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I can only talk for the UK here. In my experience, I'd say California and NYC and to a lesser extent Florida. There are a lot of people that trash California as well, but those are usually people who just don't like the US. NYC I rarely hear trashed, but I don't think NY excites people as much as California. California is significantly more popular. The least popular region by a decent margin is the deep southern states. Its seen as an interesting place, but also backwards. Someone mentioned Texas... I don't know, its got a weird reputation, its kinda got a reputation of being cool and badass, but again it is also viewed as all the negatives of American condensed to one state. I'd say its more like marmite. Tbh, people view of American states nearly always follows how those places are portrayed in the media. Most people don't do further research unless they're interested in the US.
Worst impression -- Detroit (but not Michigan). During and after the meltdown in '08, some houses in Detroit were on sale for $hundreds. Many foreign newspapers used that as headline and explored on the subject and elaborated why it was so dirt cheap.
A Mcdonalds commercial in the UK recently advertised a South Carolina burger, and the actors in the commercial had country singer accents, big wigs with cowboy hats, cowboy clothes, a cowboy mustache, and a cattle rope.
I asked UK friends what in the world was that supposed to be. From what Ive gathered, most foreignors see California, New York, Florida, and Texas. And Texas is everything thats not California, New York, and Florida.
They put a football player in it too, at least they got that right...though his powder blue uniform made me laugh.
Wait, how do you figure that people in East Asia don't think America is diverse? There's been a massive immigration boom from East Asia in the last few decades, large tourism numbers (and students being sent here), and the US media does show some diversity and gets exported. How did you figure that East Asia as a whole doesn't think the US is diverse?
Outside of millennials, most of East Asia wouldn't even come to think that Blacks and Hispanics play a significant role in the US; even the "stereotypical" American seems to be of pale skin, and light eyes. I've spoken to several Asians that actually live in Asia from Lebanon to Hong Kong; due to the larger media, and beauty standards in Asian countries, this is typically their perception of Americans. Now with millennials? it's different, due to social media, they're more knowledgeable about Urban American Cultures. Also diversity just doesn't stop at Race as well, it's nationality, ethnicity, sexual preference, political views, religion, language etc.
A Mcdonalds commercial in the UK recently advertised a South Carolina burger, and the actors in the commercial had country singer accents, big wigs with cowboy hats, cowboy clothes, a cowboy mustache, and a cattle rope.
I asked UK friends what in the world was that supposed to be. From what Ive gathered, most foreignors see California, New York, Florida, and Texas. And Texas is everything thats not California, New York, and Florida.
They put a football player in it too, at least they got that right...though his powder blue uniform made me laugh.
OMG, yes!! The SC stack Burger (also for TN, LA, etc). Look at these adverts from the UK. Yes, everyone recognizes these are exaggerations, but only in the same sense that we stereotype all British as super posh aristocrats from Southern England. Keep in mind, this is a McDonald's campaign called "Great Taste of America." The ads are viewed as funny, not at all offensive. But the caricatures in them are heavy stereotypes, largely random, and in their view could earnestly be applied to any state in the US (that isn't CA, FL and NY- look at how they went with baseball there) because these are stereotypes that click with audiences in a kind of endearing way. The endearing Murica-land image would be a good bet for any area outside of the major cities that have their own reputations.
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