Do other countries really think ALL americans are stupid?

[Torrasque]

Statistically speaking, the average American is fat and stupid.

(OK maybe I made that up. At least, the stupid part.)

But that's the impression the country sends people. I'm sure every country has its WBCs, or its Glenn Becks; they just don't get publicised as much as the American ones do.

Pretty much this.
I have some very good American friends, so I know you're not all complete retards.
I just think most of you are complete retards who think their country, is the best, did everything in WW2, is the leader at everything ever, has the greatest military, best minds, best economy, etc. etc.
Americans are raised on the belief that their country is the greatest in the world, and very very few that I have talked to, will admit that their country sucks at something, let alone many things.

Semi-related: I am Canadian.

 

[pearcinator]

No they aren't ALL stupid...but this video proves that there are a few surprisingly stupid Americans (BTW this is off an Australian show so expect bias )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ3RrqBqk14

 

[Jim Tungsten]

no, not in New Zealand we don't or at least most of us don't.

 

[English Stew]

For the longest time, since most of my life occurred during the Bush years, my view of America was that not everyone was stupid, just their leaders were stupid.

Today, I don't think it's so much specific leaders that are stupid (though there are some dumb ones to be sure), it's more that the institutions of America are retarded; Education is crippled, the Military is bloated and misdirected, healthcare's a well-told joke, and political discourse is so polarized that I think some debaters no longer have any concept of objective truth. Maybe I'm arrogant for thinking the problems of a nation can be summed up so succinctly, and these problems are by no means unique to America, but what's more important is that slander aimed a America is based more off of larger trends that need not apply to a specific person to be essentially true.

Just to be clear, I'm Canadian.

 

[Mechamorph]

National stereotypes are often created by historical baggage or by the loudest, most visible group of citizens. Unfortunately for the USA, it?s a little of Column A and a little of Column B at the moment. For example, Vichy France gave them the image of cheese-eating surrender monkeys in America. Despite the fact that Lafayette and other Frenchmen contributed much to the American Revolution and the Napoleonic armies were once the terror of Europe. Fair? Hardly. Same?s with America. I?m old enough to remember that America was once renowned for its ingenuity, know-how and can-do spirit. Now it?s more famous for spin, financial skullduggery and a congress that would rather let their country spiral down the drain than put aside their differences and work together. Hardly unique to the American milieu but add to that a straining school system and some rather rambunctious individuals and you get the current image the USA is afflicted with today.

 

[Slick Samurai]

I think Americans are smarter than most countries. I think countries are jealous that such a young country has become the juggernaut superpower that it is. I can't say I really care about things happening outside American borders.

I may find it interesting, but I can't bring myself to actually care about them. If that makes me and my fellow countrymen who think like me stupid, then know that the feeling is mutual.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Eh, the Europeans are just jealous that we stole the limelight after they had it for so long.

 

[Drenaje1]

I consider most of the people in my country to be stupid. Our government is run by stupid people, and the citizens aren't usually smart enough to realize it. I remember that when Obama was going to be elected, everybody was so hyped up about him promising change. Well, that change never came (I blame the way we structure our government, again) and a few days ago I remember seeing some pissed off people trying to run a campaign of sorts for people to vote against Obama in the 2012 elections, to get someone who was actually going to change things. What they don't realize is that the way our government works, things that don't benefit wealthy corporations usually won't get done. (If all 14 year olds figured out that their government sucks balls, they might grow up wanting to actually change things for real instead of resting assured that the bastards already in office were going to do things for the good of the people they represent instead of for their own agendas.) And then of course there's the fact that most of us Americans are just normally...of lower intelligence and energy. We like to sit in front of our TVs. We like to eat, and whatever, that's fine, but apparently all these habits have become a regular running joke to the rest of the world. At least I'm not fat, and not that stupid.

The accusations are probably well placed, and yes, it is mostly our fault.

 

[Roroshi14]

If you have ever worked in the customer service industry you know EXACTLY why people from other countries think American's are stupid. It is because we are. Individuals may be smart, but as a whole we are pretty damn dumb.

