Stereotypes are as dumb as the people who believe them. It really bugs me when people base assumptions on the limited exposure they have. Not all Americans are the redneck-type nationalists whom other countries think we are. There are many people, like myself, who are actually intelligent and wish to learn more about foreign countries and their cultures. I don't stereotype other countries, and all Americans shouldn't be grouped together with the obnoxious loudmouths that even WE hate (we as in, most Americans like me).

It's the same with Americans as well, who stereotype foreign countries and people based on movies or TV shows or whatever. I can't stand people like that, and just wanna bash my head into the ground when I hear someone slander another culture based on assumptions and stereotypes...absolutely ridiculous. I'm happy I was born into this country. Are there better countries to have been born in? Yes, of course there are, but I'd much rather be born in America than somewhere in Africa (no offense). Some people just don't realize how good they've got it, and start spouting off cocky and meaningless statements.

So yeah, I don't fit any of those American stereotypes.

Given that I can't speak for anyone else, I can say that I stereotype Americans when it's convenient.
Case in point it's easy to say "stupid American" when you see stuff like a misuse of there/their/they're or countrie rather than country and so forth. Is it an appropriate stereotype? Not by any stretch of the imagination but that's the nature of negative stereotypes in society.

However the feeling I get from people and media outside of America is that the people in America are (generally); capitalist extreme right-wing southern rednecks without a clue as to what is going on in the rest of the world... in reality that only applies to a small (but highly vocal) portion of the population.

fat girls.

If Pax Americana had never been achieved, there would likely be very little Japanese anime in the world today.

Sorry on the behalf of americans who over look the importance of canada and poland, Hope you can educate us on my forum about canadians and how there viewed. We do like history but lack some history that is important that di not fit in the headlines of major media outlets. We have fat people here as every were dos and allot of fast food thats cheep. we don't always call specialist for they cost big bucks that most americans dont have so we ghetto rig things. some do think were the center just because we live here but if born in africa or chinawe would think we were the center its the matter where your born.

Like all generalizations there's some truth and some falseness to some of the things that have been said on this forum.

I'm going to give an example. My current hometown (I wasn't raised there) is Toronto. It is Canada's largest city. The actual City itself is home to about a tenth of our country's entire population. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) combined with Toronto is probably more than a fifth but less than a quarter. It's the center for at least a quarter of our economic activity if not more.

The Rest of Canada thinks that Toronto believes it's the center of the universe and get's sick of always hearing about Toronto In the news. Some Torontonians reacting to the reaction of the Rest of Canada bluster back with belligerence and adopted arrogance because humans love to escalate as much as they like to compromise.

The United States still is, (barely) The Empire of the Day and pretty much has been since the second World War. (Especially in the West) Between the Pax Britannica and the American supremacy we've had an unprecedented period of time in which the english language was THE language to learn (Long ago it was Latin, then Spanish, then French) It WAS the economic and innovative work horse of the modern world for a long time. Even with all the fading and weakening it's experienced since the 1970's things that happen in the US MATTER to the rest of us. We Cannot Ignore them. If frustration with that state of affairs is expressed poorly I'm sure it gets the hackles up of some Americans and they escalate and make it worse. (Forums are especially bad for this sort of verbal fireworks.)

Removing that fact I'm not sure that Americans are THAT much more arrogantly patriotic than any other nation's citizens. I've heard someone describe their country (Germany) as the place were 'God kissed the Earth'. As Canadian of english descent I'm as steeped in British patriotic faldoral as I am in that of my own country.

Still when CNN goes on a rant about 'who cares what other countries think' because not everyone is jumping on the 'Attack Iraq' band wagon back before the second Gulf War. It's not pretty and doesn't reflect well on Americans.

As a country or a People, (as opposed to individuals) and in reference to the US. I'd have to say yes. It appears from our perspective that the united states takes us for granted and is woefully ignorant of us.

Case in point:http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-785979/what-do-other-countries-think-about-americans-in-general?pg=2#41928619

Regarding 9/11 Our entire country dropped what it was doing put aside our petty grievances over trade deals and american high handedness. shut down our airways. billeted your stranded citizens. members from our EMS services volunteered from all over the country to help you out. Thanks to our proximity our volunteers also had the first boots on the ground. There was an outpouring of goodwill from our country to yours. When you went into Afghanistan later on we were right beside you. (Iraq was another matter but that's even later)

When Your president publicly thanked every country that sent so much as a condolence card (even thanked North Korea!) he forgot one country...

Guess which one.

I for one don't have a lot of patience for Americans complaining about the rest of the world's "Ingratitude"

All countries use the media to brainwash their citizens, its not just America. The average opinion of other countries are a result of how your culture views them, which at the end of the day, is more or less how the media portrays, and has portrayed them. The head of a country runs his nation like a CEO runs a fortune 500 company, and if you know how they are run nowadays, you will know what I mean. Most of the time when people debate this issue its just the blind leading the blind. Your country needs you to think negatively about other countries so it looks better in the process and can take aggressive action when deemed necessary. Other than your own country, is there a country that is stereotyped in a positive light?

~ o,..,o ~ So far from what i have heard they think americans are morons and are very critical of everything we do or don't do.

I think the american government as opposed to all the standard civilians failed to allow what canadians helped us on to be common public knowledge and property thank canada for its help. Am not sure why countries over look the importance of canada in the world as a whole opposed to individual actions. am just one non important american but I thank canada for its help in our times of need for being true allies but one little american cant make up for the in justice of forgetting canada's grate worth. I am not sure why many americans don't feel as I do. I think canada should be better thanked than it is. In america we here about far off countries but not our bordering canada witch is sad if you think of it. are canadians resentful of americas forgetfulness of canadians and all the aid they rendered. How could americans better our relationship with canada?

Verry well said.

I would like to thank you for your insightful well thought out opinions and answers, you are a good example of why the forums are worth reading i value your input.

Yes and No.

My opinion might not reflect that of all Canadians. We are, Like the United States, a nation of immigrants. Even my Native Canadian Ancestors come from tribes that moved north after 1785. and my 'european' ancestors were what you americans called 'Tories' then.

That makes me very deeply rooted as Canadians go.

We are, like the United States, a nation which prides itself on a CIVIC rather than ETHNIC nationality. If you have your passport you're a Canadian. You have the Melting Pot, We have the 'Cultural Mozaic'. You even fought a Civil war with a Civic Vs. Ethnic Nationalism as competing ideals.

We are geographic smeared thin with a tenth of your population scattered about a nation that's second only to russia in area.

we have MANY disparate voices.

so... this is my opinion.

It'd be nice to meet more americans who know as much about my country as I think I know about theirs.
It's be nice for Americans to realize they DIDN'T win all wars or invent all things. You can still love your country but have a bit of humility. Trust me. one can do it.

One of our greatest prime ministers was a drunkard. The guy who led us through World War Two was a crystal ball gazer who claimed to take advice from his pet terrier. We put a Failed Rebel against the British Crown in the prime minister's seat decades after his revolt. and another rebel (author of the closest thing we had to your civil war) into a seat at parliament between his two rebellions. (though we did hang him the second time... and boy did that open a can of worms.)

You don't have to mythologize your heroes to keep the heroic. it's not a failure of patriotism to admit to a mistake.

Thank you for mentioning the butchering of the English language. Hard to believe that the world's aristocracy, yes even the Brits used to send their progeny to the U.S., so that they would learn to speak English properly.