Stereotypes, part I - Americans

Ahh... Stereotypes. What would we be without them? Rational, kind people free of prejudice and...

Yeah, yeah. We would be boring. 

If our brains weren't faulty pieces of pink goop riddled with irrational shortcuts and deficient mechanisms, humanity would turn into Care Bears.

Ew. Just Ew. Except for the blue one, Grumpy Bear. I identify with him. He is okay.

One peek into any semi-decent history textbook makes it clear: it doesn't take much for a stereotype to come into existence. If there's one thing mankind is good at, it's passing judgment. We like to think in black and white. It's easier. Why would you spend your precious time mulling over all the complexities of history and the intricacies of human psyche when you can just assume that all Americans are fat, xenophobic, gun-toting, bigoted idiots whereas the majority of Brits are tea-gulping, emotionally stunted imperialists with sticks up their arses, allergic both to dentistry and the sun? (Blimey, that was one hell of a long rhetorical question. And a bit of a spoiler, too.)

Alright, alright. To the point. Let's get to the meat of this post. 

This majestic beauty makes me want to oppress black people while getting drunk at Walmart.

American stereotypes

1) They looooove guns. 

Americans have been fond of guns since the very emergence of their prideful country. Their gun-loving ways used to have a shred of justification to it: keeping pesky Brits off American lawns. But, to quote Elsa from Frozen, the past is in the past.

Centuries have gone by and the evidence against the current, outrageously lenient gun control policies have mounted into a rather menacing heap of mass shootings, accidents, suicides, murders, and tales of unspeakable police brutality. .

Nailed it.

Notwithstanding the facts, many Americans (especially those who support the Grand Old Party and Mr. Hamster Toupee) stay adamant about the status quo. 

It might be just me, but I have a suspicion this gun-loving gentleman has very close relations with his sister, if you catch my drift.

You see, guns are fun. Guns are freedom, my freakin' constitutional right. Don't you try to take away my guns. People are dying? Well, too flipping bad. Statistics? Fake news. I like my guns. Mass shootings? Well, some people are crazy, whataya want me to do about it? I don't shoot nobody like that! Police shooting unarmed black teenagers? Well, whatever, their momma hadn't taught them how to respect authority. Sigh, better whine about affirmative action. 

Wrong. WRONG. Wrong. Get these fake news outta my face, ya libtard!

This stereotype doesn't stem from nothing, however, many Americans advocate for stricter gun laws. And rightly so. 

In my humble opinion, America shouldn't boast about being among the most developed nations under the sun if she suffers from dreadful issues worthy of a war-ridden third-world country. 

Do better, guys.

2) They're fat.

Oh boy, this one's a classic us Europeans don't seem to get enough of. Who doesn't like to laugh at morbidly obese Americans conquering Walmart while barely squeezing their gargantuan flabs into those silly scooter thingies?

However, just as the gun thing, this one is deeply rooted in factual statistics. 

Excuse me, I'm pretty sure I ordered Diet Coke with my fries. I'm trying to shed a few pounds. I don't want my joints to give up before I reach puberty.

It's true. America has to deal with staggering rates of obesity, incomparable to any other country on this planet. I remember walking down the street in the suburban area of Chicago and stumbling upon people so fat, I couldn't help but stare at them as they waddled about the sidewalk with a groan of their forsaken joints buckling under their weight. I wasn't being rude; I was just shocked. In Poland such a sight is a rarity.

The reasons why Americans have a penchant for collecting so much "fluff" are numerous. Bigger portions, a fast food joint at every possible corner treated like a cheap alternative to a nutritious meal, inactivity being a prevalent trend... 

When junk food is cheaper than the actual, healthy food, you know something is amiss. In Poland a trip to McDonald's will most likely leave a dent on your weekly budget. It serves the purpose of an unhealthy treat on a "cheat-day" when you still have enough money at the end of a month and not too much of a month at the end of your money. In America, fast food is the major contributor to many people's daily diet since it's cheap and, well, fast. That's why many people struggling with poverty are actually obese which might seem illogical at first!

The reasons underlying the obesity epidemic are rooted in something far more complex than "oh, they're just being lazy and gross". 

3) They're racist.

Oh boy, oh boy. Here's a touchy subject. America? Racist? No way! We're colour-blind. We left the racist history in the past... Did we really, though? Did we? 

All lives matters!

Racism is still taking place in America to this day, especially in the South. It doesn't necessarily have to consist of yelling racial slurs in people's faces or making boastful claims about the superiority of white race. It can take on more subtle - and, therefore, more insidious - forms usually referred to as "institutional racism". 

The slavery era might be well in the past, but its fallout still clings to many aspects of the American society. Racism permeates the US justice system. It exists in healthcare. It affects the economy. Not to mention how police continues to fail people of colour and what native Americans have to still go through even after the centuries of being pushed aside and mistreated by, well, invaders.

There's no room for jokes and memes in here. This stereotype stems from the heart-breaking reality people of colour have to deal with every day. Many white Americans refuse to acknowledge the problem, oblivious to the fact that silence makes them complicit in the acts of racism occurring all across their country.

Will his dream ever come true? 

4) They are optimists and they tend to be nice.

Well, phew! I left the nice thing for the end to compensate for all the discomfort I might have inflicted upon my readers with the last one. Stereotypes, by definition, tend to be negative more often than not. It's easy to have a gripe with the entire group of people while missing out on all the nice aspects many of the group members might share. In spite of many negative beliefs about Americans making rounds around the world, there is one that sort of compensates for all the ugly ones mentioned before.

Many American people are actually nice and tend to look on the bright side of life!

Yes, we can!

Americans are known - and widely praised - for their unwavering optimism. I remember my utter shock when I walked down the street in America and I was greeted with smiles and cheerful greetings. In Poland, the majority of passers-by will sooner send a stink eye your way than smile back at you. Let's be real. Whenever someone smiles at me on the street, I assume I must have something on my face. We're a bunch of bitter meanies... 

In America, many people smile extremely often and are ready to chat you up with pleasant small talk, and it feels... genuine! To a brooding Pole like myself, it appeared extremely suspicious at first. Why the heck is everyone so jaunty? Can you guys temper it down?! Like come on, no one is cheery all the time, unless they're a secret serial killer. Are you guys all serial killers?! 

Well, no. At least, not to my knowledge. They're just... American. Nice, polite and happy. Always ready to strike up a friendly conversation.

Unless they're rich white middle-aged Americans. Those are rarely nice and they like to look down on people wearing cheap cargo pants and speaking with a sibilant accent... My prejudice is deeply rooted in unfortunate experiences, okay? 

Ahaha, we're so rich and white!

That's it for today. 

Stay tuned for the Stereotypes: British Edition.