What's something that comes from America, but ironically not popular in the US?
Posted by EmergencySpare7939@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 1601 comments
Like it came from the US, but isn't popular there. Stuff like e-sports even though they were made by american companies are more popular abroad. Some bands like The Killers are more popular abroad then they are here.
Darmok47@reddit
Heinz Baked Beans.
It's considered so quintessentially British that many Brits are unaware Heinz is an American company.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
And most of us probably are unaware that Heinz even sells beans. We've got row upon row of baked beans, but not Heinz. Heinz beans are in the international section of my local Publix, though.
soyboydom@reddit
Heinz baked beans would never really take off here, for good reason. I like baked beans as much as any average American, but the British apparently like theirs all watery and ketchup-like, so Heinz reigns supreme.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
British baked beans look like beans in spaghettio sauce to me
RiverTadpolez@reddit
They are.
And they're exactly like spaghettios in the sense that they're like a nostalgic, comfort, 'struggle meal' food that lots of people wouldn't want to eat as an adult.
People also often add condiments to them to flavour them, like chutneys, Worcestershire sauce, curry powders, hot sauce etc.
khak_attack@reddit
They are beans in spaghettio sauce.
TundieRice@reddit
That’s pretty much exactly what they are! For real, that sauce is bland af, I’ve had to add a shit ton of extra seasoning every time I’ve made them.
Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit
I had the Heinz. I prefer them to the standard ones we have here. Im not a huge fan of the overly sweet baked beans we have.
RegularNormalAdult@reddit
Focking shite desgustin mate
Particular-Move-3860@reddit
S'rye, innit?
lumpkin2013@reddit
Oi guvnor
KingDongTwist@reddit
Tally Ho
Bacontoad@reddit
Honey Nut Cheerios
totallymindful@reddit
This whole thread have me a good chuckle. Never change, reddit
Diligent_Gear_8179@reddit
u wot m8
shornscrot@reddit
Huzzah!!!
_B1RDM4N@reddit
I like baked beans perhaps above average, was raised on Bush’s though. UK baked beans taste much less flavorsome, but to each their own. I wonder how their higher end varieties compare, or if that even exists? Stayed at a nice hotel in London last year with a top notch breakfast spread. I admit I found the beans a bit lacking but I appreciate that both cultures have an affinity.
Itchy-Grapefruit2756@reddit
Bush’s are Win!
mewikime@reddit
Having worked in multiple higher end hotels, I can tell you that they all just serve Heinz Baked Beans from catering cans. Well, they did in the 90s and 2000s
_B1RDM4N@reddit
This tracks. I figured if anywhere would serve a higher tier, it may be in that context. Do you know if folks soak and stew their own at home often, making their own sauce as well? As you likely know, “BBQ beans” as they’re often called are not uncommon in the US, which to me is like a heartier, even better version of the tinned variety. I’m wondering if there’s an analogue across the pond. Your flair tells me you may be in a unique position to testify.
veggiedelightful@reddit
I've made my own British Heinz beans from scratch on online recipes. I really liked them very savory . My family did not enjoy them. Eat it on fried bread with slices of cheese melted in the oven on top. Never had the actual tinned Heinz beans though.
_B1RDM4N@reddit
That sounds tasty, I also like savory flavor to them and wish some tinned varieties were a little less sweet. The tinned Heinz variety lacks spices and molasses, and have almost the flavor of watery ketchup. It’s like a similar flavor profile, just toned way down and more vaguely tangy than the sweet n’ savory I’m used to.
I did not have talkin bout beans a lot on my bingo card for today but here we are.
Bjw4k8@reddit
A scoop of better than bullion does the savory for me. I can’t speak for the ketchup soup
Capable_Stranger9885@reddit
They probably scoop 'em from the tub Roger Daltrey posed in?
Frewtti@reddit
Bush is best, the vegetarian are the best. Feels weird to throw hot dogs in them
unsmashedpotatoes@reddit
So its like van camps pork and beans. Yeah it wouldn't take off here.
Cakeo@reddit
You are meant to reduce the sauce.
soyboydom@reddit
Then why don’t they? I’ve not set out to make Heinz baked beans myself, my experience is purely based on the baked beans that have been served to me by other Brits. Every time, they are watery and still taste like ketchup.
Cakeo@reddit
Being served bad versions of food is not indicative of the actual food made well
If an American served me a bad burger, would I then expect that is normal?
soyboydom@reddit
If you had eaten burgers your whole life and liked them just fine, but then you lived in America for an extended period of time and disliked every single burger you were served while in the country, finding the same faults in each one, then yes, you could probably expect that it’s specifically the American way of making burgers that you have a problem with. That would be a much more accurate comparison to my experience.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
If you're a European online, then, yes, that's exactly what you'd do.
Loose_Leg_2918@reddit
It’s not “ketchup like”, stop knocking on my beans bro
thebagel264@reddit
I love baked beans. I tried store brand "home style" and it was tomato juice. Gross.
Everblossom22@reddit
lol yeah my local grocery store has Heinz beans in the British section which is a tiny one foot wide section with the HP sauce and some digestive biscuits.
VinRow@reddit
I definitely prefer my baked beans which I would say are Texas flavored. But, I think the British Heinz baked beans are perfect for the full breakfasts over there. They go so well with the pork sausages and black and white pudding.
dcgrey@reddit
Every UK taste test: “Could you water it down or, perhaps, add organ meats?”
FatherOfOdin@reddit
Have you ever had the canned Dr Pepper baked beans? All other baked beans are inferior.
sgtm7@reddit
I thought Heinz pork and beans were the same as the British baked beans if you were to remove the bits of pork.
