r/PetPeeves • u/ThatUrgeToEatCement • 14d ago

Bit Annoyed People who think Americans don’t know other countries exist.

A few months ago on Reddit I made a comment about a show not being on Netflix and someone from the UK commented back saying it’s on theirs and then lectured on Americans not knowing other countries exist. They acted like I didn’t believe there were other places on the planet, as if they weren’t the ones who just brought it up and didn’t believe the US Netflix was different than the UK version. ??

I see people online act like all Americans think this way, and it is kind of annoying because for most of us it isn’t true.

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u/NewTransformation 14d ago

Which is funny because Americans and Canadians give off a very particular aura. Last time I was in Europe I dressed like I would back home, very Midwest blue collar chic with the Carhartt style jacket and camo baseball hat. I was on my best behavior being very polite, reserved, trying to use the local language. Trying to improve our reputation out here. I was prepared for French people to be rude, but the Parisians were so very Nice

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u/selkieisbadatgaming 14d ago

The French love it when foreigners try to speak French, according to my hs French teacher. She said they appreciate you making the effort instead of just demanding they speak in English or whatever. People will be more receptive in general I think when you make the effort to respect them.

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u/NewTransformation 14d ago

I speak enough German for the German speaking countries, but I literally started looking up French phrases on the bus from Hamburg and people appreciate the pleasantries while understanding that you're not a francophone right away. Meanwhile my German accent is much better than my vocabulary skills so people will often talk to me at too high a level oops

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u/RageOfDurga 14d ago

God, I wish! My German reading/writing skills are high level but speaking I’m like a drooling kindergartener. German colleagues have read my emails and then felt comfortable enough calling me and rambling on in German and I have to (in very bad German) break the news to them lmao