The United States has plenty of pros and cons, just like any other country. However, you can’t deny America tends to have more of each and some of them are turned all the way up to 11 on the weirdness scale. Like having the police patrol your school, writing the date in a weird way (let’s not even talk about the Imperial measurement system), and having full-on smear ads against political opponents.
Welcome to the Wonderland that is the USA. And what better way to learn about the bizarre things that Americans think are completely normal than by asking non-Americans for their opinions? That’s exactly what one Reddit user (who told Bored Panda that they wish to remain anonymous because of all the attention they're getting) did in a viral thread that got more than 50.9k upvotes and over a whopping 38.9k comments. Scroll down, have a read, check out our in-depth interview with the original poster, and upvote the weird things that happen in the US that left an impact on you, dear Pandas.
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Talking about their freedom as if they're the only country in the world who has it...
Gratuitous violence in entertainment is normal. But show one boob and people lose their s**t.
The redditor who posted the thread in the first place told us that they usually don’t hang out in the crowded default subreddits. “Either the thread gets too big for a conversation or it goes unnoticed in a sea of similar topics. In hindsight, it's not strange it got so much attention, Reddit is very diverse but a US-centric view is still dominant, and everyone wants to weigh in. Lots of people just wanted to vent, some had a strong political opinion, and some just wanted to ridicule the US.”
According to the Reddit user, they made the thread “on a whim” after they saw a comment by a redditor who was surprised to learn that not everyone has police officers at school.
“I did hope that starting this topic would end up in a couple of people sharing that kind of information among each other, because the US is going through some [crap], and it helps your morale to know that alternatives do exist.”
They continued: “Some people took it as a competition of which country is better, but it was intended without any kind of nationalist feelings, more with an idea of people defining things among themselves vs. how things are shown to be in schools and TV shows, in and outside the US.”
When you are 18 years old, you can be shipped to a foreign country to kill humans, but you are not allowed to drink alcohol.
I laughed when Will Smiths son wanted to celebrate his 18th birthday in the UK because he would be allowed to drink legally!
Ambulance rides costing money seems pretty absurd to people from other countries
Paying people less than minimum wage. How is it a minimum if it's legal to pay less than that?
One thing that the redditor did expect to see in the thread but was surprised to hear so many voices speaking against it was the “circumcision of infant males for non-medical, non-religious reasons but rather as a default procedure.” The redditor added: “Parents who decide against circumcising their newborn child but don't know how it works and what to teach their kid: there's a WikiHow!”
The thread shone a light on a lot of problems in the United States and suggested that these things need to change. “The things that got repeated most in the thread were division of ethnic groups, gun culture, military drafting and continuous warfare, cop culture, nutrition issues, corporate lobbying... and wearing shoes in the house,” the OP explained.
Wondering if you're sick enough to call that ambulance or if you should just risk ubering it.
Medical bankruptcy after you're charged $200,000 for a week long hospital stay and now you're homeless.
Being mentally ill and getting hospitalized by others for your own safety, but then getting a massive bill for it that you cant pay (which will totally help the suicidality right?)
Choosing between food and medicine.
Deciding that it's less expensive to just go into palliative care and die instead of fighting a disease like cancer.
As you can see I really hate the american medical care system.
Turning scientific information into a political discussion.
Archaic, unhelpful standard units of measurement.
In 1983 canadian airplane had a lucky escape when fuel was calculated in pounds not kilograms. 1 kg is 2,2 pounds. So more than half of the fuel was missing.
“It's not as if all those comments came from non-US redditors, a lot of the criticism was from US citizens with genuine concern and investment in their future and their surroundings. Combine that with getting active and finding each other, just as widespread protests are helping to create a framework of solidarity, I think change is already happening if you just keep at it,” they said.
“I saw a lot of people from outside the US who feel racism or racist police brutality are a typical US thing. It sure looks like there's a structural issue, but please don't use the US as a way to shift blame because ‘they're worse,’ to get out of examining the same structural issues in your own locality,” the redditor added.
Gun ownership.
Many Americans are afraid all the time. It's a horrible habit, and our media/politicians reinforce it. It stems from the fact that our country was founded on genocide and slavery, IMO. White people fear BIPOC revenge that's never going to happen, and gun companies own the right wing of the government.
Having only two parties: Republicans and Democrats. I know there are some smaller parties, but the system is stacked against them.
When you think about it, this turns out to be the root cause for so many other problems. If not all of them.
While the US thinks a lot of weird things are normal, the one that isn’t giving us any peace and quiet is that Americans write the date as mm/dd/yyyy. So, why exactly do Americans write the date by putting the month before the day?