Curmudgy@reddit
Heinz used to be pretty big for baked beans in the US. Their vegetarian beans still have residual pages on sites like Walmart and Kroger, though they’re discontinued and hence shown as out of stock or unavailable. I’m not sure when they were discontinued, but they was certainly available earlier this century.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
Heinz are absolutely terrible. But that style of beans is American to begin with and, like Heinz, from the Mid Atlantic.
We just call them pork and beans here. Van Camps and Campbells are the major brands. There's a lot of regional brands on the east coast.
Heinz are just a particularly bad version of them, and even goes British and Irish takes. Also pretty shit. Some of the better brands from over there would have legs over here. And Bachelor from Ireland is actually more common even in international aisles and markets.
I don't think most Brits would be eating Heinz without the nostalgia. They're just not good.
Fionaver@reddit
Have you tried them? I picked them up a few years ago and tried them with toast. Don’t really get the appeal. They’re definitely different though.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
I don't think they are meant to be a taste sensation, just cheap and easy, comforting and give people nostalgia. Compare maybe with how Americans may see packets of mac and cheese. You aren't going to get it unless you grew up with it.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
No. Why would I? Bush's had a dozen different varieties of baked beans, all canned in sauces that are more than just whatever is in Spaghetti-os, and for cheaper.
LikelyNotSober@reddit
As a kid Bush’s baked beans (or similar) were the only beans I was exposed to. I always thought they were sickly sweet and absolutely gross, and therefore hated beans.
It wasn’t until I tried Mexican/Cuban/Latin style beans that didn’t taste like candy that I realized that I do, in fact, like beans.
The British Heinz beans do not look appealing at all from my perspective. Looks like American baked beans but worse.
Fionaver@reddit
They are more tomato based than molasses sugar sweet based.
Professional-Rent887@reddit
They’re not loaded with sugar like most American baked beans.
mehssdd@reddit
I agree that most baked beans are too sweet, but Heinz are just absolutely bland. Other brands need to be jazzed up a bit, but at least there is something to work with.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
They're also not loaded with flavor
OdinNW@reddit
I only know this because I watch food shows on YouTube. Otherwise I would be completely oblivious
_badwithcomputer@reddit
Because they are bland and awful.
garrett_w87@reddit
Because they actually have to be imported to get here.
Remote-Bug4396@reddit
There's a storyline in Mad Men about their agency getting the Heinz Beans account. Peggy has a great presentation, but all Don and the others can focus on is hoping this will help with a shot at ketchup.
mommawolf2@reddit
Van Camps is the bean of choice in our house.
bossk538@reddit
I was unaware of them too until I spent time in Ireland. Now I sometimes buy them when we’re having an Irish breakfast. You find them in the imports section of the supermarket, where the regular Campbells and Bush’s are in the canned vegetable aisle
LaRealiteInconnue@reddit
I was about to say the only time I’ve seen those is in the international foods section, and it was in Publix, as well! I remember the pretty teal packaging drew my attention and then I was confused cuz teal is not a color we typically see associated with canned bean things ha
RainbowCrane@reddit
This is probably regional. In the Midwest sugary tomato-flavored baked beans based on Heinz or on similar beans are a pot luck staple. Summer cookouts are almost not complete without a crock pot of Heinz baked beans.
I also prefer savory baked beans to Heinz, so I usually avoid the crock pot o beans.
DirkPitt106@reddit
Yup. Here it's all about those Bush's beans
markuus99@reddit
They sell both a US and UK version of their beans. The light blue can is the UK recipe and the US ones are in a green can. They're noticeably different.
boulevardofdef@reddit
I actually grew up on Heinz baked beans, we ate them ALL THE TIME when I was a kid in the '80s and '90s. Heinz's baked beans with hot dogs sliced into them were a very common dinner in my house. I feel like you don't see them as much anymore, though. Bush's, which were unheard of when I was a little kid, kind of took over.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
That's mainly because they were unpopular enough of a brand here they actually stopped making the US version, and now just import them from Europe.
Heinz Beanz aren't even a good version of British beans to be honest. Tons of better brands over there.
The US Bachelor are a lot easier to find most places, and are much better.
PsychologicalBus1692@reddit
You can't even find it at most grocery stores in the US! I discovered beans and toast on a trip and wanted to have it at home but in an entire aisle of canned beans, not one was Heinz. Tried a few stores and no luck.
Darmok47@reddit
It's in the International aisle with British stuff like marmite.
AsherAcer@reddit
American here, I didn’t even know Heinz made baked beans. When I hear Heinz, I either think of Heinz ketchup or Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Novel-Damage9370@reddit
Perry the Platypus!!!
jdewith@reddit
Hey, where’d Perry go?
Ecobay25@reddit
Heinz Baked Beans?
Perry the Heinz Baked Beans‽‽‽
The colors actually work perfectly for this bit.
MallUpstairs2886@reddit
Doofenshmirtz Evil incorporated…
Pa_Cipher@reddit
Hell I'm from just outside of Pittsburgh, PA (where Heinz is headquartered) and I didn't even know they made beans.
alan_blood@reddit
(formerly) The major sponsor of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those giant Heinz ketchup bottles pouring over the scoreboard whenever the team got into the red zone was iconic. I was so upset when Acrisure took over the stadium.
Pa_Cipher@reddit
Oh me too, I still call it Heinz field.
Loisgrand6@reddit
🤦🏻♀️
doofenschmirtzinator@reddit
Who is this Doofenschmirtz guy??
LaRealiteInconnue@reddit
lol the serious replies to you are endearing and just goes to show that Phineas and Ferb are universally beloved because you’re not getting the usual slack.
Loisgrand6@reddit
You’re kidding, right? Your username
Mueryk@reddit
A cartoon character from the children’s show Phineas and Ferb. He is a very creative and mostly harmless evil genius inventor.
big_sugi@reddit
Accidentally harmless.
