Do you dislike Americans?

[Kismett]

I feel like I often read posts online that are insulting American people, culture, food, etc. In person people are generally nice to me in the UK, although I do get unsolicited comments about how our chocolate is shit or they'd never want to live in the US. It's not a great feeling, to be honest. But is this how most people really feel?

Op, the thing is, if you met someone who told you Italians are loud, Germans are humourless etc you'd know they were a bit unhinged and unusually invested. Why not apply the same logic here? I'm not saying it isn't unpleasant, but it's a bit of a moment.

It's weird though that everything have to be ranked in value according to how much we personally enjoy it. And why would you say to someone 'Oh, you're from X, there's a food from your country that I find repulsive, let me tell you about it' - ? Poor manners.

Re the chocolate thing, I don't eat a lot of chocolate but I can accept that American chocolate it is different to other chocolates. Italian chocolate is also different. Why do we all have to accept that this means it's shit? I feel very strongly that American filter coffee (pre-Starbucks diner coffee) is uniquely its own thing, not weak or 'watery' or whatever. it's a light coffee which is not an espresso drink nor is it meant to be. It can be consumed in large quantities (thus the bottomless cup) and is delicious when fresh and properly prepared. This is what I think to myself when told that American coffee is shit.

And as far as the anti-processed food police are concerned, physician heal thyself.

Oh and lest we blame everything on #45, around 2009 (just after the death of Natasha Richardson) I was at a farmer's market, I asked a vendor a question, he asked where I was from etc and he launched into an apoplectic diatribe about the death squads of the NHS. I grew up on the east coast with a card-carrying NRA-member father. This unpleasantness has always been here, and 45 is the effect not the cause. The culture is all about winners and losers. Hollywood was built on it.

I'm a Brit who is also American as is Dh and all my children
I tend to stay off and ignore the American bashing threads as much as possible
We've been in Uk for the last five years now and I'm really starting to miss more and more decent customer service politeness and clean toilets in shops and anywhere to actually go pee really. Having to fish out 20p to enter a stinking public loo really sends my BP up
I've had anti American things and sarcastic remarks made to me and Dd before they realised we are actually Americans too. There's ignorance and lack of manners in both countries if you look for it I try to ignore and walk away as much as possible Good natured ribbing I can handle and have a good laugh. Plain nastiest is another thing

I lived in the States for a few years and really enjoyed it, if it's any comfort .I as a Brit, live somewhere where people comment on every negative of the UK you can think of.I thinks it's normal to feel a bit defensive even when I agree with a lot of what is said.Home is home and while you know yourself the negatives it's always more annoying when others bang on about them.

The only thing I dont like about America is the obsession with guns and the hate for anything that looks like gun control. But then, thats not even all of America.

Americans themselves are lovely people. Sure there are arseholes but then what country doesnt?

I've never been to America and don't tend to meet a huge number of Americans, but have met none that I haven't liked. I think that lots of characteristics of the 'stereotypical American' are things which might rub the 'stereotypical Brit' up the wrong way. You'd have to be staggeringly ignorant to really believe that the majority of Americans (or Brits) are really like those stereotypes though. The stereotypes about Americans are probably even more inaccurate than the British ones, given the immense variation there must be across such a huge country with so many people of different origins.

I’m in NYC at the moment and have never met so many rude people. Maybe it’s a New York thing but it’s not particularly nice and it’s really putting me off the place.

No

But I do find in my experience (spend a lot of time over with family loving there) many to be very intense it’s a culture clash and I think maybe an LA thing

But I like the upfrontness at times

I have travelled extensively in the US, my ‘state count’ currently stands at 26 and I have lots of American friends.

The US is a very large and incredibly diverse country. Cosmopolitan, liberal states on the East & West coasts feel very different to the more conservative insular states in the middle of the country. The Rust Belt feels very different to affluent, health-obsessed California. New York City has far more in common with London than it does with the Deep South.

I definitely don’t dislike Americans, but I find I have far more in common with educated Liberals from Boston or San Francisco who think their own country’s gun laws are crazy than I have with gun-toting, bible-bashing, Trump supporting racist rednecks from Alabama.

I only dislike one, she comes over here to visit, she's very tight and behaves appalling and is very entitled, she's coming at Christmas but she's not welcome at my house

Imagine posting "I find the English class-ridden and generally obsessed with getting drunk, though they also have a good sense of humour and can be interesting to chat to

I don't see a problem with that

No, I visit the states a couple of times a year and Americans are generally incredibly friendly and easy to talk to. I’ve come across a fair few whose political or moral beliefs don’t accord with mine, but generally I think they’re easier to talk to than brits.

@Kismett

There's likely to be a lot of chat about America & Things American online because it's the US who're currently holding the cultural imperialism baton AND Trump is apparently bent on offending & appalling literally the entire population of the globe before either he's voted out or finds himself ejected from office.

Then there are sadly always eejits about who'll merrily stereotype away about any & all comers. (Think the Canadians do best out of that game, because everyone says Canada's beautiful & everyone's really polite. Good work Canada's PR Department.) Anyone with two braincells to run together, however, should know that xenophobic stereotyping making sweeping generalisations about entire populations like that is ridiculous.

