Let's Talk About American Stereotypes 

I find it hilarious how people think Americans are geographically challenged and they think they can go from the West coast to the east coast in 2 days

I believe Europeans stereotype Americans as provincial because we don't tend to be well-versed in speaking many different languages. I think most Europeans don't realize that the U.S. covers a HUGE land mass. In addition, it only borders with two other countries; the largest being Canada, which of course is English speaking (some French), and Spanish speaking Mexico. The other closest countries in the Caribbean and Central America are also primarily Spanish speaking. So, unless Americans travel across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans to visit another continent, they are unlikely to encounter other languages. Therefore, the emphasis on learning foreign language in the U.S. is not as critical as it might be in Europe. Also, it is not surprising that French and Spanish are the primary foreign languages offered in our public schools. So, to the Europeans reading this: Americans, as a rule, are not stupid or purposefully ignorant of other cultures or languages. We just are not as exposed to them by proximity as are you are in Europe. So, please, give us a break and don't assume we don't want to learn about your culture or language when we visit.

People who think Americans are loud most definitely haven't encountered groups of Cubans lol

Thank you for helping bridge the gap. Most Americans are kind, compassionate, and self aware. As others have mentioned though, showing Americans as good people doesn't bring the ratings. To be honest, we obviously don't even understand each other here all the time. The West, the South, the East and Midwest are all like very different countries broken up into countless districts. The world tends to treat America like it is 1000 people who are all arrogant, loud, and brash...but we are 325 million people- labels simply don't work.

one thing that is fascinating to me is the fact that we are thought of as confident. When my son was little he would walk with his head down. I would tell him that he needed to hold his head up and look people in the eye. Unfortunately, at least in the US, there are bullies who will pick on people who look weak. Our society is EXTREMELY competitive. You have to display confidence whether you feel it or not. But once you get to know us you see that we are just like everyone else. We just teach our children to be confident, and if not, at least LOOK confident. Its literally a matter of survival, especially in the cities.

I was literally laughing at the stereotypes. it seems most of them come from our media (movies & tv).

My parents were living in England from 1970-74, and my brother and I were born there. We don't remember it. One thing that ticked my mom off about England was the stereotype that Americans were all rich!!! I was taught that there is a disinct difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance is when someone walks into a room, he automatically thinks he's better than everyone else, because he may be richer, smarter, or better looking than everyone. Confidence is when someone walks into a room, he may know others are richer, smarter, better looking etc. However, he's still perfectly happy with who he is, and he feels no need to compare himself to others.

It seems to me that European countries want Americans to know where they are located ALONG with their capitals, but it is totally OK for them to not know our states and capitals name and location.

As an American tourist traveling solo in Europe, I found the traits, aside from wardrobe, that made Americans stick out most were volume, pace, and size. I don't mean it as a criticism, just an observation. On average, I think we're louder, faster moving, and bigger (height being an even more noticeable trait than weight) than our European counterparts. The loudness and size were expected but the difference in pace was a surprise. In every major city, I found myself holding back, wishing the people in front of me would move faster. And I'm not even a New Yorker! I'm in hippy-ville California. Laurance, did you notice a faster pace to the streets in the US when you first arrived?

I agree. I feel like Americans are more "direct" in their dialogue and people mistaken it for arrogance. I also agree with some of the comments here - we're taught from a young age that you need to be confident to succeed in life.

As an American I can say that most of us come off as arrogant, but that is just us displaying confidence. If you don’t display confidence whether you have it or not, American society will trample you and your soul.

In the US having braces is truly very normal and sometimes even expected from parents and kids find it cool

I love the choice of music when introducing the stereotypes - it fits perfectly.

Excellent, Laurence. You're an insightful and kind man. And oh gosh, you gotta love the mean banjo pickin' in the background.

I nearly fell out of bed when I saw," Are all Americans rich?" (I was viewing on my laptop.) With all the homeless people we have here in the States, how could anybody think we all are rich?

When you say our gardens are large, do you mean the grassy space behind our houses? We call that a backyard.

"Everyone has the word help written on their foreheads." This is perfection.

When I was living in London I had several people think I was Canadian because I did not act American! Guess we don't all portray stereotypes!

