40 “The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This” Posts Funny To Americans And Confusing To Europeans
Comparing the United States to Europe isn’t always fair, as Europe is an entire continent with many different countries and cultures. But when it comes to some of the most quintessentially American things, it might be safe to assume that the average person in Europe would be confused or appalled by them.
Below, you’ll find some of the best “The European Mind Can’t Comprehend This” memes that have been shared on X. From massive bulk items sold at Costco to Pillsbury’s seasonal sugar cookies, we hope you enjoy scrolling through these sights that you’re less likely to encounter in Europe than in the good old USA. Be sure to upvote your favorites, and remember to take advantage of that air conditioning and those free refills, Americans!
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Now look at America’s children. This shake is marketed to families. Meanwhile, there are lobbyists fighting for nutrition labels to have less information and to remove country of origin from our food.
Load More Replies........and should also point out the 2600 calories of which 1220 are from fat! 295% Daily value of saturated fat! This entire label just gets worse and worse the more you look at it.
To quote one of my favourite shows, Parks and Recreation: -“How is this a child-sized soda?” -“Well, it’s roughly the size of a two-year old child…if the child was liquified.”
Load More Replies...Yeah no, as an American who loves sugar I also cannot comprehend this.
If they weren't before, they will be. Baskin Robbins should provide a free syringe of insulin.
Load More Replies...For anyone doing the math - that's 9.39 ounces of pure sugar. Even most Americans are not okay with that. When I traveled abroad, that is one of the things I respected about most of the Asian countries I visited. A desert can be subtly sweet and still quite delicious. You can find extremes in every country but I'm talking about what is considered more 'normal' I guess. Also, shout out to French bakeries who spoiled me and made me realize American donuts are basically trash. LOL. But thanks to globalization (or whatever word) - there is a pretty good French pastry shop in a nearby town.
My daughter visited some friends in Washington state 4 yrs ago for three months. When they went some -sorry, English is not my native language, so I don't know the right name of the shop - so when they went to some cake-and cookie dhop, she couldn't eat any of them, they were so sweet. Pure sugar, nothing flavor. Also somr of the chocolates - Milky way, Snickers, Bounty, which we can buy here in our country, are too sweet.
Load More Replies...thats almost a liter! Who can finish a liter of.. this?? I mean not gonna lie id probably like this, but A LITER!!
I'm having trouble comprehending why a 32 fluid ounce serving is divided into grams.
2600 calories?! That’s more than our health service recommends for a daily intake, which is 2200 calories…
All of the numbers on this label are appalling, no question, but it's the sodium that kills me (literally!). 1770mg or 74% of your daily intake. In one drink. Madness!
That's a full day all meal replacement. And about 500 cal for tomorrow.
Nobody, I repeat, nobody, can comprehend this one way ticket to Diabetes. How is this even legal? I thought that this was a joke, but I checked nutritional information for Baskin Robbins’ and their large cookies and cream shake has 124 grams of sugar.
What is incomprehensible is how they use imperial measurements for serving size and yet use the metric system, which is not in general use in the USA for nutritional information.
because an average mind cannot convert so the numbers are meaningless, but legally they are there.
Load More Replies...how corporate America is keeping the population in need of constant medical attention with obesity, diabetes and heart disease
Actually…it was a thing: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/food-drink/the-dish-the-baskin-robbins-chocolate-oreo-milkshake-the-worst-food-in-america-2637576
Load More Replies...This had to be supersized or something because even us Americans have standards sometimes, not always, but sometimes.
Wow! Just wow! This is twice the number of calories. I eat in a day and the carbohydrates at 333 equal three days of carbs for me.
I do not care how good this might taste, what the actual f**k are we doing?! All the numbers on this thing are insane!
This isn't funny it's obscene, 2600 calories, 295% RDA saturated fat... it's mind blowing how someone could take that for granted
Look at the calories. That's more than one should be eating in a day.
Sugar is why Americans are fat and companies keep finding ways to add more.
2600 calories?! That’s more then recommended bij our health service. 😳
I definitely cannot comprehend this. Gimme cup of sugar dressed as chocolate shake
There one denier that keeps trying to downvote comments bruh.
Load More Replies...No, this is a meme gone horribly wrong. I had to do my research on the nutritional post, it was
"Can I have a large Chocolate obesity and diabetic coma, please? Thanks"
No!! Not at all. Some people just don't care about how something like this might affect their teeth. Dentists charge as much as, if not more, for their services as a medical doctor. And many dental insurance plans don't cover nearly enough.
