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Would like to talk about how we see the US in Sweden.
To begin with much of this is probably what we in swe learn from movies and stuff like that. This topic is to get rid of those pictures of US and get us a clear view on how it really is. Many of u seem to be born patriotic and with a US flag in the right hand. Is this how it really is, or is it just the ones who really are patriotic that stand out so much that they make everyone else seem patriotic?
Basically (this is just how i see it) there is three types of american people... Now, please understand, i'm not being a racist or sumthing like that, this is just what media teaches us.

The suburban dude:
Drinking booze, listening to rap music and maybe playes some StarCraft.
He's the one with divorced parents . He normally has a skinny dog and really many brothers/sisters. The father only cares about the football games on TV and... You see what i mean...

The common career-dude:
Aaah, the perfect husband... After work at the office he comes home ("honey I'm hooooome"), kisses his wife and puts down his black leather suitcase in the living room. Maybe he plays some baseball in the backyard with his ten year old son before the regular father-son talk... In the evening, they all have a nice barbeque with their just as perfect neighbors. He also has a bald spot in the back of his head . Did I mention they ALWAYS have a golden retriever?

The redneck dude:
Southern dialect, nice moustache, cowboy hat and jeans. This is the redneck dude... Driving around in his dirty pickup truck, he knows all about surviving in the wilds and firing a revolver. A redneck dude cop is never a good cop. He sometimes smokes a cigarette and he has a HELL of a pest problem in his 'ol wooden house...

Now puh-leease, tell me if it is anything like this at all...

You watch TV too much...

I've never been at the US, but I can tell you that peope there are just like people anywhere else, they're people.
The only thing that can actually differ people from one nation to another is their accent and how much money they have, other than that - they're the same dudes who do all kinds of things to move on in their pointless lives whom gonna end anyway.

Really, stop believeing to what you see in the TV, it's all a bunch of lies that were created to give money to the TV stations.

The "suburban-dude" seems pretty accurate... there are quite a number of "suburban dudes" in my neighborhood, it might just be where I live though...

The suburban dude u described is somewhat accurate, except it wouldn't neccesarily be describing the white ppl in our country. It's mostly describing africans or mexicans, since they mostly love to listen to rap. And also, white families RARELY have families with more than 3 children. Mainly mexicans and blacks have those many kinds in their households and their parents are also pretty much layed back people. And also, not many ppl play sc in the united states. It might seem alot based on the members map but ratio wise, it's pretty small. Korea is the country with the sc players. These people are also pretty chubby too...

Common career dude is pretty much just as u described... almost. These people are common in very suburban states with high standards of living like california, newyork, etc.

Rednecks are basically stereotypes for southern state people like Texans (also where George W Bush is from). But rednecks pretty much are people that live in the country sides or that live on farms. The kids usually wear overalls and nothing else. They help on the farmlands and feed animals as well. Sometimes they can be illiterate. There aren't many people like that now... but we've had quite a handful back in the old western days.

Ago I didn't say it was true, just that this is the picture of US that u get when ur living in swe... And Millenium... Whew, the common career-dude was the one I thought seemed most unreal... It's just TOO perfect somehow.

Yea, but actually, im not sure they're "common" people. They're mainly in the rich or most precocious areas of the United States. Most people in the united states would probably be characterized most closely to the Suburban dude.

I think it's funny that Millenium responded to one person's stereotypes with more stereotypes of his own (typical white, black, mexican families, etc).

AgoTrooper said it best: we're just like people everywhere else. There are poor people, rich people, middle-class; everything. Some people are patriotic, others aren't. A good deal of this has to do with current political issues though. Before 9/11, most people were kind of apathetic. Since then, it seems like people either love or hate America, and the split is about even.

One thing that I think would be accurate to describe our nation as a whole is that we're pretty materialistic.

I'm fat and stupid.

Depends were your from. Movies/media describes it somewhat accurate, except they either have one, or another. none of the middle. (I would be a little less perfect version of the "Common-career dude".

These are not in any order

High class- Rich man who drinks fine wine, usually generous (I would know, Im sorrounded by them) and likes to have fun and is extremely hard working.

Middle class- Your usual American. Can aford to have a little fun. Hard working, in to politics, family with three kids. Lives in a Suburdania.

Ghetto- Can go with any one who lives in a place like "Compton, L.A." or any place known as a Ghetto. Likes raps and nice beats. In to dancing and chillin with friends. America's ghettos are plaqued with gangs, drugs, and thugs.

Redneck- A greasy fella. usually lives in the south. Many rednecks don't wear cowboy hats or boots. Like trucks and guns. Can be racist. Usually friendly. In times of need can be very patriotic and risk it's life for the country.

(More coming)

And also, just about 25%-50% of our population are overweight or fat.

Well at least that's what i think...

ADDITION:

Don't be so pessimistic i know people much fatter than you (based on ur picture).

