Movies and television shows do not reflect reality. They might be based on true stories at times or aim to be as realistic as possible, but let’s be honest, they’re not documentaries. So it’s difficult to get a sense of what a culture is truly like if you’ve only been exposed to it through the media. The best way to understand a place is to go and experience it yourself!
That’s certainly the case with the United States. There are plenty of stereotypes and assumptions that people make about the nation after seeing Hollywood films. Do people really wear their shoes while laying on their beds? And is it common for neighbors to just barge into one another’s homes? Well, people from around the world who have visited the U.S. have been discussing their experiences on Reddit, and it turns out, some things they’ve seen on screens actually do exist in real life. Enjoy reading through these replies that’ll give you some insight into what the Land of the Free is really like, and be sure to upvote the ones that you can’t believe are true!
#1
Pledging allegiance to the flag. What the hell.
Also HOAs. What the hell.
Image source: msstark
#2
Not turning off the lights anywhere in your house at night.
I saw once a movie or a show where the dad was presented as strict for constantly telling the kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room.
Well, I’ve recently been on a vacation with 2 couple (all of them Americans) and *the lights were never turned off anywhere.
I was literally the only one who turned them off in the hallway when we were all in the living room, or turning them off after finishing in the bathroom.
It drove me nuts.
Image source: strange_socks_, Elric Pxl
#3
Your boss being able to fire you for any reason with no recourse on your part.
Image source: Eagle-In-Your-Mind, Karolina Grabowska
#4
The sink blender thing. Thought it was made up for horror movies when I was a kid, turns out, they do exist.
#5
Going into massive debt just because you’re sick.
Image source: ZebLeopard, Getty Images
#6
Shoes in the house.
Image source: trUth_b0mbs, reddit
#7
One of my favourite shows as a teenager was Friday Night Lights. I always thought all the pep rallies, the cheerleaders in uniform and the huge football stadiums were all exaggerated for the sake of the story.
Image source: maybe-me
#8
Pledging allegiance to a flag, Christianity being relevant, no public Healthcare, horrible maternal care, having to pay to see a physician, medical debt, wearing your god darn shoes in the house.
Image source: GamingCatLady, Juliia Abramova
#9
Went to Sea World (I know, I know) in 2011, we thought they were joking when they asked all members of the Military to stand up so they could be clapped at.
It was the strangest, oddest, cultiest thing I’d ever seen considering we know how predatory their recruitment drives are (ya want an education but you’re poor? If ya survive a tour of Afghanistan we might just send you to Community College! ) and how veterans are treated after they leave in general. Real life hunger games!.
Also, kids chewing on turkey legs bigger than their own legs (also in Sea World).
Image source: cen_fath, Eric Stoynov
#10
I had to ask my American gf this – You ppl really just hand over your credit card in restaurants??? Like the waiter leaves with it???
I would NEVER do that. if you cant bring the terminal to me then im coming to the terminal, you’re NOT touching my card! I would get fired and most likely sued if I did this where I work!
Image source: DickIn_a_Toaster, Getty Images
#11
Yellow school busses.
Image source: inbetween-genders, Getty Images
#12
Steam coming from subway grates. I assumed it was just added to make New York (and Gotham) look more spooky or grimy etc. Turns out it’s real when I visited NYC!
We have subways too but none of them vent steam just onto the streets.
Image source: TopFloorApartment, bethanyellis28
#13
No legal requirements for annual leave (PTO).
Image source: Haytham_Ken, Jordan González
#14
Doughnut eating cops.
Image source: OneKartoffel, coronadopolicedept
#15
For a long time I only ever heard New York accents in movies, so I was surprised the first time I heard one in real life.
Image source: celestialism
#16
The horizontal size of the people. I watched super size me and legit thought the guy had sought out XXL people for the show, until I went to miami and saw them in real life.
Image source: blah_bitty_blah
#17
Yellow school buses, paper grocery bags, large size products like gallons of milk.
Image source: sv21js
#18
That adults regularly move out at 18 and live completely independently even if they struggle. I assumed it was a movie trope, but it’s genuinely expected in many places.
Image source: CaratChronicles, Meg Aghamyan
#19
Promise rings and the obsession with especially a woman’s virginity creep me the hell out.
What also blows my mind is the way that faith, god and Christianity as a whole seems to bee rooted in your way of life. Apparently there are people who believe that Jesus was American?
IMO communism isn’t the way to go, but the USA is a perfect example that extreme capitalism is also a great danger to health, wealth and happiness.
Image source: emfromnl
#20
Planting a placard in your front garden advertising your political preference.