Of course, it seems completely logical to somebody who’s grown up with this system and uses it every single day of their lives. Nothing could be more natural, in their opinion. But from an outsider’s perspective, it looks downright weird and illogical. And the US is the only country in the world that does things this way.
There are several theories about this. One of them is that in certain cases, it’s more convenient to know the month first rather than the day. For instance, when somebody asks you when your birthday is, it’s more useful to know the month first to get your bearings right before zoning in on the exact day.
Not putting the final price on the tag. I'm not sure whether it's still like this, but a few years ago one never knew whether the $1.00 item in McDonald's or Burger King is actually $1.00 or maybe $1.08.
It is absolutely ridiculous that not the final price tag is put on products. The European Union now rules that any taxes and mandatory fees need to be put up front. Thing like flight ticket = 30 EUR but then having to pay mandatorily for seating are ruled illegal. The opposite in the US. I have literally seen: hotel room: 200 USD/night. + mandatory resort fee, 30 USD, + mandatory service fee, 40 USD, + mandatory gratuity, 12,5% + local tax 4,1% + state tax 3,7% (number from my head). Thus, this really is a ~325 USD hotel room. No comparison possible.
Date Order (MM/DD/YYYY)
YYYY-MM-DD, please. Its an international standard, unambiguous, and sorts alphabetically. And equally uncomfortable for everybody :)
Portion sizes.
While living in Texas (I am Finnish) I saw huge people and huge portion sizes, rarely a healthy option available. It was unbelievable how big the portion sizes were!
Another theory is that American colonists inherited the monthly date format from the British Empire. In time, the British moved over to the European style where you put the day first, then the month, then the year. While Americans stuck with the old-school format.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the International Organization for Standardization claims that putting the year first, then the month, then the day is the internationally accepted way to represent the date. To make things even more confusing, the US military uses the dd/mm/yyyy format for correspondence but it switches to the mm/dd/yyyy format when corresponding with civilians. Does that sound like a lot of info to take in? You bet! And that’s just one of the weird things that Americans think are normal.
The plot of Breaking Bad being about a science teacher getting cancer and worrying about leaving his family with massive medical debt when he dies.
My maternity leave was an unpaid 6 weeks, and I had to fight them on not shorting me because I went past my due date and didn’t keep working until the day I went into labor.
Not to mention the hospital bill after having your baby. Like children aren't expensive enough without having to either pay for an at home doula\midwife, or a hospital birth.
American flags everywhere. I traveled throughout Europe and the Caribbean and I usually only saw their flag on government builds and here and there. Where as here in the USA the flag is like Franks Red Hot. We put that s**t on everything. Magnets, churches, cars, condoms, every front porch, and street lamp. #murica
Identifying as your heritage instead of your nationality. Americans will say that they’re Italian, German, polish, etc. when they don’t speak the language and have no real connection to those countries anymore.
In other parts of the world people just identify with the country they were born in or have lived in for a significant amount of time regardless of their ancestry.
Had some American colleagues in Norway asking us how we celebrate 4th July
Happens a lot. America seems to think the world is separated into 2 parts. America and Not America, yet.
Big glasses of water WITH ICE at restaurants. I live in Texas usually and I drink ice water like 24/7. It’s a good habit here, especially in Summer. When I was in Europe I would get the smallest glasses of luke warm water that I had to ask for more every ten seconds. I felt annoying! Aren’t y’all thirsty?! Or am I missing something?
Yes, we are just as thirsty as everyone else;) But why should ice-cold water (especially) help against thirst? I have never understood (so do many people) why there are tons of ice in every drink. Especially when it is hot, it is totally counterproductive to drink such ice-cold drinks. It is much healthier and more effective against thirst to drink only slightly chilled drinks (directly from the fridge or 1/2 ice cubes max. ;) However, lukewarm water is rather unusual in restaurants ... unfortunately bad luck
Toilet cubicles, where people not only can peek, but an adult person could crawl into your cubicle, there is so much space under the "door".
Willingly putting yourself massively in debt for a college degree.
I come from a place with free university education (which has its own drawbacks of course), and the fact that you can make such a huge, life-altering decision at 17 is considered normal over there, that seems downright bizarre to me.
The enabling customer service culture.
It’s created excessive portions in restaurants, created Karen, gives way to a disposable attitude towards products, and generally gives a sense of entitlement where most people start adding it to their list of rights.
When I was there during the last election I was shocked at how phrases like ‘well they have the black vote’ or the ‘Latino vote’ came up all the time on the radio. Obviously it’s not racist but it’s just something that would never come up in my country. Like, why would latino people all vote for the same person?