I've lived long enough to know that many stereotypes are born out of either reality or perception of reality. The USA is extraordinarily large and diverse enough to find any particular stereotype that one wants to find. If you look for it, you will find it. That said, I think that there are some stereotypes that transcend the variances in regional culture across the nation. For the most part, I think that Americans have a certain bravado that can be either perceived as a friendly confidence or an annoying arrogance. Though I don't believe that we Americans intend to be of the annoying variety, it's not up to us to shape the perception by others. It's because of this that I try my best to be self aware when visiting other countries while not losing myself in the process. It's a delicate balance for me because I am very outgoing and engaging. I also think that most Americans are very, very casual in their manner, fashion and interactions with others, including strangers. This trait links to the previous one because we are often very willing to share opinions or immediately have interactions with people that many cultures would find too personal. This could come off as either intrusive or friendly depending on the person on the other end. In the end, I think that there's something about our culture that encourages us to be social from a very early age. As for being ignorant of the world around us, welcome to the culture war in America! This stereotype exists within the USA itself and manifests itself by our very divisive political climate where one side thinks the other is a bunch of ignoramuses while, in reverse, the other side is bunch of tone deaf elitists.

The loudness thing has to do with how we emphasize words; it's linguistic. Brits emphasize words by shifting pitch, Americans by increasing volume. So Brits tend use more high/low pitch fluctuation in speaking while keeping a relatively steady volume, whereas Americans use louder/softer volume fluctuation (with less pitch fluctuation) for the same purposes. It's basically down to dialect.

Thank you for saying we're not all geographically challenged, I'm sick of those videos where people go around asking extremely basic geography questions to surely hundreds of people and then cherrypicking the REALLY stupid ones

I have enjoyed your videos for a while now but this one touched a part of me that made you less entertainer/'sharer of info' and more just sweetly human. "Everyone has 'help' on their forehead..." it is up to us to do something about it. Thank you for saying that. We, humanity, are all human. We are all created with a heart & mind, needs and ethics. During this quarantine adventure-or lack of, it is well timed to remember that. Again, thank you.

I agree completely that our media does not do a very good job at world news and it drives me insane, most of it is politically driven crap now. Thank goodness for the internet.

Ah, I liked that part about everyone walking around with the word "help" on their foreheads. It's certainly true in my case, though few ever realize it. Perhaps I should be more cognizant of others who are in the same boat.

I love your insight man. Your videos are great and uplifting and I love watching. Thank you.

#AskABrit What about the similarities between US and British folk? I think that we, too often, focus on the differences and ignore the fact that we're all just humans who have the same needs and wants, but have been shaped by our differing cultures. For example, I've seen large men who weren't afraid of anything cower in front of their 5' tall Mother. I'm sure that that is the same in the UK.

Mann I LOVE your videos and you are very funny. first line " I had to move to a park to get away from my American Wife who I might offend" lol

Well said at the end. Love you. Thanks for the excellent content. We are lucky to have you here.

Well done, the end got pretty deep and a bit emotional. It's nice to see genuine thought and genuine reactions from those thoughts which is sadly not the norm anymore. At least from what I see most of the time it's just regurgitation of nonsense other people say without any individual critical thinking involved.

Thank you for bringing us all closer together!! ❤️

thank you for being an honest and thoughtful person there are far too many videos of people saying Americans are stupid, ignorant, loud and obese. None of which is even remotely true. too many people like making videos for shock value and which contain absolutely zero original thought or actual knowledge of their purported subject matter. Anti-Americanism is a very popular trend in the last 15-20 years and I think has more to do with some sort of political point of view than anything else. I'm quite surprised to see that there is a stereotype that all Americans are rich, where does this come from? I suspect it may just be Hollywood, you rarely see lower incomes or poverty portrayed in American film unless it is integral to the plot in some way. A whitewashed presentation is usually the rule and as many people go to films to escape reality the studios imagine they wouldn't like to see their own realities mirrored back to them. I run into loud people from time to time, they are rather exhausting and the rest of us tend to avoid them, I'm a bit more soft spoken than most, but near around the average as I see it. I think we Americans tend to have healthier teeth over all because of the fluoridization of the water supply. However, I must say I think braces are rather rare and kids that get them do tend to be made fun of a little bit because it is as unusual as it would be most anywhere, they are only really needed in a few instances, and I also don't think most people in America get their teeth whitened unless they are trying to be professional actors or television presenters or something like that, most Americans have teeth colored teeth. Most of us are middle class and struggling and most Americans that I meet, and I've been one all my life know what the map of the world looks like and when ww2 was fought.