Image source: Wkd_stepmother
#21
The religion is wacky over there. How yall gonna tell me the whole town is crazy religious and WILL harass you over not being religious? We have religious nuts here, but nothing near the scale of what America has. Some of our churches can be corrupt too, but how yall churches running more like cults?????
Image source: ElementEmerald
#22
Being forced to go back to work, a couple of weeks after giving birth. What the actual F. It’s traumatising to be ripped away from a child that young. Most country have months if not nearly 2 years of maternity.
Image source: ChallengeHoudini
#23
Dating around with multiple people and not seeing each other as girlfriend/boyfriend until you’ve had an exclusive talk. It’s weird to be kissing with someone for months and then go out with others because you’re not officially dating. And that’s coming from me who’s from Denmark where it’s normal for people to hook up left and right at parties but we don’t go hooking around with others once we decide to see someone again after the first hookup.
Image source: WrestlingWoman
#24
I’m still not sure how real the highschool stereotype groups are, like jocks and stuff. We have cliques, but they were more like just friend groups than seen on TV. There wasn’t a ‘popular group’ or anything, just different people who liked or didn’t like each other.
Image source: The_Blip
#25
Sorority and frat houses. I thought it was just a law & order thing but no they’re actually real. My boyfriend who is American – his sister was in a Sorority club when she was in college but it was so toxic she ended up leaving.
Souns like a nightmare to deal with. Also looks really fake? Like, when I googled it, it looked like living in a perpetual advertisement. Eek.
Image source: SolitaryCaw
#26
The health care system as a whole. Not being able to pay for basic life saving medication and treatments, medical sales reps, the extreme costs of medical care and the most baffling: that there actually are people (outside of the ones that profit from it) AGAINST health care?
Add in your gun laws it really seems like the US government hates Americans and want them all to die, and it’s not just this administration.
Image source: emfromnl
#27
Marshmallows in sweet potato with a roast dinner??
Image source: crooked_magpie
#28
Seeing that the interrior of sims (walls, doors, etc) is from real american houses and not just some made up stuff.
Image source: uasdfnjd
#29
Having your ID checked when you want to order a drink. It’s real!!
Image source: YeaItsMeWhatsUp
#30
Solo cups.
I genuinely thought they were a screen trope to make continuity easier.
Image source: Loose_Acanthaceae201
#31
Prom parties in high schools.
Image source: AntiqueObligation688
#32
The homeless.
Image source: inphaser
#33
I grew up playing all the GTA games. Did a two week road trip from NYC to Nashville in September. I was surprised that in the big cities that I went to, the NPCs that GTA parody, the people that just randomly say odd stuff out loud to nobody in the street, it’s not a parody and there’s actually people like that everywhere.
Image source: mermaidqueen
#34
Flags everywhere.
Ads for attorneys on the highway…
Image source: One_Word_Dude
#35
Advertisements for prescription medication on the TV.
Not sure if it’s still the same as a decade ago, but breastfeeding was not protected in all states – ie. it needed to be done in private and not in a public area.
Image source: blind-bambi
#36
That bartenders typically don’t get paid (or paid well) which in turn makes tipping compulsory and against your will.
Image source: playful_trits
#37
Student debt. I did not know that there are countries where school is not free.
Image source: AcademicSecond1439
#38
The concept of American patriotism is very creepy and cultish. People have been brought up to think that The States is the best country on earth when they treat the average citizen horribly is crazy to me.
Image source: WalkingWithStrangers
#39
Mean and popular girls. The way it’s shown on American media I always believed it’s over the top and can’t be real. But it is.
Image source: nocturnalands
#40
Obese people everywhere.
Yes, you get the occasional person with a weight problem in any country, but USA leads the world.
And it is regarded as a normal weight! I thought it was put in films for comic effect.
Image source: g_r_th
#41
I kind of thought the American accent was fake to an extent but turns out they actually do just talk like that.
Image source: love_in_october
#42
Not having a hallway/ entrance hall. Open the front door and walk straight in to the living room is so vierd to me. Where do you out your jacket, car keys and shoes?
I live in Sweden and having a big entrance hall is a big selling point and will rise the price of a house.
Image source: Ok-Combination-4950
#43
So I’m American but I have to share – the Jimmy Kimmel interview with Lupita Nyongo where she’s asking about “Groundhog’s Day” and if its real is cross-cultural comedic gold.
Image source: seeemilydostuf
#44
The trucks. Why in the hell do you want such big cars?
Image source: pynandi
#45
Massive food potions.
Image source: Choice_Biscotti_6303
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