America versus......

[Prana]

Everywhere else!

I know this topic was started once before, but I'm curious about the general culture of other countries. And my questions are pretty stupid, feel free to laugh, or even think less of me I've been to Ireland a few times, but not enough to really get a grasp about what the culture is actually like. Canada seems to be pretty comparable to America in certain ways, from what I've gathered.

OK, so here are my random questions:

Many young girls in America feel it necessary to dress inappropriately, to the extent where my husband and other men feel like they can be arrested just for being in the general vicinity. Is this common in other countries as well?

TV shows and reality TV figures are pretty bad. Think Jersey Shore, and what is that new one on MTV? The commercial is a highschool girl in a short dress telling her mom she's going out to study, then ending up going to some rager party? I find this stuff unbearably stupid, and plan to teach my kids that behavior like that is just dumb, but I'm wondering how prevalent these types of shows are in other countries?

Are others as celebrity obsessed as we seem to be in America? How closely do others follow or even care about what goes on in Hollywood or with celebrities? It seems that you can't even get the news here without having to be reminded of some celebrity in some way, shape or form.

Are uniforms commonly worn to school, or are kids allowed to dress in what they want?

Plastic surgery. How common are breast implants for weddings, nose jobs for highschool graduation gifts, massive lipo and the works for Moms trying to stay young, etc? I feel like many in the States feel that self worth lies in outward appearances and the cost of the purse you carry.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask this, but what are your perceptions of America/Americans in general? I live here, and I think that there's a lot of things to be proud of, but a lot of work that needs to be done.

Is everyone else obsessed with the upcoming royal wedding ? Seems to be that America certainly is...don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for William and Kate, but there just seems to be a lot of nonsense coverage regarding the two of them, and I feel bad for her with all the comparison's to Diana and speculation rubbish.

Is teen pregnancy an epidemic?

Please feel free to question back, add questions, etc. I know this may be stupid to some, but I'm just curious.

 

[Haven]

It's funny because I'm an American, but I don't hear any celebrity or royal wedding news at all.

I think our experiences can vary widely, in any country, based on the choices we make in our daily lives. While I imagine a lot of people watch reality television and tune into "news" channels that report on celebrities, very few of the people I know do any of that. I'd say our American culture exists in pockets, and there are very large pockets of people who choose not to engage in the culture you described.

I'm not trying to dispute that we have a celebrity-obsessed culture here in America, or that some teens dress inappropriately, and people spend their time watching smutty television. I just don't believe it is the *only* culture that we have, here. (I say this because I hope I don't sound like I'm arguing with you. I think it's an interesting point.)

ETA: Prana--Have you always been Prana on this site? I feel like I recognize your beautiful baby boy in your av, but not your name. If you have always been Prana, I'm sorry! I'm terrible with names here, but good with avatars.

 

[Prana]

Haven-

I totally agree with your post, I just feel that certain American cultures are more prevalent than others, and I'm wondering if other cultures see that as well. Personally, I don't watch a lot of TV or follow gossip magazines, I just feel like there's an awful lot of focus on some of the things I mentioned above, and I was wondering if it is the same elsewhere. Maybe it's regional as well? Maybe these things I'm seeing are more prominent where I live than where others live.

 

[Haven]

Oh, I'm definitely interested as well! I think you've made a really great thread, and I hope others respond.

For me, my workplace has a lot of influence on my exposure to pop culture. When I worked in a corporate office, people talked about celebrities and I was more exposed to the current trends. When I started teaching, that exposure became limited because my colleagues and I spent our time talking about other (more interesting things IMO), so my only exposure was through my students. (For example, I remember hearing them talk about a pop star named Rhiannon? Her boyfriend, another pop star, was imprisoned for hitting her, I believe. At first, I just thought Fleetwood Mac was making a comeback! )

ANYWAY, I think it's all very interesting, and I look forward to reading everyone's responses. And, I can say I'm very happy to now live and work in nearly pop culture-free environments.

 

[yennyfire]

Looking forward to hearing different opinions...

 

[Asu]

Everywhere else!
Many young girls in America feel it necessary to dress inappropriately, to the extent where my husband and other men feel like they can be arrested just for being in the general vicinity. Is this common in other countries as well? Yes and no.It vary a lot as tou move around our country.While Italy is a little country,things change immensely from place to place,especially in the sud.Generally speaking,however,teeneager girls "uniform" are jeans,converse and a t-shirt.Some dress a bit more classic,some are edgier,some can use some more clothes.The southern you go,the more you see the last kind.

