The greatest trick America ever pulled was convincing the world it was retarded.risenbone said:
My (first) college had a large number of foreign students -- mostly from Turkey or Japan. The new ones were pretty amusing. They were pretty sure they had a good idea what America would be like -- and gosh, they were moving to *ALABAMA!* LOLZ! Stereotype here!
That "good idea" of what America and Americans were like? Entirely based on *entertainment media*. Movies, TV shows, music, American news broadcasts which are much more entertainment than information. We know what Americans are like, and so we don't tend to show that sort of thing in our entertainment. Well, Seinfeld aside, I suppose -- irrelevant. The point is I can't count on both hands the number of foreigners who were shocked that their notions derived from movies and TV about how and who Americans are were completely wrong.
And yes, I laughed, every time. So did they. I will admit I was partially laughing at them, though. How could anyone make that kind of correlation? Good lord, I don't go around thinking all Japanese people can fire energy blasts, or that all Australians know Paul Hogan (though I do ask them if they do, but only because I know it makes them angry and I am an incorrigible ass). That's just silly. We all know that's silly. But somehow, when it comes to Americans, people get the idea that it's *not* silly.
I also laugh at all you people throwing out goofy statistics that are just not true at all. 50% of Americans don't believe in evolution? Give me a break. You ask the right people a question worded the right way, sure -- but you're cherry-picking your data points, and influencing them besides. Americans are stupid because you saw some clip on Youtube put together by people trying to make a funny clip about dumb Americans? Wow, that's sure conclusive proof. I bet no other country on Earth has people who will say dumb things! Only in America!
