Americans and Our Lack of Culture

[Jack Davenport]

Congratulations. But when I check the board over breakfast and read some of the crap you post and most of it is either a direct response to me or a thread bashing conservatives, I am going to respond too. And because I am not a morning person at all, my response will usually be on the snarky side.

Anyway if you can put food on the table marketing yourself good on ya.

 

[BlkHawk]

When did traveling start equaling culture? Silly me, I always thought that arts & literature were cultural. If you are in Europe you almost have to have a passport. If you go from one state to the next depending on where you are might be the same distance as traveling through three or four European countries. Heck going from one end of some states to the other is the same thing. I live in Michigan and the west side of the state is completely different from being in Detroit and the U.P. is a whole different ball game. As far as culture goes, New York has a different culture from say New Orleans. Every region in the U.S. has a slightly different culture. Some can be quite striking. Appalachia has a different culture from the Pacific northwest. Besides visiting somewhere doesn't mean that you have really experienced the culture. To do that you need to see how everyday people live their lives not hit a few tourist traps. Go to where the locals go to get away from the tourists.

The whole distance thing is part of it, as Redwing says. To get around in Europe a passport is a necessity. Here, not so much, Canada is probably a 12 hour drive for me, and Mexico even more. Hell I think it would be more than a 24 hour drive just to reach an Ocean for me. At over six and half feet tall I'm sure not spending any length of time in an airplane seat. I would love to visit Europe, but isn't it like a six hour flight? I wouldn't be able to walk once we landed!

 

[xfire]

I'm getting ready to go get cultured this morning, can't decide between chilaquiles, migas, kolaches, or al pastor. Will have to wait till lunch to get a torta and some elotes. Nah, no culture here at all. lol Seriously, I can appreciate the concept of traveling and more power to those that care to venture overseas, but there's a wealth of culture right here in Texas and the United States because since this country was founded we've always been a destination, and as a result we've got a wealth of other cultures right here to appreciate. I will stand at the trunk of a Giant Red Wood or on the lip of the Palo Duro canyon, watch the city of Dallas from the top of Reunion Tower or get down with some authentic Chinese in Houston's Chinatown and never have to step foot on an airplane! Americans don't have a culture, we've got lots of them and I appreciate and enjoy them all.

 

[Jack Davenport]

The worst spaghetti I ever had in my life was in Rome, Italy.

 

[sean miguel]

I heard that pizza in Italy is basically a slice of wonder bread with tomato sauce slapped on it.

I bet Chinese food is underwhelming in China too. They're like "who the fuck is general tso?"

 

[SabrinaDeep]

The worst spaghetti I ever had in my life was in Rome, Italy.

Totally possible. But to tell the truth, i have never ever eaten any good in any place in the US. I don't know about general culture, but when it comes to culinary culture North America (I'm Canadian, so i know) sucks big time. Too much food, artificial sauces, cooked badly, overpriced. A steak with an egg on top or accompanied by aioli sauce? Tons of bad quality melted cheese on any fucking dish? No, thanks. American food is horrible.

 

[SabrinaDeep]

And to stay on topic, i must agree with Mariah here: travelling means cultural enrichment. Nothing bad if people don't like/want/can travel but when i talk with a North American who travels i notice it immediately and i mean it positively.

 

[MMMariah]

Steak with an egg on top is typical Argentinian and its fucking delicious. its also very french. Asians put a fried or poached egg on many different dishes. quail eggs, duck eggs or chicken eggs.

The best spaghetti I ever had was in Firenze at L’ Antica Trattoria “da Tito” If you avoid tourist places in Italy the food is so much better than ANY Italian restaurant in the US. The food in Venice sucks for the most part because the city has turned into one giant tourist trap. Bologna, Firenze, Milano, Verona, Palermo, Sardinia, anywhere on the Amalfi coast has fucking incredible food.

You dont go to Italia for pizza.

 

[Chopper3000]

I've been to the USA a few times. My first experience was a work trip where I went to Denver & Lincoln, Nebraska. Not your true tourist places (especially Lincoln - they love their fucking corn). I've done Chicago, Boston & NYC a number of times. Yet to travel to the south or west coast as yet. I will say everywhere I've been everyone has been friendly and hospitable (even deep into the Bronx).

 

[SabrinaDeep]

Steak with an egg on top is typical Argentinian and its fucking delicious. its also very french. Asians put a fried or poached egg on many different dishes. quail eggs, duck eggs or chicken eggs.

