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The United States is the third largest country in the world with a population of more than 335 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Here, a child is born every 8 seconds.
In addition to Indigenous Americans who were already living there before the Europeans discovered it, the country was built on immigration.
Because of this, the United States is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world. It is sometimes described as a "melting pot", in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct "flavors" to American culture.
But as much as the distinctiveness fascinates foreigners, it also has them raising their eyebrows. This is especially evident in a recent Reddit thread, started by user 421continueblazingit, who asked non-Americans on the platform to share which of the local customs make no sense to them.
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#1
Why is medical bankruptcy not at the absolute f*****g top of this list?
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#2
Kids beauty pageants.
Parents are willingly sexualizing their children.
It’s weird.
#3
Why do politicians finish their speeches 'God bless America' and similar? It gives me shivers! Theocracy is not a good thing. Let's have separation between church and state and between religion and politics, shall we? I believe, in fact, that your country was actually built on the principle of that separation, was it not?
Kimberly Alison 1 year ago
I also hate it when they call the u.s. “the greatest country in the world”. No it’s not, and I’m American.
#4
Cashiers who aren't allowed to sit during their work
Like.... Why??
Boredest Disabled Panda 1 year ago (edited)
The rational is that customers will think they are lazy and just sitting around, which is dumb. You can still tell if they are working, even if they are sitting.
#5
Calling a team "World Champions' of a sport that only your country competes in.
#6
Home owner associations dictating the smallest details of your own home.
#7
Having to find somebody to cover shifts when you're off on leave/sick.
Isn't that literally what the manager is there for?
Boredest Disabled Panda 1 year ago
Normally the manager does take care of it. I never worked a job where I had to take care of it myself. But low-paying jobs often don't have sick days or sick leave, so that would probably be where that would happen.
#8
Gender reveal parties, I couldn't give a f**k what you're having and you shouldn't give f**k what I'm having. I hate that it's slowly becoming a thing in the UK.
ThéveNinja (she/her) 1 year ago
Maybe if we start calling them sex celebration parties, they will die off
#9
Paid maternity leave not being legislated as a basic employment right.
#10
The tipping culture. Working a job and then having to depend on charity seems extremely wierd. I don't understand how people put up with that, having employment but having to basically beg for money to survive.
Aubrie Allen 1 year ago
Tye s****y thing is if you protest this in the US, and you don't tip, it only hurts your server, and not the establishment that employs them.
#11
Fear of anything 'not capitalist' being somehow 'communist' . E.g universal healthcare. Yet at the same time being terrified of 'big pharma'. It literally works in 100s of other non-communist countries.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
Most of these people couldn't tell the difference. A comedian hit up a MAGA rally recently and started pitching ideas from Marx's Das Capital, without using the words, communism, socialism, or capitalism and found some very enthusiastic supporters in red hats.
#12
American flags literally everywhere.
The number of people who keep large 'collections' of rusty cars & farm equipment in the garden.
The startling difference between the attitudes to sex & violence. Kids will see literally 100's of violent deaths on TV and no one bats an eye, but god forbid they should see a nipple.
Sandra Morison 1 year ago
Sex and bodies all perfectly natural bit hey let's not show/talk about it but violence, shootings yeah let's promote death and misery
#13
Sales tax not being included in the price already. Wild.
Jill Rhodry 1 year ago
I know - here (Aust) it's illegal to not include GST (sales tax) in the retail price.
#14
How owning, buying and carrying guns is not more controlled and supervised.
#15
mindlessly voting along party lines, even though the party's candidate is a complete fool
Lauren Caswell 1 year ago
More the having to pre-commit to a party despite the rotation of candidates. The 'undecided' voter thing. Shouldn't that be everyone, each election?
#16
Commercials for drugs. That you can't even buy yourself. But 'ask your doctor!'
PlatinumThe8-BitCat 1 year ago
I’d say the weirdest thing is how many side effects that are listed with them
#17
People enthusiastically defending the health-care system that bankrupts people, sometimes even in reddit threads where people show off their horrendous medical bills
ThéveNinja (she/her) 1 year ago
I like that the picture is from Breaking Bad. Another commenter in another thread pointed out that this show’s premise probably could not have existed in another country, and I can’t forget that
#18
At 18 you can join the army, carry guns, f**k, drive car. But buy and drink alcohol only 21???
Terry Tobias 1 year ago
If I remember correctly it had something to do with reducing the number of fatalities from teens driving drunk. The statistics were pretty high. I could start drinking legally at the age of 18, but a few years later they changed the age to 19, then 21. My poor sister kept missing the boat.
#19
The pledge of allegiance things at school. What in the actual f**k?
Headless Horseman 1 year ago (edited)
When I was in 5th grade there was a student who refused to pledge allegiance to the flag. He was made to stand in the hallway every morning because of it and was rumored to have detention once a week because of it, too. From what I remember, he never gave in.
#20
The electoral college. WTF?
Kimberly Alison 1 year ago
The opposite of democracy but the Republicans love it because Otherwise they would always lose.
#22
Doing your own taxes, and being punished if you get it wrong by mistake.
Sian Edwards 1 year ago
Average UK tax paying person: 'Oh look, new financial year'. Carries on with their day knowing that the tax office will tell them if they've been paying too much or too little tax.
