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Last year, a video went viral featuring a performer named Michael 'Chili Dawg' Castleberry showcasing his unique guitar skill—using a beer bottle as a slide. The caption read, "The European mind cannot comprehend this." People quickly began attaching the phrase to other things that they believed were foreign to the Old Continent, and thus, a new meme was born.
Now, Europeans and their allies from around the world are playfully flipping the script to get back at Uncle Sam — "The American mind cannot comprehend this" pictures are meant to single out what the United States is lacking.
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#1
Sergio Bicerra 4 weeks ago
My mom realized her passport expired... in the airport. They gave her an extention until she returned to our country. Took them 40 minutes.
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"Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things," said Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London.
The United States is the third largest country in the world, with one of the most diverse topographies and climates of any region.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a population of 337 million, a child is born every 8 seconds, and a person dies every 10 seconds.
#3
René Sauer 4 weeks ago
neither can they comprehend cramming the cars so full that station workers have to push people at the doors inside, so the doors can close.
#4
Ron Man 4 weeks ago
lol Apparently you've never been to rural America. I guess the European mind can't understand that most of the US is farmland and small agricultural towns. And this kind of thing is common. When I lived in NV the freeway would come to a halt to let cattle pass. Same with mules and wild horses. Yes, wild horses.
#5
KatZen 3 weeks ago
I visited Norway earlier this year and fell in love. They pay crazy taxes and the cost of living is up there, but it still would be so worth it. Just so beautiful, the nicest people, and speak English (which is nice). As much as the far right bleats about Norse blood they could never handle the level of socialism and over all anti-Putin attitude of modern Norway.
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Sarah Jay Co 4 weeks ago
From Ireland, now love in the Netherlands. My husbands work week was 60+ hours. Now maybe 50+ hours and a lot of work dinners. Me a special education teacher 35+ hours. I’m not working on the Netherlands
My O My 4 weeks ago
34 hours for a full time job in germany???? Who made up these numbers? - as a german
Ka Se 4 weeks ago
It is average. So they also count the people who work part time.
Load More Replies... 2bwhctmvgn 4 weeks ago
"Actual work" is very strange phrasing. Are they excluding bathroom breaks? Minesweeper time? Water cooler conversations?
Mr_Devious 3 weeks ago
Germans are so efficient, they get 60 hours of work done in just 34 hours!
Lyone Fein 4 weeks ago
I think it's interesting that this maps hours worked in "main" job. To me this implies that lots of folks work a second job also. I would say that is the exact same as in the US. In order to make up for the pay loss from a shorter work week, tons of people have second and even third jobs.
TCW Sam Vimes 3 weeks ago
Nope. Second job is not usual in most EU states
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Dill 4 weeks ago
Not yet. ESS (European Statistical System) & Eurostat provides these figures. There are stat agreements between these countries. Four countries represented by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are ESS members through the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement; Switzerland is an ESS member through a bilateral agreement. A new Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom has been concluded as of 1 January 2021 but stastical co-operation isn't established yet. Until it is there are charges involved and Eurostat aren't going to disseminate any stats.
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Felix Quinones 4 weeks ago
Main job? Does that mean they're expected to have other jobs to make ends meet?
TCW Sam Vimes 3 weeks ago
Full time in germany is 38.5 to 40 hours per week. With at least 20, often 30+ days of paid leave per year, plus national holidays. Taxes are high, but the advantages in social and health insurance outweigh that downside, easily. I'd never work in the USA. The "American dream" is a nightmare and the biggest fraud
Ria C. 4 weeks ago (edited)
How did anyone not notice MAIN job? Maybe I miss read it but it reads like this is saying these people have more than one job.
Blupsie 4 weeks ago
In the Netherlands there are really few people with more than one job. My husbandworks one (32 hours) and I have 2 (2x6 hours, that's why two) and we can perfectly live of that with three teenager boys
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Joanne Mendonza-Earle 3 weeks ago
What people fail to realize is that the USA is humongous compared to Europe. You could fit almost all of Europe in the USA. The countries are the size of states. It's way easier with a smaller population to provide employment benefits and universal health care than it is here. You'll never get the USA to agree to raise taxes enough to provide the health care. FDR should've done it in the 1940s.
TCW Sam Vimes 3 weeks ago
You can fit Europe into the US, but we have almost triple the population. Like you said, it's a will thing. You see universal health care akin to communism, we see it as basic human right. The 1% is lying to you, instead of burning down their towers of money, you applaud them. The "American dream" was always a lie, a carrot on a stick, dangled in front of the poor.
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Jihana 4 weeks ago
No, they don't. Sure some might have a little side job, but that's rather unusual.