The best spaghetti I ever had was in Firenze at L’ Antica Trattoria “da Tito” If you avoid tourist places in Italy the food is so much better than ANY Italian restaurant in the US. The food in Venice sucks for the most part because the city has turned into one giant tourist trap. Bologna, Firenze, Milano, Verona, Palermo, Sardinia, anywhere on the Amalfi coast has fucking incredible food.

You dont go to Italia for pizza.

Well, personal taste i guess. Tito is good. When you go again try Osteria Cipolla Rossa in Via dei Conti and/or Lo Stracotto in Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini (20 mt. from Cipolla Rossa) behind the Medici Chapels and San Lorenzo. Stracotto has among the best olive wood fire Fiorentina from Chianina meat in Florence, among other delicious things; Cipolla Rossa is awesome and a locals fav for rabbit, ribollita and trippa (i'm sure you know what i'm talking about).

 

[MMMariah]

I actually went to Cipolla Rossa and it was awesome. I went with 5 friends that I met at a vineyard on a day trip to Chianti vineyards and we tried just about everything on the menu and my favorite was the Chianina bistecca and the apple cake was to DIE for!

I like Tito because of the owner...we did lemoncello shots all night and their pasta was excellent.

 

[BusterLoads]

When did traveling start equaling culture?

I have to agree with this bit here. Not speaking about anyone in this thread specifically but most people that travel only hit up the main tourist attractions of a particular city, only stay there for a week or two and then claim that they've visited the city. Sorry but to me that doesn't mean shit to me.

Case in point: I was born and raised in Brooklyn and used to spend a considerable amount of time in Manhattan (NYC). Now a tourist from out of state or out of country will come to NYC on a visit and want to see all the typical sights like Times Square, Madison Square Garden, or Rockafellar Center. But anyone that's from here will tell you that those places are in no way representative of what NYC is really like because those places, especially nowadays, are overrun with just more tourists. If you really want to "experience NYC culture" you have to stay AWAY from the tourist attractions. You have to ride the subway at 2am on a weekend, experience night life in the less populated areas and visit average communities and neighborhoods to get a true sense of how real New Yorkers interact and live. Going to a random city, staying in some hotel, and only visiting bullshit tourist attractions doesn't mean shit.

And I don't give any kind of shit about any other city enough to want to experience their way of life in order for me to be more "cultured" (except for maybe Tokyo... and MAYBE Korea). That's just more pretentious bullshit that pretentious assholes like to say to make themselves think they're better than other people.

 

[georges]

Just because you haven't had any issues traveling doesn't mean you won't (and I certainly hope you don't). Do whatever you want to Mariah but to criticize others for not choosing to follow your financially-dismissive and "devil-may-care" advice about overseas travel is both presumptuous and elitist on your behalf.

Well said :clap:

 

[Jack Davenport]

Well, if you ask Mariah Milano she will quickly tell you that she doesn't bother going to the places where all the pesky peasants hang out No sir! She is far too enlightened for that shit. Only the finest obscure underground bistros where Celebrity Chef Francois Ipoopintheirgeneraldirection personally blows snot into her 7 course meal will do.

After the culinary adventure that would make Queen Noir green with envy, she hits up only the clubs that Parisienne super models frequent where she suddenly speaks the native tongue fluently and drinks nectar of the Gods with the latest nominees of the Cannes film festival .

The next day it is off to San Tropez where total strangers come up to her just to ogle her spectacular porn breasts and to pay 20 Euro a piece for selfies with her. After that grueling day of fanatical adoration, she heads off to her 5 star hotel suite were only world leaders have farted and she fucks the hottest nymphs Europe has to offer
with her diamond crusted dildo powered by a 20 HP Briggs and Stratton.

I think I am gonna go grab a hot dog and a beer and scratch my balls while the fan is blowing summertime goodness up my shorts.

 

[sean miguel]

lmao

 

[xfire]

Well, if you ask Mariah Milano she will quickly tell you that she doesn't bother going to the places where all the pesky peasants hang out No sir! She is far too enlightened for that shit. Only the finest obscure underground bistros where Celebrity Chef Francois Ipoopintheirgeneraldirection personally blows snot into her 7 course meal will do.

After the culinary adventure that would make Queen Noir green with envy, she hits up only the clubs that Parisienne super models frequent where she suddenly speaks the native tongue fluently and drinks nectar of the Gods with the latest nominees of the Cannes film festival .

