Americans...Are we "goofy"? Only answer if you're not American, please.?

Question

I just read a book that is used to educate people from other parts of the world about American culture. The way the author was wording some of the "tips" was as if "what we do" is just outrageous to other countries (including Canada).

For instance, smiling. Here in the US we smile. Alot. Even at strangers and we expect them to do the same. It's a non-verbal way of saying, "Hello, I'm friendly. Are you?" That's actually strange to other countries.

Body odor. We don't like it. Now come on!! That has to be an international thing. But guess what...It's not. Some countries think we over emphasis the importance of personal hygiene. I've seen those guys at the corner store. He-he!

Women. At work, I wear a striped, casual button up shirt with slacks and heals. Although it is clearly a female's outfit, we All American Girls are deemed unfeminine for wearing it. And the work/family balancing act is shocking in some places. Why?

The book says the "world" thinks we're goofy. Are we?

To Amy,

Thank you for your response. I personally haven't been told that I'm not feminine. I, in fact, am very much so! Make-up is fashionable and flattering, hair is long and stylish and clothing is "sexy- careerwear" if there is such a thing. But the US has standards for proper professional attire and wearing a form fitting, floral print dress with a pludging neckline just doesn't fly in corporate America. When travelling abroad I do dress to fit in with the hosting country's culture and standard of dress for women. More conservative in the far east and more flattering or feminine south of the equator. The question was simply, are we goofy because we have the standards that we do (business casual dress for women) and women dressing for comfort and not fashion on our own time (sweats and tees) being deemed unfeminine. I think this says more of the objectivity of women in other countries. We are expected to look a certain way to appease our male counterparts, not look professional.

Answer 1

I am American.

If you get the chance you need to visit another country just to have a comparison to our culture. I was stationed in Turkey for a year and was surprised at the differences in culture.

Male friends hold hands while walking down the street………..They are not in any way gay and would fight you if you suggested otherwise because it (being gay) is against the law. They are on the whole a LOT more “touchy feely”, by that I mean they will place a hand on your knee when they are talking to you, they hug all the time, things like that.

They do not have a large personal space boundary and tend to move within a foot of your face when speaking to you.

They do not bathe everyday or wear deodorant.

None of these things are better or worse than our culture, just different. It went a long way towards educating me in the silly rules society tends to invent about things. Up until that point I had just assumed that our culture was the way things were.

Answer 2

I think mostly all cultures have some goofiness and it all depends what do each of us understand for goofy.

When you mention the feminine touch on women I have to say that it is rare to see American women's dress girlie and maybe because some of them consider the girlie expressions for little girls.

You should check what type of stripes, heels or colors you are wearing, as well as make up, hair do and accessories. Do they all match with you type of skin, eyes, hair color and body type?

Ah... and a nice black outfit could be very feminine too. It all depends how to wear it.

But I should make clear that not all of American women are like that only the majority.

Answer 3

If we think you're goofy it's not because you smile, use deodorant or women wear "men's" clothes. It's because we think you smile when you don't mean it (like saying "Have a nice day" all the time - ends up just sounding formal rubbish), that you're suckers for consumerism and your women want to act like men.

People of most countries think Americans are ignorant about anywhere and anyone outside America, obsessed with your own politics and nationalism, self-interested and lacking understanding when it comes to intervening in other countries, and dedicated to spreading the worst excesses of capitalism, consumerism, shallowness and the rat-race to the rest of us. We think you don't understand or care about our objections. (GM organisms and global warming are more significant than the Iraq war in this respect).

I often hear Americans saying, "Don't judge America by Hollywood" but when we're fed a non-stop diet of murder and mayhem because you have the biggest home market and therefore dominate the world's film industry, and your films look all childish unrealistic "action" to us, without depth or sincerity, what are we supposed to think? You say "You people don't have to watch it if you don't like it" but I've just spent 12 hours on a bus in Colombia and was forced to listen to, if not watch, screaming, gunshots, cursing, explosions and all the usual garbage the whole trip. Same in the hostels. It's much cheaper for TV stations anywhere to buy your rubbish than to make their own (size of the market again). Same thing applies to Coca-Cola, McDonalds etc. America kills diversity and puts up trade sanctions when we try to resist. If we don't want your hormone-induced meat, for example, for health and ethical reasons, you put our steel and whisky producers out of business. It's this bullying we don't like. And the hypocrisy that you are bringing us all "freedom" and democracy.

This is not an anti-American rant, but an attempt to answer your question. There are lots of good things about America and its people. Just don't push your ways on us so hard, that's all.

Answer 4

Hmmm... goofy? There are things about most cultures that can be seen as goofy through the eyes of another culture. I haven't thought about the things you mentioned but still...

(I'm Swedish we eat fermented herring and dance by acting like frogs at midsummer. I guess that's goofy in someone elses eyes.)

Answer 5

I don't think we're any more goofy than people from other countries. Just a matter of opinion