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After Noticing These 30 Things Americans Do In Movies, People Are Wondering Whether They Do Them In Real Life
Americans have long been exporting their pop culture to the world. With TV shows and movies being among the most consumed global American exports, it's no surprise that US actors and directors are recognized all around the globe. However, for all of us non-Americans out there, sometimes the silver screens get us all dazed and confused. Do American people really drink from those red plastic cups at parties? Do they really wear shoes inside their houses? Is homecoming really such a big thing as movies make it out to be?
But we're gonna need a true expert's opinion on the matter—our Bored Panda readers living in the US! So scroll down below to read all the questions that people had about the things they saw on TV and feel free to share your answers!
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Living in a college town I can attest that yes they do. It's all anyone talks about, and the traffic jams are awful. High school football here is just as bad.
Its the easiest reference for us and a football field is 100yards or 300 feet or 91.44 meters.
We say goodbye, or something like it. It's an idiosyncrasy of script writing, not Americans.
This is especially true in small towns. The largest parking lot in town is the local teen hangout
Because Americans have been sold the lie (mostly by Nestle, thank you!) that bottled water is better than tap water in some way. In truth most of the bottled water IS tap water.
I guess it depends. My family and friends only do photoshoots for weddings, 18th birthdays (girls), 21st birthdays (boys), or someone's first birthday.
It's ground meat with binders like egg and breadcrumbs, and can also have minced onions and peppers (capsicum), and seasonings that's all mixed together and baked in a loaf pan in the oven. Most people make it with just ground beef, but when I was little in the 70s, in our home it was made with ground beef, pork, and veal, and we had it maybe once a month with homemade mashed potatoes and brown gravy, and a green vegetable. I don't eat meatloaf now. It's not horrible, it's just not my first choice for comfort food.
Meatloaf isn’t as popular as it was, but it’s a good meal. I prefer hand shaping the meat, mostly because I don’t want to leave some meat residue in my loaf pan. (Who wants meatloaf tinged banana bread?)
Load More Replies...Why are people getting downvoted for providing a legit answer? Because they're confirming that Americans do this *bad thing* by eating meatloaf? WTF?
I'm hoping that there are more upvotes now. It is odd though - why downvote people for answering questions that a lot of us want to know the answers to. Though there are some people here who see the questions as criticisms and they're not. It's curiousity and the answers are really interesting.
Load More Replies...Meatloaf is a delicious combination of hamburger and onions and some sort of thickening like dried oatmeal or bread. Usually catsup is poured on top before baking.
I read 'catsoup' and was horrified for two seconds
Load More Replies...Meatloaf is ambrosia. Actually - it's a way to save on meat that became popular during WWII when meat was rationed. Yes - we eat meatloaf and most Americans love meatloaf. Each mother has her own way of making it and that's the best meatloaf. My mom made her's from ground beef; others use ground pork, ground turkey, ground lamb or a combination. Usually spices are added (entirely personal thing - each mom is different) and some sort of meat stretchers such as bread, rice, oats, etc. It's baked. My mom used ground beef, onion soup mix, stale bread and a few other things (can't remember).
Meatloaf is a way of making the meat go farther, by adding less expensive ingredients like bread crumbs or egg to it to fill it out. There are different recipes and flavors.
See April Simnel's post. My favorite is as left-overs on a sammy with a bit of horseradish.
Meatloaf is sacred. Don't think of hurting or harming the meatloaf. I don't know about nationwide but in the Midwest Meatloaf is a big deal. Depending on what part of the country you're in depends on what you use for the breading in it and what you put in it. The basic recipe is: 1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, 1 can tomato sauce (or Tomato soup works too), diced onions (optional), Diced bell peppers (Optional), then seasonings, sauces, etc. You mix all that up with your hands, yes I said hands, both of them, squeeze, stir mix knead whatever but trust us experienced Meatlofians, hands are the only way to go. Once you're done with that you'll have a hardcore wet mixture, that's when you add breadcrumbs, or Oatmeal, or crushed Satines. Mix it until it holds itself together, if you form it it needs told mostly hold its shape, form it into a log, pop it in a bread pan (sometimes lined with bacon).Poke holes with your finger in the top of it and put some Ketchup on it. Bake till done.
