankings in math, but fairly close in science, and untested in reading comprehension. Other rankings usually place the US much closer to the median levels. Which is what the US eduction system is, average. Defiantly room for improvement, but far and away not as bad as people thing. Even then it's still got it's bright spots. The main issue with the US education system is the fact that a socioeconomic barrier still exists. One they have been trying to throw money at for years, but it's more then just a problem of poor funding, it's a lack of a willingness to learn on the students part as well. Mostly these are students in poor inner city areas. If we could make a dent in this culture of mediocrity that surrounds them we could make a serious improvement on those scores. Many areas across the US have scores that rival those in the top Asian countries in Mathematics, and rival the top European countries in sciences.

 

[Cmwissy]

snip snip, here. snip snip, there

And you expect an American to look at that insulting drivel and show you respect? Wait, I think I hear the hypocrisy alarm!!!

Wait....what?

EDIT:

Wait...I think you meant the Queen.

Wait...I think you were joking...

Wait...I feel like an idiot now..

Wait..Sorry.

 

[The Arc of Eden]

Well... LA is known for being a more liberal thinking community. At least, most the stuff i hear about the place tend to lean toward that touchy-feely kind of people. It also has a large gay community, and so far I haven't met single douchebag of that bunch.

Where I live people are civil at first, but in general fit every stupid stereotype that you'll ever hear about Americans. It's like they enjoy the labels... fucking tools.

Librealism = Good; Conservatism = Bad. I really wish this community would get out of that retarded mindset. Liberalism and Conservatism are not good or bad, it's the application of the ideals that are important. I personally believe that their are merits in both schools of thought and that they needed to be applied in a certain balance to get the best results. That having been said, the current American govt is over applying Liberalism and making a mess of things. That doesn't mean Liberalism is necessarily a bad thing, it just means they're doing it wrong. A little open-mindedness about this sort of things would make things so much better around here.

More to the point, I live in the L.A. area, and I can say from experience, this city has to be in the top 5 world cities for assholes per-capita. I'm sure people would enjoy visiting this place, but I would strongly advise against living here.

I agree with you. The what I said was more in the context of liberals=generally humble people/conservatives=generally obnoxious people. The word Generally being the key part of that equation. But I believe there really isn't a way to equally balance both camps, and it is better to just abandon sides and pick your own morals and beliefs.

I just find that the conservatives I meet are ignorant assholes, and Liberals, while nice, tend to be pushers.

 

[Buschmaki]

>LA
>Polite

Does the LA in your post stand for Los Angeles? That place is the shithole of California culture, even when compared to valley towns (some of which seceded from the Union during the Civil War!).

I don't think California was ours during the Civil War

That's what Google is for.

Pfft checking facts is for nerds