Actively avoiding healthcare visits/checkups because if there's something wrong and you don't have the money to pay for treatment, then you'd rather just not know
And that's insane. The sooner you start treatment on an illness the less it costs to cure. Seems that the basic rule of any maintenance schedule for machines is impossible to apply on humans in the US. That's what you get when your health care system is for profit instead of for everyone.
This one is more on the positive side, because I think we could learn some from it.
Talking and sharing your life with complete strangers. I have met quite a few americans so it seems the norm that you share and engage with strangers in public. The bus, train, parks etc. And then you go on your way.
In Denmark you'd be a "freak" if you did that.
Actual question: Why do you want to share your life with strangers on the street? I know I feel very uncomfortable if that happens to me (luckily seldom). Like, what am I to do with what you told me? I don't know you, I don't know if I like you, I don't know what you need as response...
Asking everyone “what do you do?” when you first meet them. I live outside the US and realized there are some people I’ve known for years and I still don’t know their job. I think in the US jobs are a bigger part of a person’s identity than in some other places.
The one that always shocks me (I’ve an L1B so I spent quite a bit of time in the last couple of years living & working in the USA - although back home in U.K. right now) is the whole ‘thank you for your service’ military thing. The military is treated like some sort of god level being. It first struck me at Seaworld when they would make all service personnel stand up. In the U.K. the military guys (a) wouldn’t do it and (b) would be embarassed. In most cases they would be actively told not to do it so they don’t get identified - the fear the IRA stoked still runs deep in the processes in the military of the U.K.
Another thing regarding military is how actively they recruit. I've never seen it in the past 17 years in the UK, but in the US soldiers go into schools to recruit, do talks, tell you how you get a career or can pay for college after military service, etc. Twice I was practically harassed in high school by recruiters because of my good grades.
I was heavily courted as well because of my test scores. They quit calling though after I told them 1) I weighed barely over 100 lbs 2) I had 3 metal screws in my left hip and 3) I'd had 3 eye surgeries and still had terrible depth perception. Turns out they don't want scrawny, damaged goods, which was 100% fine by me!
Load More Replies...I always thought it was weird that the US treats its soldiers as divine and its cops like garbage. This is because we are commonly told that soliders are out there every day making sure that we don't speak Chinese or get taken over by the British (which would otherwise happen in 10 minutes). Meanwhile most peoples' experiences with cops is being caught doing something that they knew they shouldn't do, such as speeding.
And on the other hand they drop you like a brick if you need any help, physical or psychological, or monetary. Quite a lot of homeless ex militaries, and high suicide rate.
This is a recent thing. Since the end of the Cold War, it is a facade of patriotism masking authority control by the same generation that lost the Vietnam War (overall, 1945-1979, US involvement being 1954-1975) one subsequent generations to glorify the military-industrial complex (first criticised by Republicans, now indemnified by them). For example, whether I was a kid in the 1960s, or a teacher in the 1990s, I never saw this action until after the September 2001 incidents, especially here in CA. If one really wants to thank veterans for their service, as one pundit wrote, make sure that no subsequent generations will have to fight another war on foreign soil.
I come from a military family and none of my relatives really liked being singled.out or thanked. They served because they felt it was their duty not for recognition. I've always felt like most.of the ones who expect the thanks joined for the wrong reasons.
I'll tell you why I do it. I do it because the military - and I do this for all military no matter what country - sacrifice their personal lives, safety, opinions, and mental health, in order to protect our rights, freedoms, opinions, and personal lives. I thank everyone as a nod of respect and genuine gratitude. Even if I see a military personnel from a different country in the US or I'm in another country and see someone in uniform, I find it very important to acknowledge them for their sacrifices for their country and the people they protect.
The percentage of people who come back with PTSD and life altering injuries is astounding. They should not be recruiting school kids. Few people have it in them to kill another human being an be ok afterwards, let alone teenagers. I've gotten a shake down by a high ranking officer before, "Well, you need a GED, the military won't take you if you don't have on." I don't want to join the military so that's not a problem. I was delivering someone's food and this recruiter thought it was appropriate to try and have this conversation when I was trying to work. Plus women have a VERY high chance of being sexually assaulted by their fellow soldiers and CO's will do nothing about it.
This is a backlash to the 60s and 70s when people were spitting on the military for things they had no control over - like being in a war. It will calm down and go back to normal after a while.
I thank them for their service all the time and they always seem touched but humble.
And yet veterans are often homeless and not looked after at all with their PTSD and other problems.. because they can't pay for the astronomical health care prices and the military does not provide everyone with equal after care. But that's true in more countries than just US, for fairness.
