As the US exports culture to other countries (eg. Hollywood, slang etc.) -- what cultural imports does it receive?

[Thomas R.]

Originally Posted by jayp1188

Literature here is very influenced by foreign countries. Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Emile Bronte, Jane Austin, Homer, Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter, and many others are some of the most widely read authors in the U.S.

That's a good point. Some are indicating foreign culture is only taken up by sub-cultures, but Harry Potter or Hobbits or Peter Rabbit or whatever are at least known by people who are not in any specific fantasy subculture. Although authors from before 1776 maybe should be counted a bit differently as the US didn't exist then.

A good deal of our children's books/shows are known by a diverse cross-section and aren't from the US. Willy Wonka, etc by Roald Dahl are fairly widely-known in the US. As is some of his mystery stories. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll I think is known by a fairly wide cross-section. Even Pippi Longstocking by Swede Astrid Lindgren was fairly known.

Some of our spy movies are British or adapted from the British. Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, or John Le Carre.

Then there's possible oddities. Guinness World Records is Irish and although maybe not exactly "cultural" it's been referenced or mentioned in much of American pop-culture.

[btownboss4]

Originally Posted by couldntthinkofaclevername

First of all, you clearly don't know what actual US culture is.

Secondly, outside of places with no identity like the suburbs and sprawled "cities", we're not influenced by outside countries but by the people who live in our country. That's the way it's always been and the way it will always be.

really, have you been to an Italian or Chinese resturant ever, or do you east cheese-steaks all day, hot dogs are German, Pizza is Italian, Pasta is Italian, French Fries are Belgian, French Toast is French, Waffels are Belgian, Pancakes are Dutch.

[AuburnAL]

It's not new, but I think the addition of luchadores to mainstream pro wrestling in the US probably started sometime in the late 1980s.