Episode 13: Stereotypes about Americans

Rozhovor s Američankou Olivií z Chicaga o amerických stereotypech. Které jsou pravdivé, a které naopak vůbec? Milují všichni Američané fast food? Věší si povinně na domy americké vlajky? Jezdí výhradně v obřích autech? Ví něco i o světě za hranicemi USA? Koukají se pořád na televizi? Jak můžou být pořád tak usměvaví a hovorní? A hlavně - jak to, že mají všichni tak dokonalé zuby?

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:14

day. Thank you.

Speaker 2 0:37

So hi, everybody, and welcome to today's episode. I'm super excited to welcome my guest for today, my amazing friend, olivia Beigun. Hi, hello, olivia.

Speaker 3 0:50

So happy to be here.

Speaker 2 0:52

How are you today?

Speaker 3 0:53

I am doing fantastic.

Speaker 2 0:56

We have to say that you are in LA right now and the weather is nice.

Speaker 3 1:02

The weather is beautiful. I was wearing a t-shirt outside while I was moving chairs into my car.

Speaker 2 1:08

That's pretty crazy, because I'm in Sweden now and it's minus 10. Oh shit, that's awful.

Speaker 3 1:22

I'm not even sure the conversion rate, but I just know that doesn't sound good.

Speaker 2 1:26

No, it sounds horrific. Let me tell you it would be just out of curiosity.

Speaker 3 1:32

14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Speaker 2 1:34

Yeah, 14.

Speaker 3 1:36

That's crazy. Well, you know, I'm from Chicago and I think before I left we had like our. It was like the coldest day of the year in like 100 years or something, and it was like negative. It was negative Fahrenheit, negative 15 degrees it was it was like they were like don't go outside.

Speaker 3 1:55

It was like day after tomorrow, like make sure you have blankets in the car because your engine might not start, and they're like don't be outside longer than five minutes, and I had to like, yeah, so, and I had to like go pick up pizza for people at work. I'm like, oh, so I'm the one that has to venture this like snow apocalypse. Thank you.

Speaker 2 2:16

Oh wow, that's pretty crazy. And now you're in a t-shirt.

Speaker 3 2:19

Yes, yes, now I can see, you know trees and palm trees and sun, really rubbing it in.

Speaker 2 2:25

It's very snowy outside here these days, so a lot different, yes, anyways. So the topic for today is well, I think it's going to be very funny, because it's one of my favorite ones and that's stereotypes about American people.

Speaker 3 2:40

I'm so happy to speak on behalf of all of America. So there are quite a few going around.

Speaker 2 2:48

Are you aware of that? Yes, yes.

Speaker 3 2:51

I yes, and I was thinking about this today because I'm like, how am I going to? Because I think there's always a little bit of a truth, you know, in stereotypes, to an extent, where they originate. But I think and we'll see this in my answers I think there's going to be a very divided perception. I think America's very divided right now, and so I think there's definitely validity in a lot of stereotypes, but I think there's also, you know, a lot of falseness. But I'm, I'm here, I'm stretched down and ready to go.

Speaker 2 3:26

Okay, so let's start. So I'll just go on by one and you tell me what you think of those. Okay, okay, so Americans know everything about their roots.

Speaker 3 3:37

I mean I, I think a lot of Americans think they know everything about their roots. I think they absolutely know shit about their roots. A lot of people, I mean I think we're because we're a melting pot right, we like to hold on to you, know what our cultural roots are, and I think you and I have had a conversation about this, because it's like I come from like an Italian American family, but you know, italian American is very different than, obviously, growing up in different parts of Italy and I, like I don't speak Italian, my mom doesn't speak Italian, like my grandma is Slovenian and she, like she speaks Slovenian. But I mean, like I definitely know very little, like probably accurately, about my culture, but I think people like to say that they do. They're like I'm.

Speaker 3 4:35

Polish, so I'm gonna go eat pierogies and drink a bunch of vodka and celebrate all these things, and in reality it's like they don't know anything about Polish literature or history.