Many Americans think we do not treat our Veterans well enough. Vietnam veterans faced lots of scorn upon their return.
We have special parking spaces for wounded vets which is completely stupid. Because that's what handicapped parking is for. And I have NEVER seen ANY of those 'wounded vet' parking spaces filled. Always empty because again, if a vet is wounded, then they'll have a handicap placard or license and park in the handicapped parking space.
it's not mandatory, here. and became that way permanently after the debacle in Vietnam.
Terrible things happened in Ulster. UK military should be embarrassed.
It's cheaper to say 'thank you for your service', than it is to provide healthcare, housing and employment.
You should be recognized for your service to the country! What is sad is your idea isn't like it really is most of the time. If you would give your life for another, shouldn't that be something to be proud of? Selfless act. What is even worse is that there are a lot of the military that is homeless or have medical issues that don't get addressed. Sometimes even shunned. That is not okay in my book.
You have to understand the history of why we do this. After the vietnam war the liberal anti-war activists couldn't separate the negativity of what was happening in Vietnam and how our politicians were lying about the war with the need to still support our everyday serviceman and woman serving over seas. Shamefully, these anti-war activists spit on our soldiers, called them baby-killers, and treated them like they were Nazi death guards or something. After the first gulf war conflict in the 1990's we shifted and realized that this type of behavior could NEVER happen again. Since then there has been a concerted effort from everyone to make sure our military are never treated that way again and are always appreciated and thanked for their service - even if you disagree with the war or political reasons behind it.
For better or worse, my uneducated opinion is this: This is a direct result of Vietnam Vets being spit on upon returning home. (Not even sure if that happened or is a myth or just some kind of representation of the attitude.) So, people in the US wanted to be sure that vets of other conflicts KNEW that people did not view them the same way, and that they were respected.
If you wouldn't have screwed Ireland over to begin with you wouldn't have this problem.
Ugh god, it's completely cringeworthy how people in the US treat the military. I've never been comfortable saying "thank you for service" because more often than not, I don't agree with the military and I don't want to thank someone for killing other people...(I know not everyone who serves does.)
lol The military personnel in the UK are hard working fighters who get really crazy on their liberty. So it is no surprise they dont want to be singled out. But I have been in El Salvador and know why they dont identify themselves. I even saw one poor soldier who wore a full ski mask in 100 + temperatures so as not to be identified.
But where doea the UN's money come from as well as the armies and armament? From the member countries. And I would not want the UN doing anything. They screw it up worse than individual countries. Take the single county screw up factor and multiply that by the participating member nations to get the actual screw up factor.
Load More Replies...If you're going to stand up and thank military for their service (ie, doing their job) you should do the same for doctors, nurses, fire, police officers, etc. It makes no sense to me how they worship people who chose the profession. Maybe in the days of conscription it made sense.
My husband is a firefighter/paramedic and is often thanked for it. I agree that the other professions you listed should also be thanked along with teachers.
Load More Replies...We don’t appreciate and respect our military enough. Saying thanks is the least we can do
In Britain they sometimes need an army, but when not needed, it is a seemingly unnecessary expense so the government hates them. Especially the Labour party.
Look up how we (the US ) treated soldiers coming home from Vietnam. It was horrible and senseless. We, as a country realized that we treated animals better than our soldiers who risk their lives for the very freedoms we stand by and support. Therefore, it is our privilege to make sure these men and women of our military know that we support and appreciate their sacrifices (being gone from their families for long periods of time and the ultimate sacrifice, their lives). So we thank them. We applaud them. We love them. It is just that simple.
But you forget about them the moment they are out of service or need help to cope with life.
Load More Replies...They're the victims of a system profiting off creating wars and selling weapons to all parties. Whatever noble goal the soldiers might have, they are sadly victims who are in danger of lifelong trauma, because Uncle Sam needs more money. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, to name a few... The soldiers in general do their best to fight for good, but their training teaches them to shoot first and to be paranoid. Of course, it will mess them up for the rest of their lives.
Load More Replies... Side effects on medication adverts.
Friggin hilarious to us Brits.
With James' Hayfever meds, I can get through the day with ease!
Side effects may include:
Loss of sight
Loss of hearing
Loss of sense of smell
Coma
Headaches
Fever
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Loss of consciousness
and death.
American Corporations have convinced us our work culture is totally normal.
