American culture - clear some things up for me.

[The Curmudgeon]

OK, so after years and years of gorging myself on American culture; movies, games, TV shows - I've come away with a good idea of American life, values and beliefs.

For one - 99% of you are way, WAY more patriotic than the Brits. Maybe its just in typical low-brow affairs like WWE, but the amount of flag waving, hand on heart for the anthem stuff I've seen is mind-boggling. Trust me - you would NOT get that over here.

But there's still some things I'm not too sure about, and so I thought the best thing would be to ask about some actual American's about some aspects of US life.

1. Olly Olly Oxen Free. I don't even know if that's how you spell it - but I've heard it on a few movies and whatnot so, seriously - what the FUCK does that mean?

2. Marco (Polo). I think I saw this on an old Simpson's episode once. Where did this come from, and what does it mean?

3. Kids going nuts in a cinema; Well, here's a perfect example of what I mean..



and there are loads of takes on this, from Mariah Carey videos to Ed Wood. Basically, is it acceptable to talk and scream and run around in American cinemas? I think I actually WOULD murder someone if that were the case. In the UK we get reminders before the film not to talk, to switch your mobile off etc - is it really like Scream 2 in America? (The first three minutes of that clip reminded me why I hated the Scream sequels, by the way.. gotta love that casual, acceptable racism, huh?)

4. Do all American kids have their own cars?

5. Jocks, nerds, cheerleaders - the whole class war system seen in pretty much every American movie. Is it really like that?


I'm sure I have more questions, but I'll let these get answered first. Feel free to flip the questions over if there's anything about British culture you'd like cleared up. For starters - we don't all wear bowler hats or kilts.

[trashcanman]

Modern patriotism is mindless brainwashing and one step short of ignorant bigotry. As children we are forced to recite The Pledge of Allegiance EVERY DAY and see the flag in every room and on every car and on every politician's lapel (except Obama's, God bless him) and in front of every building. This is the typical manner of American thought: "I live in America, therefore it is the greatest. I live in [insert home state here], therefore it is the greatest. I live in [insert hometown here], therefore it is also the greatest. I went to [insert school here], therefore that is the greatest as well. I went to the greatest school, live in the greatest town in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world, therefore I am the greatest. Yay me!!!!! You suck!"

As Deadpool would say if he were here: "ooh, numbered questions!"

1. A children's game of hide and seek. It's basically like saying "ready or not, here I come".

2. It's a game played in swimming pools where one person has to shut their eyes and attempt to tag the other players. When the blind one shouts "marco", all of the other players have to shout "polo". This makes up for the disadvantage of sightlessness.

3. Only in theaters in black neighborhoods is that behavior acceptable. Some people don't want to see a movie any other way; it's like a ghetto MST3K crew of dozens. Where I come from we don't really have a "hood" where black folk are concentrated so I have yet to experience that in real life.

4. A ridiculous number of American kids have their own cars, but not all. Americans have made a nasty habit of a)living beyond their means by borrowing and b) spoiling their children rotten at the expense of future self-reliance skills. The result: a generation of mama's boys and daddy's girls who have never had to walk further than the length of the mall.

5. Yes.

Keep 'em coming.

[The Curmudgeon]

See, I actually shyed away from the "black people in the cinema" line so I opted for the more PC term of "American audiences in the cinema". See, I didn't want to sound like




So that stereotype is true, then?

[trashcanman]

Not for all black people, of course, but the culture as a whole is a very exuberant one. Makes uptight white people uncomfortable as hell. That's why I love it. Being loud and proud is just how you say "I'm me, DEAL WITH IT!" in ebonics.

[Ben]

Trashcanman took care of it pretty well. I'll just add a bit.

4. Just about all American kids have their own cars (I'm not one of them), but many still get old rusted out piles. AKA the 1000 dollar wonder.

5. In short, yes, but not in (quite) such dramatic fashion as it may seem in movies and on television.