Speaker 2 4:49

Do you remember when we talked about this it was like this one, I think it must have been like a party or like a gathering and there was this guy and he was saying I am half. What did he say? Yeah, he was like I'm half German, half Slovenian, but he was obviously American. And I was like, oh so, like you've been to Germany? And he was like no. And I was like so, do you speak German? And he was like no. And I was like so what's the capital of Germany? And he was like you know what he said? He was like Belgium, that's so bad.

Speaker 3 5:21

I remember the conversation. I don't remember it that vividly.

Speaker 2 5:25

Belgium obviously, and I was like okay.

Speaker 3 5:28

You're like yeah, totally yeah. I would say that that is somewhat true. I would say, if we have a scale of, we're leaning on the scale. I feel like that Americans think that they know more than they do, for sure, about the roots.

Speaker 2 5:44

Okay, so next one. Americans are very patriotic and they hang American flags absolutely everywhere.

Speaker 3 5:54

This one was making me laugh so hard. This is a depends where you are, vibe. I think and again, these are like me, even saying this is a stereotype, right, but I think in more rural areas of America and like in the South, there's a lot more patriotism for our country, a lot of flags and then like older, older generations, like the baby boomers and whatnot but it's funny because I run in a younger- baby boomer, what's that?

Speaker 3 6:29

Oh, it's like the generation of like. So you know, we're millennials, and then there's Gen Z years. Baby boomers were the generation that came after as a like, a result of the war. So, like, there are people who are much, much older than we are and so, therefore, like, they have a different sense of value towards America. Right, because they live in what they view like the golden age and they had the American dream and like all this other stuff, and they had to go through war and the depression and hardship and whatnot.

Speaker 3 7:01

But so it's funny, though, because I actually think a lot of Americans who are my age, our age and younger are very anti-America. Like, it's a very like we yeah, they're like we don't want to be associated with America, I mean, especially like with all the stuff with Trump. But it's a very different narrative where they're like we don't have patriotism, like America sucks, like we want to be more like Europe or like these other places that are doing these progressive things and we're so ashamed of our country, and I think that's something that's like really echoing. And so you have these like very clashing people who you're thinking stereotypically, like are wearing American tuxedos and like with American flags everywhere, and then the people who are like so against it that they feel that showing any type of love for America is representative of you being like a nationalist, you know, and like being bad. So that's what I think is really split, actually.

Speaker 2 8:09

That definitely sounds like it and I mean I guess like well, we don't have to talk politics, but like your election showed pretty well how divided the country is, right at this point.

Speaker 3 8:21

Oh, very, very much so.

Speaker 2 8:23

Yeah, okay. So next one Americans only drive huge cars.

Speaker 3 8:29

Yeah, we're all in hummers and limos. No, I would say no, I have a huge car.

Speaker 3 8:37

I have an Acura RDX, so it's like a SUV. Is that considered a big car? Well, for me, yes, it's not a smart car SUV, it's like a smaller SUV. I see it's funny because then maybe it's like it is everything's bigger. You know, in Texas or whatever, that's like the slogan. Maybe my version of big is like, is like XL, and yours, your version of big is what my normal is, because I was going to say, like only assholes drive big ass, like Hummer cars that are huge. But if you think an SUV is big, then everybody has an SUV.

Speaker 2 9:17

So, yes, I mean here in Sweden, but I mean I guess it's because Volvo they do SUVs, so everybody drives Volvo here, so I'm pretty used to it.

Speaker 3 9:28

Yeah.

Speaker 2 9:29

Seeing it at least.

Speaker 3 9:30

See this, it's like the smart cars to me, like that was that. I would be a little.

Speaker 2 9:35

In the Czech Republic. I think this would be considered a huge car, a big car at least.

Speaker 3 9:39

An SUV, totally, then I guess I drive a big car because I'm an American.

Speaker 2 9:47

And then you also have like huge portions and everything is like bigger.

Speaker 3 9:52

Yeah, I mean I. It's like I'm not upset about that one. I mean like I'm totally fine to supersize a fry and a Diet Coke. My portion control is awful.