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In addition to Indigenous Americans, who were already living on the continent, the country was built on immigration from other countries. Now, a new immigrant moves here every 27 seconds.
Because of this, the United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. You could argue that nearly every region of the world has, in some way, influenced American culture, but most notably it was the English who colonized the lands in the early 1600s.
#6
Treelioness 4 weeks ago
I hate this so much! I know it is for the nature,but damn when you need to drink water at night and the only thing that gets water is my nose and some scrathes added.And don't even mention screwing it back half asleep. Effing struggle.
#7
Kenneth Barns 4 weeks ago
Ah, the good old Aussie reverse tipping taxis: "The fee is $20.23. Tell you what, mate, just make it $20." Alas, a dying breed in the cashless economy.
The United States is sometimes described as a "melting pot", in which different cultures have formed their own distinct "flavors" of American culture.
But the way people "melt" in the United States differs. "Different groups of immigrants integrate in different ways," De Rossi said. "For example, ... Catholic Spanish-speaking communities might keep their language and other cultural family traditions, but are integrated [into] the urban community and have embraced the American way of life in many other ways."
#10
Zena 4 weeks ago
But we would like to...except, of course, for when we want/need something from a business that's close for the "summer holiday", however long that is. "Where I work should be closed for a few weeks/months, but I need all other businesses to be open for my convenience." How does that work, anyway? I mean, surely you can't close all of the grocery stores/markets for a week at the same time... I would think any business that can close for an extended period of time can't be any kind of necessity to society.
Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded based on religious freedom, but at least 70% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, according to information gathered by the Pew Research Center. They also found that about 23% had no religious affiliation at all and around 6% of the population is made up of non-Christian religions.
#14
René Sauer 4 weeks ago
neither can the minds of almost every other country where bagged milk isn´t a thing. like my german mind.
Many holidays are celebrated just in the United States. For example, Americans commemorate their independence from Britain on July 4; Memorial Day, held on the last Monday in May, honors those who have died in military service; Labor Day, which comes on the first Monday in September, celebrates the country's workforce; Thanksgiving, another distinctive American holiday, falls on the fourth Thursday in November and dates back to colonial times to celebrate the harvest.
#20
While these memes poke fun at some aspects of American culture, it's important to remember that its image isn't all bad, far from it. According to a survey of 16 advanced countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, and others, the most positive elements of America's image are tied to some of its most famous exports, with the U.S. receiving considerable praise for its technology. When asked to compare American technological innovations with those of other developed nations, respondents gave favorable reviews of the home of Silicon Valley. Across the 16, a median of 72% say U.S. technology is the best or above average. The US, home to Hollywood, also received high marks for its entertainment, such as movies, music, and television — a median of 71% think American entertainment is the best or above average.
#22
Bad Alchemy 4 weeks ago
Yup, you're right. I can't wrap my head around being without AC in the hot months. Just can't live like that.
#28
Lee Gilliland 4 weeks ago
And yet, strangely enough, you can find a copy of this in Williamsburg, VA. And Saem, Massa. And Wright's Landing. The La issue in Chicago. Yep, Americans are baffled
#29
Kenneth Barns 4 weeks ago
I live in Queensland, and most of the time _I_ can't understand it (especially the bl**dy tackling rules).
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What do you think ?
Java Addict 4 weeks ago
If you're going to America bash BP at least make an effort. This article is pathetic.
Serena Myers 4 weeks ago
Don't worry, it'll be Brit bashing tomorrow, "boomer" bashing the day after that, "What men find (insert word here) about women", "what women find (insert word here) about men", Gen X/Y/Z bashing, then back to America bashing and so ad infinitum.
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similarly 4 weeks ago
Hey, BP: instead of trying to divide people, single people out, irritate people just to get more comments, why don't you go back to kind of content you had when I first starting coming to BP. Back then, the content was cute, funny, warm, positive. This was known as one of the most positive places on the net, which is why I came here: to escape my crippling depression. But recently, all I see here is negativity. Couldn't you have found a way to present these pictures without bashing Americans? BP: you can do better.
Kathy Smith 4 weeks ago
Absolutely! The last few years, BP has really gone downhill.
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The Doom Song 4 weeks ago
Bored Panda. This was by far the dumbest load of America bashing I've seen. Please can we stop this and focus on good stuff from America.
Tyranamar Suess 4 weeks ago
It wasn't focusing on negative stuff from America I don't think. Just focusing on positive stuff from other cultures and then stupidly assuming Americans don't have that stuff. Obviously written by someone who hasn't seen very much of America.