Thank you for doing what you are doing. I am glad you are breaking down some of these stereotypes.

That was one of the most human, and truly uniting videos I have seen. The honesty, and open flow of information was great. If I may, about the Brits: You talked about some things about Americans, that we are not all rich, some struggle, some speak more directly, etc. One of the things that I think is part of my (Western European) heritage, and schooling, being from the US, I always admired the British stalwartness - keep a stiff upper lip, the ability for the UK to hang on until the tables could be turned in WW2. I know we all, every country, every people in the world, have things we should be ashamed of, things we should make right, but your way of handling this video really present a feeling of commonality - not aggressive judgement. Well done. I am glad I ran across your channel.

Been a fan for a couple years and rewatching today. It’s the last line you say in this video and when you realize what you’ve said, “‘help’ on the forehead … and we all need to recognize that”. It was your pause. It spoke volumes. Thank you Lawrence. That was your noble peace prize moment. :)

An excellent video. +Lost in the Pond I appreciate how you are always balanced and fair in your comments. It's probably fairly obvious from my comments that I am a U.S. citizen. Just wanted to own up to that. Anyway, thanks for another wonderful video.

You are so cool! I have liked and subscribed! Keep up the amazing work!!!

I have found that when restaurants have poor acoustics that you have to talk over other people and so it gets louder and louder. Especially tiled restaurants.

I haven't traveled to many other countries, but as an American living abroad, I've always felt frustrated by how slow other people seem to walk compared to my American friends and myself. Do you think Americans tend to be fast paced or easy going? Perhaps it depends on where you are...

Dentistry and Orthodontics are beautiful things... literally beautiful things! My sister, and I both had braces. I'm grateful to have had it done.

I have just recently started perusing your videos. I've got to admit I do like this outdoor setting better. Maybe do some in front of various attractions? Just a thought. I am loving your series.

Even though you talk differently than me, I can still understand what you're saying! Brilliant!

Sadly the main stream media here in the USA does not cover world events nearly as much as in other countries. That said there has been a move to alt-media and knowledge of world events is becoming more common here in the USA... I think. Well lets hope.

True about the loud guy trying to impress a date. The loud chat about finance and making "Wall Street" deals on mobile phone either in the street, on the train or at a restaurant or cultural setting such as museum or intermission at a ballet or concert.

I think, partially, it's because most of the world views America as one Entity, when in fact we are 50 States joined together under a common Constitution. Most people could tell you a couple dozen if they were put on the spot, plus Canada, Mexico, and Cuba as our nearest neighbors. People seem to remember large or iconic countries pretty easily, like China, Grest Britain(or UK or England, people have a tough time knowing the difference there, but it is a little too similar. At least in the US areas are named in a very uncomplicated manner--West Coast, Midwest, South, East Coast, Texas...), China, Japan, Autralia, New Zealand, France, Vietnam, etc. We focus so much on Western Civilization, I remember World History kind of glosses over the Middle East, South and East Asia, Hawaii, and most of Africa. It pretty much starts with "civilation started with Mesopotamia, and spread from there." They don't outright say it, but it makes the judgment that most civilizations outside of the Mediterranean region were either savage and underdeveloped or plotting to conquer the world, like Genghis Khan and Xerxes. Barely mentions Chinese development, basically only notes that there were a lot of families, Terracotta Army woaaah dude! Oh here's a wall that they built with the lives of thousands of citizens, what a horrible thing to do. Teddy Roosevelt built the Panama Canal with his bear hands! Yeah that's right, he had BEAR hands! The focus seems heavily reliant on American development and where the idea of America came from. They make it out as this long-term Manifesto all the way from Early Greek ideology and politics, and how it survived throughout Europe in ideas, Charlemagne was forced to sign something or be killed, Henry VIII divorced beheaded died, divorced beheaded survived, oh look our ideals moved us to America, and it was there as a collective species that we all sighed with relief as we declared our Independence and our dreams became reality. Harold, would you push that dead Native under the couch more? God they're dropping like flies, the savages should be grateful we even had spare blankets to begin with, poor bastards will be saved. OH LOOK A BUFALLO SHOOT IT HAROLD, SHOOT IT! Aaaaand gloss over until the Industrial Revolution, gloss over until Civil War, Gloss over maybe mention the Dust Bowl, WORLD WAR BABYYYY! OH MAN THE SEQUEEEEELL HAHAAAAA!! Holocaust is bad, reflect on that. VIETNAM!! Ignore Afghanistan, just focus on the Cold War, space project, "I am not a crook!" and JFK assassination. Oh also there was a wall in Berlin. I guess we broke that down. And now were in 21st century! Yaaaaay. Go to bed on time, kids. Fuck my life what am I doing