Speaker 2 10:07

I have to show to anyone who's listening. I have to show a photo because you are super slim, like I'm sad they don't think that you're like oversized, overweight.

Speaker 3 10:16

Ukraine is taking me out of the apartment I haven't left Exactly.

Speaker 2 10:22

I guess that's another stereotype that Americans are obsessed with fast food and hamburgers.

Speaker 3 10:30

Well, I think with hamburgers we can have, you can have a fancy hamburger.

Speaker 2 10:34

That's true.

Speaker 3 10:35

You know, we have very fancy hamburgers that have brie and jam and candied bacon on top of it, on a egg with a rice bun.

Speaker 3 10:46

I don't know Fast food, that's a hard one, because I would say I think that's more dependent on like what part again, like what part of the US you're in, because I think, for instance, in LA, there's a huge stereotype to eat really well, and to me that's like coming from Chicago where, again, like there's a lot of Italian Americans, so we have like a lot of like Italian delis and like we are known for our hot dogs and Italian beefs and Italian sausage and stuff like that, where I'm like that's good, hearty food.

Speaker 3 11:25

And then I come to LA and everyone's like I would love a kale salad with my a sahi, like one of those, like a sahi bowl, yes, and they're like could I please have the vinaigrette that's been non-pasteurized, like who the like? What the fuck does that even mean, you know? And so I get super annoyed, honestly, I get annoyed with people like that out here which in reality they probably have a much healthier lifestyle than I do. But I'm like you sound like an asshole, you know it. Pretentious, totally. So, to answer your question, I think, I think we probably consume a lot more fast food than you know, other places, european countries, but it's, I think it just depends on the, it depends on the person. It's like an elitist thing, right.

Speaker 3 12:14

Like if you're eating fast food, it's kind of looked down upon, you know.

Speaker 2 12:17

Yeah, I do like to have a burger here and there.

Speaker 3 12:21

Yeah, yeah, because it's like, I guess you know we have our barbecues and stuff, you know, so it'll be like, oh, like 4th of July, we're gonna, you know, have a cookout and put hot dogs and burgers on the grill, like a good burger on the grill when it's like a nice day outside or like a tailgate at a baseball game or something that's. I guess we do eat a lot of that stuff.

American Communication and Stereotypes

Speaker 2 12:44

Okay, next one. Americans are very chatty.

Speaker 3 12:49

I'm very chatty. Again it's. I think that the US is so big, I just feel like it's so dependent on where you're at, because I feel like people in New York are not going to be as chatty because, like they're stereotypically more aggressive so they're like I don't have time for small talk. People in the Midwest are known for being really nice and really down to earth, but kind of just like we're just here, we're just here, we're just nice, and then there's a bunch of stereotypes about the South and then LA, the West is more like we're going to talk slower and I'm going to be really nice, but it might be kind of fake. But I think in general, I guess Americans, I think, are friendly and therefore chatty. I don't know.

Speaker 2 13:45

Yeah, I would agree. Okay, next one Americans don't hold passports as they very rarely travel.

Speaker 3 13:55

No, I mean I have a passport, but it's probably an old ugly picture from when I was like 15.

Speaker 2 14:02

It's not valid though.

Speaker 3 14:03

No, mine is valid because I had to have it. I think I had to have it and it's probably going to expire soon. It's such a bitch process to get it renewed.

Speaker 2 14:10

I think that's true, I read that like. Only I have to find this number again but, maybe only like 30% of Americans actually have their passport issued because, like you like never go outside of America, so you don't really need it.

Speaker 3 14:25

Yeah. So this is what I'll say. Is, I believe, that statistic, because I believe, probably as a nation, right? I think the issue is for us to leave, like for us to go to another state is like for you guys to go to another country, you know, and for us to leave the US, it's just really expensive to go anywhere. So, like the people that I know, all we all have passports and like a lot of people, I think there are a lot of people who do travel, but I also think that, because it's so expensive, a lot of people just can't travel and then like, therefore don't have passports.

