What represents American (U.S.) Culture to you?

[ChrisFL]

This is an offshoot of the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies thread...someone asked what would American culture look like.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the Salt Lake City or Atlanta Opening Ceremonies to know what was featured.

But I'm just going to ask the question. What do you think American culture means to the rest of the world. What do we "export" as far as what people think of as being uniquely American?

Also, please lets try to keep it civil, no politics

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I don't think I can answer this with 100% civility, we do some amazing things, but I think internationally our reputation is less then ideal.

 

[NikitaZee]

This is an offshoot of the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies thread...someone asked what would American culture look like.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the Salt Lake City or Atlanta Opening Ceremonies to know what was featured.

But I'm just going to ask the question. What do you think American culture means to the rest of the world. What do we "export" as far as what people think of as being uniquely American?

Also, please lets try to keep it civil, no politics

My opinion on that would have to be Hollywood - and by Hollywood I mean the entire entertainment industry. I think American entertainment - movies, TV shows, recording artists, etc. set the standard around the world.

 

[eliza61]

Baseball and Mickey mouse. Certain foods like apple pie maybe? Cowboys, jazz music.
I don't think Vancouver did any thing "uniquely" Canadian though, outside of the singers who were from Canada. The first part featuring the different Indian tribes could also apply to America.

 

[happygirl]

Founding fathers
Native Americans
Bald Eagles
Baseball

 

[Wishing on a star]

Interesting ideas!!!

I hadn't thought that much about Hollywood... I hate to admit it, but that would have to be a big part of present day American culture.

You know, when a country such as China, with such a vibrant colorful and strongly unique and unified, ancient, culture pulls off something as incredible and impressive as Beijing, it is hard to see anything that one would consider to compare.

I was once asked by a high school teacher to come in and teach a short unit on a small country that I had traveled to and was very familiar with. When we were having class discussion, while the kids were passing around the photo book that I had put together, out of the blue I happened upon a really striking idea.....

One of the students asked a question, and I ended up saying - "You know, OUR culture is just as much a culture as any other culture.... You may not realize that... but it is! " and I continued with a few high-school aged related examples. The full realization of that was really, like, wow!

But, as to how to portray our culture in an exciting and positive way... Like I said earlier... If one is thinking of Beijing (and some other countries) as examples... I think it would be hard to come up with anything that LOOKED as impressive as the colorful, ancient, storied cultures of some other countries.

I think something that displayed 'Melting Pot', 'Unity', 'Progress', etc... with our 'red-white-and-blue' only used to draw these ideas together...might be an idea.

 

[heatherleigh]

Apple pie, thanksgiving, fourth of July, and the super bowl. I know these all sound superficial, but I'm trying to keep it very surface (nothing political).

 

[LukenDC]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the posters who mentioned Hollywood as the defining feature of the US abroad. Our movies and TV programs give a very unrealistic impression of American life.

I believe that the "pioneer spirit" is the defining feature of American life. We are a very mobile society and Americans move great distances with ease and regularity. Our mobile culture is unusual and something that most people abroad cannot relate to.

 

[chisnpeke]

Fourth of July, Steamboats/Riverboats, Baseball, Football, Ford, Chevrolet, Uncle Sam

 

[NikitaZee]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the posters who mentioned Hollywood as the defining feature of the US abroad. Our movies and TV programs give a very unrealistic impression of American life.

I believe that the "pioneer spirit" is the defining feature of American life. We are a very mobile society and Americans move great distances with ease and regularity. Our mobile culture is unusual and something that most people abroad cannot relate to.

I think so too. I was commenting to my husband yesterday about TV commercials - no matter what they advertise, everyone is shown in a big, sunny house with hardwood floors, huge windows, crown moldings, etc. Not everyone lives like that - but you wouldn't know it from the average American commercial.

 

[Art 1]

Cowboys, Indians, hot dogs and hamburgers.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I just had an idea come to mind for an 'Opening Ceremonies' type of celebration display.... (I don't know if anything like this has been done before at any Olympics in this country or not.... But, I can envision the following, along with all the incredible staging and special effects and pyrotechnics, etc..

