‘What did you think was an American stereotype until you actually visited?’ – 21 ways the USA is exactly like in the movies

In the UK, and the world in general, we are so used to seeing American TV shows and movies that the place can seem almost fictional in our minds.

So when we actually visit and find out that the things we thought must be made up are real, it blows our minds a bit.

They’ve been discussing this on the AskReddit page after unfreezemenow asked this…

What did you think was an American stereotype until you actually visited?

And lots of people chipped in with the things they were shocked to find out are an everyday part of life in the USA, like these…

1.

‘Not so much of a stereotype but more so an effect. Growing up as a kid (not in US) I watched movies shot in New York and there would be steam coming out of the manholes in the street in dark scenes, think Batman.

I always thought that the steam was a movie effect till I visited New York last January and the steam coming out of the manholes is definitely real. My jaw kinda dropped at seeing it and then I felt like an idiot.’
–Kloppite16

2.

‘My nephew came over from Germany and was shocked the buses were actually yellow. He enjoyed the American experience though.’
–maxpoontang

3.

‘Towns in the middle of nowhere, downtown is one long strip road – a couple of fast food places, a grocery story, a petrol station, a bar with no windows and four churches.’
–Lumpyproletarian

4.

‘That Americans are very friendly. I have lived in the US now for 19 years and I can happily say that this is very true. As a brown immigrant, overwhelmingly, I have been treated very well here and people have always been very friendly.’
–kinetic_honda

5.

‘People actually going to see a high school or college sport game. In my country no one except the parents of the team players would bother to go watch an extracurricular sports game.’
–pseudo__gamer

6.

‘Forests. I lived in Amsterdam for a few years as a student. Some of my friends visited (when in the US I lived in Boston) and I took them up to New Hampshire for some hiking. Their impression of the US was that it consisted of urban areas and cowboy areas. They couldn’t get over that New England is heavily forested.’
–Maybe136

7.

‘I moved to the US in 2000. My Grandad told my parents to ensure I didn’t go to any bars. They asked him why not. He said “because of all the bar fights!”. He was dead serious! I promised him I’d be careful and leave if any unsavoury characters showed up saying the town wasn’t big enough for the two of us.’

It’s been 26 years, so far no issues.’
–zerbey

8.

‘My host sister from Germany – the high school cheerleaders. She thought it was just a cheesy movie trope, or an exaggeration.

She was absolutely exasperated that it was a real, genuine sport and a genuinely normal thing to see a school sporting events, let alone professional events.’
–TCsnowdream

9.

‘Specific to the south, namely Texas: my wife was mildly shocked that people actually wear cowboy hats and boots. Not ironically, not part of a costume, just everyday attire.’
–zardoz73

10.

‘That Americans were all fat and only ate junk food. They are not.’
–Adivinhanomes

11.

‘I was shocked to discover the existence of private gun stores. I knew they had to get them from somewhere but I thought it was like a armoury/state run liquor store situation.

No, it’s actually like going to Foot Locker except instead of shoes on the wall, it’s guns.’
–LittleMsSavoirFaire

12.

‘For me it was just how big the grocery stores are. I had heard the joke from the Cold War era of some USSR child going to the US and being enamoured by the grocery stores.

I come from Australia, we are a first world country, our stores are decently sized and have a good variety. But, damn, I went to a Wegmans with a model train in it running through the store, a sit down restaurant, and so much variety I felt like I was from some impoverished backwater.’
–s0m30n3e1s3