Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DorkothyParker]

This is a thread for those who want to have an open discussion regarding American culture.

IMO, there is stuff that sucks, stuff that kick's A, and stuff that is fairly so-so.

If you have an opinion regarding American culture which fits no preexisting threads and which you feel doesn't warrant a thread all its own, I suppose this is the place to put it.

Good luck and have fun.

[VanIslander]

like any other place

[the ireland]

^^^^ what he said


/end thread

[.38 Special]

I'll go ahead and say that American culture is quite unique. But there are some Caveats:

1. The United States is nearly as large as the European Union. Therefore comparing American culture en total is similar to comparing European culture. Not impossible, but there are bound to be many, many misleading generalizations.

2. No two parts of the United States are the same. The cultural variation is intense, even on very small scales. It takes a very sensitive ear to pick some of it up, but it is definitely there and a little time and patience will uncover it. This is a vestigue of long periods of time with little transportation and will likely carry on for many years, despite television, internet, and easy access to automobiles. This is no different than any other place.

3. What makes American culture special in the world is that it is not necessarily imbued with nearly every other culture in the world, but that it has been so for decades (for some cultures, especially European, centuries), and so intense cultural hybrids exist. Texicans are an example of this.

Talking about American culture as a whole, then, is quite the can of worms.

- Firearms. America is a gun culture. You will find guns everywhere. You will find that even people who arbitrarily despise firearms (hoplophobes) are fascinated with firearms. That's because it is tied very closely to the concepts of good and evil, heroes versus villains, with great wars that consumed a majority's ancestors (some of whom are still alive). In American lore, a man either lives or dies by the gun. Also in American lore, the good guy with the gun wins. Both of which are patently false, of course, but that's lore for you. No matter how much we wish the latter to be true, the former frequently does happen. But most Americans will know this: A gun can protect you, it can feed you, and it can kill you. This is no simple binary, and only those who are fanatically and irrationally against the existence of arms are foolish enough to believe otherwise.

- Automobiles. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, four-wheelers, airplanes, tanks... the list goes on. Americans love machines. The Japanese may love electronics, but Americans seem to prefer machines that grunt, growl, and lay down the law, whether it be in a quarry, on the street, or on the battlefield. The media calls it "America's love affair with the car." These are the words they use to demonize those awful fossil fuel burning vehicles. But it is the truth. Americans love cars. This begets some of the coolest customization that you will ever find. There really is a car for everyone out there -- and, if you can't find it, you can make it! It almost strikes an emotional chord with some people. The grumble of the Harley-Davidson, for example, is visceral, instantly recognizable, and in many men (and some women!) it automatically inspires sensations of rebellion, liberty, and tearing oneself free from the drag and drool of banal life. The machine can be a physical and spiritual form of escapism untouchable by any other medium and it fits inside of your garage.

- Independence. This isn't just about teaming up with the French to beat back the British. As much as that is a part of the lore (and I use the term lore specifically), it is much more than that. Americans are do-it-yourselfers. They aren't always good at it, but they enjoy the sense of control that it gives them. No, Maytag, the coincidental state of your quality control department at the time my washing machine was manufactured will not dictate how clean my laundry will be! Most American men will have tools. Many will have a *lot* of tools. And they will know how to use them for the many tasks they are intended. This is a shrinking part of the culture, to be sure, but it certainly is there. Back in the good ole days, plumbers, carpenters, stone layers, electricians, television repairmen, etc. etc., were quite common. There were no factory warranties and repair centers then. You could not return your airconditioner to Sears for a replacement. And this wasn't so bad. Back then people had the time on their hands to pool together a few tools and open that badboy up and see how it ticked! But with 30 years of stagnant working class wages, double-income families, sometimes with 3 or four jobs between them, and all of the overtime they can beg for, times are changing. But it is still not impossible today to find that most men can change their tires, oil, airfilter, battery, swap all of the relevant fluids, and even basic circuits in their cars. Many women, too, can go under the hood with aplumb (which, for Americans, is mucho sexy ). Americans are tinkerers. We invent a lot of things, we fix what we can (when we can), and have a long, proud history of being some of the most mechanically inclined people of the 18th through the late 20th centuries.

Those are the largest, most distinctly American cultural touchstones that I am willing to hammer out right now. There are many others, I'm sure. And certainly the things in of themselves are not uniquely American, but the history, the emotional attachment, and the lore that are attached to these things certainly are.

[djsmnc]

America is the predecessor to the fertile ground of the antichrist. We all know that he will come out of a united Europe, so the non-religious illuminati founding fathers were just setting the stage. Ironically, America has turned out to be the Christian nation that will battle all the evil in the end.

God bless America! Like, literally!

[Steelrails]

[NCdan]

Like:

1. punk rock

2. In-N-Out

3. cheap electronics

4. diversity of races

5. Carvin

Actually, I think I just like Socal... The rest of the US can become part of the European Union for all I care.

Don't like:

1. rednecks

2. hippies (aka Oregon)

3. fat chicks

4. rap music (or whatever they call it these days)

[jmuns]

[Fox]

[D.D.]

Op do you sit in a pub and say to the table " ok people what is our topic for conversation for tonight" or use other nerdy sayings like ok let's change the subject. Your tiltle for a thread just made be picture the biggest geek ever sitting writing on Daves.

[PRagic]

This was an interesting read:

Cawelti, J.G. 2002. Reregionalizing America: A New View of American Culture after World War II. Journal of Popular Culture 35(4): 127-144.

[DorkothyParker]

DD
*gush* Thank you!
My super nerdy pub conversations begin with a formal vote (requiring 2/3 majority) on what pitcher to have followed by a recitation of our group's bylaws. Makes sense, if you think about it. We certainly can't recite all 10 amendments AFTER we've been drinking.

[soakitincider]

The "melting pot" has become a backed up sewer. R.I.P killed by P.C.

[greasypeanut]

[.38 Special]