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Daryl Leopold 4 weeks ago
One of the worst set BP has ever published. Did the leadership of BP change?
Carl Roberts 4 weeks ago
No, they're just desperately trying to be Buzfeed, TMZ and Ebaum's World rolled into one
Load More Replies... Peter Dahl 4 weeks ago
I am American, and therefore have an American mind. And it can comprehend every one of these things.
Floeckchen 4 weeks ago
Yes, make a list about "Trump's mind can't comprehent this:" but I fear the list would be several thousand entries long
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Ron Man 4 weeks ago
Are the people who picked these pics raving idiots? Because most of these are fairly normal in the US, some originated in the US, and others are myths perpetrated by people who have idea what the US is
Corey Ortiz 4 weeks ago
Or clearly what other countries are as well. Several of these like the Japan mutual understanding... straight up false. Authors who never left home, I'm afraid.
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Hoi-Polloi 4 weeks ago
Presumably, Americans are the only group that it's socially acceptable to insult casually. Kinda rude, if you ask me!
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Louisa johnson 4 weeks ago
I'm Cornish and can't comprehend 90% of this list. Also kind of offended for Americans as it's just a bollocks post seemingly digging at Americans. Just doesn't make sense
Forrest Hobbs 4 weeks ago
BP, I'm all in favour of a bit of good-natured mickey-taking, but please try to do better than this. As someone else has pointed out: why not go for the funny, warm, positive stuff?
Robin Roper 4 weeks ago
I seriously think many of those who created these need to visit the US and not just watch US shows on TV.
Lady Miss Pie 4 weeks ago
They think all Americans are from the backwoods or something.
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sweetrottenpeaches 4 weeks ago
Don't worry Americans! Not all Europeans have two braincells like it is shown in this thread ❤️❤️ I love you all!
Auntriarch 4 weeks ago (edited)
Dear US Pandas, even though l didn't write this post of almighty shït, I apologise for it's existence. If I had written it, I would expect to get banned for hate speech.
G A 4 weeks ago
Absolute trash. Some of these are so obscure it's annoying. US phobic name calling by teenagers ignorant of the world I guess. I'm in the UK and I'm ashamed if these are the best Europeans can muster. The UK food examples are particularly egregious given they are clearly regional cuisine not national.
Lady Miss Pie 4 weeks ago (edited)
Yes yes all Americans are so stupid and uncultured 🙄 I am so sick of these articles
Multa Nocte 4 weeks ago
BP, if you are going to try to charge people to look at your articles, why put out sheer dreck like this?
Babs McGurk 4 weeks ago
OOOOOH! Let's make the Americans look like morons! You are dangerously close to losing me over your incessant bashing of both the US and the 'boomers' who reside here, BP.
JuniorCJ82 4 weeks ago
They keep using that word (comprehend). I do not think it means what they think it means.
Nat Rich 4 weeks ago
Where's the stupid poll they like to put at the end of articles now? Nm....I'll make one.
Howl's sleeping castle 4 weeks ago
Not an American but I agree this article was a waste of time. After the first 20, I skipped the whole thing
Jennifer Howe 4 weeks ago
In British and I found this post negative and boring and gave up about a third of the way through. Surprised I got that far tbh!
Brian Droste 4 weeks ago
A lot if these were just pictures and no explanation. How are people supposed to know what we are comprehending?
Rodney McKay 4 weeks ago
I'm trying to figure out how to configure my Google News feed so that the only Bored Panda items I see are the good ones—those about cats. And these people think we're going to pay them for "Premium" — 𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑻!
Alfred Wessex 4 weeks ago
Why is this in the top of my favorites when it's at -69. Tired of all the same America bashing. At least be funny and not repeating the same 4 made up anti-American jokes. I come to BP because they *don't* do that. No sense coming here otherwise. It's all 3 days late memes otherwise.
Christos Arvanitis 4 weeks ago
This American mind can't comprehend the idiot who compiled this list... have they ever been to the US? FFS... one of the worst BP posts yet. Seriously.
Johnny McFearless 3 weeks ago
Ok, so, are the Americans confused enough already? Anyone? Confused?
TCW Sam Vimes 3 weeks ago
Not a good list. Half of that is just BS, Americans are not all that stupid or ignorant.
Corey Ortiz 4 weeks ago
I logged in just to say most of this is inaccurate or actually downright common in America. Also some statements are just falsely made blanket statements about countries other than America. This article sucks and clearly the people have never left their hometown if they think these things are so rare.