#24
Televangelists springs to mind, there is one absolutely morally repugnant one with a massive house and private jets whose name I can't recall. I vehemently dislike organised religion at the best of times but why people actually listen to the ones that are very obviously money-grabbing lying scum is totally beyond me.
Edit: The one I was thinking of was Kenneth Copeland, seems to me he might be "worst among equals" as it were.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
Oral Roberts was an evangelist from the '60's and '70's. My grandma sent him over ten thousand dollars. He sent her a Bible with our Lord Jesus Christ's words in red-- and Oral Roberts' name embossed in gold. Other than Roberts' name, I could have gotten Grandma the same Bible for less than ten bucks.
#25
Black Friday. You spend Thanksgiving saying how grateful you are for what you have, and then have a massive free-for-all over stuff you want.
#26
Putting quite a bit of sugar in things that don't require it, like bread and casseroles.
#27
refusing to use metric
ThéveNinja (she/her) 1 year ago
It is confusing for many of us too. A lot of our technical work does try to use metric instead
#28
Having one week of paid vacation or sometimes not any time at all
#29
Anything and everything related to belonging and participating in a Fraternity/ Sorority. ESPECIALLY the selection and hazing. ETA: actually, the selection and hazing are the problems
Boredest Disabled Panda 1 year ago
Absolutely. Fraternities and Sororities used to have a purpose, now it just seems like an excuse for bad behavior.
#30
Baby showers. Here in Sweden it is generelly considered bad luck to give baby gifts before the baby is actually born. When the baby is born and the parents have gotten a few weeks alone with their newborn they usually start inviting people to meet them, but one or a few at a time, and then you bring a gift.
#31
Pickup trucks as daily use cars. Of course I know that at this point most pickups are just SUVs with a small open bed in the rear, but it still boggles my mind how many people believe they absolutely need a pickup.
Boredest Disabled Panda 1 year ago
Mainly in certain parts of the country, and often in rural areas. To be fair, in rural areas they have their uses, but it has also become a status symbol in parts of the country, like the South.
#32
The level of monitoring expected around children is wild to me. Over here, six-year-olds walk to school alone. (Of course within reason.)
ThéveNinja (she/her) 1 year ago
It’s not usually anything the children are doing that causes this. ☹️
#34
A lot of the High School stuff, like all the formal dances, Football, cheer leading. They’re such a big deal in the USA.
#35
College sports. Why are they so popular, especially among fans who never attended any university, let alone the one they cheer for?
#37
Not sure if it's a custom but i hate the fact that all children are expected to leave their family's house and live on their own by at least their 20s.
I come from the middle east where it's very common to live in multi generational houses. You'd probably never leave your family's house unless you are getting married or they literally just kick you out or something lol.
Actually many people choose to remain in their family's house even after marrying and having kids and what not. It's very normal here for a house to have like 3-4 different generations of the same family in it.
Boredest Disabled Panda 1 year ago
There are advantages and disadvantages to each system. The kind of system described here works well for a communal society, but it can also be stifling. I wouldn't have wanted to continue living with my very dysfunctional, overprotective and critical family far into my adulthood.
#38
The whole "building credit" thing. Not sure it's a custom or just plain stupid. The amount of money that I can borrow is a reflection of my income and what it is that I want to borrow money for. The idea that you can't get a mortgage because you didn't pay for groceries with a credit card 10 years ago is absurd.
I suppose part of it is how the housing market works, it weird that if you can't pay your mortgage, then you can just drop the keys in the mailbox and it suddenly becomes a problem for the bank. Here if you can't pay your mortgage it's still your house and your problem. Sure the bank can use the law to make the government force you to sell to pay of debt, but that's different.
Aubrie Allen 1 year ago
Paying your rent or your normal bills doesn't show up on your credit report is stupid.
#39
Everyone is unbelievably so patriotic but also incredibly proud of their Irish or Italian roots. It’s fun to be American until someone mentions your natural tan.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
An American lady once said to me '...of course, i'm Swedish'. She had been born in the US, no-one in her family had lived in Sweden since the late 19th century, she'd never been to Sweden, and spoke no Swedish. But, she maintained that she was 'Swedish'.
#40
Putting ice in every drink no matter the temperature, season, or anything.
PlatinumThe8-BitCat 1 year ago
Whenever I can I actually avoid getting ice because it just waters down the drink
What do you think ?
Zephyr343 1 year ago
Ah, thank goodness! Another America bashing thread. I was worried since its been 5 days since they posted the last one
Chris Jones 1 year ago
We should always boycott them - only way they'll stop. Trouble is people went to comment and defend, not unreasonably. Ignoring it completely would be the only way to deal with it really. BP only care about advertisers and want clicks and comments.
Load More Replies...
Power puff scientist 1 year ago
yaaaaay the weekly America sucks to foreigners article. such talented writers at bp
Zephyr343 1 year ago
Ah, thank goodness! Another America bashing thread. I was worried since its been 5 days since they posted the last one
Chris Jones 1 year ago
We should always boycott them - only way they'll stop. Trouble is people went to comment and defend, not unreasonably. Ignoring it completely would be the only way to deal with it really. BP only care about advertisers and want clicks and comments.
Load More Replies... Power puff scientist 1 year ago
yaaaaay the weekly America sucks to foreigners article. such talented writers at bp
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