Load More Replies...I wasn't looking at the sugar content, take a look at the calories. I remember a lady on the Internet giving a recipe for a shake like this and she put mounds of chocolate bars in it and she said it was extra delicious. Wow. Yes. But the amount of sugar and calories could kill you.
Ah that makes sense then. I was thinking it must be pretty just cream and sugar, but it also contains the liquefied remains of several chocolate bars.
Load More Replies...This might just be me, but I despise chocolate ice cream, way too sweet and way too much sugar in that thing
Did anyone look at the calories? More than an adult needs for the day.
As long as society thinks it acceptable to normalise obesity and call it body positivity for some strange reason, what do you expect.
As an American who’s lived in a few European countries over the past few years, there are plenty of distinctly American things that I miss but have simply accepted I’m not going to find here. An obvious one is great peanut butter. Yes, I’m lucky enough to live in a place where they actually do sell a few varieties of peanut butter, but none of them ever compare to the beauty that is Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. Making my own is a great alternative, but unfortunately, I have no room for a food processor in my current place. So store bought has to suffice.
Having a garbage disposal in my kitchen sink would also save me a lot of grief. I never intentionally let food slip down the drain, but it’s impossible to catch every piece and utterly disgusting trying to clean it out. Lemonade in Europe does not necessarily have any lemon in it, and if I were in charge of naming it, I would just call it a fruity soda. Don't even get me started on the impossible task of finding corn tortillas over here...
Well, they should comprehend it. It's amazing. Sweet and salty. Yummo!!!
This is a good thing! Pay livable wages, employers!
There are also definitely a few things on this list that I am fond of or can’t help but laugh at the idea of my European friends encountering. One of which is Buc-ee’s, the beloved gas station and convenience store that’s a must-stop on all Texas road trips. I grew up in Texas, so I’ve been to Buc-ee’s more times than I can count. But there are probably more gasoline pumps at any Buc-ee’s location than the number of times I’ve visited.
If you’re unfamiliar, Buc-ee is the large cartoon beaver depicted in a few photos on this list and the mascot of the convenience store chain. Buc-ee’s is a huge shop with merchandise, fresh kolaches and fudge, a large menu of food, a huge array of snacks and drinks, plenty of clean restroom stalls and the friendliest employees in Texas.
I'm american. I live where these types of signs are everywhere. I still don't get it. I just know it turns my stomach. The number of signs telling people they're going to hell, or abortion is murder, or other carrot/stick scenarios is ridiculous. It is distasteful and manipulative and really lays bare the harm that religion does.
I wish that my peers from European countries could have the experience of visiting Costco with their parents, enjoying 10 different samples and a slice of pizza and bringing home the world’s biggest box of crackers. Or showing up to the local abandoned warehouse in September as Spirit Halloween makes its annual appearance. Sometimes I miss being able to find free public restrooms everywhere I go or popping into a one-stop shop like Target. But I know that when I visit my family in Texas, the air conditioning and Tex-Mex will feel even more special, and I’ll get to enjoy a few trips to massive American stores with seemingly unlimited options before returning back to my current home.
Five guys is so good though! It’s super unhealthy, but it’s tasty! As for the drink refills, drinks are like 90% ice anyway, so not that much of a stretch, and this photo shows the large cup. They do have smaller size cups.
For a previous Bored Panda article discussing cultural differences between the United States and Europe, we reached out to Maria Haase, travel writer, photographer and Editor-in-chief of Europe Up Close. Maria grew up in Germany but took family vacations around the US every year. She shared that while she had seen many places already, she was still curious enough about the US to sign up for an exchange year in Louisiana while she was in high school. “Talk about culture shock! But I also met some of the kindest and friendliest people there that turned this year into an amazing experience for me. And I certainly got what I was looking for: To get to know the 'real America,’” Maria shared.
I'm American and I can't comprehend this. Is this real? It looks CGI.
"Culture shock between the US and Germany is not as obvious, but it exists and sneaks up on you," Maria previously told Bored Panda. "Americans are much more focused on the individual, while Germans tend to focus on the benefit of the whole community."
"One stereotype that I found to be very true were the various cliques in high school," she added. "Before I moved to the US, I always thought that was a movie cliché, but it turned out to be a reality when I did my senior year in the US."
Buccees is awesome. Their bbq sauce is my favorite. We have one about 20 minutes down the road.
We were also curious if there were any myths Maria wanted to bust about the United States. “I think one of the biggest misconceptions about the US is to think of it as one culture," she said. "Yes, they are all Americans, but someone from California versus someone from Louisiana probably has about as much shared culture as someone from Sweden with someone from Italy. There are so many different cultures within the US, it is impossible to think of it as one shared culture."