Brittania Kelli 4 weeks ago
The reason BP regurgitates Twitter and Reddit posts like this is because WE (myself included) in this posts. We get triggered and we argue and chastise BP for sharing divisive nonsense and it's all engagement that means they will continue to post. People have to choose to ignore these in order to stop them.
Fuck You 3 weeks ago
It’s funny the National that has saved Europe twice and at least 80% of the people ancestors come from, they sure are full of themselves about what Americans understand. I wonder if they would understand noodling? Under mudding? Sitting on the front porch in a swing drinking lemon aid while listening to the Bob whites call each other?
Panda Panda Bo Banda 3 weeks ago
You ever notice when somebody posts bashing America, they never tell you where they're from?
Panda Panda Bo Banda 3 weeks ago
There's lots of reasons to make fun of Americans. These are not any of them.
Kevin Ber 3 weeks ago
One of the things that I couldn't understand was when I was in Italy, I was given an umbrella to use on a snowy day. Made absolutely no sense to me, like going to a restaurant and having appetizer, first plate, second plate, desert and cappuccino. I still don't know why I had to order both first plate and second plate.
Paula MV 4 weeks ago
Did people not read that this was in response to an American thread, "Europeans can't comprehend"? All this showed me is we Americans are super defensive and can't take a joke.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 3 weeks ago
You must be new to BP. There is a xenophobic anti-American thread here weekly if not more often. "Europe is the best at everything" threads are commonplace. How would you like "all Europeans are the same and suck" threads ran here as often as the anti-American ones? BTW lumping all Americans into one xenophobic rant is about as stupid as lumping all Europeans into one xenophobic rant. The US may be one country but we are diverse socially, culturally, racially, etc. We cannot even agree on the color of the sky.
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Java Addict 4 weeks ago
If you're going to America bash BP at least make an effort. This article is pathetic.
Serena Myers 4 weeks ago
Don't worry, it'll be Brit bashing tomorrow, "boomer" bashing the day after that, "What men find (insert word here) about women", "what women find (insert word here) about men", Gen X/Y/Z bashing, then back to America bashing and so ad infinitum.
Load More Replies... similarly 4 weeks ago
Hey, BP: instead of trying to divide people, single people out, irritate people just to get more comments, why don't you go back to kind of content you had when I first starting coming to BP. Back then, the content was cute, funny, warm, positive. This was known as one of the most positive places on the net, which is why I came here: to escape my crippling depression. But recently, all I see here is negativity. Couldn't you have found a way to present these pictures without bashing Americans? BP: you can do better.
Kathy Smith 4 weeks ago
Absolutely! The last few years, BP has really gone downhill.
Load More Replies... The Doom Song 4 weeks ago
Bored Panda. This was by far the dumbest load of America bashing I've seen. Please can we stop this and focus on good stuff from America.
Tyranamar Suess 4 weeks ago
It wasn't focusing on negative stuff from America I don't think. Just focusing on positive stuff from other cultures and then stupidly assuming Americans don't have that stuff. Obviously written by someone who hasn't seen very much of America.
Load More Replies... Daryl Leopold 4 weeks ago
One of the worst set BP has ever published. Did the leadership of BP change?
Carl Roberts 4 weeks ago
No, they're just desperately trying to be Buzfeed, TMZ and Ebaum's World rolled into one
Load More Replies... Peter Dahl 4 weeks ago
I am American, and therefore have an American mind. And it can comprehend every one of these things.
Floeckchen 4 weeks ago
Yes, make a list about "Trump's mind can't comprehent this:" but I fear the list would be several thousand entries long
Load More Replies... Ron Man 4 weeks ago
Are the people who picked these pics raving idiots? Because most of these are fairly normal in the US, some originated in the US, and others are myths perpetrated by people who have idea what the US is
Corey Ortiz 4 weeks ago
Or clearly what other countries are as well. Several of these like the Japan mutual understanding... straight up false. Authors who never left home, I'm afraid.
Load More Replies... Hoi-Polloi 4 weeks ago
Presumably, Americans are the only group that it's socially acceptable to insult casually. Kinda rude, if you ask me!
Load More Replies... Louisa johnson 4 weeks ago
I'm Cornish and can't comprehend 90% of this list. Also kind of offended for Americans as it's just a bollocks post seemingly digging at Americans. Just doesn't make sense
Forrest Hobbs 4 weeks ago
BP, I'm all in favour of a bit of good-natured mickey-taking, but please try to do better than this. As someone else has pointed out: why not go for the funny, warm, positive stuff?
Robin Roper 4 weeks ago
I seriously think many of those who created these need to visit the US and not just watch US shows on TV.
Lady Miss Pie 4 weeks ago
They think all Americans are from the backwoods or something.