The sad thing is, working more and having no employee rights, doesn't mean you have more money on the long run or that there's more productivity. Countries like Germany and Belgium have a very high productivity, but in less work hours and with better conditions. People have more time for their families, have days off and don't need to fear for their job or their lives when they're sick because of a social security system that works. I think the USA is a bit like Japan: they too, work an insane amount of hours, but one doesn't get more done in those hours. A Dutch woman wrote a book about that system and how it gives you a burn-out, for example. We certainly work just as hard as Americans, but the system is smarter and fairer. It's like with education, we pay less, but our Masters are equally as good as your American ones.
Attack ads against political opponents, ads for law firms or lawyers. These kinds of ads are illegal and considered unethical in our country. Also expecting a teenager to be out of the house by the time they're 18. I live in Southeast Asia. There's no stigma about living with one's parents. Most of the time, there will be three generations living in one house.
I am the youngest of 5 sons and it was expected that I stay at home in order to take over and care for my parents in the future.
not owning kettles and MICROWAVING their water for coffee/tea
Having second mortgages on a house. Taking massive loans they can't possibly pay off and buying stuff with it that decreases in value over time such as cars.
Extra large bottomless cups for cola or soft drinks.... you could bathe in those....
being able to vote before reaching the legal drinking age
A flag in every corner of a classroom, and Americans being very patriotic to the stars and stripes. Other countries barely give a poop about their flags
Note: this post originally had 73 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Kids beauty contests are something I can in no way understand. Children wearing padded bikinis and lipstick, being judged by grown ups. WTF?
You know whatl always confused me about Americans? Talking about salaries in dollars per hour and yearly. I've no idea how much 15 $/hour is. Or how much $80 000 a year is. Most people just talk about their monthly salary. After all you pay most of your bills per month- electricity, water, heating, internet, phone, etc.
Generally, only administrators are "salaried" employees who make a guaranteed amount. When I worked on construction sites, I earned a certain dollar-amount per hour. I may work 32 hours this week and 50 hours the next. I had no idea how much I made "per month" until the end of the month.
Load More Replies...Ok Enough about the flags. One time on this list is all you all need. We don't need to keep explaining the same damn thing over and over. There is a lot of speculation coming from people who don't have a big enough sample of living in the US. You live in one place and think you can speak for everywhere but that is not how it is here. I think it would have been a better format if instead of being all smug and s**t, instead ya' all just asked questions and we could answer. Because you are making assumptions without all the facts, and that's not a sign of intelligence. (yeah down voting this comment will prove my point so go ahead! )
We are making these assumptions based on the propaganda Hollywood feeds us. And the odd tourist. Only by having articles like this can we even start to dig deeper, and find this truth you hint at.
Load More Replies...Is it already time for BP's weekly article about how weird the US is (which inevitably ends up with people dunking on healthcare, food, measurement/date styles)? I get that some of the things we do are weird (though F is more accurate and useful than C, it just lacks the elegance of 0 - 100) but between this and the 33rd article about this or that artist's rendering of something or other using Disney characters, this site is getting stale.
Honest question. Why do you think F is more accurate? And how is F more useful?
Load More Replies...The way many Americans use forks. I've worked in the US for a few month and everyone who watched me eating immediately knew I'm a foreigner. I always kept the fork in my left hand while my American colleagues held it in the left hand while cutting and than took the fork with the right hand for eating with the tines pointing upwards. Quite often I was the only one using silverware, for example when eating a pizza. I always refused to take these triangular pieces with my hand, which was considered as being extremely weird.
Pizza is considered a finger food in this country. It may be "weird" to you...but its very "weird" to us to sit there and eat pizza with a fork. Imagine that...different countries have different customs and ways of eating cuisine! Amazing!
Load More Replies...Residential neighborhoods with no sidewalks. Cities with no railway stations. Paying money to get into a state park or national park. Elections on weekdays. Throwing all types of recyclables into the same bin ("commingled recycling").
That was some good American bashing. We all feel superior now? Sorry, bashing back is not the answer.
Enough with the US flag thing! Other nations wave theirs all over the place. Hve it on clothing. Et cetera. (Canada, UK, Eastern Europe post-USSR... Denmark has national flag Christmas ornaments.) Please, enough already with this alleged American obsession with the American flag. Not just the US. Not all of the US. Speaking as someone who has been in the UK and seen the Union Jack on *speedos*. (ANd you worry about the US flying its flags on buildings?!)
Not all of the USA. Just the part of the USA that we see on TV? Got it.
Load More Replies...Hey, another American hating post, how original. Guess it just allows us to ignore our own issues.
you must be the only country in the world that has to shut down parks cos you dont have enough money...how the f**k do you close grass
Load More Replies...Some of these things don't apply only to Americans, and some of them only right-wing nutballs think are normal.