It is interesting how a great many stereotype videos mention being loud. Most of them do, actually. But I've never encountered it. It makes me wonder if Brits whisper at tables. (please do not take offense). My dad was absolutely mortified when his German friends came to visit because they were extremely loud. He thought it was just that set of friends, but then he made more and they came over and they were so loud he was embarrassed so much that he wanted to crawl under the table. One reason we might come across as loud in restaurants is because the music they play is so very loud (one of my major pet peeves) that you cannot hear your dining companions very well.

1) New Yorkers are Loud; the rest of us complain about them. 2) Only celebrities, politicians, and newscasters have "perfect teeth." 3) Most Americans don't have the money travel abroad and focus on local politics. 4) A few Americans are Very Rich, the rest of us get by paycheck to paycheck. 5) "Chauvinistic" is the word you're looking for. Otherwise, boasting isn't American.

I can't imagine Tarah taking a different view or being miffed. As a fellow Hoosier, I am very thankful for your candid observations. It helps if Americans have opportunities to visit and live abroad. As Rick Steves asserts, we have a broader perspective of our world when we travel (providing our minds are open!) 🤝

I like that last statement, “Everybody has the word HELP written on their forehead and it is up to us to recognize that.”

Love the music. Your old vids are sweet.

It's entertaining to see other people's perspective of us. Thanks.

To be fair, Sri Lanka is a former British colony and they play Cricket...so, yeah, that's why you hear about them in the UK.

I love sharing this because it puts things into perspective: If I was to go to New York City from LA, and you were to go Istanbul from London (driving), buy the time you arrived in Turkey, I would still have 10 hours left on my journey.

Love the back ground music!

As far as being "direct", it is a cultural thing to "say what you mean & mean what you say." It may be the hard-working, get-down-to-business pioneer culture that has been passed down for generations - no time for circuitous chatter, got to get on with survival!)

I am SO geographically challenged. Like, I try so hard to learn and it’s so hard for me to remember anything, even some locations of US states. I’m not sure why, but I’m very challenged when it comes to that stuff!

How insightful.

Nicely done.

To touch on the geographically challenged bit- I'm from America and I definitely feel like it is the media coverage and less of a deal with covering geography in school. Personally I haven't really had a geography class in school (I'm pretty sure it was tied to our history class that I tested out of). I'm currently trying to improve my geographical knowledge by going out of my way to learn more about other countries, watch youtubers from other countries and play geography games.

Thanks for your generous accessment, we seem to get kicked around by some foreigners

What I've heard, and somewhat seen on overseas trips, is that it's much easier here to buy your own home.

by gardens do you mean our yards? cause I'm guessing you do :) out here in the north west we almost never have fences as well

I'm from the US. I've never flossed my teeth (the only time I break out the floss or toothpick is when I've got something stuck between my teeth) and my dentist is constantly praising me for how well I take care of my teeth. I just brush my teeth twice a day as thoroughly as I can (keep going until there's no more toothpaste). I've had a lot less cavities than most ppl my age too.