Load More Replies... sweetrottenpeaches 4 weeks ago
Don't worry Americans! Not all Europeans have two braincells like it is shown in this thread ❤️❤️ I love you all!
Auntriarch 4 weeks ago (edited)
Dear US Pandas, even though l didn't write this post of almighty shït, I apologise for it's existence. If I had written it, I would expect to get banned for hate speech.
G A 4 weeks ago
Absolute trash. Some of these are so obscure it's annoying. US phobic name calling by teenagers ignorant of the world I guess. I'm in the UK and I'm ashamed if these are the best Europeans can muster. The UK food examples are particularly egregious given they are clearly regional cuisine not national.
Lady Miss Pie 4 weeks ago (edited)
Yes yes all Americans are so stupid and uncultured 🙄 I am so sick of these articles
Multa Nocte 4 weeks ago
BP, if you are going to try to charge people to look at your articles, why put out sheer dreck like this?
Babs McGurk 4 weeks ago
OOOOOH! Let's make the Americans look like morons! You are dangerously close to losing me over your incessant bashing of both the US and the 'boomers' who reside here, BP.
JuniorCJ82 4 weeks ago
They keep using that word (comprehend). I do not think it means what they think it means.
Nat Rich 4 weeks ago
Where's the stupid poll they like to put at the end of articles now? Nm....I'll make one.
Howl's sleeping castle 4 weeks ago
Not an American but I agree this article was a waste of time. After the first 20, I skipped the whole thing
Jennifer Howe 4 weeks ago
In British and I found this post negative and boring and gave up about a third of the way through. Surprised I got that far tbh!
Brian Droste 4 weeks ago
A lot if these were just pictures and no explanation. How are people supposed to know what we are comprehending?
Rodney McKay 4 weeks ago
I'm trying to figure out how to configure my Google News feed so that the only Bored Panda items I see are the good ones—those about cats. And these people think we're going to pay them for "Premium" — 𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑻!
Alfred Wessex 4 weeks ago
Why is this in the top of my favorites when it's at -69. Tired of all the same America bashing. At least be funny and not repeating the same 4 made up anti-American jokes. I come to BP because they *don't* do that. No sense coming here otherwise. It's all 3 days late memes otherwise.
Christos Arvanitis 4 weeks ago
This American mind can't comprehend the idiot who compiled this list... have they ever been to the US? FFS... one of the worst BP posts yet. Seriously.
Johnny McFearless 3 weeks ago
Ok, so, are the Americans confused enough already? Anyone? Confused?
TCW Sam Vimes 3 weeks ago
Not a good list. Half of that is just BS, Americans are not all that stupid or ignorant.
Corey Ortiz 4 weeks ago
I logged in just to say most of this is inaccurate or actually downright common in America. Also some statements are just falsely made blanket statements about countries other than America. This article sucks and clearly the people have never left their hometown if they think these things are so rare.
Brittania Kelli 4 weeks ago
The reason BP regurgitates Twitter and Reddit posts like this is because WE (myself included) in this posts. We get triggered and we argue and chastise BP for sharing divisive nonsense and it's all engagement that means they will continue to post. People have to choose to ignore these in order to stop them.
Fuck You 3 weeks ago
It’s funny the National that has saved Europe twice and at least 80% of the people ancestors come from, they sure are full of themselves about what Americans understand. I wonder if they would understand noodling? Under mudding? Sitting on the front porch in a swing drinking lemon aid while listening to the Bob whites call each other?
Panda Panda Bo Banda 3 weeks ago
You ever notice when somebody posts bashing America, they never tell you where they're from?
Panda Panda Bo Banda 3 weeks ago
There's lots of reasons to make fun of Americans. These are not any of them.
Kevin Ber 3 weeks ago
One of the things that I couldn't understand was when I was in Italy, I was given an umbrella to use on a snowy day. Made absolutely no sense to me, like going to a restaurant and having appetizer, first plate, second plate, desert and cappuccino. I still don't know why I had to order both first plate and second plate.
Paula MV 4 weeks ago
Did people not read that this was in response to an American thread, "Europeans can't comprehend"? All this showed me is we Americans are super defensive and can't take a joke.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 3 weeks ago
You must be new to BP. There is a xenophobic anti-American thread here weekly if not more often. "Europe is the best at everything" threads are commonplace. How would you like "all Europeans are the same and suck" threads ran here as often as the anti-American ones? BTW lumping all Americans into one xenophobic rant is about as stupid as lumping all Europeans into one xenophobic rant. The US may be one country but we are diverse socially, culturally, racially, etc. We cannot even agree on the color of the sky.
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