Speaker 2 15:04

Yeah, I think this is this. Like you know, it's this stereotypical like Americans don't travel, but your country is so huge and you just told me that you went from Chicago, where your family is, to LA and it took you like three days by car. So for us this would be like, I don't know, in three days you could go like it would take less to go from Sweden to the Czech Republic. That's crazy. Yeah, so. So this is kind of like, I guess, a little bit unfair to thank you.

Speaker 3 15:34

Thank you, I really appreciate that.

Speaker 2 15:38

No, it's true, because it's just like so huge, like the country is so, and they're also like there's so many beautiful places so yeah. Okay, next one American Swaggity TV all the time. Yeah, you do.

Speaker 3 15:53

Yeah, we totally do. I mean I can't say every person, but like I for sure watch way too much. I mean, to be fair, I'm going into the, you know, television and film industry, so it's my work, but we totally do like way more people. I'm surprised when people actually are like oh, I read a book, and I'm like oh, you read a book. What is this Like on a scroll? Yeah we, we watch a lot of TV and a lot of movies too. It's our culture, is very obsessive and binge worthy.

Speaker 2 16:34

But I also think there's a huge difference between watching a good TV and then watch something really trashy, like you know, the Kardashians.

Speaker 3 16:42

Oh, I recently became obsessed with the Kardashians.

Speaker 2 16:45

Oh no, you're the wrong person to talk to you.

Speaker 3 16:49

No, I, I mean, I agree I used to never watch reality TV at all Um, because for that same reason I'm like this is really stupid. And then my roommates I got you do right and my roommates they would do their bachelor. You know, every Monday and they have wine and cheese and meat and I was like I'm feeling very left out. This is a very romantic date night you guys are having. I want to join but I hate the bachelor. And then I started watching it.

Speaker 3 17:24

And you're like okay, Now I'm obsessed and I follow them on Instagram.

Speaker 2 17:30

Yeah, I mean, I do watch a lot of TV as well, and I'm not American.

Speaker 3 17:34

But do you watch trash TV? Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 2 17:37

Sometimes, what?

Speaker 3 17:39

what trash TV do you watch?

Speaker 2 17:41

Like what Netflix? That, like the love, is blind and this kind of oh yeah, I love his line.

Speaker 3 17:48

It was so funny because the girl that everyone hated what was her name? Like Jessica.

Speaker 2 17:51

Jessica.

Speaker 3 17:52

I was going to say Jenna, Jessica, I was so annoyed because she was from Chicago and I was like girl given Chicago bad names, you're so annoying. Like you could tell she was not into him.

Speaker 2 18:03

Yeah, yeah, no, she was terrible.

Speaker 3 18:05

Yeah, that's really funny.

Speaker 2 18:08

Okay, so next one Americans speak their mind on social media.

Speaker 3 18:16

I think, this is actually a really interesting question. I think people we speak our minds, like I said, on social media. Like that sounds like really straightforward, but I think I think we're a little more passive, aggressive in person, like I actually think Americans are more like skirt around an issue than they necessarily like full on blast what they think. But I think the big, huge but is like we're all over Twitter and YouTube and Reddit, like just trolling everyone and saying whatever we want, even like when you don't even think about it, you know, and it's way easier to tweet something than like actually say something.

Speaker 2 19:03

Yeah but, I guess it's like a universal problem, it's not just an American thing.

Speaker 3 19:09

Yeah, no, that's true. Yeah, I mean, I don't know again, it's so hard because I totally see the stereotype, I totally see Americans speaking their mind, but I actually think that we are more passive, aggressive than that. Mm-hmm you know like we're more people pleasing.

American Teeth, Friendliness, and Language Skills

Speaker 2 19:29

Mm-hmm, yeah, okay, next one. This one makes me laugh. Americans have really nice teeth.

Speaker 3 19:38

I don't know, do I have nice teeth? I'm actually.

Speaker 2 19:42

thank you, it's just the front one missing.

Speaker 3 19:44

But all of them. They're fake. I'll just pull them out. They're dentures.

Speaker 2 19:50

That's a lame joke, that's fine.

