Reddit, Inc. is a US-based social media platform, and the majority of its users are Americans.
Given POTUS 47 and fiends are wreaking absolute unprecedented havoc with the government lately, many people around the world are wondering how we variously cope and seethe while nevertheless surviving despite our greedy for-profit healthcare, shrinkflation, and somewhere under 1/3 of our population actively thinking poo is flowers.
Because the United States of America have been forcing their culture upon the world for almost 100 years. It’s their imperialist culture so people are normally curious.
The thing people need to realize is the United States is a huge country and there is a vast divide between the liberals who live in the urban centers and the conservatives who do not. Of course there is some crossover, but when people ask, ‘why do Americans…’ in a negative tone, realize that urban Americans also have no idea what the hell is going on.
And with Reddit being so predominantly liberal, you are often attacking people who generally agree with a lot of what you believe.
I feel like America is so different to the rest of the world. They are very loud and proud about loving their country and have gun laws that a lot of other countries do not agree with. (I’m in Australia and the general belief here about Americans is mainly negative). That’s a generalisation though. We disagree with their gun laws and believe their healthcare is absolutely appalling. They also have a really strong representation over media, movies, musicians etc. There’s a lot of uproar about politics cos of trump. They are trying to bring it over here in our politics. There’s like a ‘Trump for Australia’ or some bs that keeps coming on tv advertisements for our next voting thing that’s coming up. That’s about all I know (not much).
Because America is the largest exporter of movies and TV shows, so people in other countries are usually exposed to depictions of American life more than depictions of any other country. On American forums you see “why do British people put washing machines in the kitchen?”, “why do Japanese people sleep on the floor?”, etc because those are two countries whose media Americans consume more often.
And because movies and TV are often exaggerated, stylized or unrealistic, there’s often a disconnect between the assumptions of these questions and the reality. One I always find funny is “Why do Americans make huge family breakfasts with gallon jugs of orange juice and big stacks of pancakes, then only eat a few bites on their way out?”, which of course they usually don’t, but it’s a nice visual that’s become a TV cliche.
There are also some genres of media that are considered very specifically American and have become very associated with America overseas, like westerns, country music, and hip hop.
AI learning via bot accounts asking questions and human responses. It’s why there’s basic ass questions about everything being asked in all the subs anymore.
I’m an American. Been one for 3 generations on one side of the family, 24+ generations on the other. I too have questions! Like, for all those who voted for Trump but esp, all those who couldn’t get off their asses and vote period (36% of the registered voters!)….
people from most other countries are from a country the size of 1 state and they literally can’t imagine how a country the size of 50 different countries put together actually works. the USA is like its own planet and they literally can’t understand that and like to generalize USA as if it’s like their small country.
Because people don’t realize how different the culture and social norms are between different countries and are predominantly exposed to the US through news and entertainment.
So rather than being able to ask why people in different countries do something differently, it ends up being a comparison between their country and the US.
For one thing, America is by far the most diverse country in the world. A LOT of people, both in the US and out of it and for various reasons, want that diversity to end or at least be considerably lessened. Painting everything the US does in as negative a light as possible is therefore seen by many as the best way forward.
Because we live in a culturally US-dominated World (or at least Western World), so people not from the USA have lots of occasions to observe US-Americans in their natural habitat, so sometimes we have questions about them. If the dominant culture today was, say Chinese, all those questions would be “why do the Chinese do x?”.
A lot of it is because we can’t fathom people being that dumb, yet it seems like Americans constantly reinforce stereotypes of being uneducated and/or ignorant.
Comments
Are you sure? I just checked and didn’t see a single one.
Reddit, Inc. is a US-based social media platform, and the majority of its users are Americans.
Given POTUS 47 and fiends are wreaking absolute unprecedented havoc with the government lately, many people around the world are wondering how we variously cope and seethe while nevertheless surviving despite our greedy for-profit healthcare, shrinkflation, and somewhere under 1/3 of our population actively thinking poo is flowers.