Um.....Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham, UK spectacula...cb-png.jpg
We also wanted to know if Maria prefers living in Europe or the United States. “When you have experienced multiple countries for long periods of time, you will have a unique perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of both," she told Bored Panda. "As a small business owner, I'm grateful for how easy the US makes it for me to run my business.”
This is my local Taco Bell in Pacifica, CA, at Linda Mar State Beach. It was converted into a cantina a few years ago.
Pretty sure they have sports fanatics in Europe. In fact, European obsess over football (soccer to Americans)
“On the other hand, I wish the US had more of a social safety net and more progressive politics,” Maria previously shared. “Each country has things they do extremely well, and other things that they could learn from other countries. I love living in San Diego, but I also hope to spend more time in Germany in the next couple of years."
Whether you’re a confused European or an American who’s just seeing photos of your everyday life, we hope you’re enjoying these pics, pandas. Keep upvoting the ones that either perplex you or make you feel at home, and then let us know in the comments what you think the most uniquely American things are. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring cultural differences, feel free to check out this list next!
My european mind did not comprehend why there is a misshaped depressed penguin on the cookies, until somebody mentiond halloween and i figured out it's supposed to be a ghost.
This isn't that weird. All three of those are owned by the same company - Yum Brands. All three of those brands have struggled some financially. So it was a money saving move in some locations to put them together in the same building and let people choose. I don't know how well this strategy is working for them but basically they are not competitors. As long as you spend your money on one of the three you are supporting the same parent company.
The size of the thing or going on trips with a caravan? Because if you make your way south in summer, it seem that every dutch person gets one for free with there driver license. The past couple years some other nations joined them….I’ve never seen an Italian one. Any Italians here with a caravan?
We have them in Europe. I love everything Cactus but I'd never est bugs. I have a phobia of dead bugs.
Looks like the American mind doesn't comprehend what the word 'comprehend' means.
My Australian mind can't comprehend how stupid and pointless this list is....
Dear God, another "the World versus those pesky Americans" article. I live in France, not interested. How about an article on "How Spain Views Italy"? Of course not, because no one cares - and no one should. Leave the Americans alone. Feels like some inferiority complex happening here. Or maybe just click baiting. I am joining with the others in ignoring these from here on out except for giving the article a negative rating. Come on, BP . . . . . .
This BoredPanda listicle creator is renown for their divisive listicles stereotyping the US and other countries. It’s pure lazy-a**e clickbait.
Load More Replies...The European mind doesn’t want to comprehend half this list as it implies we are idiots.
This American mind hates this stupid list and whatever it's trying and failing to be clever about
Load More Replies...As a Brit who has lived in the US for 26 years I find these articles so very frustrating. Yes, there are some dumb people that live here, but no more so than where you live. These articles focus on a small minority that do not represent the majority at all. Sure. Americans can be all of the negative perceptions but why do we never look at their many positives? Happy to call the US home and the vast majority of the people here have been warm, kind, friendly and welcoming. Give them a break people!
Thanks for verbalizing that in a constructive way. And I hope your experience here continues to be enjoyable. I know it's been three decades but welcome.
Load More Replies...My Scottish mind can’t comprehend how idiotic these listicles are. You’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel, BoredPanda. With all the hateful listicles like this, you should rename yourself as Toxic Pand.
If you all pissed off my homie lokislilbutterknife, you should be ashamed.
Load More Replies...What an absolutely pathetic thread this was. Bored Panda staff, you’re better than this.
Why oh why did I even open this? I knew it was going to be stupid.
The list creator has a very low opinion of Europeans. They understand most of it.
As an American I don't mind some America bashing, but lets make it things that are actually worth basing like our healthcare and politics
TIL learned Europeans do not have fast food.. or restaurants... or water... man it must suck over there /s
Apparently the European mind cannot comprehend that everything we have here might be slightly different in America. I mean seeing that they call Frosties something slightly different absolutely blew my mind!
Normal Americans do NOT think the US is better than others, or that others are living in the dark ages or can't comprehend different cultures from their own. Normal Americans travel and if they can't afford to, learn about other countries and their cultures from reading or getting to know people who previously lived in other countries. Our country is comprised of people from all other countries and cultures!! The small, loud, obnoxious group of US citizens that are ridiculous w hateful "pride" in the US aren't liked by the good people of our country. But truly, it gets upsetting to be lumped in w them and also to have our ways mocked. I never would see an article bashing the "weird" or "gross" cultures of other countries just because they differ from mine. Whoever wrote this list, American or European, just stirred up the usual insults back and forth. We should ignore such articles and be better to one another!!