The next day it is off to San Tropez where total strangers come up to her just to ogle her spectacular porn breasts and to pay 20 Euro a piece for selfies with her. After that grueling day of fanatical adoration, she heads off to her 5 star hotel suite were only world leaders have farted and she fucks the hottest nymphs Europe has to offer
with her diamond crusted dildo powered by a 20 HP Briggs and Stratton.

I think I am gonna go grab a hot dog and a beer and scratch my balls while the fan is blowing summertime goodness up my shorts.

He just won the Internet.

 

[SabrinaDeep]

Well, if you ask Mariah Milano she will quickly tell you that she doesn't bother going to the places where all the pesky peasants hang out No sir! She is far too enlightened for that shit. Only the finest obscure underground bistros where Celebrity Chef Francois Ipoopintheirgeneraldirection personally blows snot into her 7 course meal will do.

After the culinary adventure that would make Queen Noir green with envy, she hits up only the clubs that Parisienne super models frequent where she suddenly speaks the native tongue fluently and drinks nectar of the Gods with the latest nominees of the Cannes film festival .

The next day it is off to San Tropez where total strangers come up to her just to ogle her spectacular porn breasts and to pay 20 Euro a piece for selfies with her. After that grueling day of fanatical adoration, she heads off to her 5 star hotel suite were only world leaders have farted and she fucks the hottest nymphs Europe has to offer
with her diamond crusted dildo powered by a 20 HP Briggs and Stratton.

I think I am gonna go grab a hot dog and a beer and scratch my balls while the fan is blowing summertime goodness up my shorts.

Well, taking a plane and going one week in some holiday resort is not going to open shit, obviously. But travelling in the wider sense of the word, residing for a medium/long term or/and repeatedly in different places with different cultures is a mind opener for sure. I thought that's what we were talking about. It's a fact that most Americans get a picture of other cultures and countries which is an Americanized one shove down their throats by the media, very distant from the truth and they accept it because they have no evidence of the contrary. In other words they ignore most of what happens and is outside of the USA and in this Mariah is right, in my opinion. The funny thing is that almost any American has very recent foreign ancestry, but they don't know anything about their roots of which often they seem to be ashamed of.

 

[Jagger69]

Unless she is in possession of a more-recent and legitimate source for her "less than 20% of Americans have passports" claim, the OP's entire premise contending that Americans are suffering from some sort of culture-gap is based on flawed data if would appear.

http://www.theexpeditioner.com/2010/02/17/how-many-americans-have-a-passport-2/

The percentage of Americans who have a valid passport, according to the most recent statistics issued by the State Department in January of 2014, is about 46%

Granted, this information is a year and a half old so....cite your source and if it's more recent or legitimate than mine and I'll gladly recant, Mariah. Otherwise....:dunno:

 

[MMMariah]

First of all when and where did I only travel to 5 star places. I simply said I avoid tourist traps. I know that you have a complete lack of individuality hence the sheep-like following as your party walks off of the cliff, but some of us seek out a little bit more authenticity in our lives than to be part of a herd. I don't travel to foo foo places, I detest them and the people who are generally at those places. I simply avoid places where you'll find tourists.

 

[MMMariah]

I have to agree with this bit here. Not speaking about anyone in this thread specifically but most people that travel only hit up the main tourist attractions of a particular city, only stay there for a week or two and then claim that they've visited the city. Sorry but to me that doesn't mean shit to me.

Case in point: I was born and raised in Brooklyn and used to spend a considerable amount of time in Manhattan (NYC). Now a tourist from out of state or out of country will come to NYC on a visit and want to see all the typical sights like Times Square, Madison Square Garden, or Rockafellar Center. But anyone that's from here will tell you that those places are in no way representative of what NYC is really like because those places, especially nowadays, are overrun with just more tourists. If you really want to "experience NYC culture" you have to stay AWAY from the tourist attractions. You have to ride the subway at 2am on a weekend, experience night life in the less populated areas and visit average communities and neighborhoods to get a true sense of how real New Yorkers interact and live. Going to a random city, staying in some hotel, and only visiting bullshit tourist attractions doesn't mean shit.

And I don't give any kind of shit about any other city enough to want to experience their way of life in order for me to be more "cultured" (except for maybe Tokyo... and MAYBE Korea). That's just more pretentious bullshit that pretentious assholes like to say to make themselves think they're better than other people.

when did I say you had to do touristy shit or stay in hotels? I avoid tourist spots at all costs. Ill go to the Louvre but thats about it. You guys are fucking defensive and taking shit outta context. The perfect example is that you all think that traveling means being a tourist. The perfect examples of to whom this was intended.