Why Does The World Think Americans Are Stupid?

[Richard E. Nixon]

Granted, there are some stupid people in the U.S. But I'd think that there are stupid people everywhere. So why do Americans have such a negative image around the world? Why do other parts of the world (Europe, for example) consider Americans to be so dumb?

[Monty]

Granted, there are some stupid people in the U.S. But I'd think that there are stupid people everywhere. So why do Americans have such a negative image around the world? Why do other parts of the world (Europe, for example) consider Americans to be so dumb?

Yeah, that'll be right.

Monty

[Sister Hyde]

yes there are stupid, and moronic people everywhere. Maybe it's just a simple matter of what we are shown on t.v., people just drink what it's giving them, and since depending on the countries 70-95% of the channel content is american or american-related shows (if you include reality shows, then it's very extreme). if they would bombard the channels with programs always only showing retarded germans or frenchs or whatever else, maybe then the world would think germans and frenchs are the dumbest people in the world.

[The Good Michael]

Americans are less worldly than Europeans and that might amount to ignorance rather than stupidity. The thing is, Americans don't do a lot of travelling, for the most part, unless they're young and mom and dad are paying for it, or they are retired. Of course younger people can be louder and brasher while being unworldly which makes them seem stupid and obnoxious. Older people can just be set in their ways and uncomfortable with things that are not what they are used to. So, if these are the people that others tend to encounter, it skews everything. Americans don't have any laws regarding vacation time, so the average American with 10 days vacation, can't travel the world very well. If one is a homeowner it might be a week in Mexico every year, or Vegas, and a week fixing the home. We tend to be insular, but we also love having visitors from other countries because we can't go ourselves.

Mike the Stupid

[protohistorian]

Read through a T.V guide and think about it. Dave

[Sally]

Granted, there are some stupid people in the U.S. But I'd think that there are stupid people everywhere. So why do Americans have such a negative image around the world? Why do other parts of the world (Europe, for example) consider Americans to be so dumb?

Easy. In England we've been watching bad U.S. T.V. for decades - most probably nobody in the U.S. would go near it, but we assume that's what American culture is because that's what we see. It's a cultural generalisation. In England we have lots of them for all sorts of people from other countries. Maybe other countries do the same? I don't know.

Just like all sweeping generalisations, it has very limited application. I'm sure you're right, there are stupid people - and intelligent people - and everything in between - everywhere.

[sdreid]

We usually win about 75% of the Nobel Prizes every year and some years we win 100% so I guess it's what you want to go by.

TV is so stupid now that I canceled my cable mostly due to all those lame scripted so-called "reality" shows.

We did invent the Veg-o-Matic but I think that might have been back engineered from the flying saucer that crashed at Roswell in 1947.

On second thought, we probably win all those Nobel prizes because of those 10,000 I.Q. space aliens that we are holding captive at Groom Lake.

[DVV]

Stultorum infinitus est numerus, as King Salomon said.

And he said so before his trip to America, according to my sources

[c.d.]

We produced Elvis, The Three Stooges and Professional Wrestling. So right now we are just sitting back relaxing and waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

c.d.

[DVV]

Trop fort, CD !

[Rubyretro]

I put this question to my portuguese husband over lunch. He replied that if you look at The World as one big family, or even a 'Business', then The States has been in the role of 'Father' or 'Mother' (or Boss) for while.

With that role comes power over the rest of the family (or Firm) and a sense of superiority and patronisation.

However, it also means that the 'growing teenagers' (or competitive employees) are continually sniping and rebelling and critising.

Inevitably one day one of the 'teenagers' ( or 'young lions') will become the Head of the Family -and they soon show the same faults and be subjected to the same critisisms as their predecessor.

[Limehouse]

I would never consider a whole nation of people as 'stupid'. I don't even like the term 'stupid' applied to people of any type. Everyone has talents but few have the means and the opportunity to shine.

Some very fine people have emerged from America. Some of the best writers and filmakers and actors and theorists.

Sadly the great can be overshadowed by the not-so-great and by that I mean that a nation's leaders can make decisions based on pressure from those that have the money and influence to make things happen and some of those things are less than agreeable.

Americans are not stupid but they sometimes suffer the fall out of their flawed individuals and groups.

[The Good Michael]

We produced Elvis, The Three Stooges and Professional Wrestling. So right now we are just sitting back relaxing and waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

The British began the whole men-in-drag-are-funny thing which might top the three stooges and the Germans had professional wrestling for a long time as did the English. And I don't want to claim Elvis. Paris Hilton how about?

[Steven Russell]

cd: People like those religious nutcases on your thread about the Supreme Court ruling don't help your reputation. What arseholes.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[DVV]

I agree Steven, but on the other hand, while I respect everybody's freedom, I consider "pride" marches, etc, as stupid modern things, and the nuts you're talking about can be seen as a (distateful) reaction against them.