Is America still the coolest kid in school?

[CConn]

I'm not going to generalize but the thing I think pisses people off about Americans is that some of them seem to think they are the best, no questions. It's like they don't consider anyone outside of America to be worthy or something. I would say a lot of Americans don't have a absolute clue about what is going on outside of America, and they don't really care either. But obviously there are people like that where ever you go.

I've been over there a few times, and I really enjoyed myself. But i used to get very pissed off with the way some Americans talk to you in a condescending tone.

"Ahhhhh you have a strange accent there! Where are you from?"

"Errrrr... I'm from England mate, and I don't have a accent. You are the one with the accent."

It's not what they say, it's the way they say it. As though i'm the one speaking weird. I've had a lot of examples of this.

That's definitely true in some cases.

Although, truthfully, I can't blame them totally.

When you live in America, you really DO feel like that's all that exists. All of our media from news to entertainment never really shows us anything outside our boarders.

I think that's one thing people from other countries really do have a leg up on us with; they actually get to see and share and learn of other cultures outside their own through their entertainment and news media.

Americans...really don't. You get one 5 minute piece on the middle east during the evening news, and that's it. It's really a shame.

 

[SurfDUI]

We may not be the smartest in class certainly...may not be the most sincere students, ever hear the kind of stuff that comes out of their mouth...but EVERYONE want's to come to the new kids house-cause the parties are the best.

Yes, we are the coolest...like 300 million Fonzie's...plus there's a gun in our locker.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea that's not your average Americans fault, no way. And I suppose with the US being so massive the way people think is different than how we think in Britain.

But there are some people who just don't care about anywhere else or anyone else. There is a video on youtube interviewing loads of Americans on the street, asking them questions about different countries and that. I was shocked to find that a lot of these people don't even know where Iraq or North Korea are. These are countries we are either at war with or have had some rocky encounters with. A few people even though Australia was North Korea!! The hint is in the name...NORTH Korea. Then you have people who actually believe that the British currency is dollars. The ignorance is outstanding and cannot be excused imo.

But i'm not trying bash Americans here, I bet every country in the world has people like that. But you think a superpower like America would be better than that. You can't be surprised with some people conceptions of America.

 

[November Rain]

you probably do get that level of ignorance everywhere but it western media likes to trip up america.

They've been having plenty of fun with your current president and also palin. It's only a matter of time before they turn on obama.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

HAHA yea there is that saying "only in America". And the thing is, a lot of the time it's true. All those people getting hyped up for Palin, a woman who is a absolute idiot and has no clue about anything outside of America.

 

[Eggyman]

I'm British.

Has anyone ever noticed when you're out with a group of friends, if trouble goes down it's usually the biggest of the group who gets the most attention?

 

[Ace of Knaves]

HAHA so true, so true.

 

[Jack O Lantern]

I have aspired to be like America all my life.

Last week I took the money from a poor coloured person and gave it to a fat, rich, white guy. I then punched somebody because I felt at some point in the future I thought he might punch me, he was a quadrapoligic.

People then started to show their appreciation of me by screaming "boo-urns" at me.

 

[November Rain]

I'm British.

Has anyone ever noticed when you're out with a group of friends, if trouble goes down it's usually the biggest of the group who gets the most attention?

I see the opposite, it's the lil bastards who can't handle their drink and end up starting a fight with every passerby that start the most trouble

i hate lil man syndrome with a passion

in a political stance, that would be what britain is now...

 

[Captain_BluTac]

I honestly think America never was the coolest kid in school, but for whatever reason (I'm blaming it on the media) they always believed they were.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I see the opposite, it's the lil bastards who can't handle their drink and end up starting a fight with every passerby that start the most trouble

i hate lil man syndrome with a passion

in a political stance, that would be what britain is now...

In a political sense, Britain is in a shambles. I don't know how you come up with us having "little man syndrome"?

I honestly think America never was the coolest kid in school, but for whatever reason (I'm blaming it on the media) they always believed they were.

QFT

 

[Jack O Lantern]

I see the opposite, it's the lil bastards who can't handle their drink and end up starting a fight with every passerby that start the most trouble

I take exception to that. The Irish are like that

 

[union_jak]

I'm British. This thread might be best answered if more international members respond. The way I see it, and I have American family, is that the US has so much internal issues, and a history of poor global education, that they don't identify with other nations at all. It's "The American Way" and everything else is just alien.

The Irish look up the West and want to be like America because they refuse to look to their East as the UK and Ireland have bad history, but other than that most nations look down on America as the arrogant and "lets solve this issue with guns" country.

It hasn't been 'cool' for at least eight years, but perhaps Obama will change it. Poor guy, everyone's expecting miracles from him now.

