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8 June 2025

Stuff Americans say
Foreign ignorance

Stuff Americans say

Screenshot of a social media comment asking 'why would we need to learn abt where other countries are'

News article with headline "Norwegian flag taken down in US town after being confused for Confederate banner". Two side-by-side photos: Confederate battle flag (left) and Norwegian flag hanging on a building with "STAVA OPTI..." sign (right). Caption: "Easy to confuse? Composite: AFP/Denise Jans on Unsplash"

YouTube comment thread. Three comments with username redacted circles (red and green). First (username redacted): "how do you not now where florida is??" with laughing emojis. Thumbs up, thumbs down, Reply. collapsed. Second (username redacted): "Riddle me this, do you know where italy is located?" Third (username redacted): "why would we need to learn abt where other countries are" with eye-roll emoji

TikTok/Instagram comment thread. Four comments with username redacted. First (1w): "I am from America and I always wonder if Australians learn to speak American first or is Aboriginal the first language you speak. Someone please help!" Second (3d, red heart): "we speak ENGLISH not American. American is not a language" Third (cantevenread, 3d): "Reply to nour.am4*: Okay I understand. But when you guys say words like 'servo' and 'bogan' is that Aboriginal language?" Fourth (nour.am4*, 3d): "Reply to cantevenread: are you joking?" View more, Hide

Reddit comment thread. ningirl42 (18h): "Southern Hemisphere?" with Edit button. Big_b-wolf (8m, highlighted in blue): "Yes I live in Central texas" with Vote buttons. ningirl42 (Now): "Southern Hemisphere is below the equator, not the mason dixon line."

Reddit comment thread. Three comments with username redacted. First (1h): "British accents are deceptively intelligent sounding." Second (username redacted, 52m): "It's an Australian accent" Third (30m, -3 votes): "I'm American, we don't have time to nitpick all the minutia of cultures in the rest of the world."

Reddit post from r/AskAnAustralian by u/MarriedShoeSalesman (17m). Join button. Title: "Do Australians have trouble understanding each other?" Text: "Serious question that I've thought about for quite awhile (American). I've met one Australian in my life and I had a difficult time understanding his accent. Is it because I'm not used to it, or do Australians have a hard time understanding each other also?."

Twitter/X quote tweet with Spanish-language interface ("Traducir Tweet"). Quote tweet (username redacted): "Since when does mexico have states" with crying emojis. Quoting tweet: "Same-sex marriage is now legal in all of Mexico's 32 states." with Mexican and rainbow flag emojis. Photo below of people celebrating at a pride event holding a large rainbow flag in front of an ornate Mexican building

TikTok/Instagram post with Portuguese-language interface ("644 comentarios", "Responder"). Background shows blurred text about colonisation and Indian women. Comment from Meow (1d): "Native american* pls don't call them Indian" with crying emoji. Reply from moonlitbunnyy (Criador/Creator, 1d): "Just to clarify I'm talking about Indian people from the country of India"

Facebook comment (username redacted, 1d, 229 laughing/thumbs up reactions, Haha, Reply). Text: "This is going to sound really stupid, but outlet plugs. In other countries, like Europe or South America, you have to have a special adapter if you want to plug in something. Here in the U.S, we don't have that problem."

Reddit post by u/abyprop07 (4 hours ago). Title: "Super sweet, but oddly terrifying". Article headline: "Teacher Knits Cute Tiny Dolls Of Entire Class Of 23 Students Because She Missed Them So Much". Photo of handmade knitted dolls with Dutch names (dean, chayenne, noes, julian, luke, soukaina, lexie, ieua, siep, fleur, lilly, hope, sanne, gijs, burak, ziva, fiep, lotte, feijte, boris, anna, thijs, rein) and photo of smiling older woman. Comments: d1rast3s (2h ago): "Im sorry but what are those NAMES". GhoulishlyGrim (41m ago): "The hell is up with their names?!?" MrStallz (13m ago): "A lot of Overwatch names. hmm.. gamer gramma"

Facebook comment thread with German-language interface ("Gefallt mir", "Antworten", "Std."). Three comments with username redacted. First (TopFan badge, 10 Std.): "The world can not handle the complexity of this sport." Second (username redacted, 8 Std.): "Man we do have American Football in Europe. And in South America too" Third (TopFan badge, username redacted, 4 Std.): "ok, that is two countries. Only what, 192 more to go?"

Twitter/X thread. Top: Tweet from Memphis Depay (@Memphis, verified) with photo showing close-up of his arm/torso in orange Netherlands jersey: "Lotta bark, no bite." Reply (username redacted, 3h): "Wait till he realizes he's named after a city in the US"

Twitter/X post (username redacted, 4:22 PM, Aug 5, 2021): "Hanging clothes to dry is unsightly. It's something done in third world countries."

