Americans are known for being all about the red, white, and blue. But there are also things we aren’t a big fan of. One person asked Americans in an online forum to share what they dislike the most about their country’s culture, and they didn’t disappoint.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: Famous Flops
A frustrated American has had it with their peers worshiping celebrities. Many commenters agreed, and one said a big part concerns how our media is structured. “It’s been a lot easier for me to hear about Kanye West getting divorced than it is for me to know who is running for school board or what construction they’re doing on a highway,” they said.
2: Blocked Out
When it comes to censorship on television, America can hold some double standards. “We don’t mind having someone get hurt or maimed on a TV show, but heaven forbid we see a naked body in a non-sexual way.”
3: Forced to Work
Americans work themselves like horses, and one resident is tired of it. They hate “the fetishization of backbreaking work, being stressed, and sleep deprived.” From an outside perspective, someone sees it in a different light. “They say Americans have a great work ethic. I say they have no choice.”
4: Dare To Be Different
An American who’s traveled extensively loves their country despite its flaws, but they said pro-Americans can get frustrating. Having the perspective of traveling to many other countries, they comment, “I certainly recognize they [other countries] can be superior to my own country in many ways. I love learning from other cultures and people and greatly respect and admire their approaches and achievements.”
5: Rock On
Another American said they hate the commodification of life in the US. “Every hobby has to be a ‘side hustle.'” Someone else agreed. “I just want to play guitar. Why is there pressure to be a famous rock star?”
6: Temporary Fix
Like Taylor Swift said, Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes. An American hates that in the States, “People (mainly the government) want to put a Band-Aid on a symptom rather than actually fixing the core problem.”
7: A Country Divided
It’s no secret that American politics are incredibly polarizing, and that frustrates many residents. “We can’t even have a civil political conversation anymore. They all turn to fights,” one person said. “I’m not directing this to one side of the political spectrum, as I have seen both sides act like this. Our political system sucks.”
8: Praying to Politics
On that note, another older American says people are starting to treat politics like religion, and it’s scary. “Everyone is politicizing stuff that was never political. When I was a kid, my ultra-conservative grandfather would have almost certainly had a stance against police violence and police brutality. If he were alive today? Hard to say.”
9: Flashy Figures
Simply put, the thing one American hates about their country’s culture is social media influencers. A non-American responds, “Unfortunately, they aren’t only in the US, and they are so annoying.”
10: Outlandish Americans
“The general feeling of entitlement people seem to have here like they’re more important than everyone else,” one American said about the thing they dislike the most about the US. Another wholeheartedly agrees. “I’m sure people are rude in other parts of the world, too, but we’ve got people calling the police because they’re being told they have to wear a mask to walk into a store or throwing a fit because they had to wait in line.”
11: Cheap Talk
“Hero” worship from the government in America doesn’t impress one first responder. “All grand gestures, maybe a small discount here and there, but nothing to improve anyone’s situation through legislation.”
12: Selfish Neighbors
While an American says they love their country’s drive for individualism, they think it’s gone too far and has extended into selfishness. They pointed to the pandemic as an example. “I don’t want a government strong enough to force everyone to wear masks, but I don’t want to live with people so selfish that they refuse to wear masks even though it will benefit society as a whole.”
13: Side Hustle
Healthcare in America causes financial stress on many citizens, and one commenter thinks we’ve been brainwashed to believe it’s the right way to do things. They said, “Breaking Bad is a TV show that literally could not happen in most developed nations because no one would need to ‘hustle’ to pay for medical care.”
14: Ruff Life
If you’re poor in America, good luck, one resident says. The lack of government assistance is striking. “If you’re poor, you can basically go screw yourself here, and no one cares. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
15: We the People
Many Americans consider the Constitution a blueprint, but one citizen thinks we take it too seriously. “They are called amendments for a reason. The Constitution was meant to be changed, amended, over time and not kept as a static and immovable set of statutes.”
Source: Reddit.
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