If you put 2 Americans into a room, who would be the best?

I don’t understand the question. The best at what?

American A: I am!
American B: I am!

@syz I don’t think it really matters at what.
I think he’s poking fun at how utterly nonsensical it is in the first place.

I’m an American and I know I’m always right…even when I’m not.

On top of this I’m a young American…the worse kind of American!

Actually I don’t know which are worse, young Americans or old Americans. Maybe someone else can ask that question

To answer the question: the one who is the best is the one who is still living after you ask them this question.

I always thought other people viewed Americans as overweight, obnoxious, dirty, with poor manners. Used to piss me off when I lived overseas, because it seems that the only Americans my friends and I encountered overseas fit that description. I wondered why only those kind of Americans seemed to travel. I never heard the arrogant thing.

I just watched one of those dateline type shows, and they said the rudest tourists were the French. People were surprised it wasn’t Americans.

@elijahsuicide Well, dateline is run by NBC, which is American, so they have the bias. Also, the French despise Americans, so maybe when they go to America, they act out as if to “get back” at them. Kinda like, here’s a taste of your own medicine sorta thing. Also, maybe the survey was centered around tourism inside America, in which case, it can’t be Americans because they are the locals.

@Mtl zack They polled European countries, if I remember correctly. Who knows how true the whole thing was.
There were two american actors who went to France and acted completely obnoxious, (wearing George Bush shirts haha) etc. And when they interviewed the waiter who was working there for like 15 years, he said French people are more rude. He was probably just being nice, though. I do believe a lot of Americans are ignorant and dismissive of other cultures.

The Greatest American Hero would win against anyone… Love you William Katt!

If you put Luke and Bo Duke in a room and left the door open Daisy would come in and be the best.

I think you would find this is one of those stereotypes that arise when the people making them don’t really know the people they are making them about. Imagine if all you knew about Americans was what you saw in newspapers, on TV, in movies and the actions and words of our politicians.

It has been my experience when talking to visitors from other countries that they think we are very warm, kind and generous. The biggest criticism that I hear from immigrant parents of my students is that we allow too much freedom. Not really a bad thing, is it?

@galileogirl great answer!

When we went to Paris a few years back, I learned enough French to be dangerous. We were always polite and tried to begin every conversation with a little French. We also don’t dress like tourists.

The folks at our hotel and cab drivers did not believe we were from the US. They were shocked. What’s more, they were extremely nice in return..

Then we shared a cab with another random couple from our hotel.

“SCUSE ME PAL. CAN YOU TAKE US TO THE LOOV? THE LOOV – YA KNOW. HEY, YA KNOW WHERE WE CAN GET SOME FRENCH TOAST?GET IT – FRENCH TOAST. <LAUGHS>.”

The driver, who was only speaking French to them, turns to us after they exited the cab and says (in perfect English), “You see, that is a typical American.”

You’d need Three to decide who is the “best”.Out of two-they can only be the better.

I think you get this in any part of the world that is heavily populated by tourists. I have met nice people and rude people from around the world.
I don’t think Americans give American enough credit really. We are one of the most diverse nations on this planet.
If you were to put 2 Americans together in a room I like to think that they would sit and talk and become friends. The comradery between Americans is huge.

@Mtl_zack : I don’t suppose you’d like to know what we think about Canadians, eh?

@cprevite So this is the typical French cabdriver? A man who is a service provider. I am sure a significant part of his job and income involves tourists from all over the world and he pretends he doesn’t understand his passengers.

Turn that around. An American driver, who speaks Spanish, pretends not to understand a South American tourist and then turns to you and says something racist about his passenger. What a xenophobic prick!

@galileogirl I wouldn’t say the cab driver’s behavior was exemplary, but I was certainly embarrassed about the other American couple.

They’re YELLING at him in English in an obnoxious manner (as if that would help him understand English better) and mocking his culture with a french toast joke.

I’m guessing he got that dozens of times a day.

I always live by the axiom “When in Rome, do as the Romans”.
I go to someone’s house – they’re all in socks – I remove my shoes.
I’m staying in your small town – if there’s a curfew – I abide by it.
I’m in your country – you speak primarily French – I make an effort to learn a little bit.
Seems only polite to me.

Then I guess most Americans are going to have to forego world travel. It’s OK by me, I live in SF but if the rest of you want to see the world there’s always Las Vegas. lol

cprevite: If your ears can only stand soft speech, stay out of Chinatown, Cantonese can pierce your eardrums. Maybe we should warn Cantonese speakers to avoid Paris.

Both Americans would be the best. :D
Depends who has the larger Sawed-Off.

@galileogirl Why would most Americans have to forego world travel? Is it that difficult to be polite and not yell at people? Is it beyond an American’s ability to treat the place they are visiting and its people with some respect?

Also this has nothing to with the volume at which they were speaking (I’ve been to Chinatown in SF and I’ve been to Beijing in China – yes, both very loud). I’m referring to the idea that speaking loudly and over enunciating your words in English will somehow make someone who speaks French (or any other language for that matter) understand you. It’s simply rude and useless behavior.

Furthermore, my ears are just fine. What I can’t stand is the idea that visiting Las Vegas (or perhaps Epcot Center in FLA) constitutes a visit to another country.

A little respect for countries and cultures other than our own, particularly when visiting said country seems like it should be standard behavior to me. Again, your house – your rules – I’m just a guest.

And by the by, this runs both ways. I certainly expect similar behavior from anyone visiting our country.

and in case you’re wondering, when you come to my house, take off your flippin’ shoes. I just washed the floors.

No, It’s that difficult for most American’s to learn French, Italian, Romanian, Bantu and Chinese. As for tone of voice, some residents of the Northeast mght have a problem.

As well as your ears, maybe your sense of humor is a little sensitive. So my house my rules, huh. Well most of the people in The City are welcoming to visitors and don’t make fun of them even in French restaurants. We don’t lay down many rules here-just don’t feed the pigeons and don’t call it Frisco.

@galileogirl You’re not seeing my point. You don’t have to learn the language. Try a phrase book. One or two niceties – like please and thank you. In most big cities around the world, the locals speak English (probably better than I do) so you won’t need to know much.

“As for tone of voice, some residents of the Northeast mght have a problem.” Have a problem with what? Not being obnoxious? Come on.

Also, I would never call it “Frisco” so long as you don’t call Boston “Bean Town” when you come to my house. you’re welcome anytime for dinner and good conversation.

I see your very literal point, all right, they get it on the moon.

@galileogirl :^)

J’ai trois questions:

1. Où est la salle? la chambre d’la doleur Sur la lune (Amerique aussi)?

2.Est l’un des Americains un(e) expatrie Canadien(ne)?

3. Est Chuck Norris dans la chambre? Chuck Norris ne porte pas de montre, Il décide de l’heure qu’il est.

The third american who got his own hotel room because he wanted his own toilet. Especially since hotel room bathrooms are getting smaller and smaller.