TV shows and reality TV figures are pretty bad. Think Jersey Shore, and what is that new one on MTV? The commercial is a highschool girl in a short dress telling her mom she's going out to study, then ending up going to some rager party? I find this stuff unbearably stupid, and plan to teach my kids that behavior like that is just dumb, but I'm wondering how prevalent these types of shows are in other countries?Oh,yeah,italian television is pure trash.I only watch the news (but now even the news are full of bare asses and boobs,so there is no escaping ) and a couple of shows,like ncis and such.

Are others as celebrity obsessed as we seem to be in America? How closely do others follow or even care about what goes on in Hollywood or with celebrities? It seems that you can't even get the news here without having to be reminded of some celebrity in some way, shape or form.Again,yes and no.Kind of obsessed by local celebrities,even thought not near as much as I see in the americans boards I lurk on,but hollywood celebrities are not that "in".There are exception though,like Angelina,Miley and justin,but that's about it.

Are uniforms commonly worn to school, or are kids allowed to dress in what they want?No uniforms.they tried last year,students made VERY clear that it wasn't going to happen

Plastic surgery. How common are breast implants for weddings, nose jobs for highschool graduation gifts, massive lipo and the works for Moms trying to stay young, etc? I feel like many in the States feel that self worth lies in outward appearances and the cost of the purse you carry.I don't know anyone who had plastic surgery.It's just not common.there are people who had it,but we are talking most about fillers,botox and lypo.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask this, but what are your perceptions of America/Americans in general? I live here, and I think that there's a lot of things to be proud of, but a lot of work that needs to be done.It vary a lot from person to person.there are people who idolatrize the "american model",and dream to live just like in the states;there are people who just don't care about other countries,let alone america;there are people who dislike america for a bunch of reasons(my grandpa can't hear the word America.His fahter was killed during WWII in a battle by an american squad,so for him it's pretty rough),and people who see america as...well,let's say in a not flattering way.Generally speaking,the american dream died time ago here.

Is everyone else obsessed with the upcoming royal wedding ? Seems to be that America certainly is...don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for William and Kate, but there just seems to be a lot of nonsense coverage regarding the two of them, and I feel bad for her with all the comparison's to Diana and speculation rubbish.It's on every news,but people don't care that much.We are all way too buried in our personal problems to care about two people who have everything they want,kwim?Every year we are porer,and making money last all month is now like win the lottery.So no,people don't care at all.

Is teen pregnancy an epidemic?No.There are case of teen pregnancy,especially on the south where is still almost the norm that couples in their teens run ffrom home for a couple days and get back pregnant,but the numbers are not huge.that being said,here teen pregnancy is viewed differently.It's not such a condamn to us,and most of people see it as nothing more but following the natural times of our bodies.Sure,it's not wanted,most of the times,but it's not a huge problem when it happens,and not something to be ashamed of.My best friend had her daughter at 16,and she is literally the best mother I know.

Please feel free to question back, add questions, etc. I know this may be stupid to some, but I'm just curious.

Hope it help

 

[Prana]

Thanks Asu! I hope more people respond...I find this sort of stuff fascinating

 

[zoebartlett]

I love learning about other countries/cultures and how they are similar to or different than America.

I think Americans can be obsessed with celebrities, but it depends on how much we pay attention to the lives of the rich and famous. If someone spends most of his time listening to NPR, he might not know much about Lady Gaga, for example. I would think the same would hold true for people in other countries, too.

ETA: I should have just dittoed Haven's first post. She's much more eloquent than I am.

 

[zoebartlett]

I think one reason Americans love following the Royal family in the UK is because we just don't have that here. The Kennedys were called America's royal family because that was the closest thing we had to royalty. I could be wrong but my take is that we romanticize what royalty is. Also, America is SO young compared to other countries, so we don't have the same history (royal and otherwise) that they do.

 

[lulu]

It does amaze me that Americans are so interested in the doings of royalty, especially since we fought a war to get out from under.

 

[dinamit]

Hi Prana, interesting thread.

It seems to me the whole global "culture" is changing, and this is spreading fast due to today's technology. It was refreshing to read Asu's post and see that certain European countries still do their own thing. I am in the UK, although I was born in another European country with a very different culture, and we are certainly heading your way.

