The US isn’t a nation in the ethnic or cultural sense. It’s a federation of 50 semiautonomous states. There are also over 500 federally recognized native American nations in the US. The US isn’t one nation of people with one, single homogeneous culture.
Thank you, this is a great way to put it. Go to new Orleans and tell me they don’t have a culture on Bourbon street, or walking around the older districts, those beignets. New York with thin pizza, thick accents, history. The Midwest and their fascination with jello and casseroles and endless fried food while thinking having a state fair in the hottest days of summer are normal. Or in the Pacific northwest where wearing flannel and drinking coffee are local requirements.
We have very specific cultures, so many unique ones. Everywhere does. Every region around the world does. When you zoom out all you see is what is the same, and it looks boring and bland. That’s true about everywhere.
There are quite a bit more than 550 cognizable cultural subdivisions to the United States. Just as there are more than one distinct extant culture native to the parts of the island of Great Britain formally decreed as “England”.
But there’s also a single and indelible national identity unique to and endemic within the United States. With a distinct history that’s at least 39 years older than the comparable “German” identity. (Assuming we date to the founding of the German confederation in 1815 and not the much more recent 1990 reunification – gemany’s current borders are younger than the NES!)
Most nations are comprised of multiple parts which slowly congeal to a.recognizable strain over years. No place on earth with a UN embassy has a “single homogenous culture”. The USA exports so much of ours that it’s easy to miss what makes us unique.
But there’s also a single and indelible national identity unique to and endemic within the United States.
And what’s that?
“American” is how they usually describe themselves. You might be familiar with them from movies like “star wars” or “captain america”, or their countless export of songs, reporting, jingoism, and comic books.
It can be easy to be confused since they still call their language “English” and there is a bevy of actors and other creatives from Canada, Australia, and the UK, but there are actually people who aren’t from those places or any other place.
Who cares? Lots of people like to say lots of pointless things that aren’t useful.
The alternative title would be “person does not understand what the word ‘culture’ means and says something dumb”.
Even ants have culture… so: ✅️ agree.
2nd video I’ve seen on here today about European girls asking questions on USA culture. Along with the question what do you think?
Feels a bit like a bait. Could be wrong.
yeah. everythings a culture. even dickish nationalist type have a culture. there is nerd culture and gay culture. of course there is still going to be trumphole culture. its not immune.
The U.S.A has “a” culture the same way Europe has “a” culture or Southeast Asia has “a” culture.
Counterpoint: We made “truck nuts” our whole identity for a while.
No, “we” did not collectively do that. I, for one, never knew anyone who had that, and I was in a fraternity in Texas in the late 90s.
Confession: I didn’t watch the video. (willing to do so if there’s a great point, lurking)
The U.S.A has “a” culture the same way Europe has “a” culture or Southeast Asia has “a” culture.
That’s… a really BAD conflation right there, going all the way back to complete ignorance upon the founding of the USA (which is not flattering), but to compare it to Europe and S.E. Asia… WTF??
I think the implication they are making is that the US is a huge geographic region containing many different cultures… like Europe and SE Asia
yes, that was exactly my point.
Hmm… I daresay you’ve got a point, mssr.
Now what?
Yes, the US does not have its own culture.
It has 50 cultures. The different states are wildly different, though there are regional similarities.
At least
They do. Unfortunately it’s the mouthy monolith that are the most seen and heard and therefore associated with American Culture. They overshadow so much good stuff.
Any time this debate comes up, nobody making a point for any side ever gives their definition of the word “culture.” I imagine it is one of those words where if you put three people in a room and asked them to define it, you would get five definitions of the word.
American culture is consumerism. Anything else has survived importation.
I guess I consider culture something that people live not consume. Jazz is just another consumer product. I’m thinking things like traditions everyone participates in together. Listening to Miles Davis on your Spotify playlist alone in your car doesn’t count as culture to me, but going to weekly trivia would.
You just call fucking Jazz a consumer product? ffs
Yeah, how many jazz musicians do you know? Compare that to Appalachian Bluegrass traditions where lots of people played and had regular dances. For sure there are places where jazz is an active part of the culture, like New Orleans, but for everyone else, it’s mostly consumed in isolation or background noise at brunch.
Bob Cranshaw, one of the most amazing bass players to ever exist. I really don’t like your interpretation of musical genres and their reasoning for existing. Admittedly I dont listen to Jazz that much but it is foundational to modern music the way I interpret music history. Music may be made to make money, yeah, but this is something that has been with us longer than civilization, written language, maybe even fire.
Yes. I’m not saying jazz isn’t amazing music or that music isn’t important for the soul, but when something shifts from active production in society to passive incidental consumption (brunch) or active solo consumption (passionate jazz fans), I don’t consider it culture anymore.
Before the phonograph, everyone played music in their homes, and people were performing publicly all over the place. It’s not just a criticism of America to say that the acceleration of the loss with the advent of MP3s, streaming, and DAWS is absolutely killing what makes music culture that brings people together and not just a product for consumption.
Blues