TikTok/Instagram comment thread. header. Video thumbnail shows something melted/hot. First (username redacted, 19h): "Is it really that hot even in winter In Australia?? Another reason to never visit" with laughing emojis. Second (username redacted, 18h, red heart): "Australia is apart of the southern hemisphere, its summer right now". Third (username redacted, replying, 17h): "But isn't America in like the middle of the earth, so like the middle hemisphere, so everywhere else copies? I'm so confused". Fourth (replying, 17h, red heart): "oh my god."

Reddit comment thread. 100percentchungus (1h, -5 votes): "Outside of USA is poor wasteland for degenerates". Reply: tyger2020 (1h): "^ Someone who's clearly never been outside the US and seen what a modern developed country looks like"

Collage/compilation of TikTok/Instagram comments about the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Multiple Americans asking where to park. Key comments: "Silly question but, where do people park?", "As an American, it's wild to see such a large stadium not surrounded by never ending parking lots" (Kristal), "What gets me is there are no parking lots filled with cars near that stadium". Replies explain: "Take public transport. There's extra trains." (carolynstamp1), "The Melbourne cricket ground has its own train station and 3 tram lines, I don't think I've ever met someone who drove a car to the mcg", "Normal people (aka non Americans) don't depend on cars, there's public transportation" (Mireva), "why would you need parking?" (Da Lin), "We took trains and trams!" (Visit Melbourne, verified)

X/Twitter thread with German-language interface ("Tweet ubersetzen"). Thread header. JayzTwoCents (@JayzTwoCents, verified, couple's): "Friendly reminder, don't believe any articles you read today that seem odd, if you aren't from the US today is April Fools day, an annoying day filled with everyone playing jokes on each other. Besides that, carry on and have a great day"

Instagram/Threads post (username redacted, 15h, three-dot menu). Text: "I moved my family of 6 from the US to New Zealand. We've lived there twice. You hear all the good stuff online - but here's what I didn't love: - Spelling in schools is weak - 'Tall poppy syndrome' kills ambition - No real grading system - Driving rules for teens are too strict - Kids mumble more - Sports culture feels soft. Thinking of moving? Know both sides."

Facebook comment thread. username redacted. First (12h): "We have more people than Italy and China." Reply (11h): "you mean population or confirmed cases?" Reply (11h): "population". Reply (with phone screenshot of country population data): "China's population is much larger than the US and Italy has 60 million people." Reply (10h, 1 laughing reaction): "okay whatever I'm not on here to argue there's tons of Misinformation everywhere and I don't even know who you are ... so chill." Reply (10h): "I just pointed out the correct totals for populations. China has had the largest population for a long time." Reply (10h, 1 laughing reaction): "what you are being is a know it all. You don't know it all." Reply (8h, Edited): "I don't know everything. I know very little. But I happen to know China's population is larger than the United States. That's all. Your looking too deep into this. Did you get upset every time a teacher taught you something new in school. Chill out, you learned something new today."

Reddit comment thread. NsaAgent25 (2 hr ago): "I say Prague. It is such an underrated destination with great architecture, history, culture, etc. I can't stress enough how beautiful it is." Reply, Share. Several collapsed replies (Durrresser, Sable_Monarch, Chino_Kawaii, mrpickleby, OldGodsAndNew). MarduStorm231 (16 min ago): "What state is that in?" Vote, Reply, Share. DUPLICATE of sas-europe-7-21

X/Twitter thread. Three tweets. First (username partially visible, verified, 2d): "France rejected right-wing populism. England rejected right-wing populism. Germany rejected right-wing populism. Canada rejected right-wing populism. Australia rejected right-wing populism. America ...dove head first into right-wing populism" with country flag emojis. William Makis MD (@MakisMD, verified, 2d): "England, Australia, Germany are full Communist France, Canada are almost Communist. America is the last line of defense." ming (@5DloveAndlight, 2d): "Everyone in those countries wants to move to America. That says it all right there." with heart emojis.

Twitter/X post (username blacked out). Text: "The pinnacle of retarded boomer conservative memes has officially been reached." Below: meme image showing American and Israeli flags merged/overlapping against a fiery background with text: "Attacks on American and Israel, the only two nations founded on Christian principles"

Reddit post from r/australia. Posted by u/Gehirn (3h, 2 awards). Title: "'Save Australia' protest erupts in New York". Tagged "politics". Photo of protesters holding Australian flags and signs (one says "MELBOURNE") at a New York protest. news.com.au link. Share denserpepper (2h): "I didn't even know we needed saving, this shit is hilarious."

Tags:US foreign ignorance·SAS·USA