america the… popular?
On Sunday, my Italian teacher (who is half Italian, half French and raised in the UK) told the class that the “World loves America!”
I disagreed.
I said I considered it a huge mistake to assume that, just because American pop culture is widespread and people happen to love the music and movies coming out of this country, it means they love America. We’re not exactly the popular kids on the playground these days. There’s that tiny little issue of the war in Iraq, after all. Notably, when I was in Napoli, I was advised to keep my American heritage under wraps, as there was a surge of anti-US sentimentality in the region.
What do you think? Is America beloved, or is it not so simple?
I think that the “idea” of America is beloved. Our Government? That’s a whole different ball game.
Not so simple. Americans don’t even love America right now, how can we think the world will? Perhaps we need to learn to get along within our own borders before expecting to get along with those outside.
I think generally people don’t think US citizens are all bad; however, I think the overall sentiment probably is different in differnt countries.
I’m with Olivia though in that I think there is an extreme distast for our government and what it stands for, regardless of the country.
I definitely don’t think the “World loves America” would be a correct assumption. I don’t think it has been that way since the end of WWII. Actually even then we probably weren’t loved, particularly by Japan and Germany, etc.
Depends on where you are. In Uzbekistan, I met a group of Kuwaitis, whose reaction was “You are from America?!? We LOVE America!!!” And then I’ve had some fairly nasty treatment in Russia/Slovakia because of the American thing.
Although, I did read something interesting about world view of America vs. Americans. The upshot of it was that as a group, we’re pretty despised, but individually, we come up smelling like roses!
not so simple. just ask my international flight attendant sister.
America wasn’t loved in 1998 when I was studying abroad in London. When I visited Paris, all people wanted to talk to me about was the problem with Americans, while assuring me that they weren’t talking about me. When my dad was in Paris, he was subject to total strangers yelling at him that he was a “stupid American pig” and other such insults, as he was spending money in their economy. I agree with Sarah though, it depends on where you are.
I think our culture and freedom is loved; along with our pop culture like you mentioned. From my travels and my overseas friends they all say they like America but hate its foreign policy; which I think sums it up!
I would say that mainly in England America is perceived as somewhat stupid and dangerous.
The English are certainly suspicious of your Christian Right.
Individually, I think Americans are approached with a certain pompous superiority .. but the English are usually genuinely delighted where they come across educated Americans that can spell and understand irony. As a nation, however, I’m pretty sure you aren’t loved….
I think that a lot of the world loves to make fun of America! For real, I find myself defending America if I’m talking to people from elsewhere, our government is completely disgraceful. I think they love our pop-culture and the idea of coming here for work is often alluring. But, at the end of the day? The world does not love America.
Can’t stand your current president (how was he elected twice??) but I have met some really great Americans while traveling all over the world. I get all my political coverage from Jon Stewart and love primetime TV. I especially enjoy the cross-border shopping. Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret! Not to mention the Olive Garden and Cheesecake factory! I almost went to Detroit alone this week.
I have observed some Americans to be brash, obnoxious, loud and rude. But I can’t say that sort of behaviour is restricted to Americans. Please please please I’m begging, get a Democrat in the White House this year!
Don’t you worry Moshizzle we are working on it!
Here in France, people run the gamut. My favorite market seller loves to talk about the US with me, and all his other seller friends chime in, but then it is mostly about pop culture (”Michael Jordan!” is really popular still, apparently). The manager of hostel I stayed at last weekend asked me for my nationality, and when I said “americaine” she launched into a tirade about how America is not a nation but a continent, etc etc (but still never told me how to describe myself in terms of nationality, an adjective — etats-unisienne? — rather than country of origin, a noun for which I always say the US or the states, never America).
In general, though, my impression overall has been that people don’t really like the US, mostly based on our government and our population’s reputation (as rude, drunk, fat, uncultured slobs). However, those who have visited have told me that they love the US/Americans (and even that they have changed their minds!).
But who here dislikes the French? Or Japanese tourists? I’m pretty sure it works both ways, though perhaps not to the same extent, as America’s visibility in global politics is unwaning.
