Americans have no culture? - Page 22
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BigLighthouse
United Kingdom424 Posts
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Rasun
United States787 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:31 andReslic wrote: Im not hating but the richest guy in the world is a Mexican. (Carlos Slim) I feel like that name is so fitting for like a super slick, media mogul CEO. Is that actually his real birth name? If so that's kinda awesome. | ||
domovoi
United States1478 Posts
Just because the US is a relatively young country does not mean US culture worked from a blank slate, how ignorant can some of you people get? Tomatoes are a very recent European import, as old as the US itself, yet it defines the culture of Italian cuisine. Ask yourself this: do you hold the same view with regards to the other countries in the Americas? If so, get thee to a Cuban restaurant and enjoy some empanadas and a Cubano. If not, query whether your opinion of American culture has more to do with anti-American bias rather than objective analysis. | ||
scarper65
1560 Posts
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GGTeMpLaR
United States7226 Posts
On January 21 2012 16:42 Vindicare605 wrote: The thing is. American culture is so mainstrream everywhere in the western world that most people forget its actually american. This sums it up nicely I think. | ||
Slaughter
United States20254 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:33 jj33 wrote: not shortminded at all. ask any anthropologist. the way any culture or group of people get their food is what forms that culture. nothing is more important that how you get your food. everything else is superficial. France and any modern day european country is classified the same as the USA from an anthropological view. and when you said that's just "food culture" once again how you get your food is the most important and beefiest part of culture. and maybe you should stop with the insults if you're wrong. Anthropologist here Your severely simplifying "culture" and any anthropologist would *not* say "its about food production". | ||
HoldenR
Netherlands256 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:24 False_Peace wrote: Oh I see how it is. As soon as we start to defend ourselves by stating some achievement we have had we drag our country down?? So we should just sit there and let people like you bash us to no end... Let me guess, you have never been to America and are speaking entirely based on things you have heard or read? Not only is it not a prerequisite to have been to a country to understand it's affairs considering the internet puts us in touch with people around the globe on a daily basis, but I have been to the U.S. in fact. I've been to Washington D.C., Miami, New York City and Los Angeles. Also, this isn't "defending yourself", it's scrambling to put down an argument and then just insulting your opponent. That's not self defense, that's portruding the exact stereotype that people claim they dislike about your attitude toward the rest of them. Why on earth would you prove them right? How about saying "Hey guys, I know America isn't really the best place in the world. It is for some and it isn't for others. In fact, lots of countries are great to live. I know I wouldn't mind living somewhere else, because I appreciate a great amount of cultures!" Because you know what? You'll be hard pressed to find a EU inhabitant that wouldn't be willing to say this. We don't hate eachother's countries, and we aren't as disgustingly nationalistic in every aspect. All we're asking is "tone down the goddamn nationalism by about 20 levels because it's getting ridiculous", and your response is to tone it up some more. To prove us wrong, do the opposite of what we expect you to, and we will respect you for it. | ||
Seraphone
United Kingdom1219 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:38 domovoi wrote: People who say the US lacks culture or even "refined culture" or try to imply the short history of the US somehow means it's culture is inferior are insecure nationalistic fucks, and their tribalistic attitude is the very reason why Europe was such a hellhole for such a long time following the sack of Rome. What a bizzare and ridiculous thing to say. America is run by European migrants. We are the same people as of the sacking of Rome. Not that the sacking of Rome as anything at all to do with American culture. | ||
domovoi
United States1478 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:44 Seraphone wrote: What a bizzare and ridiculous thing to say. America is run by European migrants. We are the same people as of the sacking of Rome. Not that the sacking of Rome as anything at all to do with American culture. I'm saying having the attitude that "My culture is superior to yours" is what led to a millennia of European in-fighting following the break up of Rome. It's unhealthy and, frankly, quite stupid, though to be sure Americans (or Chinese or Koreans or anyone else in the world) are no stranger to such a thing. | ||
Hydrox911
United Kingdom261 Posts
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Escavalier
Canada62 Posts
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domovoi
United States1478 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:45 Hydrox911 wrote: Never heard anyone say it but I don't really consider baseball a multinational sport. I mean who else plays much (not including small fan things) apart from usa and japan. About a third of MLB players were not born in the US. Baseball's influence is mostly limited to the rest of the American continent and some of the Asian countries (mostly Japan, but also Korea and Taiwan). | ||
jj33
802 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:43 Slaughter wrote: Anthropologist here Your severely simplifying "culture" and any anthropologist would *not* say "its about food production". How any culture or group gets their food, is the most important part is that not correct? Makes sense to me. Food is the most important as well you can't live without it. Classified as hunter gatherers and so forth. | ||
domovoi