Sivatherium98@reddit
He's a character from the the TV show Phineas and Ferb
He's a "villianous" mad scientist with a tragic backstory for every occasion who does battle with his nemesis Perry the platypus.
He is nearly universally beloved by the community.
Loisgrand6@reddit
Bless your heart
zeprfrew@reddit
Beanz Meanz Heinz
Fuzzy-Simple-370@reddit
Yeah, when I want baked beans, my default is always Bush's
Alert-Meringue2291@reddit
I’m an Aussie that’s lived in the US for 50 years. I buy Heinz British Recipe Baked Beanz at the British food section of my local supermarket (or from Amazon).
Heinz exported baked beans to the UK during rationing after WW2. That’s why they like baked beans on toast for breakfast. The cans were a life saver in those days.
lackaface@reddit
OOOOHHH I JUST SAW THESE AT SAM’S! They say “British Recipe” and are in a blue can. I didn’t get any but I thought it was neat.
Noob_412@reddit
Not only is Heinz American, the grandmother of the Heinz founder was the sister of the great-great-grandfather of the orange US President.
Agermeister@reddit
Yeah ironically, as a Brit in the US, I was surprised Heinz was American and it isn't easy to find Heinz Baked Beans and Cream of Tomato Soup, which are far superior to the alternatives in the US.
HamHamHam2315@reddit
Vinegars, sauces, and beans
ElijahNSRose@reddit
To be fair, baked beans are just as popular in any part of America that doesn't have hipster bars.
pgm123@reddit
But Heinz are not the most popular brand
ElijahNSRose@reddit
It is a popular brand though
pgm123@reddit
Not where I am. Bush's dominates. Heinz beans are in the specialty section. But probably differs by location.
IlliniFire@reddit
Roll that beautiful bean footage.
Darmok47@reddit
Yeah, but the Heinz Baked Beans the Brits love are different than American baked beans. Less sweet, more smoky. Meant to be eaten as a sid at a BBQ. Brits love them over toast and as part of a Full English Breakfast.
ElijahNSRose@reddit
We literally have 1,000 ways to make beans. Whether mashed in a burrito or baked in BBQ sause makes no difference.
DMCinDet@reddit
Beans on toast. I like beans. I like toast. I guess it could be worse.
Berezis@reddit
Absolutely, but the Heinz beans that are iconic in England aren’t really sold much or eaten in the states. It’s tomato based rather than bbq and eaten on lots of things we typically wouldn’t put beans on.
Trick_Raspberry2507@reddit
I remember a time before bush's baked beans were popular. We used to eat them, but we also gussied them up with brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, bacon, ketchup, mustard, onion, garlic. Then we would actually bake them for hours. I still have my grandma's recipe that I like to make during family reunions.
I've made alterations to it, using bush's baked beans cuts a few steps out. But the baking is still hours long.
Berezis@reddit
That actually sounds like it would be delicious
ghjm@reddit
Yep. And Americans are unaware that the largest food processing plant in Europe is the Heinz beans cannery in Wigan, UK. It's a British product from an American company - if you're eating Heinz beans in the US, they came from the UK. Just like the Honda Ridgeline is an American product from a Japanese company.
theHAREST@reddit
This is a false equivalence, because the Honda Ridgeline was made specifically for the US market and baked beans weren’t made specifically for the British market. Baked beans is an American dish that comes from America and is made by an American company, and it got popular in the UK after they learned it from us.
ghjm@reddit
Yes, baked beans are American in origin, but Heinz beans have a watery ketchup taste (sorry, Brits) that could never survive in the American market, where actually-good baked beans are available everywhere. The idea for a ketchup company to sell beans was a failure in the US and a success in the UK. For more than a century, Heinz beans have only been made in the UK. Just like the Ridgeline, they are an adaptation to local market preferences.
garrett_w87@reddit
If you actually look at the label on those, they are surprisingly manufactured and distributed by a UK subsidiary — not by American Heinz.
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
I love Heinz Baked Beans. I eat them often with my breakfast.
pl0nk@reddit
Agree, they are tasty! We don’t have them super frequently, but I checked and we do have a can in the house (California). For us it’d be a weekend breakfast with bacon, halved tomato, toast, Heinz beans, scrambled eggs.
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
Yes! It’s a weekend thing and we do almost the same as you. Eggs, toast, sliced tomato and beans. They’re so good. I get them online and buy a six pack so I always have some.
antmakka@reddit
My Costco sells the British Heinz Baked Beans. US version is way too sweet.
TillPsychological351@reddit
Heinz baked beans are something you can always find in the US if you look for them, but they definitely are not the default choice.
rbarr228@reddit
They’re not bad at all! I saw some at the store and bought them, even though they’re pricier than American brands. I prepared beans and toast and chowed down.
ImNotToby@reddit
There are plenty that will have a full on heated argument with "facts." Has happened more than once to me.
YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO@reddit
Wait baked beans are not popular here? I have that like 2 times a week.
Darmok47@reddit
The type that Heinz makes for the UK market is different than the ones you probably eat. Less sweet, no meat, and more tomato flavor. Nothing like Bush's baked beans.
You can sometimes find them in the international section of grocery stores. You can compare them if you find a can.
YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO@reddit
Interesting. Ive got to see if there's some nesr me then. Thanks!
HardLobster@reddit
Think spaghetti o’s with beans instead of pasta o’s.
Sweat_Tea888@reddit
lol I love them, they sell them in the “foreign food” aisle. They’re from here?!
