6 Things That Baffle Us Non-Americans
Every society has their own way of doing things. When you belong to that society you might regard these ideas as normal. It’s usually the outsiders who notice the idiosyncracies of another place.
Here are 6 things about USA that baffle the rest of us.
How American football was named
I don’t really understand how this sport is played. What I do know is that ball is usually in someone’s hand and it is not even shaped like a ball. Why is this sport not called handegg?
Ordering a large drink when there are free refills
How are there people who have not figured out that they are paying more for the same amount of soda?
Television commercials for prescription drugs
In the rest of the world doctors tell patients what drugs to take. In America, commercials suggest patients tell doctors what drugs they want to take.
Changing the spelling of words
Most English-speaking nations spell the same way. Why exactly did America want the rest of us to doubt our spelling abilities? Besides a doughnut is made with dough. Donut looks really similar to ‘do not’.
Being able to buy ice cream and a gun in the same store
While it’s great to find everything you need under one roof, how could anybody think it was a good idea if children passed through the gun aisle on their way to buy a popsicle?
The government subsidises processed food rendering it cheaper than fresh food
Most governments want their people to be healthy and try to increase life expectancy. For some reason America is the only developed nation that is choosing to do the opposite.
Like that one 🙂
As an American, I have the same questions. And I have no answers for you. I guess we just like to be different. Ha Ha.
An outside view of us Americans; I like it! I would hope most of us notice similar things, however I think it has been too commonplace to just answer “well, because that’s just the way it is.”
On you commercials for drugs, I agree. I can see the ads for allergy, cold, pain stuff; I don’t need a doctor for those anyways. The thing that takes this further is we have commercials for Hospitals. “Come to the Blah-Blah Hospital, we have 24 hour heart specialists on hand.” In an emergency I don’t think I am going to tell the ambulance driver to take me to a specific place. Yet, the ads make it sound like it’s a choice, just like I were choosing where to go for dinner tonight.
Good lord I’d imagine that many Americans cannot in fact afford health insurance and would not call an ambulance at all let alone tell the driver where to take him.
What really gets me though is all those super cheesy prescription drug commercials where they spend the last 20 seconds listing a billion side effects.
We have the affordable healthcare act now (aka Obammacare). If I didn’t have a plan through work, my cost would go up apx. $300/mth. However, those without still get treated, they would probably take a cab or get a ride. One ambulance ride after an accident years ago cost me $500 (I didn’t have health care then.)
Ah yes, love the side effects. I’ve heard doctors give drugs to counteract the side effects of the main drug. lol.
Oh my god. Personally I think ambulance rides should be free, even if you aren’t from there. Could you imagine someone’s death certificate saying ‘Cause of death: Could not afford ambulance’?
We at least have the treat first, pay later system. It’s not like I had to pull the money out of my pocket before they would take me.
However, what you say is true for many. They won’t get help until the condition is too bad. I am sure there have been deaths due to someone not getting help thinking they couldn’t afford it.
Doughnut being spelt donut annoys me too! =p
🙂 Sometimes I have an urge to walk up to the Dunkin’ Donuts counter and tell them they’ve spelt it wrong.
Fun! As a non-American myself, I often wonder these things. I think the concept behind prescription drug commercials is that a lot of Americans purposely don’t go to the doctor because it costs money (or possibly not anymore, with Obamacare? I don’t really understand the new system). Anyway, imagine you’ve got symptoms, and you never go to the doctor because, although inconvenient, they’re not life threatening. Then you see a drug commercial advertising a pill that will solve half your problems in one fell swoop. That might just inspire you to go to the doctor to get your hands on it!
That does make sense but then again I would think your life would really have to hit rock bottom to trust any of these commercials.
Here are 2 super cheesy commercials that made me laugh every time I saw them
Super cheesy? What are you talking about?! Those commercials were totally legit! Now I want Enzyte. And I’m not even a guy from the 80s.
Haha I saw those commercials on TV in 2008
Everything you say is true. I just have to laugh. Handegg… I love that. I do, however, order the small soda when there are refills!
I don’t understand the rules of American football either and those shoulder pads the players wear make me think of Joan Collins in Dynasty. The head gear they wear make me think of Jason from the Friday the 13th films. Just imagine a field full of Joan Collinses being chased by a field full of Jason’s’! I wonder who would win the game? My money is on Joan.
That! Hilarious 🙂 For a bunch of guys aka Joans running around the field carrying handeggs and like one kick at a ‘ball’ per game or something, they insist calling it football. So I’m kind of confused how come an all American by origin game like basketball and baseball aren’t called something out of the blue instead of their matter of factl names, huh?
I can explain why basketball has a normal name. It was invented in Canada 😉
Actually, a Canadian (Dr. James Naismith) did invent basketball, but he invented it in Springfield, Massachusetts USA in 1891.
You had me laughing at ‘handegg’!! After living in the US for a short time, I was also baffled (and surprised) that buying a gun and bullets at your local store is normal. The last point is scary, but true. It is expensive to be healthy! Sometimes those 99 cent tacos are cheaper and more filling than buying all the ingredients.
Yeah I’m a bit horrified that a developed nation cares so little about the health of it’s people
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve not had the chance (yet) to explore much outside of the good ol’ USA, but you make valid points. The biggest, most true of them all are the prescription drug commercials – they’re out of control. Self diagnose – self medicate. The best is when it’s asking if you suffer from this, that & the other…& they are everyday symptoms – wanting people to eat it up like candy. Pretty sad when your health seems like nothing more than a “business”.
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I mean seriously! I may be american, but I have often pondered these very things! Alright, maybe I haven’t, but I couldn’t agree more!
As an American some of this baffles me.