Speaker 3 19:54

Okay, I think, yes, I would say most Americans have good teeth and that's because, like, I don't know, we're vain the dentist, if you're able to afford it, is like something that is done, you know, in your youth and Everyone dreads it. No one is. I think we're not like born with nice teeth. That's not, you know, one of the things that they gave Americans. But, like I remember, because I got my braces late, I was like a junior in High school, like my last two years of high school, before college, and I was so annoyed because I had him at prom and I was like, oh, this is rough life.

Speaker 3 20:39

And then, because I'm, in, you know, an idiot, I like lost my retainer at some point and so, as I become an adult, my teeth have started to move. So I actually just got one of those, like I think it was even an ad on Instagram, but we have like all these companies that are like in visible line, you know when you can wear them at night and then they'll like re shape your teeth. So I actually started doing that and it's funny because, like my little sister, who's 13, she's like freaking out because she's getting braces and she's like they have to pull one of my teeth and I'm gonna have a giant hole and I'm like Natasha, you are 12, you know 12, 13.

Speaker 3 21:21

I was. I had them when I was like 17, 18, and now I have to have them again.

Speaker 2 21:27

We're almost 30.

Speaker 3 21:29

Yes, exactly, and I'm like, yes, I wear them at night and, yes, they are clear, but that's a bitch you know, that's so funny and I guess this also comes from you.

Speaker 2 21:41

Know we we see all those pictures of Hollywood actors and actresses and Obviously they have nice teeth because, they're paid to have good teeth.

Speaker 3 21:50

Yeah, and if and if they don't, they'll just like Photoshop it, you know, because like that's a huge thing, the face tune.

Speaker 2 21:57

Yeah, okay, the next one. Americans are very excessively maybe, smiley.

Speaker 3 22:06

I'm a very smiley, happy person, so I feel like I'm being personally targeted. Just a giant roast for myself, no, um, I. Don't know about this. I feel like I see a lot of people with what I call resting bitch face. You know. I feel like you have. Little bit when I met you Really. You know cuz it's like. Obviously you're a really fun smiley person, so I were friends.

Speaker 2 22:36

I think when I met you, I was like.

Speaker 3 22:38

This girl does not like.

Speaker 2 22:40

No, I think it's because us I'm this is also like a stereotype Europeans more like reserved, we don't go like full-on when we meet danger, you know we're not fully emotional. And then after we become friends, then obviously like we're super friendly and smiley and everything but and I feel like this is the stereotype about Americans that you're just like you know, saying hi to everyone and yeah, hi five. Yeah, but I know I mean.

Speaker 3 23:08

Probably as probably as a whole. Yeah, maybe we're more friendly than other countries, but again, like it's like if I, you walk down the street in New York, like you're not gonna get greeted in the same way that you would get greeted like in Atlanta, georgia, you know. Or like I think in general, probably in cities, cities, people are not as nice, just because I think that's like that mentality. Right, there's a lot of people, they're everyone's hustling and bustling and but like no one. It's like I think it would be weird like To go on public train, like to go on a train, like people aren't just like talking and saying hello, you know.

Speaker 2 23:51

Okay, so Americans don't know much about a world.

Speaker 3 23:58

Yes, I don't know. Yeah, I mean not to call us all out. I would feel like it's like if I was ranking, you know, countries that knew the most about the world, I would not rate us at the highest. I think there are plenty of people who are very, very, very smart and because of that, like, obviously not every American is very, is ignorant and, you know, unlearned.

Speaker 3 24:25

But I feel like because if we're talking about like the main core of America, right, like the, the, the kind of average level we don't really have to learn about anywhere else in the world, because it's like we're so used to being, like America is in the center of Hollywood, it's in the center of Western culture, it's in the center of pop culture and because that narrative is consistently fed within our own culture, I think people, beyond what they learn in history about the medieval period and the Dark Ages and the Greeks and the Romans and whatnot, they don't necessarily feel a need to know about current culture. And I think it's somewhat unfair, because I'm sure there are so many people who do like strive to travel or strive to learn outside their bubble. But I think because people don't have to learn a second language here in the US, because all of Hollywood is in America. I think we as a culture don't necessarily know as much as we could or we should.