So here are the answers to your questions. It would be interesting to see if other Brits might think differently.

1. Many young girls dress inappropriately here too, but I do think it's a class thing too. However, a lot of the clothes on offer for teenagers are really disturbing.

2. TV is, by and large, rubbish. I used to think it's all Attenborough, but that's not the case.

3. Yup, Brits are definitely celebrity obsessed. Both with our own, and yours.

4. Yes, uniforms are commonly worn, and it breaks my heart to see little 4-year olds in horrible, grey uniforms. Some schools are different. I managed to get away without it .

5. Non-invasive "improvements" such as Botox are huge. I would say plastic surgery is popular enough, although I haven't heard of it being offered as a graduation gift. Crazy! You worked hard, so here, have a new nose! Generally speaking, trends and outward appearances are important. If you walk through some of London's main shopping streets, you wouldn't believe there is a recession going on.

6. I would say that Brits look up to America in many ways. The Bush/Blair partnership and everything that resulted from it isn't very popular though. However I am aware of other parts of Europe where America, because of it's politics, isn't very popular at all.

7. Hmmm, the royal wedding...It's obviously over-exposed and 'in your face', but do any of my friends and I care? There are royalists, who perhaps find it very exciting. It all depends.

8. Teen pregnancy does appear to be epidemic in more deprived areas. I am guessing it's similar in the US?

I don't know if this really gave you an insight into the culture here in the UK, as it depends on where you live and in what circumstances. A lot of these questions are connected to our values, personal culture, and what we take with us from the environment we were raised in.

 

[Prana]

Thanks to everyone contributing! Dinamit, I figured that the UK might be similar in a lot of areas.





What about obesity in other countries? Epidemic? Rarity? And what about childhood obesity?

 

[Jennifer W]

I don't think the whole of the UK is like the US, to be honest. I live in Scotland, so I don't know what it's like down south, but it's very different where I am. Dinamit, are you in the South of England? I visit my SIL in Cambridgeshire occasionally and it seems so different down that way. For a small country, we do seem to have a lot of regional diversity.

Celebrity information is certainly available, in magazines, newspapers and some tv channels, but if you aren't interested, you can ignore it. It isn't in your face or inescapable. I have no interest in it and don't know anyone who does, except my neighbour's 12 year old daughter.

Cosmetic surgery is practically unheard of around here, including botox and much cosmetic dentistry. Unless it's correcting something that would make kids stare in the street, it's treated with derision and suspicion. I know of one person who has had a cosmetic procedure, but it was to correct a fairly serious problem. There are private hospitals in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but it's rare to hear of anyone having a cosmetic procedure here.

Royal stuff - well, plenty people in Scotland think of them as the English royal family and would be happy enough with the French model of monarchy. Plenty other people are interested, but probably not to the extent that people in England are. I personally couldn't care less and I don't know of anyone in my own family or circle of friends who has any interest in them. We get a day off for the forthcoming wedding, but I couldn't pick the bride or groom out of a line-up.

There surely is some crap on TV, but there are also some really cool, funny shows, a lot of them from small, independent production companies. There have been a few great drama series in the last few years too. Life on Mars springs to mind. That was awesome!

Beyond that, we have a devolved Scottish Parliament, with social justice as its first principle. Not saying they always achieve it, but they do strive for it. I sense that Scotland is a very different place since devolution, different from England and Wales, never mind the US.

One of the real differences I see is in the workplace. As the parent of a toddler, one really important thing to me is family-friendly work policies for me and my husband. We have 12 months maternity leave (UK wide, I think) and DH was able to take 4 months paternity leave (although a lot of it was unpaid). He has a creche in his office, we both have flexi time and generous annual leave entitlements. We also have good quality universal healthcare, social housing and income support if we need it, and these things seem very different to the US. I think it results in a different mentality and national psyche (not saying it's better, just different!).

 

[Prana]

Wow Jennifer W. Scotland seems to be a pretty nice place to live. I'm hoping to visit there someday. 12 months maternity leave?????? That's pretty darn good!

 

[Jennifer W]

I managed to stretch it to 14 months...

It rains here most days, and we have midgies. Otherwise, it's great! Hope you can visit.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

massive lipo and the works for Moms trying to stay young, etc? I feel like many in the States feel that self worth lies in outward appearances and the cost of the purse you carry.
.