LieutenantStar2@reddit
Mars chocolate too
Ohitsworkingnow@reddit
The funny thing is no American would eat baked beans for breakfast, but we eat them all the time otherwise
KW_ExpatEgg@reddit
Which are eaten at breakfast**
HereForALaugh714@reddit
Yeah, I was gonna say, I just THIS second looked at the entire Heinz product list online because of this, and I literally do not have a single one of those products in my entire house. But I don’t like ketchup, and I’m particular about mustard, which I only recently started mildly enjoying. And I eat Bush’s vegetarian baked beans. I think unless people make their own, that’s like a normal supermarket brand that would be popular in America, right? Maybe it’s regional specific?
kamakazi339@reddit
I don't think this tracks. Baked beans are a staple where I'm from
Darmok47@reddit
Probably not the type they eat in the UK though.
kamakazi339@reddit
Heinz and Bush's yeah
krodders@reddit
But not the British recipe. They are different products with the same name
sgtm7@reddit
Although also common in the USA, a South African once asked me if they had Kraft Mayonnaise in the US.
Gaybeanuwu@reddit
i think many americans are also unaware that heinz makes canned mac and cheese… i’ve only seen it in my local british store.
pm_me_friendfiction@reddit
eww wtf
boulevardofdef@reddit
Heinz was one of the very first American companies to sell internationally. Its products have been available in the UK since 1886! For reference, fish and chips were invented only about 20 years earlier.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
It's considered so quintessentially British that Brits who know will argue with you that they're still not American somehow.
Nodeal_reddit@reddit
Great answer.
YouFeedTheFish@reddit
Vegemite was an American product produced by Kraft until not too long ago.
bananakegs@reddit
Isn’t Heinz also owned by John Kerry’s family or something? I only know this because when I was lik 7 and he was running against bush my mom bought GEORGE BUSH SPONSORED KETCHUP.
Darmok47@reddit
His wife, but I'm not sure if she has any stake in the company.
Willing_Calendar_373@reddit
True. But to be precise, they're Heinz Beans, not baked beans. Heinz beans are in tomato sauce, not a sweetened baked bean sauce.
GiraffesCantSwim@reddit
They look more like the VanCamp's or Campbell's Pork & Beans we had when I was a kid. There was very little pork, usually just a weird little chunk of fat that you picked out (I learned as an adult they make a vegetarian version). The sauce was very bland tomato sauce.
Beautiful-Rent6691@reddit
My Costco carries them by the case, so they have to be catching on somewhere
10thousndreflections@reddit
British expats in your area?
Beautiful-Rent6691@reddit
No, inland Southern California. Not exactly a garden spot. I was a bit surprised.
mchris185@reddit
Same when I lived in Texas
PseudonymIncognito@reddit
See also Mars and their eponymous bars.
WashYourHandsBefore@reddit
Wisconsin ginseng. Very popular in Asia but not so much in the US.
sparklyjoy@reddit
Is that a strain of ginseng or something else?
ShadowDancerBrony@reddit
The US State of Wisconsin pioneered commercial ginseng cultivation over 150 years ago replicating the conditions the native wild ginseng grew in. The state's climate and soil chemistry are considered ideal for ginseng cultivation and with the world's most experienced growers and processors (again over 150 years of commercial cultivation experience) ginseng from Wisconsin is considered some of the highest quality in the world.
Unfortunately, that also makes it some of the most expensive in the world (especially compared to large scale Canadian & Chinese operations). Americans are less likely to consider the quality worth the price difference than people from other countries. The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin has sued several producers attempting to market non-Wisconsin ginseng as the real thing.
sparklyjoy@reddit
Wow, that’s really cool! I appreciate the informative reply
thelaser69@reddit
Wisconsin also grows something like 30%-40% of the WORLD'S supply of cranberries.
pl0nk@reddit
Aww I was hoping Wisconsin ginseng was going to be a funny term for weed. It’s just ginseng guys
WashYourHandsBefore@reddit
Ha ha
307148@reddit
I came across this a few months ago in Taiwan. There was a store that prominently advertised that it sold Wisconsin ginseng. I had no idea that Wisconsin ginseng was a thing, so I just thought it was a weird quirk.
Transit0ry@reddit
the president
thunder_rob@reddit
democracy
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
WhatsApp
BearvsShad@reddit
I don’t know a single person that’s ever mentioned using it irl.
Traditional-Job-411@reddit
If you know people with family outside of the US they most likely use it. Can’t beat free calls.
Waltz8@reddit
Free calls aren't a thing in most other places eg African countries. You buy "airtime" for each call, and that's more expensive than a WhatsApp data plan. Whatsapp is maybe 10x cheaper.
theproudprodigy@reddit
As a South African Im only just learning that Americans dont pay for call. I'm jealous, airtime is all we've ever known, and even I use WhatsApp calls over airtime for friends and family since its much cheaper. Airtime is only saved for phoning offices and other institutions
corprwhs@reddit
Americans use to purchase a monthly allotment of minutes but the cellphone services transitioned to unlimited plans at least a decade ago, where there is no limit on the number of minutes for a call. You still usually pay per minute when calling foreign numbers, though that also depends on the plan.
anonymous198198198@reddit
I’m not sure the pay per minute for foreign numbers is still a (common)thing either. My wife and I don’t have any special plans and we don’t pay per minute(we have different providers). I only get charged if I go abroad and use my data there, and it’s $10/day up to 10 days then free unlimited usage the rest of the month. My wife’s plan is similar but I think $15/day.
ScyllaGeek@reddit
At this point probably closer to two decades for calls, though a decade ago I did still have a data cap which is now unlimited too
aka_nya03@reddit
yea americans usually use the default texting app available on their phone because almost all phone plans are talk and text free. you pay for data lines - pay for unlimited data where you pay for how much you use or pay for however much limited data each month. that means there's essentially no incentive to move to a different app.