Because Reddit is massively unoriginal, full of bots and people with the mental capacity of same.
That’s why this place is just the same dozen questions over and over.
Sometimes it’s just a thinly veiled way to call americans weird, I think.
Because lately it’s hard to believe what is happening in the United States… Many people are wondering about culture and patterns.
i guess that most people have stereotypes about americans (including me)
Cus there obsessed with us
Because the United States of America have been forcing their culture upon the world for almost 100 years. It’s their imperialist culture so people are normally curious.
The thing people need to realize is the United States is a huge country and there is a vast divide between the liberals who live in the urban centers and the conservatives who do not. Of course there is some crossover, but when people ask, ‘why do Americans…’ in a negative tone, realize that urban Americans also have no idea what the hell is going on.
And with Reddit being so predominantly liberal, you are often attacking people who generally agree with a lot of what you believe.
I feel like America is so different to the rest of the world. They are very loud and proud about loving their country and have gun laws that a lot of other countries do not agree with. (I’m in Australia and the general belief here about Americans is mainly negative). That’s a generalisation though. We disagree with their gun laws and believe their healthcare is absolutely appalling. They also have a really strong representation over media, movies, musicians etc. There’s a lot of uproar about politics cos of trump. They are trying to bring it over here in our politics. There’s like a ‘Trump for Australia’ or some bs that keeps coming on tv advertisements for our next voting thing that’s coming up. That’s about all I know (not much).
I mean, really. Have you seen what we’re up to lately?
Cultural curiosity.
When all we know about one another comes from untrustworthy (click motivated / rage bait / etc) sources, it can be hard to know what’s real.
Do Canadians really put gravy on fries? Do scottish people really not wear underwear? Do people in China really live upside down? Who knows, best ask!
Because America is the largest exporter of movies and TV shows, so people in other countries are usually exposed to depictions of American life more than depictions of any other country. On American forums you see “why do British people put washing machines in the kitchen?”, “why do Japanese people sleep on the floor?”, etc because those are two countries whose media Americans consume more often.
And because movies and TV are often exaggerated, stylized or unrealistic, there’s often a disconnect between the assumptions of these questions and the reality. One I always find funny is “Why do Americans make huge family breakfasts with gallon jugs of orange juice and big stacks of pancakes, then only eat a few bites on their way out?”, which of course they usually don’t, but it’s a nice visual that’s become a TV cliche.
There are also some genres of media that are considered very specifically American and have become very associated with America overseas, like westerns, country music, and hip hop.
AI learning via bot accounts asking questions and human responses. It’s why there’s basic ass questions about everything being asked in all the subs anymore.
Click bait, karma farming.
All the haters will come brigade on Americans, and OP gets clicks and karma.
Lately yall been acting like damn fools
I’m an American. Been one for 3 generations on one side of the family, 24+ generations on the other. I too have questions! Like, for all those who voted for Trump but esp, all those who couldn’t get off their asses and vote period (36% of the registered voters!)….
Because we do shit people from other countries don’t do.
people from most other countries are from a country the size of 1 state and they literally can’t imagine how a country the size of 50 different countries put together actually works. the USA is like its own planet and they literally can’t understand that and like to generalize USA as if it’s like their small country.
Because people don’t realize how different the culture and social norms are between different countries and are predominantly exposed to the US through news and entertainment.
So rather than being able to ask why people in different countries do something differently, it ends up being a comparison between their country and the US.
For one thing, America is by far the most diverse country in the world. A LOT of people, both in the US and out of it and for various reasons, want that diversity to end or at least be considerably lessened. Painting everything the US does in as negative a light as possible is therefore seen by many as the best way forward.
Because we live in a culturally US-dominated World (or at least Western World), so people not from the USA have lots of occasions to observe US-Americans in their natural habitat, so sometimes we have questions about them. If the dominant culture today was, say Chinese, all those questions would be “why do the Chinese do x?”.
A lot of it is because we can’t fathom people being that dumb, yet it seems like Americans constantly reinforce stereotypes of being uneducated and/or ignorant.