Definitely not beloved. I was in Turkey on the eve of the Iraq war’s beginning. Everywhere I’ve ever traveled, there has been so much hatred of brash American tourists, US politics, and more importantly, our need to police the world without regard for anyone else.
They may like our music and ‘culture,’ but loving the US is definitely not an opinion I would apply to the world.
It’s not just the current administration that the world has come to dislike… I was in Europe during the height of the Clinton/Monica Lewinsky stuff and it was utterly embarrassing..
Here in France, we have a very popular song by Jacques Brel (very popular and very dead) about a girl named Madeleine which says “Madeleine, c’est mon horizon, c’est mon Amérique à moi…” (Madeleine is my skyline, my America).
French love the idea of America : freedom, rags to riches stories, lanscapes, NY, power. And some of us love real Americans. Because they are different from us and different from what we thought they would be like.
So, please come over and smile while wandering through Paris, some people will think you are a stupid American tourist, others will be happy to see a smile in a public place (a once in a French lifetime opportunity/performance).
In China, the natives LOVE Japanese food. They love Japanese culture, all their cutesy little anime creatures and their outfits…They learn the language because it’s good for business.
However, they HATE the Japanese.
Not so simple. I’m Spanish and from what I see around, there are a lot of mixed feelings. America no longer represents the idea of freedom and opportunity. There are a lot of issues involved now, and I’m not talking just about Iraq.
However, I’d say most Spanish people are open enough to feel really positive about Americans, even though they might have some negative feelings regarding the country.
Sometimes, it’s the Amercians believing that everybody loves or should love America that just tops it off.
Anyway, I’ve had the experience of living in the US. I LOVED it.
The Americans are fine. Its American politicos and the government who are not.
I must admit though, americans are seen as daft - they are so ignorant of the rest of the world.
Sorry, I know I am late to the party with this comment.
I had a conversation with some friends who will be traveling to England in March and they plan to pretend to be Canadian. I told them that I say “y’all” way too much to pretend to be Canadian. But I understand why they would want to do that. Last time I was in the UK I had a great time and didn’t run into any problems but when I returned I was visiting a website that discusses/reviews restaurants and ran across something that really bothered me. There was a post from a waiter at a restaurant in Scotland who said that he spit in a sandwich that was to be served to an American. He was asked if the American was being rude and the waiter said, “no, he was actually very polite but he’s American.” I am hopeful that this is an isolated event.
In Australia, we’re not fans. This isnt helped by the fact that, somehow, the only Americans who ever travel are loud, dress like it’s still the 80’s, talk way too much about things they know nothing about, are close-minded and unforgiving of things that are different from home, and talk way more politics than we prefer. Worse, often it’s American politics while in Australia, we talk WORLD politics.
However, I’ve heard that Americans on their home land are friendly, charming, helpful and kind - especially in NYC.
And let’s not forget that travelling Aussies aren’t exactly the most graceful of creatures, with our alcohol abuse, awful accent and tendency to just be everywhere (because when an Aussie travels overseas, it costs at least 2grand just to GET there, so we stay for a long time!)
Short answer, it’s fashionable to hate America and everything it stands for, but AmeriCANS are a different story. Every country has its idiots, every country has its charmers, America is no different.
“Sometimes, it’s the Amercians believing that everybody loves or should love America that just tops it off.”
Oh, yes, very true. Especially in Oz, we hate the tall poppies.
Oh Serrin, you make me a bit sad. Can’t you see how biased you seem? It costs Americans just as much to get to any other country (other than those that border us) and yet we get mocked for being isolated and not being “interested in other places/cultures”. The fact that we have the smallest vacation/holiday leave of any western country is never considered. How much of the world would you see with 2 weeks holiday for an entire year?
Most countries like to think that they talk world politics - but of course it is always from their own viewpoint. Let me tell you from experience - It is very hard without the internet to get accurate news of the US while abroad. The US “news” shown in most countries can be very biased - and I am not even talking about politics or war coverage - I refer to the “news” items that just exist to reinforce the usual “dumb fat Americans” stereotypes. EVERY country is a bit provincial in it’s outlook. Every single one - it’s only natural.