 

[Eggyman]

I see the opposite, it's the lil bastards who can't handle their drink and end up starting a fight with every passerby that start the most trouble

i hate lil man syndrome with a passion

in a political stance, that would be what britain is now...

I agree.

What I meant was they normally go for the bigger guys to prove themselves.

 

[Franklin Richards]

And I understand that, but believe me when I say, I think plenty of the sentiment you just expressed is motivated by the fact that you do live in America. Just as Moviefan's sentiment was motivated by living in Texas and total, complete faith in Christianity.




No disagreement there, but I hate this sort of thread because it's so completely... just warring generalizations.

It's why so often I think the sentiment that should honestly be expressed in them is "Well, yeah, man, if I knew THAT America you just described, I'd probably hate it too." or "Well, yeah, man, if I knew THAT America you just described, I'd probably love it too."

People are arguing about different perceived interpretations based on their experiences, which will differ person to person, yet they're arguing them for objective truth... it's a dumb argument, same as any that would arise from that moron Old Greg's gender threads.

And yet you just generalized my home. I'm from Texas and by your account I should be some Christian Biblethumper.

Anyone wanna field this one?

But I see that you don't want to be guilty of that. So please don't judge Texans by what you've read from Moviefan. Or what you've seen from George Bush.


Some of us are downright edumacated.

 

[November Rain]

In a political sense, Britain is in a shambles. I don't know how you come up with us having "little man syndrome"?



QFT

not to strive down too much of a historical viewpoint but it's been widely assumed the big old yanks came to help us sort out something we thought would be over by xmas.

i.e. starting crap we can't finish

 

[Ace of Knaves]

LOL yea, that's another thing I hate about SOME Americans. Granted it's usually just some little tossers on xbox live or whatever, but they are always going on about us speaking German if it wasn't for them. It's bullcrap. The British Navy obliterated the Nazi navy in the Atlantic, if it wasn't for that, there would be no support to the US troops in Europe. Then we won a thing called "the battle of Britain". And anyway, the war was a combined effort, some Americans don't seem to realize that. It's like me saying "Well all you guys would still be red indians living in teepees howling at the moon if it wasn't for us." Well at least that has some truth in it.

 

[union_jak]

LOL yea, that's another thing I hate about SOME Americans. Granted it's usually just some little tossers on xbox live or whatever, but they are always going on about us speaking German if it wasn't for them. It's bullcrap. The British Navy obliterated the Nazi navy in the Atlantic, if it wasn't for that, there would be no support to the US troops in Europe. Then we won a thing called "the battle of Britain". And anyway, the war was a combined effort, some Americans don't seem to realize that. It's like me saying "Well all you guys would still be red indians living in teepees howling at the moon if it wasn't for us." Well at least that has some truth in it.

Exactly, we won the Battle of Britain before America was forced to join the war. Hitler realised he couldn't take over Britain and turned his attentions to Russia, which was a big mistake as Stalin was ruthless and threw everything he had at wiping him out.

 

[Johann Krauss]

I have aspired to be like America all my life.

Last week I took the money from a poor coloured person and gave it to a fat, rich, white guy. I then punched somebody because I felt at some point in the future I thought he might punch me, he was a quadrapoligic.

People then started to show their appreciation of me by screaming "boo-urns" at me.

 

[terry78]

Knaves keeps reminding me of that Simpsons ep. where Lisa marries that dude voiced by Mandy Patinkin and they go to Moe's, and he's like, "you're british huh? You know we saved your ass in WWII." And he responds, "yeah, well we saved your ass in WWIII." And Moe is like, "touche."

 

[PyroChamber]

If America is the cool kid, then like someone once told me "Canada is America's gay brother and Mexico is it's ****ty sister".

 

[November Rain]

canada seems like the sensible older brother who has to take a rap for its lil brother's antics.

call a canadian american and they'll spit venom in your eyes

 

[The Senator]

America is the loud, pretentious tough guy whom everyone thinks is an idiot and can't wait to abandon once high school is over.

 

[The Senator]

And yet you just generalized my home. I'm from Texas and by your account I should be some Christian Biblethumper.

Anyone wanna field this one?

But I see that you don't want to be guilty of that. So please don't judge Texans by what you've read from Moviefan. Or what you've seen from George Bush.


Some of us are downright edumacated.

Well, in all fairness, I have been to every big city in Texas and... the only two enjoyable ones were Austin and San Antonio. Houston and Dallas legitimately made me afraid to be there. Now, there are a lot of smart people in Texas, as it is a big state, but culturally, Texas sort of projects itself as the epitome of ignorance, in the grander scheme of things.

 

[Drizzle]

canada seems like the sensible older brother who has to take a rap for its lil brother's antics.

call a canadian american and they'll spit venom in your eyes

Well, technically, they do live in North America...