Upvoted for ‘Meatloafians.’ Downvoted for mixing with your hands (even watching someone else do it makes me physically ill!) Upvoted for using tomato sauce! I can’t eat meatloaf without tomato sauce & oregano on top like Mom makes. If that makes me a Meatloafian heretic… so be it.
Load More Replies...This dish has been around for at least a Millenia. Bread is a common filler and absorbs the grease for flavor.
Its a sausage without casing. Or a hamburger in a bigger form. Not that weird.
Isn t meatloaf common in a lot of countries? I m half Belgian and haf Polish, pretty familiar with meatloaf in both countries..don t eat it myself haha, but its a really common dish
Kinda like haggis...but without all the weird s**t...also...(I'm sorry, Dad) MUCH tastier.
It's the most crappiest meal my mom ever made. Every fricken Saturday.
you poor thing. A mother who provided and cooked for you. Must have been awful.
Load More Replies...We don't "always" eat meatloaf !!!! I make mine with a combination of ground beef and ground sausage and all the other stuff. I prefer the taste of sausage over hamburger for this.
It's an old time recipe. It is usually cheap to make but it is as it sounds...a loaf of meat. It's a good way to use up leftover meats if you can ground them up. Today, we just buy ground meat so the practicality and cost saving nature of it has diminished. I still like it though and have it once in awhile.
It's like Shepards Pie without the potatoes on top. The potatoes (mash) are on the plate, however.
It's a loaf. Of meat. Made from ground beef. Add in bread crumbs, egg, onion and some Italian seasoning and mix it up and form into a loaf. Some people put tomato sauce on it, others put brown gravy. Yes, it's a staple of most people who aren't rich even though ground beef has doubled in price over the last decade.
it's basically a meatball in a log shape with a BBQ sauce glaze and maybe bacon
It's basically beef all mashed up with cut up onions and other things, in a lil bread-pan thing, with I think ketchup on top? Idk, it's pretty good if you make it correctly. If you don't, the outside can look perfect but you barely poke it and the inside explodes like a decomposing body lmao *looks at dad*
Meatloaf is like a giant meatball that is baked through, then sliced into portions.
If you really want to make one, I have a great recipe. It's great leftover for sandwiches! Consists if hamburger, eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup and seasoning. I would LOVE some recipes from other countries!!
Similar to Hamburger meat, derived from german immigrants decades ago.
You mix ground beef with crushed crackers or rice and some veggies (we do peppers and onions and garlic in my house) and some seasonings and bake it into a loaf. Great wrapped in bacon too. Some people use eggs as a binder to make it stick better if you're using low fat beef.
Meatloaf is a cheap way for preparing ground beef that poorer families use to get by. Its basically a loaf of meat like a loaf of bread, made out of ground beef, onions, seasonings. I should know, trust me.
Meatloaf is just a giant meatball made of minced beef and seasonings. Yum! Made well, it's delectable.
Meatloaf is cheap comfort food, a result of economics and cheap beef.
I'm English and my Canadian ex once made bacon wrapped meatloaf and I had a coronary just looking at it. I'm a huge carnivore but eating that felt like a punishment :-D
Here's my favorite meatloaf recipe. Note the sweet and sour tomato sauce that goes with it. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lish-nelsons-meatloaf-100648/amp
some meat loaf is very good...plus you can mold it into a variety of shapes to entertain kids during various lite holidays, like st. pat's day, valnetine's day, or halloween
When you grow up with a household of 9, meatloaf and mashed potatoes are common and fondly remembered.