Cakeo@reddit
I'm pretty sure most developed countries are the exact same, pay as you go isn't common in the UK and we still prefer WhatsApp
Waltz8@reddit
We pay. The calls are just unlimited. I'm a Zambian-American, and I use WhatsApp even for calling my friends within the US (other Africans). I don't use it to call my non-Zambian-American friends though.
isaacfisher@reddit
My country had unlimited calls before unlimited texts. WhatsApp is still doing better there even now that sms is unlimited and sms is only for spam and 2fa
sleepytipi@reddit
Living in a big city with friends from all over made whatsapp become my most used messaging service. It's pretty easy to convince people over to it from similar apps too. From what I can gather, it's incredibly popular in South America too. At least in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.
Great for travel too. Might not be able to get service in some places but you can get wifi most places you'll be sleeping. In fact I kind of like internet cafe culture.
Enough-Secretary-996@reddit
Can confirm. I've got family who live in the UK. This is how we message each other
terryjuicelawson@reddit
I am in the UK and message everyone using it. Getting a clunky old SMS is only for official things usually like alerts from the bank, even then many companies are moving across - my vet uses whatsapp and it is how school sends out messages to parents now.
Illustrious-Shirt569@reddit
Yep, just woke up to Easter greetings on WhatsApp from my UK family.
Sirenista_D@reddit
Same. Visited family in Argentina and they use it for everything. Businesses advertised using their WhatsApp number
actualhumannotspider@reddit
Yeah, I'm not sure I know of anyone with close international friends or family who doesn't use it.
It's also been a way to get around the iPhone/android schism while not everyone uses RCS messaging.
No_Plankton2501@reddit
Yes! My friends and I started using it years ago because of the great android/iphone divide.
weggaan_weggaat@reddit
Yea, always half a dozen relative chats going for all the overseas family.
PK808370@reddit
You may be surprised at the quantity of folks who don’t have friends outside their town.
actualhumannotspider@reddit
Very likely, but my point was just that the app is extremely popular in certain communities in the US.
I have no idea how similar those communities are to reddit demographics.
life_inabox@reddit
Yep, hahaha. My sisters use it exclusively to keep up with me after I immigrated to the UK.
No_Button_1750@reddit
Absolutely this or T-Mobile is happy to charge me $3/minute to call Australia or NZ. I think not.
TheNarrator5@reddit
Why do you guys have to pay to message at all using the default messaging app?
wraithsonic@reddit
Yeah. My childhood best friend lives abroad, so we use it all the time.
SeonaidMacSaicais@reddit
Or just traveling internationally from the US and your parents don’t have an iPhone, like you do. Only way I could keep in touch last time o traveled.
cryptoengineer@reddit
That describes me.
BearvsShad@reddit
This has been a helpful thread for once!
nick-not-criative@reddit
In Brazil (and in a lot of other countries) it is the number 1 method of communication, literally everyone who has a phone uses it. It’s how you talk to your friends, your family your coworkers, it’s where you order a pizza, even phone calls and video calls are usually made in WhatsApp, it’s so bizarre thinking that you have the experience of doing all those things in any other app
snmnky9490@reddit
That's so funny I've never heard of a single person in real life actually using it and would immediately assume anyone insisting on Whatsapp would be a foreign scam.
We (Americans) don't do any of those in some other "app" we just use the built in call and texting that come with the phone and works for free/unlimited
MyUsername2459@reddit
In the US it's relatively obscure. The app is available here. . .but we talk either with normal telephone functions, or using the built-in SMS functions in the phone normally.
There really isn't a lot of need for other messaging apps in the US. They exist, but they have limited user bases at best.
keithrc@reddit
I (US) only know what WhatsApp is because my Brazilian coworkers use it for everything.
bmward64@reddit
From my experience living I. The Caribbean it’s because it’s cheaper. A LOT of people don’t pay for a phone plan like we do, so they just use WiFi. WhatsApp works on WiFi. Calling and texting doesn’t. My wife was one of those people before moving to America.
boulevardofdef@reddit
I wouldn't say they have limited user bases. Facebook Messenger has 139 million monthly users, which is almost half the country excluding children under 13. Instagram's chat feature has even more users, and Snapchat's is close, but I wouldn't count those because the chat can support other features, while chat is pretty much the only purpose of Messenger.
While I use SMS regularly, I personally have always preferred Messenger and try to steer people there because I'm an Android user and frankly, SMS has historically kind of sucked for me -- texts that take forever to go through, get resent multiple times, never get sent at all even though it appears that they have, etc. It's gotten better with RCS but it's still not great.
sgtm7@reddit
Facebook Messenger has 1 billion users globally. Although far behind the first placed WhatsApp(with 3 billion users) Messenger is very popular outside the USA as well.
SirDarwin_Fingerbang@reddit
I don't know, I use it all the time w my friends here. I have a Google phone and it's so much better for larger group chats, no stupid image or video loss or "green bubbles". I dont think I am necessarily representative but Whatsapp isn't obscure here, all my friends have it (age 30s or younger)
turquoise_amethyst@reddit
I don’t think I’ve ever met another American who’s used it. I downloaded it once to talk to family while they were abroad, then deleted it.
BlackSwanMarmot@reddit
I think I finally took it off of my phone. I've never used it other than to occasionally answer spam calls. I mostly communicate with people outside of the US by IG messaging.
keralaindia@reddit
You must only know white and black Americans then
BearvsShad@reddit
I have a Guatemalan friend at work I’m gonna ask tomorrow. He’s been living here for a long time though, but still goes back to visit. He’s gotta have it.
keralaindia@reddit
Probably
CollenOHallahan@reddit
I use it weekly. Only to talk with my Austrian friend though.