Two xenophobic and thoroughly ignorant threads about the USA in a week? Bored panda phoning it in again with pointless and boring garbage. All of these are stupid. Try harder Adelaide. This was lazy and stupid.
" Lemonade in Europe does not necessarily have any lemon in it, and if I were in charge of naming it, I would just call it a fruity soda." True ! In France a real lemonade is calles " citronade " citron beeing the french word for lemon. You can find citronade in most super markets. You also can get it from some cafés but it's not a big thing here citronade-...aa8c4a.jpg
We call it Limonade. Named after lime, not lemon
Load More Replies..." Don't even get me started on the impossible task of finding corn tortillas over here..." TALO or TALOA : is a typical food of the Basque Country, similar to the traditional corn tortilla of Mesoamerica, made of corn flour, water and a bit of salt. After corn was introduced from America to Basque agriculture in 1520, talo was subsequently prepared. 256 YEARS before The United States declared independence on July 4, 1776 ! LOL "Old El Paso is a brand of Tex-Mex-style foods from American food producer General Mills. Today, Old El Paso is sold in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, among other countries." I can find Old El Paso in every super markets here, far from the best products in the world though. el-paso-65...f1cbfd.jpg
Basque Taloa : corn tortilla, duck meat, blue cheese and pears : taloa-cana...5dc0db.jpg
Load More Replies...A lot of Americans always think Europe is stuck in the dark ages while most of us are more advanced in a lot of things.
A lot of Americans? How many have you polled? Where did you pole them? I promise most Americans dont think about Europe at all. They think about going to work, taking care of their business and living their lives. They dont think about Europe at all for the most part. We have our own goings on. If we want some change we go to a different state without needing a visa. We might go to nevada and enjoy the desert or to new england to enjoy some skiing or maybe colorado? We can stay in the borders of our own land and experience so much cultural diversity that most europeans couldn't even fathom and we can do it just with car or train or plane.
Load More Replies...I think the majority of us are appalled by many of these things and NOT that we can't comprehend it.
We have the natural ingredients peanut butter but also artificial with sugar. We have lots of flavors added too like one with sambal or jalapeños.
The dead bugs candy is something I've found in the Netherlands at tourist shops and a coffee shop.
That's because the "European mind" comes from a tiny continent with even tinier countries - compared to the US. And I came from one of them. Until you are here and experience the vastness and long distances and wide open spaces (in some places), you won't understand some of them. Others are stereotypes. As for not understanding air conditioning, haven't Europeans been experiencing hot summers? I'm grateful for moderately-set air conditioning on a day that hits 90-120 Fahrenheit (32-49 Celcius).
20% of RUSSIA is in EUROPE . the distance between Lisbon, Portugal and Talinn, Estonia (European Union which is not even all of EUROPE) is the same as in between Washington DC and Los Angeles !
Load More Replies...Is it me or did people get way too offended with this post? It's a funny phrase to show differences between one country and a bunch of other countries, it doesn't imply we are actually incapable of understanding American things. And many people seem to have the reading skills of a Twitter user, considering how "look at these giant bottles of water we have" translates to "we don't think Europeans drink water" (and many other examples)
Can’t, or won’t? 💀 Some of these things are just…. inexplicably American.
My Australian mind can't comprehend how stupid and pointless this list is....
Dear God, another "the World versus those pesky Americans" article. I live in France, not interested. How about an article on "How Spain Views Italy"? Of course not, because no one cares - and no one should. Leave the Americans alone. Feels like some inferiority complex happening here. Or maybe just click baiting. I am joining with the others in ignoring these from here on out except for giving the article a negative rating. Come on, BP . . . . . .
This BoredPanda listicle creator is renown for their divisive listicles stereotyping the US and other countries. It’s pure lazy-a**e clickbait.
Load More Replies...The European mind doesn’t want to comprehend half this list as it implies we are idiots.
This American mind hates this stupid list and whatever it's trying and failing to be clever about
Load More Replies...As a Brit who has lived in the US for 26 years I find these articles so very frustrating. Yes, there are some dumb people that live here, but no more so than where you live. These articles focus on a small minority that do not represent the majority at all. Sure. Americans can be all of the negative perceptions but why do we never look at their many positives? Happy to call the US home and the vast majority of the people here have been warm, kind, friendly and welcoming. Give them a break people!
Thanks for verbalizing that in a constructive way. And I hope your experience here continues to be enjoyable. I know it's been three decades but welcome.
Load More Replies...My Scottish mind can’t comprehend how idiotic these listicles are. You’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel, BoredPanda. With all the hateful listicles like this, you should rename yourself as Toxic Pand.
