It seems that funny and incredibly out-of-context pics from America have quite a fanbase on Twitter. With over 103k people following the 'No Context USA' account, it’s easy to see why the page is quickly gaining popularity. Everyone enjoys a good laugh, and the land of the free is notorious for unique quirks unheard of in other parts of the world that are almost begging to be gently poked fun at.
Before we get started, let’s remind ourselves that everyone should find the courage and the ability to laugh at themselves. To mock both little and serious things, and embrace cultural weirdness in all of its glory. Every culture has oddities and peculiarities, after all. Some we understand, others — not so much. But it doesn’t mean we can’t chuckle at them like there’s no tomorrow.
Whether you’re local or not, you’re well aware that the internet’s obsession with the United States has gone beyond control. And the ideas about the American way of life have become pretty polarizing, with different sides blaring their truths without a second thought. While opinions about the country are usually far from great, it’s clear that not all typically American characteristics are negative.
So to gain more insight from someone who knows what they’re talking about, we reached out to Megan Starr who is originally from Virginia, US. She is one of the voices behind the acclaimed travel blog called Megan & Aram that’s dedicated purely to visiting Scandinavia, the Eastern bloc, and beyond. Before going on her adventures to explore and learn more about the world, she also traveled across the US, visiting every undeniably beautiful corner from Hawaii to the Great Lakes.
According to Megan, blanket statements about her homeland are rarely accurate, and most attempts to generalize the entire US are likely to be at least a little off. "It is one of the most diverse countries on the planet," she told Bored Panda. "A person from Washington DC is not going to have the same beliefs as someone from rural Nebraska."
Megan revealed it would be quite foolish to believe any one stereotype about the US is true. "Exposure and our surroundings play a lot into our beliefs and ideals," she added.
"As someone who has spent 12 years living in Europe, I have realized that it seems to be okay to generalize the entire United States into one stereotype but if we were to do that about another country, we’d be that 'ignorant American' (yet another stereotype)."
We were curious to hear what common misconceptions Megan has heard throughout her travels. And it turns out, she’s heard them all. "'Loud Americans' — yea, we do speak loudly and confidently. But so do Canadians, the Spanish, the Italians, Brits, etc. It also helps that everyone can pinpoint an American accent and can understand English, meaning they are far more tuned into what someone is saying when they are speaking that way."
Another typical cliché Megan often hears a lot is "Ignorant Americans." But interestingly, the travel blogger added that if you’re meeting an American abroad, chances are you’re meeting the country’s best people.
"Some of the most ignorant people I have ever met have been European or Australian but I would never generalize an entire nation based on a chunk of its people," she added. "Again, I think this is something that is just deemed acceptable when you say it against Americans, but how dare anyone generalize a nation anywhere else. It’s kind of weird, really."
Of course, let’s not forget how easy it is for outsiders to come up with stereotypes when the complexity of this enormous nation is usually too hard for them to understand. After all, with such a diverse population and a melting pot of cultures, getting the full view of the country is definitely challenging. And Megan absolutely agrees with this line of reasoning.
"The complexity of ANY country is beyond the scope of a foreigner to grasp," she said. "That is why it is important to live abroad for a bit and understand a place before you make ignorant judgments about the society as a whole. The US is not a homogenous nation."
But the likely false conclusions foreigners draw about the US make it an easy target for laughs, Megan continued. "The world sees our media and knows our movies. They think they understand the dynamics of our society."
"Not to get dark here, but it baffles me when I see people make jokes (yes, jokes) on TikTok or other social media platforms about kids getting shot in American schools. This would NEVER be acceptable in any other country," Megan continued. "And those same people don’t seem to realize that most Americans do want gun control, but the power lies in the hands of some rich, corrupt people in our society."
What’s even more frustrating, Megan has noticed that the same words and giggles would never be pointed in the direction of other societies. "For example, what is going on in Iran now. Lives lost anywhere in the world are not a joke or a reason to make humorous stereotypical comments."