Hollywood people are becoming scarier by the day. They all look the same now. I was watching some movie from the 80s and was amazed at how much more NORMAL all the actors looked back then.

At a soccer game last fall, I noticed a mom only a few years older than me had face lift scars!!! Does that mean I should be saving up for one too?

America is becoming too creepy for me. Time to move to Europe.

ETA - a mom friend told me about a plastic surgery clinic that all the moms go to. I may be the only one who hasn't had something done there...

(sorry those came out as random comments. Nothing cohesive. lol!)

 

[bee*]

I live in Ireland so I can give you a bit of info here although I think it is very similar to what Jennifer W wrote.
We have a huge amount of celebrity magazines over here but if you want to ignore the celebrity gossip, it is very easily done. My husband wouldn't have a clue who most people are whereas I enjoy reading them.
Cosmetic surgery is extremely uncommon. I don't know anyone who has had any procedure done, let alone having them done for weddings/graduations. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest surgery is that would do such procedures. Laser eye surgery is the only procedure that I've known people to get.
Uniforms are worn in nearly every school here.
I think in terms of most peoples views of Americans, they like them and it's certainly a popular spot for Irish people to travel to. I think that there are certainly differences in culture between the two countries though. The gun culture is certainly one difference. Over here I wouldn't have a clue where I could get a gun so I find it crazy looking at the different guns in stores when I go to the US. There are obviously differences in politics and healthcare etc too.
Irish people are definitely not obsessed with the Royal wedding and I don't know many people that are interested in it. I don't think that there are a huge amount of Irish people that are interested in the English monarchy.
There is quite a high rate of teen pregnancy over here, especially in some areas.
Most of the American reality TV shows are shown over here too-Jersey shores, teen mom etc. I enjoy looking at them but we don't really have many Irish reality tv shows.
Can't think of anything else but ask away if you have any more questions.

 

[Prana]

I managed to stretch it to 14 months...

It rains here most days, and we have midgies. Otherwise, it's great! Hope you can visit.

I love rainy, overcast weather. It's really my favorite. Maybe I wouldn't like it so much if I had it all the time, though

 

[Prana]

massive lipo and the works for Moms trying to stay young, etc? I feel like many in the States feel that self worth lies in outward appearances and the cost of the purse you carry.
.

Hollywood people are becoming scarier by the day. They all look the same now. I was watching some movie from the 80s and was amazed at how much more NORMAL all the actors looked back then.

At a soccer game last fall, I noticed a mom only a few years older than me had face lift scars!!! Does that mean I should be saving up for one too?

America is becoming too creepy for me. Time to move to Europe.

ETA - a mom friend told me about a plastic surgery clinic that all the moms go to. I may be the only one who hasn't had something done there...

(sorry those came out as random comments. Nothing cohesive. lol!)

MC these are the things that I'm noticing A LOT where I live! It's scary to me, and sickening and upsetting. Botox and lipo parties are commonplace around here and it's just so out of control! Granted, there are still many that shun these things and take pride in nature and being natural, but we are becoming a rarity, to say the least!

 

[Prana]

I live in Ireland so I can give you a bit of info here although I think it is very similar to what Jennifer W wrote.
We have a huge amount of celebrity magazines over here but if you want to ignore the celebrity gossip, it is very easily done. My husband wouldn't have a clue who most people are whereas I enjoy reading them.
Cosmetic surgery is extremely uncommon. I don't know anyone who has had any procedure done, let alone having them done for weddings/graduations. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest surgery is that would do such procedures. Laser eye surgery is the only procedure that I've known people to get.
Uniforms are worn in nearly every school here.
I think in terms of most peoples views of Americans, they like them and it's certainly a popular spot for Irish people to travel to. I think that there are certainly differences in culture between the two countries though. The gun culture is certainly one difference. Over here I wouldn't have a clue where I could get a gun so I find it crazy looking at the different guns in stores when I go to the US. There are obviously differences in politics and healthcare etc too.
Irish people are definitely not obsessed with the Royal wedding and I don't know many people that are interested in it. I don't think that there are a huge amount of Irish people that are interested in the English monarchy.
There is quite a high rate of teen pregnancy over here, especially in some areas.
Most of the American reality TV shows are shown over here too-Jersey shores, teen mom etc. I enjoy looking at them but we don't really have many Irish reality tv shows.
Can't think of anything else but ask away if you have any more questions.