If you all pissed off my homie lokislilbutterknife, you should be ashamed.
Load More Replies...What an absolutely pathetic thread this was. Bored Panda staff, you’re better than this.
Why oh why did I even open this? I knew it was going to be stupid.
The list creator has a very low opinion of Europeans. They understand most of it.
As an American I don't mind some America bashing, but lets make it things that are actually worth basing like our healthcare and politics
TIL learned Europeans do not have fast food.. or restaurants... or water... man it must suck over there /s
Apparently the European mind cannot comprehend that everything we have here might be slightly different in America. I mean seeing that they call Frosties something slightly different absolutely blew my mind!
Normal Americans do NOT think the US is better than others, or that others are living in the dark ages or can't comprehend different cultures from their own. Normal Americans travel and if they can't afford to, learn about other countries and their cultures from reading or getting to know people who previously lived in other countries. Our country is comprised of people from all other countries and cultures!! The small, loud, obnoxious group of US citizens that are ridiculous w hateful "pride" in the US aren't liked by the good people of our country. But truly, it gets upsetting to be lumped in w them and also to have our ways mocked. I never would see an article bashing the "weird" or "gross" cultures of other countries just because they differ from mine. Whoever wrote this list, American or European, just stirred up the usual insults back and forth. We should ignore such articles and be better to one another!!
Two xenophobic and thoroughly ignorant threads about the USA in a week? Bored panda phoning it in again with pointless and boring garbage. All of these are stupid. Try harder Adelaide. This was lazy and stupid.
" Lemonade in Europe does not necessarily have any lemon in it, and if I were in charge of naming it, I would just call it a fruity soda." True ! In France a real lemonade is calles " citronade " citron beeing the french word for lemon. You can find citronade in most super markets. You also can get it from some cafés but it's not a big thing here citronade-...aa8c4a.jpg
We call it Limonade. Named after lime, not lemon
Load More Replies..." Don't even get me started on the impossible task of finding corn tortillas over here..." TALO or TALOA : is a typical food of the Basque Country, similar to the traditional corn tortilla of Mesoamerica, made of corn flour, water and a bit of salt. After corn was introduced from America to Basque agriculture in 1520, talo was subsequently prepared. 256 YEARS before The United States declared independence on July 4, 1776 ! LOL "Old El Paso is a brand of Tex-Mex-style foods from American food producer General Mills. Today, Old El Paso is sold in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, among other countries." I can find Old El Paso in every super markets here, far from the best products in the world though. el-paso-65...f1cbfd.jpg
Basque Taloa : corn tortilla, duck meat, blue cheese and pears : taloa-cana...5dc0db.jpg
Load More Replies...A lot of Americans always think Europe is stuck in the dark ages while most of us are more advanced in a lot of things.
A lot of Americans? How many have you polled? Where did you pole them? I promise most Americans dont think about Europe at all. They think about going to work, taking care of their business and living their lives. They dont think about Europe at all for the most part. We have our own goings on. If we want some change we go to a different state without needing a visa. We might go to nevada and enjoy the desert or to new england to enjoy some skiing or maybe colorado? We can stay in the borders of our own land and experience so much cultural diversity that most europeans couldn't even fathom and we can do it just with car or train or plane.
Load More Replies...I think the majority of us are appalled by many of these things and NOT that we can't comprehend it.
We have the natural ingredients peanut butter but also artificial with sugar. We have lots of flavors added too like one with sambal or jalapeños.
The dead bugs candy is something I've found in the Netherlands at tourist shops and a coffee shop.
That's because the "European mind" comes from a tiny continent with even tinier countries - compared to the US. And I came from one of them. Until you are here and experience the vastness and long distances and wide open spaces (in some places), you won't understand some of them. Others are stereotypes. As for not understanding air conditioning, haven't Europeans been experiencing hot summers? I'm grateful for moderately-set air conditioning on a day that hits 90-120 Fahrenheit (32-49 Celcius).
20% of RUSSIA is in EUROPE . the distance between Lisbon, Portugal and Talinn, Estonia (European Union which is not even all of EUROPE) is the same as in between Washington DC and Los Angeles !
Load More Replies...Is it me or did people get way too offended with this post? It's a funny phrase to show differences between one country and a bunch of other countries, it doesn't imply we are actually incapable of understanding American things. And many people seem to have the reading skills of a Twitter user, considering how "look at these giant bottles of water we have" translates to "we don't think Europeans drink water" (and many other examples)
Can’t, or won’t? 💀 Some of these things are just…. inexplicably American.