I will use it domestically for video calls though.
BearvsShad@reddit
It’s a meta app isn’t it? Any benefits to using it over others?
Char_siu_for_you@reddit
It used to be good for anonymity, so criminals used it. Then it got sold and basically became the opposite of itself, now it tracks everything you do. I think it’s used in other countries because texting is more expensive there.
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
Texting *internationally is more expensive
Comparatively, mobile data is much cheaper here than what I've seen in the US. So if you're trying to talk to your friend or family in another country why text an international number when you can just use a tiny bit of data on WhatsApp?
Easy_Yogurt_376@reddit
It’s also because a lot of foreigners don’t have iPhones. If they did international texting wouldn’t be a thing given iMessage,
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
Well yes, apple does not have as large of a market share here as the US. In the UK it's only about 50% of the market, so basically everyone knows someone with an android phone.
That said, isn't iPhone market share in the US around 60%? I'd find it odd at that % not knowing someone with an android
FrouFrouLastWords@reddit
That means you live in some bougie town or neighborhood
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
But iPhones are usually more expensive?
Waltz8@reddit
Free calls aren't a thing in most other places eg African countries. You buy "airtime" for each call, and that's more expensive than a WhatsApp data plan. Whatsapp is maybe 10x cheaper.
dizzy_dizzy_dinosaur@reddit
Meta bought it because of how popular it was around the world. Acquisition, not a creation.
revuhlution@reddit
The encryption was the benefit for our Union before meta took it over. It also has a good video call system
Eubank31@reddit
It's the most standard messaging app globally. Others exist (wechat, line, signal, telegram, etc) but Whatsapp is just the most popular.
North America is the only place where people mostly message using their phone's default messaging service (iMessage/RCS/SMS)
Mean-Concentrate-257@reddit
I use it, but only to talk to friends outside the US.
ofBlufftonTown@reddit
I use it all the time but I started doing so in SE Asia and then just kept on when I moved to the US. It’s great for international calls.
William_Maguire@reddit
I use it, but only to talk to friends that live in other countries
Used_Return9095@reddit
it’s very common in south east asia. People use it exclusively over imessage
Online_Discovery@reddit
Dumb question, maybe. What's the difference between texting and message
sgtm7@reddit
Texting is pretty much limited to sending text and emojis. Messaging on something like WhatsApp, etc., allows you to easily send text, photos, location information, videos, files, etc.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Yeah and in the US you can do all that with texting so that's what I do and that's what I think most people do.
SneakyCroc@reddit
Same in the UK, but we still use WhatsApp because it's better.
sgtm7@reddit
I was answering the question of the person who asked what the difference was. I was answering from a global perspective, hence the very first word of my sentence being "globally". Also, the file size limit on imessage or RCS is 100Mb. File size limit with WhatsApp is 2GB. Standard SMS service using MMS is at max 3.5Mb. So even in the USA, WhatsApp has a much larger file size limit than RCS or imessage, not to mention standard SMS/MMS.
WhatsApp is what I use, and what 3 billion other people use.
LifeApprehensive2818@reddit
Texting, or SMS and MMS, is built into a phone's telephony service. Most messaging apps, such as iMessage, Signal, and WhatsApp, use internet-based protocols.
There are two big hypotheses I've heard as to why messaging apps became more popular outside the US. The first is that the US offered cell plans with unlimited texting much earlier than other countries. If you're on that kind of plan, it makes sense to use text and avoid burning your data plan. If not, it may be cheaper to burn a couple kilobytes of your data plan than to use one of your small number of texts per month.
The other is privacy. The US has pretty strong restrictions regarding privacy of telephony-based communications. That's not the case in some other countries, so end-to-end encryption via an app is much more attractive.
Those are guesses as to how it got started. Why it continues is cultural inertia. If all your friends are using WhatsApp, you're probably going to use it, too. The US public also has a... complicated relationship with Meta, who owns WhatsApp, so a number of people don't feel comfortable using it specifically.
(Side rant: thanks to the Volt Typhoon cyber campaign, there are now grave doubts about the privacy of the US telecom system. If you're conducting business or sending sensitive personal info, it's a good idea to use a non-corporate messaging app like Signal.)
sgtm7@reddit
Nowhere is the IPhone as popular as it is in the USA. But even in countries where iPhones are somewhat popular, people are still more likely to use WhatsApp on their iPhone over imessage.
LaRealiteInconnue@reddit
I think it all comes down to the price of data vs calling and texting in the US sense of the word. I’ve used WhatsApp since before Facebook bought them so I’m v familiar with it, but I truly only ever used it to talk to ppl not from the US. Even if they’ve lived in the US for a while lol So I think a lot of Americans use it for the same purpose. Plus, I’ve been to countries where you spa appointments, doctors appointments, and contact customer support through WhatsApp. Kinda insane that WhatsApp became meta’s most widely used purchase.
Cakeo@reddit
It's just because android and iPhone messaging is shit compared to WhatsApp, we pay fuck all for phone plans in the UK. I have unlimited calls data and texts for £29 😂
Used_Return9095@reddit
I think it really depends on the culture already in place at that said country.
In the U.S imessage rules.
In korea kakao talk rules.
In thailand LINE rules.
In Malaysia whatsapp rules.
Etc…
sgtm7@reddit
My main point was that outside the USA, even in countries where iPhone might be popular, they still use a different messaging app instead of imessage.
Used_Return9095@reddit
yeah that’s because the culture in place was already established in those countries. Once one messaging platform dominates the market in a country others aren’t being used.
Waltz8@reddit
It's common all over the world. It's the primary method of communication in most African countries. When I went to Dubai, you could only book desert tour guides through WhatsApp.