There are 1001 ways to make it. Try one with pork, turkey and kasha, lots of paprika and cumin :)
Load More Replies...It's a loaf (just like bread) made of solid ground meat. It is eaten with ketchup.
Meatloaf (ground beef) and mashed potatoes with mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food (if someone else makes it!)
It's still a thing. Some Americans would say that it's one of those out of date "boomer" dishes(I don't think food should go out of style like clothes, but whatever), but it's still something that people make.
Yes. I make it about every two weeks for my family. It's a super easy dinner. You mix ground beef with eggs and bread crumbs or crackers (whatever is in your pantry), then dice up different veggies to mix in (I've done carrots, mushrooms, green pepper, onions...whatever). Then you glaze it with a gravy. There is a debate on this, you are either a brown gravy family or a red ketchup and brown sugar gravy glaze family. I'm ketchup and brown sugar. Then bake it for 90 minutes in the oven. Serve with whatever. The most important part to this though is you have to use your hands to mix it all together, like you would with dough. I have no idea why, but that's the only way you can do it.
Meatloaf is one of the few things that my 56 y/o sister knows how to make; to this day, her adult kids hate it. I got all the rest of Mom's cooking lessons. Sauerbrauten anyone? -Dr M
Its just a classic staple in an American dinner I suppose. Should show more KFC & Mc Donalds.
Alright, rich guy, whose family always had enough meat for burgers
Load More Replies...In the big cities, all you need to do is raise your arm on a busy street. I've lived in NYC almost 30 years now, and no one yells "TAXI!" here. I grew up in a smaller town, though, and in the smaller places, you pretty much have to call a taxi in advance. I never flagged a cab until I moved to NYC.
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Did Americans have self-drive cars five decades before the rest of the world? Because in films a driver never seems to look anywhere near the road.
They are filmed in the vehicle while the vehicle is being towed by another vehicle. It allows them to act out the script while being safe from accidents.
Load More Replies...Dear Panda, you know what would be a refreshing change? Ask why other countries do things that are considered odd, weird, or " hilarious ". I don't know, maybe start with Norway.
I think these lists are predominantly US based because US media is consumed globally. We in Australia don't see much from Norway for eg, so the tropes aren't as ingrained.
Load More Replies...Why do foreigners expect to find uniformity of thought or behavior in a country full of individuals and people from other places?
Exactly. And, please, people, note how this question doesn't apply exclusively to the USA, this is also a problem directed towards other regions and countries too.
Load More Replies...Idk, I am not from USA, not even near, but all of these things seems pretty normal to me...
I replied to a bunch of these 'cause I'm trying to provide legit answers. Others did so as well. Good luck ya'll. (Full disclosure, I recycled the 'Boston Harbor' joke.)
Movies and TV =/= real life, no matter what country or region you're talking about.
Ok judging by the pizza icon, I thought these questions were going to be about pizza. They were not, , but I came here to answer pizza questions g----mn it (LOL): YES --- we love pizza and eat a ton of it. God bless Italy. YES --- we fold our large triangular pizza slices down the middle before eating. This is to control the drip of any grease (or to siphon it right into our mouths). YES --- people do eat pizza with their hands, but can also use a knife & fork. To each their own! YES --- we eat pineapple on pizza, but those that do often don't admit it for fear of persecution. YES --- Chicago deep dish is a thing. But it's only good when it is FRESH. If you walk into a pizza place and order a slice, it'll taste bad because it's probably been sitting around and wasn't made especially for you. So if you're gunna deep dish, get a whole pie fresh and made custom. I recommend Lou Malnati's! They ship too :) Thank you for coming to my TedTalk lol
I don't care about persecution! I EAT PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA AND LOVE IT. Feels so good to get that out there! The only thing I found unusual was the pizza being called a pie. This is just a comment - not a criticism please note folks. Call it what you like - just enjoy it. Best pizza I ever had was, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Italy (Lake Garda!) Thank you for the Pizza TedTalk, Foock Auff.