Speaker 2 25:46

Yeah Well, thank you for your I don't know honesty.

Speaker 3 25:51

Yeah, I mean, it's hard. I think this to your point about the patriotism right, I think we do. I think we do do a lot of really good things and we do do a lot of bad things, and I think that's like everywhere, but Well, it's nice that you're very like, also self aware of not only the good things.

Speaker 3 26:13

Yeah, I mean, I think there are people like definitely people like me out there, and so that's why I'm like it's hard to say that we're totally yes and we're totally no, because there are normal people right, sure, but there's also some crazy people, man.

Speaker 3 26:31

Like, have you heard of and I say this as someone who loves Florida, because I love Disney World but have you heard? There's like a thing that is a joke on Google and it would be like you type in Florida man arrested and your birthday, and it's like the joke of like some crazy thing that a Florida man did and like because there's so many crazy Florida men who get arrested, like for every day of the year, they'll be like, oh my God, and then that's what it is.

Speaker 2 27:00

You have to do it? Oh, absolutely Well, and actually you just mentioned another one, that's that Americans only speak English. Is that so?

Speaker 3 27:11

predominantly. I mean I do think there is a decent amount. I mean I think the next most spoken language, right, would be Spanish, just because we have a lot of Mexican immigrants and like second generation Mexican Americans, you know. So I think there are some like I think English and Spanish are the most spoken here, but like mainstream white society is is, yeah, is is just English.

Speaker 2 27:47

So you said that you don't have to learn them.

Speaker 3 27:49

So we, so we have to know, we have to study, study, those, we do so we like in high school. I took three years of French and then most colleges have a foreign language requirement. But if you do X amount of years in high school then, depending on your college, you don't have to take more college. So, like I took, I got to like French for or whatever, and so my college was like oh, she made it to French for it satisfied the requirements, so she doesn't have to take it more in college.

Speaker 2 28:27

I see.

Speaker 3 28:28

But and I think to be fair though, I think, yes, it's not stressed in our culture to speak another language, but I think the other hard thing is like there's nowhere to really go to practice Like unless unless you're learning Spanish, which, like a lot of, like most places, even when you're younger, will have Spanish like foreign language classes, but it's not in the same way as, like I think, you guys have like English classes and where you're like actually learn that and it follows you.

Speaker 2 28:59

Ours is more like an extra, like foreign language, and it's like there's no one to practice French with, you know of course, and I mean, for I said this, like previously but you know, for us, for example, for me, it's just a necessity really, if I want to travel, if I want to go abroad. I think my check wouldn't be very useful, so so it's just what it is. So I do understand that if you speak the language that we just all study at school, like you might not feel need to to learn a second one or a third.

Speaker 3 29:35

Yeah, I wish I knew it better. I was also just so bad at it. I would say that one is pretty true though.

Speaker 2 29:42

Okay, so next one Americans are obsessed with work.

Speaker 3 29:47

Yeah, I think. Well, I mean there's a subset of lazy people everywhere. I think as a culture, yeah, we have like a very bad what do they call it work life balance. You know, like everyone is very career driven, very motivated, like your work harder, not, you know, smarter sometimes. I think it's been something that's really been visible during the pandemic, because I think there's been a narrative for a lot of people of like, oh, I'm working remotely at home, so I should work harder, because, you know, I want to make sure that it comes off that I'm working just as hard as if I was in the office or I'm in a pandemic.

Speaker 3 30:34

I have all this free time. Now. I should be learning an instrument, I should be reading more books, I should be more proactive, and I think we like forget that there are a lot of other important things, yeah.

Speaker 2 30:49

Yeah, well, that's all I have. Thank you so much for being my guest, of course, being our tour guide around the United States of America.

Speaker 3 31:03

I mean, you know me here in my American flag robe. I wish you had it. I know me too.

Speaker 2 31:14

And thank you to everyone who's listened to this episode as well, and I hope to see you next week. Bye.