Used_Return9095@reddit
I wouldn’t say all over the world, but yes a lot of people use whatsapp globally.
Some countries use other messaging apps like kaokao talk in korea, wechat in china or line in thailand for example.
Perfct_Stranger@reddit
line is used most often in Japan as well.
Waltz8@reddit
Good point. Whatsapp is banned in China but many people from other countries who go there for business still use it through VPNs. As do some Chinese who deal with foreign buyers. Not the primary app in China but still more popular there than in the US.
Substantial-Wind4683@reddit
My brother lives in Vietnam, I as a middle age person do have it download and do use it to talk to him. My young high school coworkers were using my phone to do something noticed it and asked how I even knew what it was.
678722@reddit
And the America's except for Canada and the US.
BearvsShad@reddit
From what I can tell it seems pretty popular all over the rest of the world. We have enough messaging apps though.
AlphaLaufert99@reddit
Italian here, I know maybe two or three people that don't use WhatsApp irl, and one of them is my elderly grandma that doesn't use messages at all
Cyber_Punk_87@reddit
I only use it because I have friends and coworkers overseas, or a few people who have used it because they have a ton of people they communicate with overseas so it’s become their default texting app.
lomoliving@reddit
I use it all the time. First bc I have family overseas so that speaks for itself. And second, I used to have a Samsung and my husband had an Apple. Whatsapp was the easiest way for us to share photos and videos so that became our default texting - until I got an iphone.
XrayGuy08@reddit
You haven’t been outside of the US much recently have you? It’s extremely popular in darn near everywhere else. I had it downloaded but didn’t use it until I went to Jamaica and Colombia
apleasantpeninsula@reddit
in more international cities, you'd have trouble finding someone without it on their phone.
they came out in like '09, just as everyone was getting different smartphones for the first time and it allowed BB, droid, ios, etc. to communicate seamlessly without a data plan for free ^data harvesting
anonanon5320@reddit
US - I only use WhatsApp because iPhone and other phones can’t share pictures so use it to get clear videos and pictures across platforms.
RupeThereItIs@reddit
My wife's extended family are not in north America, so her family uses it.
Friends from Europe use it.
NOBODY uses it here though.
My take, is that Apple have too strong a market share here & locked their users into their inferior Apple only chat platform.
igottathinkofaname@reddit
The only people I know who use it are in AA, maybe because a lot of them can’t afford cell phone plans?
Darmok47@reddit
If you have any friends or family overseas its common to use.
I once had to use it with a woman I was dating because her house was in a cell phone dead zone and she had an iPhone and I had an Android so we couldn't even text each other.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
I'm not even sure what that means. I have never had anything but an Android phone and I text people with iPhones all the time. I never bother to ask what they have because it's never a problem.
Darmok47@reddit
She had no cell reception at her place, so apparently iPhone texts would still work with other iPhones on her wifi network using iMessage, but SMS messages from Androids didn't use a wifi network like iMessage does. She never got any of my texts, so we switched to WhatsApp because it uses wifi.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Thanks for the clarification. My phone has Wi-Fi calling which will switch to Wi-Fi for regular telephone calls automatically if it doesn't have a good tower signal.
kreativegaming@reddit
I hear the foreign exchange kids at the college mention it.
TDFPH@reddit
I use it for group chats for groups with iPhones and androids. I also use it with all my international friends
CateranBCL@reddit
I live down near the border with Mexico and it seems like everyone uses it for anything involving groups of people.
fooosco@reddit
In Europe it's the standard messaging system
Matar_Kubileya@reddit
Its common in academia and, Id assume, other fields involving lots of international workers and international travel.
InevitableRhubarb232@reddit
Everyone I know that uses it lives outside of the US
sgtm7@reddit
I have been using it for over a decade. It is the most widely used messaging app in the world, with 3 billion active users. WeChat is a distant second with 1.4 billion users(the vast majority of them in China). Followed by FB Messenger with 1 billion.
WinterRevolutionary6@reddit
I work in a lab with mostly immigrants so the work group chat is WhatsApp
boulevardofdef@reddit
A friend with a lot of family in Latin America always used to push it on me. But I think he's the only one.
FormidableMistress@reddit
I've used it with friends in other states. But they were mostly military that traveled out of the country often enough to warrant it.
kirradoodle@reddit
I used it to talk with my husband when he was traveling in Asia. But that's been a while, and I haven't used it since.
-Acta-Non-Verba-@reddit
It is extremely popular in the Spanish-speaking world, including Spain.
dropthepencil@reddit
Or exchange student for us using it. I vastly prefer it over other platforms (even if Zuckerberg ruined it for me).
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
A lot of Europe.
My American in laws never really used it until my partner and I started dating and she decided to stay here after her degree. It's the easiest way for free international calls and texting
wbrd@reddit
I use it exclusively to talk to people in other countries.
tnred19@reddit
Its good to use when there are both android and iPhone users on a thread. It just works the same with lots of phones and carriers. My kids sports are all using it now and several work things use it too.
mchris185@reddit
Do you know anyone who isn't American? Or who works internationally?They probably have it downloaded.
reflectorvest@reddit
I’ve lived abroad and never heard of it until I moved back, and I barely ever use it
mchris185@reddit
That's crazy. We have a family friend stationed in Daegu who downloaded it the second he landed and that's how we keep in touch. Same with all my friends who teach English in Korea. Maybe it's a more recent thing.
reflectorvest@reddit
I promise you, the people you know who live in Korea are not using WhatsApp to communicate with other people in Korea, they’re using KakaoTalk. It’s basically WhatsApp but yellow and Korean and it has been the answer to basically everything related to communication there for 15+ years.
mchris185@reddit
Oh kind of like WeChat in China? Fascinating. Yeah I guess all the people they're interacting with are other Americans or internationals so that makes sense.
