Americans are too patriotic, jingoistic I think!!! No?

Question

Why do Americans have no sense of humour about their own country?
South Africans can even laugh about crime in SA:
The Brits moan about their weather and food as well.
The Italians admit to the anarchy of Italian traffic and punctuality.
I even met a German who admitted that Germans have no sense of humour!!!
The Dutch joke about being parsimonious!
I know they are generalisations, but being able to admit your faults and laugh at them helps. I have noticed that Americans will nearly always defend America blindly!!!!!
Look at the comments on other threads!
PS I like the one about the next time Europe is in the hands of a madman.....and like George Bush was democratically elected in a fair election is totally sane....

Answer 1

PLEASE do not group all Americans into one statement, it is paramount to stereotype and prejudice (;

We, Americans, have many who joke about our politicians; see "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart", "Carson Daly Show", "Mad TV", "Saturday Night Live", to name a few. Look at the newspapers (here) and you will see cartoons and jokes about our shortcomings and failures.
~

Answer 2

I have found that for the most part people have a sense of humor about their own country. However, when someone from another country starts to criticize or ridicule, the reaction is different. For example, I can argue, fight, and ridicule my brother. However, if you start doing the same I'll come to his defense to the very best of my ability.

If you have access to U.S television you will see a constant stream of jokes about the foibles of segments of our population. Some within the U.S don't take those jokes well, others find them hilarious.

I quote from your examples "I even met a German who admitted that Germans have no sense of humour!!!". I think the operative terms there are "a German". How about all the rest? Maybe the majority? Nope just that single solitary guy. Your premise is faulty and your examples don't support the premise in the slightest.

Answer 3

I'm not American but I don't get were you're coming form. Have you ever watched the Simpson's. They as well as taking the mick out of other country's.They take the mick out of them selfs a lot of the time too. Now tell me if America was, so not willing to take a joke, how come the Simpson's has lasted so long ? What about shows like south park as well. They always take he piss ou of Gorge Bush. I think from what tv you watch you can tell a lot about a person. Sure there will be a lot of Americans who take ofence but that is, not all of America.

Answer 4

I see nothing wrong with patriotism its a pity some of us Brits don't display a bit more pride when speaking of our homeland instead of constantly moaning and blaming immigrants or others for our failings.Within their own society they complain and they lampoon their leaders but they put on a united face to the world .For the info of the idiot who says the US leads the world in technology?i think you'll find most advances were discovered by Europeans and exploited by the Americans and nearly every blockbuster US film was actually made in England by American companies.Dont you see you are proving the questioners point whilst you obviously dont support it?

Answer 5

They don't seem able to laugh at themselves do they? We Brits laugh at ourselves all the time!

EDIT: I do agree that the Simpsons takes the mick out of America. But when someone like Michael Moore tries to make a film exposing that perhaps the "American Dream" isn't all its cracked up to be for some people (which is true), he's treated like a terrible traitor.

Answer 6

In the 80s a Swiss punk returned from 6 months in the USA and said, to me 'Even the Hippies are patriots.' He also told me that he had seen a tin of 'Chili can carne' in a supermarket which had on the label 'with meat'. If you shout loud enough etc.
USA - God's own country - just as long as you call God, God or Jehovah.
God's 'chosen people' - and now we can forget Israel.
I remember meeting US Marines in Switzerland in the early 80s who wouldn't say they had been in Vietnam - they called it 'Nam.
And now they're in Eyerak and they took their cousins along for the ride.

Best joke I heard in a long time: America rules, O.K.?

Answer 7

Your answer in the form of a little story about my cats:

It's an allegory.

I have two cats, Nobby and Vimes. Vimes is such a British cat. He's eccentric, he's older, he's more fluffy and less shiney and slinky than Nobby. He looks at Nobby and often gives him a look of such contempt it hard to understand why nobby doesn't swipe for him, but they remain freindly and we still, to this day, haven't been able to figure out who is most dominant.
Nobby is such an american cat. he can jump higher, catches the kitty toys better, eats disgusting things that Vimes turns his nose up at; But wave a bendy cat-toy flag at him and he turns into a lolloping idiot and starts chasing his tail.

Answer 8

I've noticed that a lot of homes in america seem to have the american flag out front. Why?
I'd never dream of having the british flag out side my house. For one i think its kinda tacky!

Answer 9

well im american and i can say we can laugh and we have a good sense of humour but sometimes we try to be careful about what we say about people from other cultures, remember america is a multinational/ cultural nation, so americans might be able to talk about our on respective cultures but we try and bve careful when we involve different races.

Answer 10

I think it's unfair to group so many people together under one heading. I think you'll find people like that from every nation, and frankly your question leads me to believe you're one of them. The stereotype I've noticed is that in Europe (certainly the UK, where I come from) being proud of your country is expressed by slating all other countries. In the States, pride in their country just comes from loving their country, a much healthier was of looking at it.

Answer 11

Americans dare aspire to have the greatest country in the history of the world. We often fall short, but we make the effort. If you are feeling inferior or jealous, I understand. Human nature makes us all believe we are in some way better.
America leads the world in Science and Technology, Music, Movies, Literature, and Finance.
We are not satisfied with our educational system, but are schools are the Mecca of research and cultural exploration.
We are not satisfied with our health care system but we have the best trained and equipped doctors and nurses in the best equipped hospitals in the world.
We struggle with who gets in the country while other countries struggle with who is leaving.
We take care of our sick and poor and elderly without the onerous taxation and business restrictions faced in most countries.
We have Law and Order problems, but we have personal freedoms that are rare in this world.
Laugh if you want, but we are building something to be proud of.