Load More Replies...I think it's great for us all to be curious about other country's culture and traditions. What bothers me is when some people start to judge each other for where they come from. Regardless of the seemingly strange things we may do, we were all born where we were born. We didn't put in requests before birth. So we should all celebrate the beauty of our differences and have respect for each other's home no matter where it may be. Because we all love and respect our homelands. And we all deserve respect.
* standing ovation ^ That was beautiful! @bluecustardangel; I appreciate you!
Load More Replies...Do Americans really get to have cap and gown graduations right from primary school? Here in nz you only do cap and gown ceremony when graduating tertiary education
What grades are primary? We have kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school.
Load More Replies...I don't mean to sound rude, but I thought that a lot of these things were incredibly stupid. I understand that certain things are not common the world over, but most people know that the way a particular place is portrayed on tv is not how it really is. Also, I don't understand how a lot of these things are so weird and mind blowing. I am certain that not everyone in French small towns breaks into song like in Beauty and the Beast. I am certain that not all Germans wear lederhosen everyday. I just wish that the world, especially in these times, could forget all of this stuff and just get along.
I think as American tv is a dominant force in a lot of places, it is essentially the only reference point for American culture for some places and ppl, especially in far off or isolated places like where I am (nz). Most of my pop culture knowledge comes from the Simpsons parodying events etc
Load More Replies...My company had some of our coworkers from Denmark working in our office in Indiana not so long ago. One of our coworkers got married and invited the people from Denmark to join us at the reception. Well, they played the Hokey Pokey and the people from Denmark thought we were playing a joke on them. They had never heard or seen such a thing for children in their entire lives. They couldn't believe it.
I find the questions a bit stupid. I ha e one very intelligent one though. Do Americans always eat ice cream from the same 10 l. bucket? Because it's freaking disgusting.
Do you mean when you see a character on TV get out a fairly large carton of ice cream and spoon straight from it - typically a women who has been dumped? Sometimes shared with a female room-mate. I've seen that on a number of sitcoms (Friends - the women get a tub for Chandler). I just assumed that it was an exaggeration tbh. The characters in these programmes clearly don't eat that much ice cream!
Load More Replies...I used to admire the US. Seventies, eighties. Growing up. Now, I'm just glad I don't live there. What's wrong with you?
Nowhere seems to be getting better these days though - don't you think? Mass consumerism and greed has many downsides.
Load More Replies...Do Americans actually use that yellow pencil for everything? I see those pencils all the time in movies, like when police writing reports and stuff
Ok, I thought this was gonna be a fun read, but no. These questions are way too friggin stupid. Like "do Americans really have a salad with dinner".. or "do people really eat pb&j-sandwiches".. And what is meatloaf.. Like REALLY!? You never tried any of those? I saw like 3-4 questions here who were actually good.
Not everyone's had those things. Pb&j's and meatloaf are things that are less common outside of the US. It's like a Swedish person demanding to know why Americans haven't tried Knäckebröd.
Load More Replies...Why is everything super-sized in the US? Food portions are insane and the cars are immense. Also: why do you guys turn the AC in public buildings and offices to Arctic settings?
2 different questions. Super Size is about McDonald's and they started that trend. The AC is on because men wear a wool suit and a jacket so they need to be cooled off. Women always end up feeling cold and have little heaters under the desk and a sweater hung on the back of their chair.
Load More Replies...Do Americans really knock on doors instead of ringing the doorbell? Some houses in the movies are so big but no one uses the doorbell
#21 really?! How is eating potato chips as a side with your lunch weird?
Kind of tired of the "I can't believe Americans..." Any one of these could be answered"yes" or "no" I'm 62. Not a football fan. Never had a garbage disposal. Went to one high school homecoming, never at college. Never heard of chicken and waffles. Did grow up saying "Sir" and "Ma'am" and if films are to believed, that equates to students saying"Yes,Miss..." We tend to continue what we grew up saying and doing.