Don't forget that on the economical ladder, Poverty pollutes america. Which is most likely likewise in many other places in the world. But there is one big difference, we're multi-cultured. And one of america's big disputes is certain races having powers, not having power, being naturally born poor, and races living here illegally. So mix all these together and you have the real america.

America that statistically has every 8/10 black men dying, going to jail, or killing their own brother and living in poverty.
America that statiscally has every 7/9 white men becoming regular citizens, or government ranked officials because they were born with "a better life".
America that statistically is the richest country in the world, and is now invading Iraq on an attempt to save their economy, and they don't want to be saved...
America who statistically is being run by a 12 yr old in cowboy boots, and he still can't ride a horse..
America which has alot of patreotic people, why? Americans realize a few things about america over the course of their lives.
1)A Hugely diverse country(probably the largest).
2)Equal opportunities for equal life(every1 has to work just as hard to get somewhere).
3)Democratic country-and the richest country. Naturally democratic means if you get killed out on the lean and mean streets, don't blame the government, it's not their doing they let you live!(a joke).

Once people realize how much freedom they do have from living in america, they begin to seriously appreciate it. This is what makes Patriotic men and women of america. They're proud to live in a country where they can have their own religon.
They're proud to live in a country where they can dress how they see fit.
They're proud to live in a country where you can raise kids who have fair shots in life to pursue their dreams
They're proud to live in a country where they can sit side-by-side a man born in argentina, while they were born as far away as Japan.
They become proud to be american.

P.S. Millenium You beat me again, ARGH!

Didnt read much. And dont take offence from this but-

The ones with the flags in their hand and on the back of their pickups are REDNECKS!

Stop watching Tv.

I would like to mention that most Asian(this only includes 1 Chinese, 7 Japanese, and 1 Korean, but it's still some) people I know are a lot more friendly and intelligent then the non-Asians I see.
I would also like to mention that I do not remember seeing any fat people, or "liquid humans".
I might have seen one or two over my whole stay(only about a month), but I see many more overweight people in America

It's not quite accurate to respond to stereotypes with stereotypes. I agree with the people who said people in the US are just people. I go to Canada every year and when I go, everyone seems the same. The only thing that is different is how people live and accent, and those both vary so much from place to place it doesn't matter much anyway.

So do I, and I'm actually 20 pounds lighter than what you saw in that picture. But I still consider myself way overweight and I'm working on it. As for the stupid part, I guess I'm not really ... I'm just un-motivated and un-ambitious. Because as it stands right now, Im going to a college with a bunch of adults in their late 30's early 40's and I work at McDonalds. I know I can do better, I just don't care if I do.

Ezday2, my quote doesn't say 'shit beats' it says 'nice beats'. Thats not cool dude.... I'm not even going to explain why, I shouldn't have to.....

It seems that people that live in the US think of their country as superior to other countries. In swe, u can dress like u want and have any religion too. I know we have a very small army but it isn't all about making people think like u by forcing them?

Im in Australia so i dont really give a rats ass. ( a rat might )

Hey, I felt like it.
It's an opinion, anyway.

Explain how you came to this conclusion, please. It seems that sweden is full of people who make assumptions about entire nations that only actually represent a small percent of the population, am I right? Who needs and explanation, anyway, right?

You forgot the american public in your statement.
People in america are pretty ranged. I live in Alaska and we get tourists from the states all the time. They are all pretty naive, but they are all different.
The U.S. is inferior to some countries, in my opinion, there is more oportunity in developing countries. The U.S. has become pretty conservative.

first part is true...i play sc and i love rap
but my parents arent divorced

Entirely untrue. When an American says "The US is better" they don't mean "we are superior, we are better than you" they mean "better quality of life, more freedom, more rights". Which isn't at all true when you compare the US to every single country, but it is true about a lot of countries especially third world countries.

However when it comes to comparing countries and their lifestyles with each other, I try to say that all are equal. There are advantages and disadvantages in living in any country on this planet and I personally would prefer living outside of the US. But as it is right now, I can get a very good education at a low cost to me so I choose to stay where I am.

Now when it comes to the misconception of the US forcing their beliefs on others, it's not as simple as that and you should really read more into every individual situation you hear about because you would realize it's less about making others believe what the US wants them to and more about helping others.

Meh, I want to state something else. I've lived in the US the majority of my life (not all of it) but I would not consider myself an American. I think and act differently from everyone I interact with. My beliefs and morals have been affected by my entire life's experiences and the most meaningful ones are those experienced outside the US.

Where people live should never dictate what type of person they are. And you should never stereotype them that way.

EDIT: On retrospect I suppose there are Americans who feel they are superior. I don't associate myself with them though so I rarely meet and converse with them. I cannot really tell you why they would believe such a thing.

If one part of one statement isn't true, then the statement isn't true. That, and he said the entire nation, or at least all of the suburban part of the nation, which isn't only you and I don't want you speaking for me.