We are also judged on our pop culture which gets taken for our entire culture…which makes little sense. Yes we have Britany Spears. We also gave the world Jazz and Abstract Expressionism. It has always cracked me up when a European tries to give a backhanded compliment by noting that something essentially American is “so very European” (the films of Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, …New York City,…etc…) Can’t they just admit that they like something American? Is there a more American city than New York? And we don’t steal our culture from Europe either just because we are immigrants. How many musicians worldwide play the blues, which is African American music? Are they stealing? Is Van Morrison a cultural thief because he is basically singing American style soul music?
I have lived in a few major US cities (LA, NYC) popular with European tourists and I have seen lovely people and godawful people from everywhere, US included. The last two Aussies I saw were very nice, although a bit chubby, badly dressed (wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt!). But hey, they were on vacation and why should I hassle or judge them? They are living out of a suitcase after all. EVERYONE is relaxed and a bit scruffy on vacation. It’s not just the most fashionably dressed from every country that travel, sometimes an older Auntie wants to see the world - should she be critiqued because her hairstyle and wardrobe is a bit dated? Are there many open minded travelers from any country that DON’T think they know everything? I have met sooo many Europeans that are surprised by typical (nice, friendly) Americans - because they brought their pre-judgements, what they “knew” about Americans along on holiday with them. And not all Europeans speak more than their own language, that is such a cherished myth. I have given directions to many that didn’t and was reduced to diagrams on napkins and mime. I can only hope they got where they were going, did my best.
I do agree that anti-americanism s fashionable abroad- and it is at heart, lazy. It is similar to the overly religious politicians here in the US that Europe (and lefties like me) love to mock. They talk about God-fearing…whatever….because it is an easy gong to bang to rile up the masses to the cause. This is the way anti-americanism is used in Europe. It is the easy way to create an “other”, a scapegoat. This is why many Americans that know their history find many Europeans hypocritical. Our loudest critics are often those with very dark deeds in their former imperialistic colonial past. In terms of imperialism, the US has a long long long way to go before we could even approach the stats and body count of some of the more cultured countries.
Sorry to be so long winded. Just come visit, get to know us and stop holding us to a higher standard than that you yourself live up to and everyone will be fine. The world was not perfect on July 3rd 1776 and everything is not our fault.
(We’re trying to fix the Bush thing, sorry about that)
“There was a post from a waiter at a restaurant in Scotland who said that he spit in a sandwich that was to be served to an American. He was asked if the American was being rude and the waiter said, “no, he was actually very polite but he’s American.”
Wow - what a great way to show that you disagree with government policies - by ruining the vacation (worked hard for I am sure as the US dollar is weaker than the pound) of a complete stranger.
Susan, well said.
Please. Most people who ‘hate’ America are uneducated and simply buying into their liberal press without bothering to read the ‘other side’. Have a little pride in your country. I sat in Paris while a guy who had been given lifetime employment b/c his father happened to be rich and worked less than 20 hours a week informed me how awful my country was. Why would anyone listen to people like that?
To anyone who doesn’t have pride in their country - I really wonder why you don’t move. I would never not tell someone proudly I was an American no matter who is in the White House. France is a country that is essentially an aristocracy where the poor cannot get ahead due to their laws which enforce lifetime employment. For any country that bashes us, I would ask you to compare our two countries on economics, quality of life, opportunity for its citizens, etc… and tell me whether any of them does better. Just a hint, they don’t. Maybe that’s where the resentment comes from.
When I have travelled I have found people to be open and welcoming. I was never treated poorly for being an American - even in Paris. Maybe because we were travelling in Winter and they weren’t annoying by tourists as much. Sure some countries could smile a bit more - Austria anyone? But in general, people are people.
I’m hardly worried about being treated badly by Parisians. No one ever bled from snobbery. But there are places in the world where your actual safety is compromised - where your body, and not just your ego, could take a beating if someone is feeling particularly anti-American.
And I think it’s perfectly okay not to feel pride in your country when its current policies and practices leave nothing to be proud of. I mean,what do you want? God bless America! We started a pointless war! Over oil! Again! Um, nuh uh. I’ll be proud of America again when, as a country and a world leader, we start earning it. Blind admiration is for suckers.