Are Escapist members anti-American?

[KarmicToast]

I read a lot more on this website than I post, and I really have to point out that I am consistantley reading people bashing America and Americans. Now, I'm not some flag-waving Harley-riding, machine gun-toting all American patriot who won't listen to other people's opinions, but I really don't appreciate being blanketly called "emotional," "uncaring," "stupid," "blood-thirsty," etc. It seems that every thread with 100 or more responses has a post like "Bloody typical of _________ Americans who always ___________ and ___________ and think ________."

So why all the stereotyping and white-washing of my entire country?

 

[Armored Prayer]

Well, have you seen what America has done lately.

I'm an American too, but whats been going on as of late is just embarrassing.

I don't think they mean the American people are wrong. Just its government.

 

[Joshimodo]

No, generally the whole world is anti-American outside of America.

 

[LordGarbageMan]

Haven't really noticed any bashing of America, but I never look at threads about government or politics or anything like that.

 

[Zeetchmen]

I love America(and the recent air-show I went to that showcased F-22 Raptors enforced that), but people like to rag on the big guys I guess.

Like how rappers hate the police, other countries dont like how the U.S.A became the world police, plus some not that awesome leaders

 

[ae86gamer]

Exactly what you just said. Its all just stereotyping. If someone speaks down because of where you come from then they don't deserve any of your time to begin with.

 

[Crimsane]

Didn't you know? It's popular on the Internet to hate on America. It's like plus five epeen dude! Omgz.

On a side note... Picking on Americans for their government's mistakes is kinda like punching a quadruple amputee. That's just mean. They can't really do anything about it and you know it.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

So why all the stereotyping and white-washing of my entire country?

Given the Escapist IS an American magazine, I'd say that you just have to look a little closer. Fondant regularly rips into South Africa, Saskwatch and Purple Rain into Australia and myself into England.

What's more appropriate is that there are a lot of confused people on the Internet that correlate anything American to Dubya Bush and Cletus from the Simpsons.

There's also the Internet Dickwad Theory, which tends to make up a lot of these arguments.

 

[oneniesteledain]

I'm an American, and while my natural response a few years ago would've been "anti-American bastards!" now I don't really care all that much. I used to be a patriot, until I realized how essentially similar people were, whether they're American, European, Middle Eastern.

Oh yeah, and that patriotism is lame.

Still, I don't like being stereotypes, but we all do it.

 

[Valkyira]

The people i have met on the Escapist are mainly nice, fair people but i do know that some American's think that their country is the best in the world. What you have to realise is that most of Europe dislikes America for their attitude towards other countries. I like America don't get me wrong, but it really pisses me off when people think it was because of America that WW2 was won. There are a surprising amount of Europeans on this site especially Brits.

 

[martin's a madman]

A fair share of them are, yes.

Now I, personally, couldn't care less about "my" country.
But I am a little fucking sick of all the stereotyping that goes on - stereotyping that wouldn't be alright if it were directed elsewhere, I imagine.

It's a little like how it's only okay to discriminate against white males.

I agree with this.

 

[SadakoMoose]

It's very easy...
Though I wished that people would put more efforts into stereotypes.
New York is cold and filled with pale baseball fans and deli goers.
People from New Jersey are slobs.
The rest of the North East is filled with aristocrats, country clubs, and Mayflower children.
The mid west is boring, ignorant of other cultures, and totally farming based.
The South East is ignorant and racist.
The south west is a desert for weirdo conspiracy people and Native Americans.
Texas is Texas
California is for hippies and yuppies.
ETC ETC
Americans are just as bad about it.
When was the last time you heard an American make a newfie joke?(Canada)
Or one about Southerners? (UK)
or french speaking Belgians?
We simplify our stereotypes too much.
All denominations of British have poor dental hygiene and odd accents, but are generally more polite and somewhat elitist.
All Canadians watch hockey and pronounce aboot and sorry awkwardly. (forget Quebec or Newfoundland)
and Belgium appears nowhere outside of waffles.
Hell, most Americans count Austria as a part of Germany.
I believe that the practice of stereotyping requires a board of standards and practices.

 

[sanomaton]

No, generally the whole world is anti-American outside of America.

Pretty much that. You should've seen my class when we talked about American history and the recent financial crisis...

Although somehow I don't see Japan anti-American - maybe it's due to all the anime I've been watching...

 

[Agent Larkin]

I dislike Americans. But Im more anti-Irish then anything.

 

[Diablini]

I don't hate the normal, escapist-logging American. I hate the makeup-putting-"yo"-talking-girls from the US and A.

 

[Proteus214]

Sometimes I just want to turn to the country and say, "Guys...really? Really?"

 

[rossatdi]

So why all the stereotyping and white-washing of my entire country?

Now in all fairness the stereotype is pretty accurate for a large proportion of the country. It is however a simplification. There are at least four american stereotypes:

1) Cowboy hat, guns, hates gays & mexicans.
2) Backwards baseball cap, trucks, likes his sister.
3) Smelly hippie, Pacific NW commune, hates meat.
4) Urban liberal, hybrids, hates Fox.

There's a lot more but I digress.

Speaking as a yankophile (year studying travelling there, now in a relationship with one) the problem isn't so much 'all of america' its just that certain sections of the population tend generate a fair amount of dislike, even from within the country.

Example, said girlfriend has a healthy dislike of the bible-crazy retards along with a healthy (albeit closer) hatred for the hippie, liberalism-as-a-religion morons. The country has a few too many extremes, the moderate americans I've hung out with are lovely.