What's Your Cultural Mythos?

[dalem]

One of the strongest cultural myths for America is that of the Wild West. Without arguing about how much of the myth is based on fact or not, I think it's fair to state that in the 20th century many or most males grew up with a cowboy role in their heads.

Ride into town, reluctantly kill all the Bad Guys, bed the girl, then ride off into the sunset.

That's an iconic American Hero. We have others - policeman, fireman, astronaut, inventor, etc., but they are all in some small way parallel to the Cowboy, and they are all demonstrably positive - conquering things that need to be conquered (Evil, the Unknown) and/or rescuing things that need to be rescued (the Innocent).

Now, I am often surprised by Europeans (for instance) who will one minute dismiss Americans as nothing but ignorant cowboys and the next minute act shocked and dismayed that we are acting as -gasp- cowboys! It's kinda funny.

I mean, we're not that hard to figure out. You got it pretty much right the first time - WE ARE COWBOYS AT HEART. We like it that way. It makes us bold and heroic and decisive and somewhat tragic, and brings with it not a little naivete. I mean after all, no one in the last town thanked us (except The Girl) when we killed all their Bad Guys, why would we possibly expect anything different in the next town?

So as I opened with above, I am curious. What do folks around the globe think about your own cultural mythos? What are they? How do they shape you and your country?

-dale

[Ray]

Dale,

Amongst the American icons you forgot the most important one - Superman!

And Americans love playing Superman!

I am mentioning no names!

Why do you feel that only the Europeans think that the hung ho American (distinct from the non gung ho American) are all cowboys.

The whole world thinks that these gung ho types are Cowboys.

The stars at night - are big and bright
Deep in the heart of texas.
The prairie sky - is wide and high
Deep in the heart of texas.
The sage in bloom - is like perfume
Deep in the heart of texas.
Reminds me of - the one I love
Deep in the heart of texas.
The cowboys cry - ki-yip-pie-yi
Deep in the heart of texas.
The rabbits rush - around the brush
Deep in the heart of texas.
The coyotes wail - along the trail
Deep in the heart of texas.
The doggies bawl - and bawl and bawl
Deep in the heart of texas.
********

O give me a home where the buffaloes roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day

[dalem]

[FONT=Tahoma]Dale,

Amongst the American icons you forgot the most important one - Superman!

Superman is just a cowboy in tights and a cape.

And Americans love playing Superman!

I am mentioning no names!

Why do you feel that only the Europeans think that the hung ho American (distinct from the non gung ho American) are all cowboys.

The whole world thinks that these gung ho types are Cowboys.

I don't think it's just Europeans that think that - I just used them as a specific example.

What is a major Indian cultural myth and how does it shape you?

-dale

[JG73]

[FONT=Tahoma]Dale,

Amongst the American icons you forgot the most important one - Superman!

And what's about Ronald McDonald? Man, eating without leaving the car....that's the american way of life.

The most stereotype German cultural myth maybe is being descended from Prussia and it's military drill. Thus the typical German is always clean, over the top correct and on time but also not very humorous and very starchy and however as a consequence thereof very tolerant and multicultural for example with the huguenots (Of course not Nazi Germany).
Germany is also famous for being the country of the poets and thinkers (Goethe, Schiller, Nietzsche, Fontane, Hesse....), great inventors and scientists(v.Braun, Einstein....).
In other european countries we are also often amused called "the Teutons". Because we are strong minded and never give up. Especially in soccer games many nations fear our will to fight back.

[Ray]

Dale,

I reckon that all Indians are Rajas, Nabobs, snake charmers and the Indian rope trick joe!

[Monk]

Are you kiddin' me dale, I am from India dude. If I started off on cultural mythos of India we are gonna run out of bandwidth.

[Monk]

Thus the typical German is always clean, over the top correct and on time but also not very humorous and very starchy and however as a consequence thereof very tolerant and multicultural for example with the huguenots

Lol. Actually that is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a german. However I have seen that a few beers do make a very large difference, hey.

[Officer of Engineers]

Hockey players. White guys with sticks beating each other out in the cold.

Though I never understood why but our mounties are world famous. Just another bunch of cops to me.

[THL]

And what's about Ronald McDonald? Man, eating without leaving the car....that's the american way of life.

Oh please don't tell me you associate Americans with Ronald McDonald - that could just put me over the edge.

[Officer of Engineers]

Oh please don't tell me you associate Americans with Ronald McDonald - that could just put me over the edge.

I never knew how you could screw up MacDonalds ... until I had MacDonalds in Saudi.

[THL]

Germans get big strong good looking men, canadians get cops on horses...What do the Mexicans get?

El Guapo

[Monk]

I never knew how you could screw up MacDonalds ... until I had MacDonalds in Saudi.

Sir, That is a collective middle eastern achievement. Mcdonalds all over the ME is screwed up.

[THL]

Sir, That is a collective middle eastern achievement. Mcdonalds all over the ME is screwed up.

I made the mistake of eating Pizza Hut in Guatemala once. BAD idea. It's not all that decent in the US - even worse in Guatemala.

[Monk]

I made the mistake of eating Pizza Hut in Guatemala once. BAD idea. It's not all that decent in the US - even worse in Guatemala.

HAHAHA, how American. But you can't beat me on this.
Me and my sister went to this place called Dover in south eastern England. Small coastal town. We landed up at around 3 in the afternoon and had to get lunch. We were walking around and I said lets find a Mcdonalds. My sister thought I was crazy since I had travelled all the way to UK and wanted to eat Mcdonalds. However as we were walking around, I smelt the Mcdonald's and took her directly to the restaurant following the smell. She was quite surprised let me tell you.
How Stereotypically american is that?

[Samudra]

Monk,

Did you also go to the "Fishermans Nest"* in Dover?
And there is new stereotyping thing for India : Call Centers.

* A small Inn in Dover, which Sir Percy Blackeney uses as a transit point in the famous Scarlet Pimpernal novels.