Like the accent but love the wit. *subbed*

It's funny that Europeans say we are bad at geography, when we are actually pioneers in GIS technology and mapping, along with analyzing geospatial data. You need to know the different kinds of geography well in order to make quality maps and models. ESRI, the largest GIS company in the world was founded in California. Their main headquarters is in Redding, California.

American here, I went to Peru last summer and the group that I was with was kind of loud. I was thinking to myself “stop confirming the stereotype you’re making us look bad”

American here! Thanks, I agree!

I think Americans are more optimistic than most Europeans. Americans are often friendly and outgoing. They often have no problem striking up conversations with complete strangers. Complete strangers help each other out. Americans tend to be very hard working.

I was always taught to ask questions, even if you think they're stupid, because "if you have a question, there's at least five other people in class have that question." If I was ever nervous about asking something, my dad would always say, "Just ask. You won't know the answer until you do." When I'm cooking a family recipe, I'll ask my mom details for double insurance because I get more frustrated when I don't cook something right than I do when Mom over explains. I sometimes have to snap at my sister because she repeats the same question in slight variations or bombards me when I just need a moment to think. And when I train people at work, I tell them to ask me questions, even if they're 95% sure. I'll even couch them on how to phrase questions so they can show that they're paying attention, just need clarification. (Ex: "How do I cash out?" vs "I've already looked up my totals, but how do I get to the cash out menu again?") Americans will sometimes make fun of someone for asking a seemingly obvious question (I have been on both sides) but they usually get answer regardless. The only times I have witnessed an American actively try to stop questions are: 1. a tired parent who's kid is being annoying; 2. a person giving a presentation or press release and will take questions at the end; and 3. a person who doesn't know the answer but doesn't want to show ignorance so dodges the question. Otherwise, asking questions is a part of American culture.

As an American, I never had braces. My top teeth were straight, bottom not too bad. Although as my wisdom teeth started coming in its pushed my bottom teeth to the point that they are really jacked.

Very much enjoyed your take on us Americans! ( or should that be we Americans?) 😊 Good job, Laurence!

Braces, brushing, flossing? Who needs that!

3:15 my parents went to America once, they are british, and the Americans thought we were Australian 😂

Great to see your perspective on this. As an American, I'd like to add a bit to your insight. Are all Americans loud? That's a stereotype I ran into while I was studying abroad in Ireland. A few people didn't believe I was American because I was so quiet. Thing is, I'm an introvert, I'm only quiet around people I don't know very well. Once I know you, you'll hear exactly how loud an American can be. I think America might have a higher percentage of extroverts than other countries, which would contribute to this impression. Do all Americans have perfect teeth? This one made me laugh. Yeah, as a country we do have something of an obsession with dental health, or at least the appearance of it. My teeth are look okay when I talk, but they're *horrible.* I've probably got more fillings than teeth at the moment and I had to get two of them pulled they were so bad. I blame genetics since I never did any of that weird bleaching nonsense. I've met plenty of people with visibly disgusting teeth, though, so no, not all Americans have perfect teeth. Kinda wish they did. Are all Americans geographically challenged? Thank you for dispelling that one. Yeah, there are a lot of people who don't know much about other countries, but I have a feeling that has a lot more to do with our schools focusing so much America-this and America-that than any fault of their own. Plus we're a *huge* country, so it's easier to forget that there's a world outside our borders than in most places. Are all Americans rich? Hahaha. Thanks. Though there is *some* truth to it. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world and even people on welfare have smart phones. Are all Americans arrogant? I think this stereotype ties in with the loud stereotype. Plus, most of our most famous figures, current and historical, come across as arrogant. If that's all you see of America, that's what you're going to think we're all like.

Funny because i thought that a lot of Brittish and eueopean houses in general have tiny yards literally tiny backyards in comparison to what I’m used to here in North America.

I loved it when you said "I don't want to criticize Americans in this way because I've also met Americans who have perfectly awful teeth." Gee, thanks... I guess. I'm still laughing.

The Jamaicans and almost anywhere in Africa are WAY louder than we are. To the point you think a fight is about to break out.

