The American According to the Rest of the World

National identity is an interesting concept, because it needs to be viewed from multiple lenses. For every nation there are two perspectives: how they view themselves and how outsiders view them. Stereotypes have the tendency to be internalized by groups and they manifest themselves through media and other creative expressions. These notions are created in an endless loop- and therefore they are often impossible to break free of. Stereotypes influence self-concept, which then influences media, which reinforces previous stereotypes.  

Generalizations begin to become more apparent when a person travels outside of their nation and acts as a representative for their country. Having been an American abroad, I have come across a spectrum of opinions and preconceived notions about what I am like (or supposed to be like) as an American. I had never considered the stigma that follows that specific nationality until I was asked personal questions upon meeting Europeans (for example, whether I owned a gun) that I had never even considered to be associated with my identity.

My Super Sweet 16

Americans are largely thought to be materialists, obsessed with obtaining capital. Television shows such as "My Super Sweet 16", which  showcases fifteen year olds throwing extravagant birthday parties for themselves with their parent's money (often demanding things like Range Rovers and a thirty foot cake which Beyonce jumps out of) reinforces this stereotype to the rest of the world. 

Interestingly, upon searching "My Super Sweet 16" on Google, one of the first articles I found was an opinion piece entitled 'My Super Sweet 16' and Everything That's Wrong With America, which just goes to show how much media truly influences the perceptions of a nation. Of course all Americans aren't like this. The purpose of the show is essentially to laugh at the spoiled youths that are being followed around while they whine about not having enough diamonds in their tiaras. However, because this is the image American media is putting forward in the world, it is easy to use it to generalize the entirety of American people.

Another stereotype which is often associated with Americans is ignorance and/or lack of education. This is a stereotype which is reinforced possibly the most by the media. Specifically, news sources which are given the freedom to stretch the truth tend to broadcast groups of people which are not completely representative of the American population. 

The manifestation of these stereotypes can be observed in popular American cartoons, such as Family Guy, The Simpsons and American Dad! The premise of these shows are essentially that the central character (typically the father/husband figure) is not very intelligent. The central characters in these shows also often tend to be overweight, which is another stereotype that is associated with Americans. 

Family Guy


The central character of American Dad!, Stan Smith, holds very stereotypical "American" ideals. Often, America is associated with conservative view points, and American Dad! parodies this overly conservative stereotype through Stan Smith. In the show, his character is exaggerated in many of the stereotypes that are given to Americans, he is comically macho and is overly patriotic. 

"Stan Smith: Son, if you ever get captured by any terrorists in the neighborhood and end up on al-Jazeera, just blink you location in Morse code. I'll have a bomb dropped on your location immediately. 
Steve Smith: But, Dad, then I'd get killed too. 
Stan Smith: Ah, come on son, there are plenty of kids to play with in heaven. Your cousin Billy. That little girl from Poltergeist..." (IMDb, 2005.)

Over-emphasized patriotism is attributed to American culture often. One of the interesting things about shows such as American Dad! is that they are written by American writers. Often, American humor pokes fun at itself and at others. However, self deprecating humor is not the most characteristic of what is popular in the United States in comparison to other nations (such as England.) 

American comedy does have a knack for making light of dark situations. Comedians often take world issues into account, typically quite serious ones, and are able to make jokes about them which may come off as offensive. 

"Parody" news is another big phenomenon in the United States in terms of comedy. With websites, such as The Onion, "America's Finest News Source", and television shows such as The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, parody news has become widespread and well-known throughout the country. Unlike The Onion, these shows provide actual news stories with sarcastic input (yet, the facts are still there.) Another purpose for shows like this is to poke fun at actual newscasts across the United States. 

Famously, American broadcasted news has the tendency to be incredibly inaccurate... Comically so. It is either targeted at left wing audiences or right wing audiences, and it is almost impossible to find non-biased news. It is almost ironic that a newscast that strives to be sarcastic in nature is actually more un-biased and truthful than the actual newscasts across the United States.

Much of recent American humor is political. Even in shows such as Family Guy and South Park, one can find relevant political commentary--albeit sometimes offensive and rude.