...are you suggesting that ordinarily the citizens of an entire country like the United States of America don't have the same distribution of taste - good, bad, vulgar, snobby, personal, not the same as you - as the citizens of any other country? If so I'd like to nail that canard here and now.

And anyway, the first American you meet will tell you that gauging the tastes of the average American on the basis of an NPR poll is like having a flick through the London Review Of Books and then thinking you know what the British are reading.

For a year in California, teacher exchange, have to say David is absoltutely correct, and although popular opinion think otherwise,quite witty,though not well travelled.Having said that....
someone in a bar once told me they had family in London, I asked whereabouts, "Liverpool " came the reply.I was reported to the education board for telling the kids that in England we ate faggots.

... nah, fuck it, not worth it.

This reminds me of the story of Larry David (Drayton, you can look him up) when he did standup. He walked out on stage, picked up the mic, slowly panned his gaze across the audience, said "fuck it, you're not worth it", dropped the mic and walked off stage.

His wording does specifically reference NPR listeners, and inviting debate on whether they are "Americans with taste".

with a pinch of salt? It's pretty obvious, on a board that practically worships HBO, The Hold Steady, The National etc., that we collectively think Americans have great taste; in fact, it's that very knowledge that makes it pleasing to joke otherwise.

Keep your wigs on girls.
Ever heard of irony?
Who is Larry David again?
So what do think of the list?
No, go on, tell us and I won't damn a whole nation with a flippant sentence ever again.
Apart from Germany.
And maybe Scotland.

Just another tiresome generalistaion, along the lines of all soaps are rubbish and watched by thick people, The Sun is pure evil, etc, etc,

*finally dies after being beaten about the head with the same orange in a sock for the past million years*

I like NPR and the All Songs Considered podcast that this list comes from, and if anyone can spare a few seconds away from pulling each other to pieces, it's actually a pretty good chunk of music to investigate and comment on.....

All the best current music is coming from the USA. However i really believe it has a bigger audience here than in its own country which still thrives on classic rock crap and a saccharine soaked version of country music. Even someone as mainstream as The Dixie Chicks gets kicked off the airwaves for daeing to voice an opinion about the last buffoon who ran that great land. Next thing you know there are countless record burning parties and hate mail by the sackful directed at someone daring to espouse their view. If that is democracy you can stick it up your arse. I didnt think the original post was offensive but thought DH's response was unnecessary and My American Mates input was inflammatory. We shouldn't be really surprised by that since he has already told us what a nasty lot we are.

This is about the third or fourth post in the last month that has descended rather rapidly into some light- and not so light-hearted American bashing. Having lived in the US for the last 6 years I suddenly find myself getting a bit uppity when Brits start putting the boot in. I'm genuinely intrigued as to why people find it acceptable to ridicule and caricature Americans in ways that would be deemed completely unacceptable for other nations. Is it because Brits perceive Americans as an unruly, vulgar and misbehaving bunch of Europeans, who really should know better, and are therefore fair game for abuse? If there's one thing I've learned through living over here, it's that America, despite the language similarities, is not like Europe at all. Before coming to the States I lived in rural Andalucia for four years and that felt far less "foreign" to me than the US.

Anyway, yesterday I got a phone call from my health insurance company. A bloke from Denver, his voice worn down to a monotone by the tedium of his job, suddenly perked up when he heard my accent. Deviating from his usual spiel he went off on a tangent about how he loved UK prog, his career as a drummer, and his musical friendships with Robert Fripp and Ginger Baker. We had a nice chat about our mutual love of Brian Eno and then, perhaps wary that the conversation was being recorded by his employer, he reverted to health insurance mode. Our little conversation intrigued me. Here was an evidently talented and jobbing drummer, 58 years old, who was making ends meet doing phone work for health insurance. I don't really know what my point is, but it somehow summed up what America feels like to me. There is no sense of entitlement over here, and most people seem to be working their arses off to stay afloat.

I love Americans. Not all of them, obviously that would be stupid.
But many of the humans I have felt actual real *love* for - fraternal, collegiate, sexual or otherwise have been Americans.

That is all.

about the fireman on his retirement.

How did you get your nickname, he was asked. Well he says; " I saved 100 cats from trees, do they call me Geordie the cat saver? No. I rescued 23 old ladies from public toilets, do they call me Geordie the Old Lady Saver? No. I have put out endless fires, do they call me Geordie the fireman? No. You suck one cock..."

From a simple posting with what I thought an ironic heading and a shit load of vitriol comes my way.

Nice community.

Over and out.

What did I start?

The original posting was totally benign. I didn't read it as an assault on America. Unfortunately MyAmericanMate, not for the first time, seems to be experiencing a sense of humour bypass. Fine but is there a need for sarcastic putdowns of other people on the site? I don't think so. On record, most of my working life has been involved with USA either living there, visiting there or dealing with American people. I have a lot of American friends - few if any share exactly the same sense of humour but they are funny in their own way. Their culture in terms of literature, music and film has provided some of the most inspirational experiences of my life. Unfortunately they have exported some of the most undiluted drivel too. As the saying goes you take the rough with the smooth. By the way NPR as another poster pointed out is doing an excellent job in USA and is as uncommercial as America gets which is why the list contains hardly any mainstream artists and is similar to what is enjoyed by many on this site.

...through the music, the movies and yes, the accent (or accents, plural as I now realise). Consequently when I first went there in 1989 I was in awe, and the soundtrack that I'd learned for years before played in my head everywhere I went no matter how mundane. It was just 'cool'.

And even now - and I work daily with Texans and DC folk and visit the country for work regularly - I can still see it that way. Yes, I've come across the bigotry and small-mindedness from time to time, but I also get plenty of that in the UK. And I welcome most Americans' hospitality, unfailing cheerfulness and positivity - something I definitely miss in the UK.

The only thing I'd change is the earnestness - many a time I've regretted cracking a childish joke in a business meeting.

For this point to be made, but Im not fully convinced that the original list that was posted proves that NPR listeners have taste.

you get food to eat, you don't have to run through the jungle and scuff up your feet. You just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day. It's great to be an American.

for a few days and missed all the fun.
I guess I may have more thoughts than most on this topic - UK born - moved to the US 13 years ago - became a citizen last year. I guess I like the place.
I work in sales - my Englishness sticks out like a sore thumb - and I have never seen it as a problem - quite the reverse - a good ice breaker. The comment above about earnestness - maybe inhigh powered meetings - but regular sales meetings - I would say more relaxed than the UK - always time for a joke!
Generaizations - well - all I know is there are all sorts out there - a lot of good ones and few a--holes thrown in - I know as many British A--holes as American a--holes.

To the spirit of the original post - what we do see is the NPR listeners have the same weird taste in music as Word readers - perhaps thats why I like the radio staion AND the magazine - but both camps are pretty much in the minority.
I would hazard a guess that only small fraction of the general public of either country would have even heard of more than a handful of the bands on the list.
So congratulations Word readers - welcome to your radio station

...yesterday afternoon I was speaking to a very pleasant young American lady (my wife was there too so don't get the wrong idea) who heard us talking about the fact that we had to get our plane back to Birmingham from Amsterdam (sorry..place dropping) in about 4 hours and could we slip in anotehr beer or two before we had to go, who asked if we lived anywhere near where Nick Drake was from. Sadly not but she seemed to think it was remarkably close. Does that show good taste? I think so although my wife, resolutely northen English, has a an opinion totally at odds with mine. Taste has nothing to do with nationality.