My experience living in th UK is that a lot of British people assume Americans will either by obese (junk food all day, everyday) or super fit (yoga, lentils and new health fads every week!). Having been to the US on several occasions, it appears to be media stereotyping, however I also think that all of the American fast food chains now in the UK, don't help with the stereotype that all Americans are fat. It's easy to only associate US food as unhealthy. Also one of the things I have noticed on my trips to the US is that the food portion size is far greater than what you would get in the UK, which may also explain why British people hold these stereotypes.

Fair assessment sir! Seems like if people would stop generalizing, do their due diligence, we'd have less ugliness. Well presented

I am really enjoying this series about stereotypes. We aren't all fat, tall, ignorant, rude or have perfect teeth. I don't get the whole bleaching your teeth thing. I'm concerned about what's in these whitening agents. Years ago I remember looking at the vice principal at my daughters school. She had super white teeth. Blinding in fact. Then one day I happened to be next to her and witnessed her laughing. Her gums were gray & I know she wasn't a smoker. I always wondered if this was a side effect of the bleach or if it could have been some unknown health issues.

It's funny to hear how other people in the world generalize us. It's helpful to actually understand other people in a strange way because they give unique interpretations of America.

German friend: Are there trees in New York? Me *thinking about all the times people insult Americans for not knowing about their country:* Idk, you tell me.

🎊Enjoy your vlogs & your entertaining perspective. 🌎 Appreciate your sensitivity toward & understanding of US regional differences in your savvy commentary too. 🎈Although I came late to your party🎈. 📺Binge watch here & there. 💻 May I say that your production values as well as your presentation & personal style have all vastly improved since this earlier time period!? 🤔Don't know if it would've bothered me three years ago, but some of the production elements (like your branding & background music) certainly distract me now from your message😨. 😔So sorry. Not meaning to insult or criticise you. 💐Your content seems as solid & as satisfying as ever. It has simply become more refined, focused, & comes in a sharper package too🎁. Yay! All this stumbling & bumbling to say, bravo, my friend. You've seriously upped your game! I, for one, truly applaud your learning curve & trajectory. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 💪Keep up the good work! All this can only hope to grow your audience more & draw more legions of faithful fans to your channel. ~~~~~~~~~~ 💳 Card carrying anglophile here, but I've kept it in the closet🚪for many decades. It was the lure of 👑kings & queens -- & history older than our mere 244 years. It has been fascinating to discover more about the culturally different backgrounds of the countries that comprise the UK. By observing the upper echelons of your society through the ages, it has given me a greater perspective & appreciation for my own culture (that is not quite the classless nirvana we tout). 🤠I now fully embrace my humble South Western working class roots🚜 that skew me far right to the far left leaning 🎥Hollywood🎬 elites based in my greater community. 🦈On the "food chain of life" that brings me much closer toward the trailer trash, redneck (i.e., lowly serf) end of the social strata.✊ 🌐We need to embrace the fact that a hierarchical structure exists in the real world as well as in our nature (💙hearts💙). In the US, it's slightly less about having actual ⚜blue blood, some aristocratic title &/or the distance from inheriting the British throne. It's far more about your personality, charisma, looks, smarts, talents, up-bringing, education, lifestyle, career, material possessions & personal wealth. Thankfully, you can largely improve your 💰lot in life here in the States, if you decide to put the extra effort & work in. 🤗 🕊 Humanity might be equal in God's eyes, but it is not always so IRL. However evolutionary we delude ourselves into thinking we have become, the world of man still largely resembles the 🦁wild kingdom🐯 with different "tribes" vying for total domination over one another. 🎡There is simply no utopia on planet earth. 🇺🇸 Our current highly charged political division & ugly election shenanigans in the midst of C19 pandemic & lockdowns prove that case. Constant infighting takes the focus off the true enemy of humanity: globalism🛃. It masquerades as humanitarian & democratic in principle, but this agenda is dangerously more authoritarian & totalitarian in scope. That's a direction that no free-thinking individual should welcome. 🚸Belief in God followed by a heartfelt adherence to faith & spiritual tradition is what ought to keep us grounded, checked & civilized. Ppl of faith can do wonderful things like practice charity & seek to abolish unrighteousness in society & government. Since we are fallen & flawed to our core, history has shown that religion has sometimes been used wickedly to exploit & harm others. 🛑The answer to that is not Secularism. Separation of 💒church & 🏛state was meant to protect us from the whim of kings. It is not to allow those in charge of governing us in any manner, the right to tell us how to worship. Or, keep us from the ability to protect ourselves. 🚩Besides, even if you remove the tangle of human error in regard to religion, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any human being to be either "bias or value free." Every scientific researcher, political pundit, & ordinary person brings that sometimes mysterious component to the table. That "essence" influences all that we think, say, & do in life. We cannot be separated from it. There is no pure science or data so to speak, it is always agenda driven. 🏦Capitalism may require continual reform, but it is an economic system that allows greater free enterprise & more ppl to prosper. 🚨Socialism & Communism are not about equity or fair division of wealth. These systems only seek to oppress the multitudes for the benefit of a few. ⚠️ My apologies for climbing on my soapbox. I'll stop preaching.😘 ☮Peace out✌

