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Busted: 6 British stereotypes about Americans

By Emily Nemchick On
January 15,
2014 · 2
Comments

Photo: x-ray
delta one

Most Brits have this image of
what they think is a typical American: a flag-waving patriot with a burger in
one hand and a gun in the other. It’s not far off to say that Homer Simpson and
Stan Smith are our stereotypes of the ‘typical American.’

Here’s one British expat’s perspective on the reality of America, in
comparison to the common stereotypes:

All Americans love McDonald’s.

Reality: We Brits mostly think of America as
fast-food-centric. It’s true that chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and
Wendy’s line most streets, but I’ve found American cuisine to be some of the
most diverse and delicious around. From glammed-up gourmet burgers, to Mexican,
Cuban, Lebanese, Thai, and many more, America offers wonderful foods from all
over the globe.

That’s not even to mention the diversity of traditional ‘American’ foods,
which differ in each and every state. From gumbo and jambalaya in the South, to
seafood and chowder in the North, and many other specialties in between,
American cuisine goes far beyond McDonald’s. Besides, doesn’t England have a
McDonald’s on every corner too?

Those lazy Americans drive EVERYWHERE.

Reality: The image of Americans in their huge 4-wheel-drives
powering down expansive highways is pretty accurate. Driving is considered a
necessity in America, and people don’t like to walk far for anything. I’ve even
had people apologize to me for parking in a spot that isn’t directly next to a
store, because they thought walking 200 metres might upset me.

But the reality is a bit more complex than the stereotypes of Americans being
too lazy to walk. Compared to the UK, America is huge! More often than not,
there’s no option to take public transport, and many towns aren’t set up to be
pedestrian- or bike-friendly. Driving is pretty much a mandatory skill if you
ever want to go anywhere in the US outside of a big city, and I guess that
conditions many people to drive even when they can walk.

Far from being lazy, though, just like in the UK, many physical activities
are hugely popular in the United States. People go to gyms, do yoga, jog, and
play baseball, American football, and more.

Americans are all super patriotic.

Reality: One thing I know I expected before moving to
America was a high level of patriotism, possibly to the extent that other
countries weren’t on the radar for many. Americans seemed to take so much pride
in being American, especially compared to British apathy towards the royal
family and our prime minister. The media would also have us think that ignorance
of other countries is rife in the US.

I wasn’t surprised to find that many people are proud of their country — and
why not? But if I was expecting each and every person to think a map of the
world held only one continent, I was mistaken. I’ve met many American who love
to travel and admire many other nations. Most Americans, contrary to popular
belief, aren’t blindly patriotic, but are well-rounded and knowledgeable about
the rest of the world. I do know for a fact, though, that my husband’s high
school made them salute the flag every morning. Now we certainly don’t do
that in England!

Every American owns a gun.

Reality: As a Brit, gun ownership in America unsettles me.
I’ve read about shootings in areas close to where I live, and most people I’ve
asked have at least fired a gun even if they don’t own one.

Far from what most Brits think, though, not all Americans are pro-firearms.
None of my friends own guns, and many support restrictions on gun ownership,
though none think gun ownership should be banned as it is in the UK — which is
definitely a big difference.

The general impression when I’ve asked seems to be that in smaller towns gun
ownership is more common, but in cities, fewer people feel the need to keep a
gun in the house.

New York and LA are the ONLY cities (the rest is Hicksville).

Reality: OK, nobody really thinks that America consists
solely of high-powered New Yorkers, Hollywood stars, and laid-back country folk
on their ranches, but TV and movies might have implied these stereotypes just a
little. States other than New York and California tend to get sidelined in
British media, and many people assume everywhere else is just backward and
boring.

The reality is that there are lots of amazing cities, national parks, and
great places to live and visit here in America. People are, in general, just
regular people, and not that many identify with Carrie Bradshaw.

People are really friendly, talkative, and LOUD.

Reality: Aside from the image of New Yorkers as too busy to
care, most Brits see Americans either as very relaxed, open, and friendly
people, or as loud, grating, and rude. Maybe that plays off the English
stereotype of the uptight, unfriendly Brit. Either way, I was expecting everyone
to be much chattier in America than they are in England.

To some extent, the reality is just that for someone from the UK. Waitresses
will chat to you, people will make remarks in queues, and talking to strangers
is less of a taboo. Everyone is really friendly, at least compared to people in
England.

But apart from service jobs, where it pays to be friendly if you want a good
tip, I wouldn’t say people are any friendlier or ruder than Brits. Get chatting
to most Americans or most Brits, and you won’t see the difference.

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About The Author

Emily Nemchick

Emily Nemchick is an English expat living in America with her American
husband. She is a freelance writer who loves baking, drinking tea and exploring
new places. You can read more of Emily's writing via her
website.

More By This Author

6 Halloween traditions that only exist in North America (15
comments)

view all → Emily Nemchick

Mr. Blackheart

Thanks you.
As an American expat I fit very few of those stereotype-
most of the time. But I find myself living them down constantly.

I would say that those stereotypes, like most, are seated in fact. I know a
lot of Americans that fit all of those. They’re around. heh

Interestingly, there are occasions where the stereotype and expectations
have actually influenced me slightly to act accordingly. But I suppose that’s
another article

nobody_xiii

Wow. Thank you for this. You see so much stereotyping on the Internet.
People think that the greatest insult in the world to an American is to spout
out stereotypes. While we know them to be untrue, it’s frustrating to know
that there’s nothing you can really say back to them without making the
argument very long-winded. But from now on, I’ll be linking them to this very
friendly and concisely written article.

P.S. It’s traditional in American schools to salute the flag in the morning
and say the “Pledge of Allegiance.” I’ve heard that some countries do
something similar. It’s great for young children to have innocent pride in
their homeland. It may develop into apathy later, but for at least a little
while, it can be positive!

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