United States1478 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:43 HoldenR wrote: Not only is it not a prerequisite to have been to a country to understand it's affairs considering the internet puts us in touch with people around the globe on a daily basis, but I have been to the U.S. in fact. I've been to Washington D.C., Miami, New York City and Los Angeles. Also, this isn't "defending yourself", it's scrambling to put down an argument and then just insulting your opponent. That's not self defense, that's portruding the exact stereotype that people claim they dislike about your attitude toward the rest of them. Why on earth would you prove them right? How about saying "Hey guys, I know America isn't really the best place in the world. It is for some and it isn't for others. In fact, lots of countries are great to live. I know I wouldn't mind living somewhere else, because I appreciate a great amount of cultures!" Because you know what? You'll be hard pressed to find a EU inhabitant that wouldn't be willing to say this. We don't hate eachother's countries, and we aren't as disgustingly nationalistic in every aspect. All we're asking is "tone down the goddamn nationalism by about 20 levels because it's getting ridiculous", and your response is to tone it up some more. To prove us wrong, do the opposite of what we expect you to, and we will respect you for it. It's odd that you describe this as an American stereotype. If I started a thread that said "The French have no culture," you can be damn sure there will be plenty of people giving me examples of French culture, especially the aspects that most people find superior (food comes to mind). But if an American does it, now he's just being stereotypically nationalistic? And you claim Americans are too closed-minded? Ironic. | ||
xrapture
United States1644 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:33 jj33 wrote: not shortminded at all. ask any anthropologist. the way any culture or group of people get their food is what forms that culture. nothing is more important that how you get your food. everything else is superficial. France and any modern day european country is classified the same as the USA from an anthropological view. and when you said that's just "food culture" once again how you get your food is the most important and beefiest part of culture. and maybe you should stop with the insults if you're wrong. America doesn't have food culture? Almost every insult I see from non Americans is "shove a big mac down your fat throat" or something of the sort. So because the food is processed and greasy it's not part of our culture? I guarantee you 200 years from now Mcdonalds will be discussed more than the culture of most of today's most 'cultured' countries. | ||
zalz
Netherlands3704 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:52 domovoi wrote: It's odd that you describe this as an American stereotype. If I started a thread that said "The French have no culture," you can be damn sure there will be plenty of people giving me examples of French culture, especially the aspects that most people find superior (food comes to mind). But if an American does it, now he's just being stereotypically nationalistic? And you claim Americans are too closed-minded? Ironic. To maybe bridge the gap between cultures, it's important to understand how Dutch people tend to look at succes. If you draw a nice picture and get a compliment you are almost obligated to talk it down or you are will already seem to be braging. If you are good at playing an instrument you can show it, but you can't talk about how good you are, even if you do you have to constantly be modest about it or you will appear arrogant. Talking about your achievements and succes is almost in itself considered braging in the Netherlands. Even slightly hinting at having a lot of money means you are braging. If you let slip how succesful your parents are, you are braging. I think such a low tolerance for even the smallest display of achievements can clash with American culture which is a lot more geared towards competition. If you had to put it in a slide then Holland would be among the lower countries to care for competition whilst countries in asia like Japan would be on the end of the spectrum. America being somewhere in between. | ||
synapse
China13814 Posts
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Talin
Montenegro10532 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:45 domovoi wrote: I'm saying having the attitude that "My culture is superior to yours" is what led to a millennia of European in-fighting following the break up of Rome. It's unhealthy and, frankly, quite stupid, though to be sure Americans (or Chinese or Koreans or anyone else in the world) are no stranger to such a thing. It's easy to look at history and say that something is "stupid" (or illogical, irrational, inefficient, etc). The same can be said for present day as well. Even though we have the technology to do it (and we've had it for a while now), we are still split into different countries, we do not share a common language, we bicker over obsolete concepts like religion and outdated social and economic ideologies, we fail to even acknowledge, let alone attempt to solve, a myriad of problems on a global level that are necessary for the advancement (or even long term survival) of humanity. You could say that all of that is stupid, irrational and a direct consequence of "my culture is superior to yours" attitude as well. And in a way it is - and looking at it that way is extremely frustrating when you realize how much of our planet's resources are essentially being wasted on completely meaningless concepts that don't lead anywhere. But that's simply how humans are, and all those faults are a consequence of us not being perfectly rational. The exact same thing is happening today, only on a larger scale and with more variables. In fact, it is causing a lot more damage now than it did during the millennia of in-fighthing in Europe. | ||
FlyingToilet
United States840 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:35 BigLighthouse wrote: I for one fucking love Jersey Shore. American culture is tops haha The new beavis and butthead where they make fun of all the new mtv stuff was pretty damn funny, gotta love mike judge! | ||
jj33
802 Posts
On January 22 2012 02:58 xrapture wrote: America doesn't have food culture? Almost every insult I see from non Americans is "shove a big mac down your fat throat" or something of the sort. So because the food is processed and greasy it's not part of our culture? I guarantee you 200 years from now Mcdonalds will be discussed more than the culture of most of today's most 'cultured' countries. you have bad reading comprehension. nowhere did I say anything you are saying I said. | ||
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