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For people arguing against NY as a state. Foreigners would be able to name it by default from the city sharing it's name. The same can not be said for Illinois/Chicago.
It's like playing trivia and naming sports teams and someone thinks of the St. Louis Cardinals and gets the Arizona Cardinals by default.
When foreigners watch Western Movies, they don't really associate them with Texas. Why? Quite simple. Because Texas is a State in the South, not a State in the West..
I think you're confusing reality with perceptions. The average person overseas isn't going to really make the distinction between Texas being in the South vs. West. They know cowboys and associate that with Texas more than anywhere else because that's a stereotype that's often perpetuated, even if it's inaccurate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by frimpter928
I would say Florida is like that, a destination as state overall, like the Yucatan, French Riveria, Ibiza. I am not saying Florida is on par with those places in what it offers or similarities, I am just saying it's on par with notoriety as a beach, vacation, hot weather desitation. Especially in Europe.
All really good points and examples. I agree with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffD
I'm trying to fathom if 90% of the people in this thread have ever been out of the country. You think the average man on the street in Germany or Japan knows 1950s Rogers and Hammerstein musicals like Oklahoma! ?
In Asia, I'll often say New York. That at least gets me in the right time zone.
I have actually met people in India who have asked me if I've ever seen it on Broadway (I haven't). I don't think it's widely recognized abroad, but when you're talking about the bottom few entries on the "10 most recognized states around the world" list, you have to dig for name recognition.
I almost always did what you do and said "Boston" even when I was in Providence, Portland and on the South Coast of MA. Depending where you are in Asia, you could get away with "Boston" too. People know it (thanks in large part to Harvard and MIT) everywhere I've been in China, Japan, Korea, and India. Hell, Boston has direct flights to Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Beijing.
I do agree New York (state) and Illinois are not well known outside of North American and Western Europe.
Pennsylvania is hard to explain, my guess is partially because of the name?
And I would still wager that Pennsylvania is more well known around the world than Virginia, I wouldn't be surprised if Philadelphia was more well known than DC.
And NO I am not talking about importance or global power, I am simply talking about the name.
Philadelphia is a unique name (greek roots), possibly the most important city in American history, Rocky, cheese steaks, sports, etc.
Those characteristics have made it stand out... I was in Thailand a few months and somehow Philadelphia came up and the Thai bartenders yelled out Rocky... Normally it irritates me, but I found it funny that people in this tiny village in Thailand knew about Rocky.
DC is the nations capital, but doesn't have those silly attachments like Philadelphia does, and I think once you get outside of our North American/ Western European bubble, those silly attachments are what people remember and equate to cities...
Now to clarify, I think many on here are overthinking the topic / overthinking the relevance of the US on peoples minds.
Honestly, outside of New York City and California (maybe Miami), the rest of the US is just a big country with lots of people. But if we are nitpicking between states and cities, I think Philadelphia would be in the top 5/10. Some people need to take their feelings and pride out of the discussion for a minute.
Maybe someone else can elaborate on Pennsylvania being well known.
I doubt that to be honest. Washington is constantly on the news everywhere, so people will know it just because of that. Philadelphia is well known, of course, but it doesn't get the 'default' recognition that the capital will get. Kids in school learn about foreign capitals, not cities with popular music acts or movies. But it's besides the point as this thread is about states ofc.
Okay. I agree that Texas is more well-known than Massachusetts to foreigners. But academic institutions and city in Massachusetts are more famous than their counterparts in Texas.
I have no qualm about Texas. I lived there for a few years and I enjoyed life there.
Hawaii is definitely within the top five but the problem is many foreigners are not sure if it is part of U.S.
Many many years ago (1960s), there was a scam to sell Hawaiian land in foreign country. The scammer bought a vacant lot on Big Island and then CPRed it into many smaller lots, then sold the CPRed deeds to foreigners which each cost $hundreds (by that time it was a big sum).
I knew somebody who bought it. Why did he buy it? He thought that entitled him to move to Hawaii.
Definitely not. If anything, the notoriety is "New England", and more specifically Boston.
Foreigners do not know what Massachusetts is, sorry. Same deal with Pennsylvania. They know Philadelphia, not PA.
When I’m outside the country, I never use New England. I assume most people will know Boston. As I wrote up-thread, I’ll use New York sometimes with Asians if they’re not high tech.
We all have to memorize the 50 states. I can’t assume that with someone English-speaking outside the country.
I doubt that to be honest. Washington is constantly on the news everywhere, so people will know it just because of that. Philadelphia is well known, of course, but it doesn't get the 'default' recognition that the capital will get. Kids in school learn about foreign capitals, not cities with popular music acts or movies. But it's besides the point as this thread is about states ofc.
I don’t see how Philly could be well known. Globally, it’s not economically significant. In American film, it’s not well represented. Why would anyone know Philly? DC is the capital so everyone will know the city. Sadly, they’ll know Florida from the awful Disney portrayal of US “culture”.
I don’t see how Philly could be well known. Globally, it’s not economically significant. In American film, it’s not well represented. Why would anyone know Philly? DC is the capital so everyone will know the city. Sadly, they’ll know Florida from the awful Disney portrayal of US “culture”.
There was an Oscar-winning movie called Philadelphia. But its probably best known for its association with the Rocky series of movies.
There was an Oscar-winning movie called Philadelphia. But its probably best known for its association with the Rocky series of movies.
The movie Philadelphia only did $130 million in revenue outside the US. You really think somebody in Prague or Shanghai has seen it? For people outside the US who actually watch Stallone movies, how many do you think know where the Rocky movies are set? I’m quite certain the sequel with Rocky and the American flag beating the huge Russian wasn’t much of an International success.
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