Stereotypes of the States + extra question

[Datalord]

I'm a Brit, and, as such, I am often exposed to massive, overarching stereotypes concerning our friends the Americans. What interests me is that, whilst British, hell, ENGLISH stereotypes might stretch across about one county (Scouse, Geordie, Brummer), American stereotypes over here are given to massive swathes of the country. Here's the list

East Coast is made of mobsters, Irishmen and wisecracking taxi drivers. Everyone's either a crook, a tough cop or a sly, untrusting and hardened sort of chap
The South is incredibly traditional, homely, still has a bit of a racism problem and a few won't admit that the Confeds. lost the Civil War.
The Deep South are all related to each other, live in shacks and play banjos REALLY fast
The South West are a bunch of gun-totting bigoted cowboys and oil tycoons
The West Coast are surfers, fluffy-minded celebrities, fringe cultures and the stupidly rich

Whilst these may or may not be bang on, I'm more intrested in what each state has to say about their neighbours. The New Yorkers and Conneticcuttiananians (sp?) might both fit the East Coast type, but what do they wisecrack about each other?

Also, a small question not worth it's own thread: In films, the detective, once the door is opened, announces himself as detective so-n'-so, flashes his badge for a second and is instantly trusted. Is this the case in real life? Because if they only saw that badge for a second and belived it, it'd be Reeeaeeal easy to impersonate and trick

What about the Northern midwest?
Do we even exist in your stereotypes?

 

[bushwhacker2k]

I'm reasonably certain that every example you just listed is either a joke or heavily exagerated.

I mean obviously there are SOME examples that are true, but it's not so common that you could apply it to the people en masse.

 

[seidlet]

i grew up in central illinois, and i'm pretty sure we don't have a sterotype as no one in the rest of the country is aware that there are parts of illinois that are not chicago.

 

[seidlet]

And then there's Canada.The 51st state here everyone has health insurance and no one has a gun.

Actually, a lot of Canadians have guns. Properly licensed and stored hunting rifles (instead of handguns and automatic weapons). My Dad owns at least 7-8 different rifles.

Since I'm Canadian, and someone wants to include us as a 51st state (though to most Canadians that is very distasteful), can I play too? Since my country neighbours multiple states I can't pinpoint. So as a whole I see Americans as right wing, flag waving, obnoxious, arrogant, a little dim at times, too trusting of Fox News, BUT also kind, generous and I can't think of a better neighbour (well, maybe the Aussies, they'd be cool too!)

I wonder what you all think of Canadians? (Overly polite and push-overs, I assume)

EDIT: I always thought of US and Canada as Big Brother / Little Brother

canadians are like our weak and effeminate little half-brother who drools on everything - but we'll still protect you because we're sort of related. we think you're cute but communist and a little on the slow side. we hate quebec because it has something to do with france and we knee-jerk hate anything that has to do with france. we don't know if you're flag waving, but your flag has a maple leaf on it and we like pancakes so that earns you some points. we're also surprised that you know what fox news is, given that you don't have televisions or electricity in your log cabins. we also assume that everyone in canada has a pet beaver. or maybe that last part is just me.

 

[Skizle]

The far north is all about beer, hockey, and fishing. Woo! The far northern states includes things like Minnesota, Michigan, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Yep. All part of the US.

Forgot hunting, well im not sure about those other territoies, but in Michigan hunting is kind of a big thing (thanks Ted Nugent). Beer is pretty much at any event and i think my hometown help the record for most bars per square block. Hockey is hit or miss with everyone here, but its better to watch than the Lions.

 

[Anarchy In Detroit]

I would propose the Rust Belt is a separate region, although it cuts across many of the traditionally recognized regions. I feel we differ from other areas in that we are united in decay and share a manufacturing background.

The far north is all about beer, hockey, and fishing. Woo! The far northern states includes things like Minnesota, Michigan, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Yep. All part of the US.

Four of those are Canadian. I think the Canadians wouldn't want to be part of the US (I don't blame em) and nobody here would say they are Canadian. Beer, fishing, hockey, maybe we all do that but so what? By the way Michigan and Minnesota are in the Midwest along with Nebraska... sooo I don't get why you think we're off in some region more like Canada. Is it the snow? the hockey?

I don't know where in Michigan Skizle is from but hockey is revered around Detroit. Everyone is a hardcore Red Wings fan (or else they're scum). But yeah the Lions suck. No doubt about that. Hunting and fishing are big. So is boating. Michigan is mostly Germans, Dutch, Poles, Italians, and blacks in Detroit.

I think all British people generally look like this...

 

[GrinningManiac]

...Was this a polite way to throw a bunch of insults at Americans?

Not at all, I was just curious as to whether Americans have more specific stereotypes in their own country, much like the Scouse and Cockneys of England. It occured to me that our stereotypes are huge, overarching areas.

As for all the Northwest people, beyond "Pine Trees", I couldn't think of anything, you're quite nice, peacable people.

I saw a funny Wired survey which showed the concentration of different sins across america (Gluttony = No. of fast food places per capita, Lust = no. of STD cases)

Everything in the upper centre was near perfect in everything, though your only crime was having a lot of museums, galleries and other cultural places in comparison to the number of poor people...though that's hardly a bad thing

 

[ae86gamer]

I grew up in central illinois, and i'm pretty sure we don't have a sterotype as no one in the rest of the country is aware that there are parts of illinois that are not chicago.

I grew up in Illinois too!! Except I did grow up in Chicago, and I'm still here. XD

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that Illinois doesn't have a stereotype. And if we do then I'm not aware of it.

 

[cobra_ky]

I grew up in New Hampshire. we call our neighbors to the south Massholes, and for good reason.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

I hate stereotypes. They make the People of Group A pre-judge the People of Group B. They also tend to be insulting. People are individual.