Home Owners organisation. I cannot understand this one. What right does anyone have to tell you that you can't have a certain garden ornament or even tree on your lawn I have heard that some home owners have been brought to task about the type of door knocker or door bell they have. If I have worked hard to to own my own home and am still working hard to pay a mortgage, what right does some jumped up little fascist with more time on his hands then brains in their head to tell me how to decorate my home?. Here in Ireland and again in the UK this would never happen. You can do what you like and call it freedom of expression.
Ah! But those Home Owners Associations also guarantee you a lifestyle should you choose to live it. For instance, I bought a place in a neighborhood that is child-free. I pay the HOA fees so that I live maintenance free (they take care of the lawn, the pool, the gym, the roads, the gates, the mailboxes, etc.) and have rules in place and enforce the rules to keep children out of common areas and away from the amenities. I gladly shell out the monthly fee for the peace and quiet and maintenance free life-style that I live. Others choose to lice in neighborhoods that are geared towards children and pay extra to have security and maintenance for their amenities to keep their children safe. There are few HOAs here that tell someone how to live their lives. If you experienced that I am sorry, but that is the exception rather than the norm. The only time my HOA has gotten involved in someone's business is when they piled trash up on their front walk and left it for a week.
Load More Replies...Cheques. It’s such an archaic system. I haven’t paid for anything by cheque in decades but when dealing with American clients they always wanted to pay by cheque. Not a huge hassle, but I was surprised they’re still regularly used there.
I haven't written a check in years and years. Why do you think that Americans write checks?
Load More Replies...Another thing americans are totally obsessed about is competitions!
You do know that there are many states, fifty, and all are different. It's like saying "Things that only Asiana think are normal" What do you mean by "Asians"? Japan? India? Kazakhstan? Same here, what do you mean by "Americans"? Texas? Washington? Colorado? Sorry if I offended you, but you have to understand that some things are similar in many states, but some aren't.
The NRA and its political power and "Arm the teachers" – the most eye-watering viciously stupid comment that anyone in a position of influence has ever made. And, while I'm here: two old men right now competing for the White House. Seriously, America? Is that the best you can do?
As for the fails of our government; healthcare, massive double mortgages, not having enough for doctors...we don't 'think' this is normal - it just is. We know it's wrong and it shouldn't be this way. Also - THE SHOES IN THE HOUSE. Get over it people. This is personal preference and demands on lots of factors. I hate shoes in my house but guess what - sometimes it happens. Get some frickin' cleaning supplies and relax. This differs at EVERY SINGLE HOME.
I mean I know my country has it's problems and there's a lot I wish was different, but damn this website really likes to pile on the hate for the US, doesn't it? It feels like every other article is a gross exaggeration of what it's like here. I read one yesterday where they're like "Omg Americans don't use kitchen towels!" I mean seriously? Have any of these people writing these ever even been to the US?
With all of these "negatives" facing you, I suggest you not come here. We will both be happy.
Eating contests. Gross, we have people starving in our own country but yeah, lets have a competition to see who can eat more than they need.
It is the decimation of the English language that bothers me! Adding 'ize' to every other noun, or employing words were many better exist, such as 'deceasant', instead of 'deceased'.
This is the internet. Have some understanding :) Might be decimated, but perhaps it still is improving in the long run?
Load More Replies...Why are Americans so *competitive* about everything? I saw an ad for a competitive barbequing TV show, and thought "Why is this even a thing?"
BBC has several cooking competition shows. I know that Master Chef is produced in at least 12 countries. We are not the only country with competitive cooking. BBQ is simply another type of cooking albeit probably the most delicious one. Wow, I really want some tips from Kings now. What time do they open?
Load More Replies...The rest of the world should be glad America exists. It gives them something to feel superior about. And of course we fall all over ourselves apologizing for every little Mickey Mouse thing.
I dread carpeting in all rooms from wall to wall, especially when they use shoes inside 😱 Also having washing machine in kitchens. Student loan debts (I have a certain amount to pay, I pay for years and I still have the same amount to pay?!). Travelling to work for hours on daily basis. Electing GW Bush twice (ok the first time, you didn't know better, but again? that is why I genuinly think Trump can get 2nd term). And what's with the freakshows in ridiculous outfits in places like Wal-Mart?
just as a starter, sorry to say, but being an american is not exclusive for US citizens, it also applies to mexicans, etc... yes there is also a North America, Central America and South america, and they're all americans Cleared that up, the US American concept of liberty and freedom is nowadays perverted by exactly those who want the freedom for everything: free to be pedofile, free to be racist, free to hate (that one I love), freedom to interfere in other countries politics, and last but not least: you're free to elect one of two parties, no more, no less just two, good or bad, black or white, nothing inbetween... How could you pervert the meaning and concept of freedom and liberty? (answer: filosofy and ethics could play a role in that ;-) )
I don't know if it was out of politically corectedness, but the most obvious one is missing : OBESITY.