Thanks Bee! I would move to Ireland in a heartbeat if DH was on board, but alas, he is not . It's just so beautiful there!

Funny, I was just talking to my husband about the differences in gun law in America vs. Ireland. Guns are like a national pastime here, my DH is a police officer, so we own a few...shooting is a hobby for many, and guns are quite easy to acquire.
From what I gathered on one of my visits to Ireland, your law enforcement officers don't carry guns, right?

I've also heard that nursing is a pretty good career over there. I'm a nurse here, and I work with many foreign nurses who worked in Ireland at some point in their careers, and they told me that nursing and nurse training/education in Ireland is top notch!

 

[diva rose]

I've lived in the UK, USA, middle east and asia - currently in Sydney. I'll comment on Asian/Australian views.

Celebs - Asians and Australians alike are obsessed as the Americans about celebs. No differences there except I don't think the British Royal family is as popular in Asia. I think out of the three - Australians are least obsessed in general about celebs.
I didn't think the Royal family is popular in US - isn't it more of an European thing?

Teen pregnancy - It does happen but it isn't as big as in the US. In Australia, I find the teen pregnancy frequency is a lot higher depending on which suburb/area you are from.
I know that Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea - It is looked down upon to be pregnant and single. Usually mothers will abort or put their child up for adoption. Not many will raise the child as a single mother.

Plastic surgery - very common and popular in Asia. Australia - I do feel it is on the rise but people don't talk about it as much but there are plastic surgeons everywhere - so clearly there is a demand for it. Types of plastic surgery is different between the cultures. Not sure about US but Asia - it's usually nose or eyelids and in Australia - breasts & nose or face lift. Are we counting botox as plastic surgery? Because that is very popular in Sydney and lots of laser hair removal.

Teens dressing inappropriately - this ranges between the Asian countries. In Korea - not really. There is a certain style Koreans go for and it's not as revealing as what US teens wear. In Australia - yes - teens wear revealing clothes like the teens from the US. However the hip hop style is not popular.

Reality TV shows are very popular in Australia and Asia. However they have different styles they like. For example, in Australia the trend at the moment is Master Chef ( a cooking reality show).

Uniforms for school - Yes for Korea, Japan and Australia. Not sure about the others.

Now...what we think of Americans? lol - is this safe to comment? This forum does consist of mostly Americans.
On a serious note - I think it's hard to comment in detail about this without involving politics.
The general stereotype of Americans is that they are clueless about the world outside America. They think America is the centre of the universe. Clearly this generalisation is not accurate and doesn't reflect everyone.

 

[monarch64]

Edited! Just re-read the title/general sentiment of the thread and realized I had responded about America as an American. Sorries!

 

[Prana]

Edited! Just re-read the title/general sentiment of the thread and realized I had responded about America as an American. Sorries!

We still want to hear it, Monarch! It seems to vary vastly from town to town, city to city, state to state and region to region.

 

[Prana]

I've lived in the UK, USA, middle east and asia - currently in Sydney. I'll comment on Asian/Australian views.

Celebs - Asians and Australians alike are obsessed as the Americans about celebs. No differences there except I don't think the British Royal family is as popular in Asia. I think out of the three - Australians are least obsessed in general about celebs.
I didn't think the Royal family is popular in US - isn't it more of an European thing?

Teen pregnancy - It does happen but it isn't as big as in the US. In Australia, I find the teen pregnancy frequency is a lot higher depending on which suburb/area you are from.
I know that Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea - It is looked down upon to be pregnant and single. Usually mothers will abort or put their child up for adoption. Not many will raise the child as a single mother.

Plastic surgery - very common and popular in Asia. Australia - I do feel it is on the rise but people don't talk about it as much but there are plastic surgeons everywhere - so clearly there is a demand for it. Types of plastic surgery is different between the cultures. Not sure about US but Asia - it's usually nose or eyelids and in Australia - breasts & nose or face lift. Are we counting botox as plastic surgery? Because that is very popular in Sydney and lots of laser hair removal.

Teens dressing inappropriately - this ranges between the Asian countries. In Korea - not really. There is a certain style Koreans go for and it's not as revealing as what US teens wear. In Australia - yes - teens wear revealing clothes like the teens from the US. However the hip hop style is not popular.

Reality TV shows are very popular in Australia and Asia. However they have different styles they like. For example, in Australia the trend at the moment is Master Chef ( a cooking reality show).