I think that it can safely be said that if it is in a movie, or on t.v., Americans do it. There are always exceptions, but it is like asking the British, do you always curtsey/bow when the Queen walks by, or do you just stand there?! Of course you curtsey/bow when she walks by! What people see actors doing on film and t.v., regardless of country, are every day things that are done. While some may do it, and others don't, it just depends on location, upbringing, and personal preference.
You all think it is weird that we have to pledge allegiance to our country every day since we were 4/5 years old? I thought it was weird. I still think it is weird. If I can't vote then what is the point of my allegiance? Plus, you know if Russia bought me a pony, 4 year old me would have broken that allegiance right quick.
The kinds of questions you ask if you've never been to America but have seen tropes of on tv your whole life?
Load More Replies...This guy has fewer downvotes than Daniel Lewis
Load More Replies...Did Americans have self-drive cars five decades before the rest of the world? Because in films a driver never seems to look anywhere near the road.
They are filmed in the vehicle while the vehicle is being towed by another vehicle. It allows them to act out the script while being safe from accidents.
Load More Replies...Dear Panda, you know what would be a refreshing change? Ask why other countries do things that are considered odd, weird, or " hilarious ". I don't know, maybe start with Norway.
I think these lists are predominantly US based because US media is consumed globally. We in Australia don't see much from Norway for eg, so the tropes aren't as ingrained.
Load More Replies...Why do foreigners expect to find uniformity of thought or behavior in a country full of individuals and people from other places?
Exactly. And, please, people, note how this question doesn't apply exclusively to the USA, this is also a problem directed towards other regions and countries too.
Load More Replies...Idk, I am not from USA, not even near, but all of these things seems pretty normal to me...
I replied to a bunch of these 'cause I'm trying to provide legit answers. Others did so as well. Good luck ya'll. (Full disclosure, I recycled the 'Boston Harbor' joke.)
Movies and TV =/= real life, no matter what country or region you're talking about.
Ok judging by the pizza icon, I thought these questions were going to be about pizza. They were not, , but I came here to answer pizza questions g----mn it (LOL): YES --- we love pizza and eat a ton of it. God bless Italy. YES --- we fold our large triangular pizza slices down the middle before eating. This is to control the drip of any grease (or to siphon it right into our mouths). YES --- people do eat pizza with their hands, but can also use a knife & fork. To each their own! YES --- we eat pineapple on pizza, but those that do often don't admit it for fear of persecution. YES --- Chicago deep dish is a thing. But it's only good when it is FRESH. If you walk into a pizza place and order a slice, it'll taste bad because it's probably been sitting around and wasn't made especially for you. So if you're gunna deep dish, get a whole pie fresh and made custom. I recommend Lou Malnati's! They ship too :) Thank you for coming to my TedTalk lol
I don't care about persecution! I EAT PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA AND LOVE IT. Feels so good to get that out there! The only thing I found unusual was the pizza being called a pie. This is just a comment - not a criticism please note folks. Call it what you like - just enjoy it. Best pizza I ever had was, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Italy (Lake Garda!) Thank you for the Pizza TedTalk, Foock Auff.
Load More Replies...I think it's great for us all to be curious about other country's culture and traditions. What bothers me is when some people start to judge each other for where they come from. Regardless of the seemingly strange things we may do, we were all born where we were born. We didn't put in requests before birth. So we should all celebrate the beauty of our differences and have respect for each other's home no matter where it may be. Because we all love and respect our homelands. And we all deserve respect.
* standing ovation ^ That was beautiful! @bluecustardangel; I appreciate you!
Load More Replies...Do Americans really get to have cap and gown graduations right from primary school? Here in nz you only do cap and gown ceremony when graduating tertiary education
What grades are primary? We have kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school.