I lived in a rural area so I got my driver's permit at 14. Would drive myself to school and back.
Load More Replies...Gentrification is happening worldwide in many cities. And all thorugh history rich people and poor people occupied separate parts of cities.
Load More Replies..."you can lie them as many times"...what? But yeah, we are the "dumbs", huh? lol
Load More Replies...Kids beauty contests are something I can in no way understand. Children wearing padded bikinis and lipstick, being judged by grown ups. WTF?
You know whatl always confused me about Americans? Talking about salaries in dollars per hour and yearly. I've no idea how much 15 $/hour is. Or how much $80 000 a year is. Most people just talk about their monthly salary. After all you pay most of your bills per month- electricity, water, heating, internet, phone, etc.
Generally, only administrators are "salaried" employees who make a guaranteed amount. When I worked on construction sites, I earned a certain dollar-amount per hour. I may work 32 hours this week and 50 hours the next. I had no idea how much I made "per month" until the end of the month.
Load More Replies...Ok Enough about the flags. One time on this list is all you all need. We don't need to keep explaining the same damn thing over and over. There is a lot of speculation coming from people who don't have a big enough sample of living in the US. You live in one place and think you can speak for everywhere but that is not how it is here. I think it would have been a better format if instead of being all smug and s**t, instead ya' all just asked questions and we could answer. Because you are making assumptions without all the facts, and that's not a sign of intelligence. (yeah down voting this comment will prove my point so go ahead! )
We are making these assumptions based on the propaganda Hollywood feeds us. And the odd tourist. Only by having articles like this can we even start to dig deeper, and find this truth you hint at.
Load More Replies...Is it already time for BP's weekly article about how weird the US is (which inevitably ends up with people dunking on healthcare, food, measurement/date styles)? I get that some of the things we do are weird (though F is more accurate and useful than C, it just lacks the elegance of 0 - 100) but between this and the 33rd article about this or that artist's rendering of something or other using Disney characters, this site is getting stale.
Honest question. Why do you think F is more accurate? And how is F more useful?
Load More Replies...The way many Americans use forks. I've worked in the US for a few month and everyone who watched me eating immediately knew I'm a foreigner. I always kept the fork in my left hand while my American colleagues held it in the left hand while cutting and than took the fork with the right hand for eating with the tines pointing upwards. Quite often I was the only one using silverware, for example when eating a pizza. I always refused to take these triangular pieces with my hand, which was considered as being extremely weird.
Pizza is considered a finger food in this country. It may be "weird" to you...but its very "weird" to us to sit there and eat pizza with a fork. Imagine that...different countries have different customs and ways of eating cuisine! Amazing!
Load More Replies...Residential neighborhoods with no sidewalks. Cities with no railway stations. Paying money to get into a state park or national park. Elections on weekdays. Throwing all types of recyclables into the same bin ("commingled recycling").
That was some good American bashing. We all feel superior now? Sorry, bashing back is not the answer.
Enough with the US flag thing! Other nations wave theirs all over the place. Hve it on clothing. Et cetera. (Canada, UK, Eastern Europe post-USSR... Denmark has national flag Christmas ornaments.) Please, enough already with this alleged American obsession with the American flag. Not just the US. Not all of the US. Speaking as someone who has been in the UK and seen the Union Jack on *speedos*. (ANd you worry about the US flying its flags on buildings?!)
Not all of the USA. Just the part of the USA that we see on TV? Got it.
Load More Replies...Hey, another American hating post, how original. Guess it just allows us to ignore our own issues.
you must be the only country in the world that has to shut down parks cos you dont have enough money...how the f**k do you close grass
Load More Replies...Some of these things don't apply only to Americans, and some of them only right-wing nutballs think are normal.
Home Owners organisation. I cannot understand this one. What right does anyone have to tell you that you can't have a certain garden ornament or even tree on your lawn I have heard that some home owners have been brought to task about the type of door knocker or door bell they have. If I have worked hard to to own my own home and am still working hard to pay a mortgage, what right does some jumped up little fascist with more time on his hands then brains in their head to tell me how to decorate my home?. Here in Ireland and again in the UK this would never happen. You can do what you like and call it freedom of expression.
