Everything2
Near Matches
Ignore Exact
Full Text
Everything2

Ugly Americans

created by Offline

(idea) by Offline (8.1 y) (print)   ?   1 C! I like it! Sat Nov 13 1999 at 9:03:58

Ugly Americans are those American tourists who expect the locals to behave like themselves. these tourists do not know to modify their behavior when they visit a different culture. not only Americans can be "ugly" but they have the worst reputation. see also ethnocentric

(person) by plonk plonk (5.8 y) (print)   ?   1 C! I like it! Wed May 31 2000 at 19:55:14

The origin of this term is somwhat ironic. It comes from Eugene Burdick and William J. Lederer Vietnam-era novel, a critique of American policy in Asia. The title character of the novel is not the stereotypical insensitive American clod; in fact he is the one who understands the culture of Asia accurately. He is called the Ugly American due to his unlovely appearance.

(thing) by Hermetic (6.7 y) (print)   ?   I like it! Fri Jul 07 2000 at 12:33:23

Often known as "goddamn gaijin" (goddamn foreigner) in Japan.
In Asia they can be spotted violating dozens of social customs at any given time, laughing at the locals because they are different, and complaining about whatever pops into their ugly little heads.

Living in a foriegn country is usually a good way to correct the habits of ugly americanisms, but only if you are willing to learn something.


printable version
chaos

Aspects of American society that may be new to you ethnocentric Eurotrash Your website makes me want to remove my brain with a rusty spoon
Anti-American sentiment Americans The USA reserves the right to go to war with the United Nations crack whore
It's my right as an American Ahh, to be young and in the Middle East in the summer! Sir, you are drunk! Americans' inability to distinguish between England and Britain
American Culture Aspects of pagan mystery religions in American rave culture American Utah
If the IRA are "terrorists," so were the French Resistance against the Nazis the Common Sense Grocery Store Pledge America: The Good Neighbor The Americans
If only the spaghetti westerns were half as good as their titles Americentric Eclaircissement David Bowie
Y'know, if you log in, you can write something here, or contact authors directly on the site. Create a New User if you don't already have an account.
  Epicenter
Login
Password

password reminder
register

Everything2 Help

Cool Staff Picks
The best nodes of all time:
New York subway
Rosalind Franklin
Turnings in American history
Ottoman Empire
Some thoughts on weaving, and the future
The Poet
the pronoun game
April Trolls Day
Cassette Culture
Lines in the mind
In Defense and Exhortation of E2 Fiction
Watching the stars go out
St Paul's Cathedral
New Writeups
Ouzo
Goodwill Hunting, Thrift Store(ies)(log)
Pandeism Fish
How conatus compels divine ketosis through a radical kenosis(essay)
cryforhelp
Major dictionaries of the world(review)
Glowing Fish
The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans(thing)
WolfKeeper
Launch loop(idea)
TendoKing
Katana(person)
Wuukiee
Highly ornamental cultivars of brambles still have as many thorns as their wild counterparts(idea)
TheDeadGuy
Editor Log: May 2008(log)
everyday j.Lo
pray do not molest them(thing)
ammie
Bands Who Take Their Names from Eighteenth-century English Poetry and Prose(idea)
shaogo
Under My Thumb(review)
ammie
Rock On(person)
The Custodian
The Dresden Files(thing)
Ouzo
PETA becomes you, a proposed future(fiction)
Ereneta
Stone Soup, Part Two(fiction)
E2 is a by-product of the existence of The Everything Development Company