Have different sections of people (displays) in different areas... Each one to be very colorful and embellished to the hilt.... Everything from Colonial Revolutionary, Native American Indian, Great American West (cowboy), Asian, African American, Hispanic, etc.... Each one colorful, but with a very identifiable color scheme of their own... Like Asian-bright reds, Colonial/Revolutionary-Royal Blue, African Americans-deep oranges/yellows, etc.... Maybe each section makes a big 'entrance'... then, as the presentation goes on, it is like they all start from their spots along the sidelines and start to spiral inward... swirling together inward like a color-wheel melting pot... And, then, by the end finally, somehow, everything has come together and explodes into a display of all-american red-white-and blue...

I don't know if anyone can 'get' this from what I have written???
I can just see it and it seems like it would be amazing.

 

[NAB]

I think so too. I was commenting to my husband yesterday about TV commercials - no matter what they advertise, everyone is shown in a big, sunny house with hardwood floors, huge windows, crown moldings, etc. Not everyone lives like that - but you wouldn't know it from the average American commercial.

Funny because when I see your commercials I used to think I wish I could have a nice laundry room like that and be out on porches playing with babies all day.

 

[eliza61]

I think so too. I was commenting to my husband yesterday about TV commercials - no matter what they advertise, everyone is shown in a big, sunny house with hardwood floors, huge windows, crown moldings, etc. Not everyone lives like that - but you wouldn't know it from the average American commercial.

LOL. Remember the TV show "Friends"? when that first came out, my SIL had just moved to the states from Portugal to go to Med school. She couldn't figure out what her friends were doing wrong. They couldn't find a nice apartment in NYC cheap like they did on TV.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

America's uniqueness is in it's combination of so many different things. That used to be a good thing (and to me it still is) but to hear some people talk about it, you'd think it was horrible.

Why is it wrong that our entertainment industry (movies, music, sports, whatever) is central to our culture?

People see what they want to see.

 

[MizTink]

This is an offshoot of the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies thread...someone asked what would American culture look like.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the Salt Lake City or Atlanta Opening Ceremonies to know what was featured.

But I'm just going to ask the question. What do you think American culture means to the rest of the world. What do we "export" as far as what people think of as being uniquely American?

Also, please lets try to keep it civil, no politics

Fast food and lots of fat people!!
honestly, that's what a lot of people from other countries see.
i've had a few friends that came here from different countries (india, egypt, kashmir, morocco, japan, mexico, france) and as they adjusted to being in america and struggling with their weight (as a result), they always commented that their families back home warned them......

 

[KirstenB]

Fast food and lots of fat people!!
honestly, that's what a lot of people from other countries see.
i've had a few friends that came here from different countries (india, egypt, kashmir, morocco, japan, mexico, france) and as they adjusted to being in america and struggling with their weight (as a result), they always commented that their families back home warned them......

I have to admit, the first thing that leapt into my mind was McDonald's, KFC, etc.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Fast food and lots of fat people!!
honestly, that's what a lot of people from other countries see.
i've had a few friends that came here from different countries (india, egypt, kashmir, morocco, japan, mexico, france) and as they adjusted to being in america and struggling with their weight (as a result), they always commented that their families back home warned them......

Unfortunately, very SAD but true...
Sorry, but one can not live on processed foods and fast foods, drink modified high fructose corn syup all day, and be thin and healthy.

As our foods and habits are now being exported to other countries (soft drinks, snacks/chips, etc...) they too are seeing an immediate result in the obesity stats in their own people.

It amazes me that people miss the obvious and sit and ponder what is causing the obesity problem.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Intolerance for others, lack of civil liberties for all Americans, "I'm bigger than you and can beat you up if I want to mentality."

Those things are there too. Those concepts and realities get exported right along with Mickey Mouse and McDonald's.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Intolerance for others, lack of civil liberties for all Americans, "I'm bigger than you and can beat you up if I want to mentality."

Wow....

I thought we were going to try avoid the negative 'political' stuff here.