Ah! But those Home Owners Associations also guarantee you a lifestyle should you choose to live it. For instance, I bought a place in a neighborhood that is child-free. I pay the HOA fees so that I live maintenance free (they take care of the lawn, the pool, the gym, the roads, the gates, the mailboxes, etc.) and have rules in place and enforce the rules to keep children out of common areas and away from the amenities. I gladly shell out the monthly fee for the peace and quiet and maintenance free life-style that I live. Others choose to lice in neighborhoods that are geared towards children and pay extra to have security and maintenance for their amenities to keep their children safe. There are few HOAs here that tell someone how to live their lives. If you experienced that I am sorry, but that is the exception rather than the norm. The only time my HOA has gotten involved in someone's business is when they piled trash up on their front walk and left it for a week.
Load More Replies...Cheques. It’s such an archaic system. I haven’t paid for anything by cheque in decades but when dealing with American clients they always wanted to pay by cheque. Not a huge hassle, but I was surprised they’re still regularly used there.
I haven't written a check in years and years. Why do you think that Americans write checks?
Load More Replies...Another thing americans are totally obsessed about is competitions!
You do know that there are many states, fifty, and all are different. It's like saying "Things that only Asiana think are normal" What do you mean by "Asians"? Japan? India? Kazakhstan? Same here, what do you mean by "Americans"? Texas? Washington? Colorado? Sorry if I offended you, but you have to understand that some things are similar in many states, but some aren't.
The NRA and its political power and "Arm the teachers" – the most eye-watering viciously stupid comment that anyone in a position of influence has ever made. And, while I'm here: two old men right now competing for the White House. Seriously, America? Is that the best you can do?
As for the fails of our government; healthcare, massive double mortgages, not having enough for doctors...we don't 'think' this is normal - it just is. We know it's wrong and it shouldn't be this way. Also - THE SHOES IN THE HOUSE. Get over it people. This is personal preference and demands on lots of factors. I hate shoes in my house but guess what - sometimes it happens. Get some frickin' cleaning supplies and relax. This differs at EVERY SINGLE HOME.
I mean I know my country has it's problems and there's a lot I wish was different, but damn this website really likes to pile on the hate for the US, doesn't it? It feels like every other article is a gross exaggeration of what it's like here. I read one yesterday where they're like "Omg Americans don't use kitchen towels!" I mean seriously? Have any of these people writing these ever even been to the US?
With all of these "negatives" facing you, I suggest you not come here. We will both be happy.
Eating contests. Gross, we have people starving in our own country but yeah, lets have a competition to see who can eat more than they need.
It is the decimation of the English language that bothers me! Adding 'ize' to every other noun, or employing words were many better exist, such as 'deceasant', instead of 'deceased'.
This is the internet. Have some understanding :) Might be decimated, but perhaps it still is improving in the long run?
Load More Replies...Why are Americans so *competitive* about everything? I saw an ad for a competitive barbequing TV show, and thought "Why is this even a thing?"
BBC has several cooking competition shows. I know that Master Chef is produced in at least 12 countries. We are not the only country with competitive cooking. BBQ is simply another type of cooking albeit probably the most delicious one. Wow, I really want some tips from Kings now. What time do they open?
Load More Replies...The rest of the world should be glad America exists. It gives them something to feel superior about. And of course we fall all over ourselves apologizing for every little Mickey Mouse thing.
I dread carpeting in all rooms from wall to wall, especially when they use shoes inside 😱 Also having washing machine in kitchens. Student loan debts (I have a certain amount to pay, I pay for years and I still have the same amount to pay?!). Travelling to work for hours on daily basis. Electing GW Bush twice (ok the first time, you didn't know better, but again? that is why I genuinly think Trump can get 2nd term). And what's with the freakshows in ridiculous outfits in places like Wal-Mart?
just as a starter, sorry to say, but being an american is not exclusive for US citizens, it also applies to mexicans, etc... yes there is also a North America, Central America and South america, and they're all americans Cleared that up, the US American concept of liberty and freedom is nowadays perverted by exactly those who want the freedom for everything: free to be pedofile, free to be racist, free to hate (that one I love), freedom to interfere in other countries politics, and last but not least: you're free to elect one of two parties, no more, no less just two, good or bad, black or white, nothing inbetween... How could you pervert the meaning and concept of freedom and liberty? (answer: filosofy and ethics could play a role in that ;-) )
I don't know if it was out of politically corectedness, but the most obvious one is missing : OBESITY.
I lived in a rural area so I got my driver's permit at 14. Would drive myself to school and back.
Load More Replies...Gentrification is happening worldwide in many cities. And all thorugh history rich people and poor people occupied separate parts of cities.
Load More Replies..."you can lie them as many times"...what? But yeah, we are the "dumbs", huh? lol
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