Load More Replies...I don't mean to sound rude, but I thought that a lot of these things were incredibly stupid. I understand that certain things are not common the world over, but most people know that the way a particular place is portrayed on tv is not how it really is. Also, I don't understand how a lot of these things are so weird and mind blowing. I am certain that not everyone in French small towns breaks into song like in Beauty and the Beast. I am certain that not all Germans wear lederhosen everyday. I just wish that the world, especially in these times, could forget all of this stuff and just get along.
I think as American tv is a dominant force in a lot of places, it is essentially the only reference point for American culture for some places and ppl, especially in far off or isolated places like where I am (nz). Most of my pop culture knowledge comes from the Simpsons parodying events etc
Load More Replies...My company had some of our coworkers from Denmark working in our office in Indiana not so long ago. One of our coworkers got married and invited the people from Denmark to join us at the reception. Well, they played the Hokey Pokey and the people from Denmark thought we were playing a joke on them. They had never heard or seen such a thing for children in their entire lives. They couldn't believe it.
I find the questions a bit stupid. I ha e one very intelligent one though. Do Americans always eat ice cream from the same 10 l. bucket? Because it's freaking disgusting.
Do you mean when you see a character on TV get out a fairly large carton of ice cream and spoon straight from it - typically a women who has been dumped? Sometimes shared with a female room-mate. I've seen that on a number of sitcoms (Friends - the women get a tub for Chandler). I just assumed that it was an exaggeration tbh. The characters in these programmes clearly don't eat that much ice cream!
Load More Replies...I used to admire the US. Seventies, eighties. Growing up. Now, I'm just glad I don't live there. What's wrong with you?
Nowhere seems to be getting better these days though - don't you think? Mass consumerism and greed has many downsides.
Load More Replies...Do Americans actually use that yellow pencil for everything? I see those pencils all the time in movies, like when police writing reports and stuff
Ok, I thought this was gonna be a fun read, but no. These questions are way too friggin stupid. Like "do Americans really have a salad with dinner".. or "do people really eat pb&j-sandwiches".. And what is meatloaf.. Like REALLY!? You never tried any of those? I saw like 3-4 questions here who were actually good.
Not everyone's had those things. Pb&j's and meatloaf are things that are less common outside of the US. It's like a Swedish person demanding to know why Americans haven't tried Knäckebröd.
Load More Replies...Why is everything super-sized in the US? Food portions are insane and the cars are immense. Also: why do you guys turn the AC in public buildings and offices to Arctic settings?
2 different questions. Super Size is about McDonald's and they started that trend. The AC is on because men wear a wool suit and a jacket so they need to be cooled off. Women always end up feeling cold and have little heaters under the desk and a sweater hung on the back of their chair.
Load More Replies...Do Americans really knock on doors instead of ringing the doorbell? Some houses in the movies are so big but no one uses the doorbell
#21 really?! How is eating potato chips as a side with your lunch weird?
Kind of tired of the "I can't believe Americans..." Any one of these could be answered"yes" or "no" I'm 62. Not a football fan. Never had a garbage disposal. Went to one high school homecoming, never at college. Never heard of chicken and waffles. Did grow up saying "Sir" and "Ma'am" and if films are to believed, that equates to students saying"Yes,Miss..." We tend to continue what we grew up saying and doing.
I think that it can safely be said that if it is in a movie, or on t.v., Americans do it. There are always exceptions, but it is like asking the British, do you always curtsey/bow when the Queen walks by, or do you just stand there?! Of course you curtsey/bow when she walks by! What people see actors doing on film and t.v., regardless of country, are every day things that are done. While some may do it, and others don't, it just depends on location, upbringing, and personal preference.
You all think it is weird that we have to pledge allegiance to our country every day since we were 4/5 years old? I thought it was weird. I still think it is weird. If I can't vote then what is the point of my allegiance? Plus, you know if Russia bought me a pony, 4 year old me would have broken that allegiance right quick.
The kinds of questions you ask if you've never been to America but have seen tropes of on tv your whole life?
Load More Replies...This guy has fewer downvotes than Daniel Lewis
Load More Replies...