Uniforms for school - Yes for Korea, Japan and Australia. Not sure about the others.

Now...what we think of Americans? lol - is this safe to comment? This forum does consist of mostly Americans.
On a serious note - I think it's hard to comment in detail about this without involving politics.
The general stereotype of Americans is that they are clueless about the world outside America. They think America is the centre of the universe. Clearly this generalisation is not accurate and doesn't reflect everyone.

Thanks Diva! I find your sentiment about American's believing America is the center of the universe being very true in a lot of instances. I have many friends who have never been out of the country, don't have any desire to explore, and certainly don't care about anything that happens outside their own backyards. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, because they are quite happy not caring. But it is common.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

From somebody who lives in the USA.....

Everywhere else!

I know this topic was started once before, but I'm curious about the general culture of other countries. And my questions are pretty stupid, feel free to laugh, or even think less of me I've been to Ireland a few times, but not enough to really get a grasp about what the culture is actually like. Canada seems to be pretty comparable to America in certain ways, from what I've gathered.

OK, so here are my random questions:

Many young girls in America feel it necessary to dress inappropriately, to the extent where my husband and other men feel like they can be arrested just for being in the general vicinity. Is this common in other countries as well?

I don't see that a lot in my area. Girls around here love to layer (could have to do with the cold temps and rain ) and the skater look is really in

TV shows and reality TV figures are pretty bad. Think Jersey Shore, and what is that new one on MTV? The commercial is a highschool girl in a short dress telling her mom she's going out to study, then ending up going to some rager party? I find this stuff unbearably stupid, and plan to teach my kids that behavior like that is just dumb, but I'm wondering how prevalent these types of shows are in other countries?

With sooooo many channels out there to watch I think it really depends on what you focus on. I love the food network, style channel, history channel, travel channel, etc. MTV loves to stir the pot and that's what you'll see from them (I admit I do watch 16 and pregnant)

Are others as celebrity obsessed as we seem to be in America? How closely do others follow or even care about what goes on in Hollywood or with celebrities? It seems that you can't even get the news here without having to be reminded of some celebrity in some way, shape or form.

I see this as a really interesting form of evolution. Many species look to a leader and live in packs or groups. That's all us humans are doing. We've created our packs in forms of countries, states, cities etc and to help make our lives easier (less decisions) we look up to somebody else and how they live/dress/work etc.

Are uniforms commonly worn to school, or are kids allowed to dress in what they want?

Only common at religious schools. None of the public have them

Plastic surgery. How common are breast implants for weddings, nose jobs for highschool graduation gifts, massive lipo and the works for Moms trying to stay young, etc? I feel like many in the States feel that self worth lies in outward appearances and the cost of the purse you carry.

Not common at all. The big thing here seems to be facial treatments and laser hair removal

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask this, but what are your perceptions of America/Americans in general? I live here, and I think that there's a lot of things to be proud of, but a lot of work that needs to be done.

It makes me sad that my state has no real traditions, celebrations or foods. We had an AMAZING culture with the Native Americans but their population and traditions are slowly fading away. Statistically they are the only cultural group that has NOT grown in population (I'm not Native American - I'm boring blonde haired blue eyed pale as can be )

Is everyone else obsessed with the upcoming royal wedding ? Seems to be that America certainly is...don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for William and Kate, but there just seems to be a lot of nonsense coverage regarding the two of them, and I feel bad for her with all the comparison's to Diana and speculation rubbish.

No, in fact I read an article recently that her tabloid covers are not selling that well. I haven't heard a single bit of talk about the royal wedding

Is teen pregnancy an epidemic?

No, but abusing welfare is

Please feel free to question back, add questions, etc. I know this may be stupid to some, but I'm just curious.

 

[Prana]

Sparkly, don't even get me started on the welfare thing.