 

[FllippinIDIOT]

I'm American and i often disapprove of a lot of other things that happen, often thinking that a lot of other Americans are morons, like Glenn Beck, and Bush, and the WBC, and Sarah Palin. They are big idiots, but remember there are a lot of pretty decent Americans out there who aren't scare out of their mind about stupid things or are incredibly obnoxious assholes. The idiots tend to get on the T.V. and that doesn't give a good impression.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

It seems that idiots in america always get the most attention for being stupid. *COUGHJERSEYSHORECOUGH*. All the smart people just get a "Good job" and a pat on the back.

Also, stereotypes. Americans have the fat, burger munching, shotgun holding, red-neck tone about them while Australians have the "CRIKEY, let's go throw some shrimp on the barbie!". Every place has generalizations so it is best to just ignore them.

 

[Condor219]

Thinking about it, I view every country outside of America to be smarter on average than we are. There are an astounding amount of stupid people here, but there are also a lot of really brilliant people too. But that can apply to just about any country.

 

[OpticalJunction]

I'm an American and while my country has done some things that I do not agree with I really don't understand why people judge everyone in America to be dumbasses? i hear things like "for those of you who are too american to understand" or "what is it with Americans and.." and it just goes on and on and on and i just dont understand. I'm not that person people seem to think i am just because of my american accent. What's with all the hostility?

People don't really know much about america except for what we see on tv and movies. Most Amercians don't visit other countries you see, except as tourists, and even then they don't typically immerse themselves in the local culture. So there's not a lot of opportunity for the rest of the world to understand you.

 

[Littlee300]

Statistically speaking, the average American is fat and stupid.

(OK maybe I made that up. At least, the stupid part.)

But that's the impression the country sends people. I'm sure every country has its WBCs, or its Glenn Becks; they just don't get publicised as much as the American ones do.

Citation needed
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, you guys did reelect Bush II...

That is because we are lazy as fuck and republicans are less so.

 

[Daniel Forman]

No, no not all americans, its just that every time you decide that they aren't, they prove you otherwise, for example when japan won over america in whatever sport it was, i dont think a single person who had an american person in their friends list couldn't see their EXTREMLY bothersome status which was mostly: "Something something something give the japs this one, but at least we won WW2"
So there is your explanation

 

[Mr Thin]

Statistically speaking, the average American is fat and stupid.

(OK maybe I made that up. At least, the stupid part.)

But that's the impression the country sends people. I'm sure every country has its WBCs, or its Glenn Becks; they just don't get publicised as much as the American ones do.

Citation needed

Here you are, my good fellow:

http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/obesity.html

As for the stupid part... well, like I said, I made it up. It's just the impression America sends.

 

[Naeo]

Because the majority of our media ultimately pushes the stupidest of us into the limelight. See Jersey Shore and the like. Americans aren't necessarily stupider than anywhere else, we just let our stupid people on TV all the time.

But I do believe our education is ranked behind a lot of other first-world countries, so there's that to add a bit of credence to the "Americans are dumb" thing.

 

[Volkov]

No. People generally think that an average american is stupid. Deservedly so. Many people also think that an average citizen of ANY country is stupid. Deservedly so.

 

[RevRaptor]

Well yea kinda, it doesn't help that all Americans get a 10 point bonus to their IQ scores.

It started because the IQ levels for most citizens were too low for the conscription during the Vietnam war so the government decided to give every one some extra points to raise the scores and never stopped doing it as far as I know.

Kinda says it all really

 

[Dunkerloop]

Having been from Britain (Currently live in the US) I once told a guy I knew that I was from there, and he kept insulting me many times over that, and the second I said one fat american joke I was in the principle's office at school. You have to take stereotypes with a grain of salt. Barely any of them are ever true, and the ones that are are usually just based off certain things (Like the fat american joke. the US is the fattest country in the world, so of course there are going to be jokes about everyone there being fat)