This was hilarious. I could not have been nodding my head harder throughout reading.  

Reminds me of the time somebody in London tried to tell me that "Americans have no culture", to which I replied that we invented jazz, gave the world F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Yo-Yo Ma, Martin Scorsese, Stan Brakhage and on and on and on and on. I then told her we just import the shitty parts the nobody here wants, like McDonald's and awful NBC sitcoms.  

@ha ha yes and Warren Buffett, Walt Disney (hehee), Johnny Cash, and the majority of the television and cinema they watch. We love america, but most of all because it is where NYC is located and we heart nyc  

This one cracks me up... there's a 'deeper/ darker' undertone to it ... would you care to talk about it?? :) hehehe... just kidding, well uh... not really.... anyway, great post!  

Well not learning another language just because it is not required....indeed does not make you a worldly person (Definitions of worldly on the Web: * characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world; "worldly goods and advancement"* blase: very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world) Your post is rather narrow itself...I do agree the people that believe sophistication is claimed based on your accent is also pretty narrow and knows nothing about sophistication.  

This is an old post but my favourite so far. Good writing. it is funny and so true ;)  

Goodness! I know a man who's been on all seven continents, And he's a totally uncultured hog. As for being a polyglot, How often would I be using these other languages? I am studying Spanish, but as for studying any other European languages it makes no sense to study just for ostentation. I lived in Europe for a number of years. I've learned one thing: We all have the same needs. as for wants? That is ona person by person basis. I totally agree that it makes no sense to hate anyone based on generalities. I am an American. But I was born a human being.  

I think you didn't understood what people don't like about Americans. The problem is that lot of them are self centred, I mean they really don't care about other countries, I've meet some that was surprised to know that we have microwaves in Europe, or even some were thinking we don't have electricity yet! they think that nothing important happens outside of their world. Really we don't care if they don't travel that much if at least they respect other countries. Maybe you're educated but most of you can't place really famous countries on a map or named presidents of these places. Also we don't care about other peoples accents and in fact American accent is kind of sexy in my personal opinion. Speaking others langages is a good point, but if you can't nobody will blame you in Europe, cause we know how hard it is, but what we don't like is when Americans expect us to speak fluent English outside of America and they are very disdainful if not. The truth is that most European speak english and will do if needed, but we don't like when you think we MUST absolutely speak english. In Germany they speak german, in France they speak french etc YOU have to adapt it's not the country you're visiting who have to adapt to you, and if you find peoples speaking your langage there, you have to be greatful, not feeling like it's normal, everybody is making efforts to understand each others, so you have to. If americans have bad images outside the US it's only because of these kind of things, stop feeling so higher than other countries and we would love you like you deserve, and you deserve it actually ! we're all watching your movies, listening your music etc, so I think it's really sad that we're playing that game "you don't like me so I don't like you, but you started first, so you're the one to blame..." and blablabla. About the "you don't know how to have fun"thing, I don't get that point, cause nobody actually think that, we do think that Americans know how to enjoy life, maybe just that they spend too much of their time at their job, but it is only your matter, so that doesn't count. To finish you think that nobody will complain about Americans not being educated, but it is wrong in fact lot of people here think there's only stupid alcoholic rednecks in your country, for this you have to blame TV shows that came from US that we get showed. Luckily most peoples here understand that it is kind of stereotypes, and that not all americans love to play with guns and think we must kill illegal mexican immigrants.