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More on Ugly Americans
Lots of folks are
atwitter over the release of the "World Citizens
Guide" - which we posted about - that
seeks to help reduce the amount of ugliness Americans export within themselves when they head abroad. Only you can know
xactly what your "AUE" (American Ugliness Export) quotient is, but my guess, esp. if you like fast food and
Hawaiian shirts, is that it's pretty high. The guide was underwritten/assembled by the Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), a non-profit group funded by big American companies, who are saying the anti-Americanism is bad for business. It features some 16 etiquette tips on how Americans can help the country by not fulfilling stereotypes of themselves as brash, loud, annoying, fat, stupid, bossy philistines. Ed Gomez over at SF Gate examines the subject and finds many of these stereotypes sadly accurate. While, over at the UK Telegraph, Philip Sherwell probably has the best take on the subject, as he makes the point that it's not really American tourists who are the problem, it's more often the perceptions of American policy...although loud fat Americans don't help themselves much either.
So let me put the question out there? Are we fat, loud, bossy, annoying, etc.? Or is it just that people like to pick on the big guy? Or more, are people in general becoming more like us? I mean, have you ever seen German travelers? Let's get the debate started.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Carl Parkes Apr 22nd 2006 2:06PM
Way off base. American travelers are almost uniformly enjoyed around the world for their friendliness, open personalities, and ability to engage the local population. American tourists are very, very welcome almost everywhere in the world, and most surveys put Americans at or near the top of the list. Well, Aussies are up there too, for good reasons.
Stuart Apr 22nd 2006 7:06PM
Dear Carl,
Sadly this is not the case in my frequent travels. People like Americans in many ways but as tourists, not so much... Australians sadly are also known for being LOUD.
Stuart
Travelfish Apr 22nd 2006 11:03PM
While perhaps the rest of the world is catching up to the US in the fat-stakes, an American traveller's concept of volume-control really is in a league of its own.
Every nationality of traveller has its stereotype -- Australian and beer, French and compaining, Israelis and the arrogance of youth, Chinese and high-impact tourism -- but stereotype by definition is an oversimplified conception.
Morgan Apr 23rd 2006 4:40AM
We are not loud. I dare you to go to a Thai water park teeming with Chinese and Russians and try to hear yourself think. As bad as I'm sure that sounds, I do love both nationalities immensely, for a million other reasons. I just think as Americans we're a little overrated in the obnoxious department.
And I'll take the flak for us wearing Hawaiian shirts over speedos anyday. Last thing, I find our smelly backpacker and hostel type youths a whole lot more embarassing overseas than a 50 year old guy that talks a little loud. The old guy keeps to himself mostly, while the backpacker smells up the entire internet cafe and reads aloud the email they're writing about their "amazing" trek to see the hill tribes, and feels compelled to constantly and publicly show how they've assimilated into local culture. Oh, heaven help me.
carpetblogger Apr 23rd 2006 10:44AM
The behavior of British stag parties in the Baltics absolves Americans from ever having to apologize for any sort of bad behavior abroad, up to and including invasions of sovereign nations.
carpetblogger Apr 23rd 2006 10:53AM
The behavior of British stag parties in the Baltics relieves Americans of ever having to apologize for any kind of boorishness abroad, up to and including invading sovereign nations.