As a PP has mentioned, Londoners do hear an awful lot about how exceptionally subpar everything in the UK as. Most frequently - unfortunately for their fellow US citizens - from Americans who appear to be making a PSA about how Everything Is Bigger And Better In America for the benefit of everyone in a 5-mile radius. Mind you, it is not uncommon for people to think that you have a desperate yearning to hear them run your home into the ground on a more personal basis either. That doesn't make me dislike all Americans (or people of any other relevant nationalities!) though, just makes me think those particular ones are rather rude.

Unfortunately the brash-overbearing Americans are the ones who - for obvious reasons - get noticed & then recalled most in the collective, as well as personal, memory. And while London has heaps of Quiet Americans (as it were), people mostly won't register them unless they have sustained contact with them. And/or they'll assume they're Canadians. (Canada's PR Team really have done amazing work...).

Am sorry you've been having a rough time lately. I'm guessing if you've just moved here that seeing stuff online that seems anti-American will feel more raw/personal than if you'd read it while you were back in the States. Is there any kind of American ex-pat community where you are now? Just thinking people who know the acclimatising ropes where you physically are might be able to help/reassure you best. Do you belong to any organisation that has a global component to help you with getting settled? I know that's not what you're asking about, sorry, but was just thinking that maybe if you can feel part of your new community it might help squish the feeling that Everyone Hates Americans [And Thus You].

Be gentle with yourself.

I've only been once so not a huge basis for opinion really. We used Uber a lot. I much preferred the American drivers. They were so chatty and friendly. Same with many staff we encountered. I do find them quite a bit louder and more outgoing than British people (as a generalisation) and this can make me feel awkward (my username is a hint as to why ). I also don't like the gun obsession and find the food is definitely the reason as to why there is an obesity problem. But I would never say I dislike Americans. The culture is just very different to what British people are used to.

I like individual Americans. I have American friends. However I cannot stand "America" and it's gun toting, bible bashing culture.

I have noticed a fair bit of anti-Americanism in the UK, especially amongst people who regard themselves as liberals, and would probably not make sweeping negative assessments of other countries. I am not American myself, but I find it crass and irritating.

There is much to enjoy and celebrate about aspects of American culture - think of their hugely rich and diverse musical heritage, literature, art, cinema, tv and so on. It's not all gun-toting and bible bashing, to quote a pp.

And the Americans I have met have pretty much all been friendly, optimistic, and easy to talk to. And my SIL is a lovely American.

No, but then most of the Americans I know are through my church, and they're a lovely bunch of people (even if I do avoid talking politics with them in case I don't like what I hear. Said church is pretty right wing even though I'm not.) There's a US air force base near where I live, which is where they all come from.

NO!
love em

I find this thread bizarre and a bit shocking
Put any other nationality in there and it would be gone

I'm also really sick of the thing about Americans not having passports. I might not renew mine either. Not wanting to do international travel doesn't mean you are a terrible person.

And people who think America has no culture?!

I am a Brit but spent my childhood in the East Coast of a America so learnt American history, spoke with an American accent and was used to American customs.

I have been back here for over 25 years and still think of America fondly and my outdoor sporty childhood tops any experience of my UK peers.

American people in my experience are friendly and welcoming and a lot more cheerful than most in the UK.

However I do find having been on both sides of the Atlantic that those in the US are not as interested in world affairs and quite insular in their views.

However as someone who grew up there whilst I agree that American chocolate is generally not that great , I would like to point out that they did get right when it comes to Reeses peanut butter cups, the food of gods, satisfies both sweet and salty cravings and I was so happy when it came here!!

Just got back from shopping at Whole Paycheck and they’re now doing $3 mimosas every weekend (how is it only Tuesday?). Wouldn’t get that in Waitrose!

I also don’t get the no passport thing, it’s a huge country and you can travel anywhere within it with a driving license. My French family mostly don’t have passports as they use their ID cards to travel within the EU for holidays yet somehow that doesn’t even raise an eyebrow.

There are twats in every country OP, I’m sorry you’ve had such rude comments.

I think part of the issue is that Americans are raised to be massively patriotic, to think thst they are lucky to be American, that everyone else would choose to be American if thry could and to view their way of life as 'right'. Then it comes as a surprise when they go abroad and realise that not everyone else agrees. I think some people find the self belief irritating.
But you are not the only people who get told by strangers everything that they thibk is wrong with your country - I had it in Denmark most boring place on earth about Britain.
My sil is American and my dbro lives there - I liked it when I went, but like all places, it has its pros and cons.
I would never randomly criticise a place to one of its citizens - that's so rude.

As an aside, Sees chocolate is lovely and the food in the USA was great - I don't know why it gets criticised, although I do think that eating organic is more expensive there than here.

We are class ridden and obsessed with getting drunk

Seriously though, Europeans tend to have a negative opinion of America because the news is always full of the worst things - the politics, gun lobby, people dying from lack of healthcare, foreign policy disasters etc. There's almost a glee smugness in pointing out how much worse things are over there (or there was until Trump, now it's genuine fear and worry).

I've never met an American I didn't like. The difference between the people and the way the country is portrayed is massive.

I don't like american politics and think american exceptionalism is problematic. But it would be stupid and plain rude to judge anyone based on generalisations about their country. I mean, the thought of being identified with anything that is going on in British politics at the moment makes me want to vom

Also, if Brits had access to the vast contrasts in scenery and climate Americans do, many of them wouldn't own a passport either

You can have a problem with a country, as in its ethos, politics, tropes, stereotypes, exports and personality, without having any issue with individuals from that country.