 

[bee*]

I live in Ireland so I can give you a bit of info here although I think it is very similar to what Jennifer W wrote.
We have a huge amount of celebrity magazines over here but if you want to ignore the celebrity gossip, it is very easily done. My husband wouldn't have a clue who most people are whereas I enjoy reading them.
Cosmetic surgery is extremely uncommon. I don't know anyone who has had any procedure done, let alone having them done for weddings/graduations. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest surgery is that would do such procedures. Laser eye surgery is the only procedure that I've known people to get.
Uniforms are worn in nearly every school here.
I think in terms of most peoples views of Americans, they like them and it's certainly a popular spot for Irish people to travel to. I think that there are certainly differences in culture between the two countries though. The gun culture is certainly one difference. Over here I wouldn't have a clue where I could get a gun so I find it crazy looking at the different guns in stores when I go to the US. There are obviously differences in politics and healthcare etc too.
Irish people are definitely not obsessed with the Royal wedding and I don't know many people that are interested in it. I don't think that there are a huge amount of Irish people that are interested in the English monarchy.
There is quite a high rate of teen pregnancy over here, especially in some areas.
Most of the American reality TV shows are shown over here too-Jersey shores, teen mom etc. I enjoy looking at them but we don't really have many Irish reality tv shows.
Can't think of anything else but ask away if you have any more questions.

Thanks Bee! I would move to Ireland in a heartbeat if DH was on board, but alas, he is not . It's just so beautiful there!

Funny, I was just talking to my husband about the differences in gun law in America vs. Ireland. Guns are like a national pastime here, my DH is a police officer, so we own a few...shooting is a hobby for many, and guns are quite easy to acquire.
From what I gathered on one of my visits to Ireland, your law enforcement officers don't carry guns, right?

I've also heard that nursing is a pretty good career over there. I'm a nurse here, and I work with many foreign nurses who worked in Ireland at some point in their careers, and they told me that nursing and nurse training/education in Ireland is top notch!

Yeah that's true-our police (garda) don't carry guns. Nursing definitely is a good career over here-my sister is a nurse and she's had some great opportunities over here and is in a great job now.

 

[anchor31]

I would say that yes, Canada is similar to the US. I feel I should comment more as a French-Canadian, however, since we have a culture of our own.

1. Do girls dress inappropriately? Oh yes.

2. TV shows... Our tv shows are mostly (some very badly) translated American shows, and we have our own soaps and reality TV. Mostly US or France inspired. It's just as bad. It's terrible.

3. Celeb obsessed? Very much so. Royal wedding, not so much. Since we are of French descent, we mostly don't care much about the royal family.

4. Uniforms in public schools were trying to make a comeback a few years ago, but I think they are still mostly uniform-free.

5. Plastic surgery is definitely not as common. The only person I know who's had plastic surgery is a girl in HS who was studying to become a ballerina and had a breast reduction.

6. Our generalized perception of the US is similar to what diva rose mentioned. Oversize everything, and kind of clueless about the rest of the world. I have to say however, that if I were to generalize Quebecers... Many are just as big and clueless. I guess we see what we know, right?

7. Teen pregnancy? Unfortunately, yes. It is currently on the rise, as well as STI transmission. As few years ago (IIRC, it was 2006), the school system removed the sex ed classes in HS because teachers were saying it shouldn't be their job to teach this. In theory, they are right, but many parents do NOT educate their children on sex (I certainly didn't learn about it at home) and then we end up with teen who think there's a cure for AIDS and that taking a shower after sex is an effective form of birth control. You will however not see many pregnant teens... Since our abortion rates are a whooping 38%. Girls can easily use it as a form of birth control, since our health care system pays even for elective abortions. (Don't get me wrong, I'm pro-choice, but I don't think tax-payers should be paying for elective procedures)

Edited for spelling.

 

[Dancing Fire]

OK, so here are my random questions:

Are others as celebrity obsessed as we seem to be in America? How closely do others follow or even care about what goes on in Hollywood or with celebrities? It seems that you can't even get the news here without having to be reminded of some celebrity in some way, shape or form.

Please feel free to question back, add questions, etc. I know this may be stupid to some, but I'm just curious.

i know very little about celebrities,infact the first time i ever heard the name "Lady Gaga" was here on PS...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

[/quote]
MC these are the things that I'm noticing A LOT where I live! It's scary to me, and sickening and upsetting. Botox and lipo parties are commonplace around here and it's just so out of control! Granted, there are still many that shun these things and take pride in nature and being natural, but we are becoming a rarity, to say the least![/quote]

Yeah, it's WEIRD. What I'm shocked about is that nobody hides their scars anymore. Another woman I know who had a face lift wears her hair up all the time and the scars are visable. My friend had her breasts enlarged and has a scar and she laughs about it. The dr said he could laser it off (not sure if that is true or not) but she never even bothered to go in and correct it. Aside from the scar, she looks great! All three of those ladies do look really good. I'm glad, at least, they had positive results, aside from the scars.