 

[Good morning blues]

I think it's just a matter of proximity - the closer you are to an area, the more detailed your stereotypical understandings of them. I live in Vancouver, and one of our suburbs is called Surrey. Anybody who's not from the area probably won't understand our jokes about what a shithole is, how disreputable Surrey girls are, and how you need to watch your back whenever you're there. (It's mostly talk, of course - there are some very nice areas of Surrey. Either way, all of my English friends think this reputation is hilarious because apparently Surrey is one of the most posh areas of England.)

 

[HandsomeJack]

Interstate relations seems to be the only place where bigotry is acceptable. I live in Oregon, and along with California and Washington we tend to be a very left-leaning, very self-rightous state that can never seem to pass up the opportunity to compare ourselves to "those close-minded bigots in middle America and the south" (a conclusion we come to just because those states tend to lean right) and I cannot help but point out the irony of that.

So to all those who would unfairly look down on the south as simpletons and incompetants, please remember that during the civil war they WERE winning until the north started conscripting Irish immigrant familys as they entered the country. They were beating the north for strategy and innovations (they invented the first armored boats and the gattling gun) despite having fewer resorces and fewer troops.

The same on the west coast rings true when people talk about the religious...but I am not touching that thread at this time.

 

[ace_of_something]

Also, a small question not worth it's own thread: In films, the detective, once the door is opened, announces himself as detective so-n'-so, flashes his badge for a second and is instantly trusted. Is this the case in real life? Because if they only saw that badge for a second and belived it, it'd be Reeeaeeal easy to impersonate and trick

Seeing as I'm actually a detective maybe I should answer this.

You identify yourself as Detective, Rank, Department, and Surname. The badge is only shown when requested. Unless it's an emergancy situation (like someone is being raped on the other side of the door) you have a swat team do extractions, not detectives. I'm fairly certain it is hard to fake being a swat team.

]I live in Nebraska we all think people in Iowa are white trash, inbred, and communists. They think the same about us, except we're facists.

Cornfed doesn't mean a Reb anymore, now it means 'a really big person from the country' or a type of (hog) livestock. I being 6'6" and having spent the bulk of my youth working on a ranch would be 'cornfed'

Oh and living in nebraska the stereotype that most people has about us is that we still live in the 1940's.

 

[JRslinger]

East Coast is made of mobsters, Irishmen and wisecracking taxi drivers. Everyone's either a crook, a tough cop or a sly, untrusting and hardened sort of chap

Boston does have a lot of Italians and Irish.
The taxi drivers are mostly middle eastern immigrants and don't make wisecracks.

I grew up in New Hampshire. we call our neighbors to the south Massholes, and for good reason.

Yes we've earned that name and sometimes take pride in it. Vermonters seem to be socialist hillbillies somehow. Rhode Islanders are to few and inconsequential to have a stereotype. New Hampshire people are either former Massholes trying to convert New Hampshire into Massachusetts or hicks that resent them. New York State is to the west but apparently all New Yorkers live in New York City.

 

[Kiutu]

I just hate the hate we get when we shouldnt. Also when we are accused of hating all black people by a country with a smaller black population than us well...
Removing u's does nto make our english lesser.
We are made up of bits of almost if not every country in the world, so hating us is hting everyone, including yourself, so its dumb to hate us as Americans. (Can hate things we do, but so do we, dont hate us the people for it all)

 

[Gxas]

everyone in ohio and indiana are some pretty extreme rednecks. oh, not to forget everyone that attends OSU are the biggest douche bags ever, but most have learned its not all of them..... just a lot of them

I'm from Ohio. Yes, everyone in Ohio are rednecks, save (most of) the Northeast.

Spoiler: This is one of the best ideas ever

And yes, I too agree that everyone who goes to OSU are douches. Most of my graduating class went there. Its sad really, they all went there for the football.

But, being from just twenty minutes south of Cleveland, I still crack on my state and city a lot.

Spoiler: Both of these are too true

 

[Redliph]

Us New Yorkers kick ass, who cares about the rest of the country?

This is a good example of one that people around my part of the country hold and that is that people from New York, California, and Texas think that they are the best states in the whole country. It is funny because they are largely consumer states and produce very little - they couldn't survive one week without the supplies from all the fly over states they criticize ^^

I am well aware that the quote was meant as a joke but it is a valid stereotype held by many of my Oklahoma peers. One I have heard from Texans who visit is that Oklahoma has nothing to do but cows. Sadly, this has been largely factual and not merely a stereotype ._.

As far as England, as much as I can gather from my internet research, you guys have a group of people known as Chavs who most English people seem not so fond of. My research seems to indicate that these Chavs are sort of like your version of rednecks. Correct me if I am wrong, of course.

 

[Chipperz]

Also, a small question not worth it's own thread: In films, the detective, once the door is opened, announces himself as detective so-n'-so, flashes his badge for a second and is instantly trusted. Is this the case in real life? Because if they only saw that badge for a second and belived it, it'd be Reeeaeeal easy to impersonate and trick

I dunno if this particular one is true, but when I was in New York with a bunch of mates, one of the guys did something wrong with the subway turnstiles and went in a twofer with another guy. A man walked up to us and just started going "excuse me, sir?" We thought he was a homeless dude so we just ignored him. That was when he pulled out his badge and yelled "N.Y.P.D! FREEZE!"

It. Was. Awesome. I'm inclined to believe that if that actually happened, the gritty detective badgeflash must happen too.

As an aside, he was also a really friendly bloke, we explained what had happened, he verified that a few people had been having problems with it, and pointed out we should have gone to get help, and then let us go on our way. After the "N.Y.P.D!" moment, I did kinda expect to have a gun drawn on me. Which would have been more awesome.