What is American Culture?

Let's check out some aggressively American entertainment. What kind of pop culture is the most American of all? Let me show you a couple TV shows, games, and songs that I think fit the bill.

Sam and Max footage care of NintendoComplete

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HASHTAGS: #america #culture #popculture

[bleach]

The Grand Theft Auto series is probably one of the greatest parodies of American culture.

[.mviews]

One of the biggest reasons our culture seems so "bland", is because most of our interesting quirks are on a regional level.

[gavinthecrafter]

One thing I've noticed about American culture is that it has become so prevalent throughout the world as a whole that some will claim that America "has no culture", just like how some Americans say they don't "have an accent", which is really interesting to me

[AChapman]

I think Malcolm in the Middle is a very under appreciated portrayal of middle class suburban American life

[TrainfanJanathan]

Animaniacs is a good example. That show didn't translate well in other languages because a lot of the jokes required you to know a lot of famous American names, jokes that are often made of them and current events. Apparently, it didn't do so well in Japan.

[rangergxi]

The Fallout series used to be chalk full of references to American esoterism and pop culture.

[Narokkurai]

I remember reading that King of the Hill actually has a very dedicated following in Japan. Might be apocryphal, but I like to imagine that somewhere out there, Hank Hill's loving dedication to propane and propane accessories struck a chord with a lot of Japanese viewers.

[boudicathebrave]

That 70s Show is definitely extremely American! I feel like most sitcoms are also incredibly culturally specific, as their humor derives from social/cultural situations.

[DiMacky]

I lived a short time in Japan and returning to the US, yeah, the US has a very visible culture that permeates every aspect of life just as much as any other country. It's just a case of a fish not knowing it's wet until it's taken out of water.

[xpload]

"The Goonies" and "Sandlot" are extremely American and very nostalgic for most Americans.

[AntiAntagonist]

Over The Garden Wall is a great short series that is a pastiche of pre-1940s rural americana (minus racism).

American Pie (the song) is a great piece that goes over a lot of what happened in the 1960s and the cultural changes of the time.

[adam_roman]

I think Twin Peaks is a good example. It became really big in Japan because of the weird mix of Americana, drama, and mystery to the point where Cooper even appeared in ads for a Japanese coffee company

[ProPopulo]

5 seconds in and JJ has already pissed off 90% of Canada

[mobmaniac]

Parks and Rec is a really great look at American-style local government

[hellofrominside]

I discovered the show two years ago so I have no idea if Breaking Bad was big internationally but I feel like it really captures a lot of American culture. Themes of masculinity and capitalism interweaving, the healthcare system, the war on drugs, It seems like a solid, if pessimistic, depiction of American culture to me.

[davidnicholson]

"Seinfeld" is extremely American in a very specific way. Someone like me who grew up on the East Coast will find its cultural tropes and references instantly recognizable while someone from Alabama might struggle to decipher the humor. I think that's an important point: the most definitively American stuff has strong regional characteristics because anything that generalizes "America" nationally is by definition a compromise. Other examples include Whit Stillman's excellent parody of/celebration of New York WASP elites "Metropolitan", "Freaks and Geeks" nailing middle class Midwestern high schools in the early 80s, the excellent depiction of directionless Californians in "Sideways", "The Florida Project"'s heartbreaking portrayal of Floridians on the edge etc.

[HoneyMike]

King of the Hill is pretty popular in Japan, there's actually fans who argue about which is better the Sub or the Dub

[Grumpini]

0:34 - There's no Japanese reference there. Brock is simply holding a jelly donut.

[duweisstgarnichts]

It's interesting how American culture is automatically American pop-culture for you. As an European, I always assume culture with old music, art, architecture, food, books, ect.

[genericname_]

I honestly can’t fully describe why, but I feel like Breaking Bad is a great display of American culture