I'm loud w/my parents bcuz they're both hard-of-hearing. Other than that,I'm rather soft-spoken. Also,I wore braces but genetics took over ( awa not taking proper care of them) & I have alot of dental issues as a result..

I'm a linguist and I'm fascinated by foreign cultures. I was at a restaurant in Epcot in Disney World. I sat facing a table with 6 English tourists. They simply didn't speak to each other--and I was watching them carefully! They sat there in dead silence. Finally, the food arrived. This was a Canadian restaurant, so it wasn't in the least bit exotic for an American, but the English examined their food as if they had just arrived on another planet. They looked through it layer by layer. They finally tasted it, and apparently decided it wouldn't kill them. I thought, "If I were to generalize on what I've just witnessed, the English would sound like the weirdest people in the world." Luckily, I've witnessed plenty of English tourists, and I've also visited England, so I know they're not all like that. But it was a good lesson in how people can get a wrong impression of another nationality.

Not everyone even has a *garden,* because not everyone likes to grow stuff. We do commonly have *yards* though.

I never even HEARD OF Sri Lanka until I started watching British and Irish RU-vidrs. I think that's one of the reasons I find them, you, y'all. so interesting. I want to know most anything about anywhere but here. I'm fed up with everything American. I find this place insufferable. ok, cheerio then. - :)

Finally! Someone who tells both sides of the story!

Long story short, people are people, with all the variety that entails

I lived in London for awhile and I will say that many people spoke very softly at lower volumes than Americans do. It was a struggle at first to try and understand them because of accents, words and lower volume in speaking. Eventually you get the hang of it. Americans are also more direct in language. The British will use a word like dreadful. "Oh how dreadful". Where in America we might just say "That sucks". To be fired in Britain is called being made redundant. It's usually a class thing. The higher up you are the more words they use. The crisper the speaking. The lower down you are the more direct the speaking is and the more slang. Dosh is money. Ta means thanks. I really enjoyed my time in London. I learned a lot about the country and the people.

Its good to see your dispelling the stereotypes that Europeans have of Americans like myself.

This might be my most favorite video! I am not ostentatiously rich, I do not have perfect teeth, I am not loud but reserved…. I do not fit any of your categories. I do try to not be offensive and I try to be a good listener and watch the native’s faces when I am with a group of Americans. But I prefer to travel on my own instead of groups and tours. I find it much more interesting. I go expecting only to be treated kindly and giving them kindness in return.

Europe is a continent has over a dozen countries with their own languages. North America has two major languages; Spanish and English. And one minor language; Quebec French.

Everything is larger in America. The largest single farm is two and a half times the size of Manhattan. I'm pretty sure there is nothing like that in the UK.

I was glad to hear the stereotypical banjo music.

Have to say I did love the B music and I do feel sorry millions don’t have dental insurance.

I watched the last Olympics on American tv. You would think that America was the only country competing.

Very well done, Laurence... you hit the nail on the head. It's funny because I had many of these same misconceptions about British folk... I know! But Currymonster set me straight. He's hard working, middle class and a wise arse! Thanks again, TC, Anna

The large gardens are where we grow our second set of teeth. Duh.

Thank you.

I was raised in a really poor family, all 12 of us kids were born in Chicago, a happy poor Irish/Scottish clan.