BearvsShad@reddit
I do, but it’s never come up. Seeing all the other comments here it’s weird it never caught on here.
mchris185@reddit
I have an android so I love it because I never have issues getting messages or downloading photos.
Sufficient-Quail-714@reddit
Yeah I was going to say similar. I use it because my family moved to Europe and friend moved to Africa. Best way to stay in touch and it’s free
that-Sarah-girl@reddit
Lol I use it with my two closest friends (we're all Americans living in America). Also my neighborhood chat is in there. And one of my local meetup groups. And several of my family chats. And my childhood friend who lives abroad.
rabbifuente@reddit
It’s huge in the orthodox Jewish community
Norwester77@reddit
I do (American), but mostly to communicate with my wife’s relatives in South Africa and New Zealand.
daveescaped@reddit
Seriously? Maybe it’s an age thing. My family use it a ton. We’re American. I also have special interest groups on WhatsApp.
Professional-Rent887@reddit
I used it when I was in Europe.
katarh@reddit
We used it on a group trip to Barcelona. And that's it.
brashumpire@reddit
I use it daily..... To talk to my friends in other countries
bass679@reddit
I installed it years ago when traveling to Mexico for work. It's by far the most common way all my foreign collages talk outside of Microsoft Teams.
ElijahNSRose@reddit
The only person I know was a land pirate.
BoringDad40@reddit
Central America uses it extensively.
DiligerentJewl@reddit
Certain U.S. subcultures with connections overseas primarily use WhatsApp. (I am in one of those)
GenXer845@reddit
I use it to speak to my friend in Ireland.
Blue387@reddit
I use it with my parents and family, some of whom live overseas and we all use a mix of iPhones and Android devices
forceghost187@reddit
I’ve used it for like a decade. It’s even been required including for one job I did. Know a lot of people that use it. I live in nyc though
Most-Silver-4365@reddit
I use it sometimes, when working construction of Meta data centers. For some reason it is popular on those sites, lol.
Calculusshitteru@reddit
What do Americans use? I'm from Japan, and whenever I go to America people ask me for my WhatsApp, so I thought that's what you all used? We use LINE over here.
Known-State2307@reddit
We use text messages or usually iMessage since nearly everyone has an iPhone. WhatsApp is a dead giveaway that someone is a foreigner.
Nearby-Cream-5156@reddit
Do Americans not have group chats with android users?
Known-State2307@reddit
It's rarer. I use an app called GroupMe for group chats with iPhone and Android users.
Calculusshitteru@reddit
These were 100% Americans asking to connect with me on WhatsApp. Were they maybe assuming since I came from abroad that I'd be using it?
We almost never send text messages in Japan because it costs money. A few people in the US sent me text messages to my Japanese phone, and it cost me over 2000 yen ($12.50) to receive them. Luckily my work was paying for it, or else I wouldn't have been very happy about that.
No-Contact6664@reddit
Yes, traveling Americans know that WhatsApp is how you text people on different cell plans. In the US we don't need it.
Calculusshitteru@reddit
I was in the US. I was the one traveling.
Known-State2307@reddit
Cellular plans that include unlimited texts and data are very common in the US, so it’s unusual for Americans to stress over them. That’s odd it costs so much in Japan especially since it costs the cellular providers a tiny amount to process them.
They probably were asking to use WhatsApp since you’re from another country. I personally think it’s a great app, I just have no reason to use it unless I’m talking to friends in other countries
sgtm7@reddit
Although many countries have free domestic calls and texting, many will not include international without specifically paying more for a plan that includes international. And it generally won't be unlimited.
Calculusshitteru@reddit
Between Japanese phone numbers it's pretty cheap to send/receive. It's just expensive when it's an international number. It's also expensive to receive international calls.
cohrt@reddit
whatever the default message app is. we haven't had to pay for text messages in the US for decades.
No-Contact6664@reddit
Text messages / iMessage
Deep-Profession-9321@reddit
We use something called Discord, which isn't as popular outside the US.
Calculusshitteru@reddit
I think young people in Japan might use it.
Legic93@reddit
It wasn't till I visited Jamaica that I was floored with how often people used WhatsApp abroad. They looked at me like I had two heads when I used a default texting app.
BlueSkyMourning@reddit
The only person I'm aware of using WhatsApp in the U.S. is the hacker of my Amazon account. I had to download it too to verify my phone because of them.
hail_to_the_beef@reddit
Americans with friends abroad use it. My friend moved to Germany and requested we text over WhatsApp instead of iMessage. I’m still not sure why.
VegetableSquirrel@reddit
I know more European friends who use Telegram for instant messaging.
ChristmaswithMoondog@reddit
Russians love Telegram for some reason. Seems to be popular with some right wing Europeans for that reason.
VegetableSquirrel@reddit
Mostly my friends in Italy and Spain use Telegram. They are far from right wing.
Lothar_Ecklord@reddit
I have a number of friends, some American and some international, who use WhatsApp. Many folks in active/former military service.
baobabtreelover@reddit
I've heard that most Americans use iMessage, but what confuses me is what if a friend has an android? I know you can still text through SMS, but if you're using an email address to send them messages then they won't be able to respond
hail_to_the_beef@reddit
Yes if they have an android device then iMessage isn’t an option. You use SMS. The two are built into one application on the iPhone though, so you only notice if it’s iMessage or SMS by the color of the text bubbles.
ABSOFRKINLUTELY@reddit
It's pretty commonly used in Miami- but this probably because so many people in Miami are from another country
ShaunCold@reddit
Immigration attorney here. I use Whatsapp to communicate with clients that way.
Handburn@reddit
Kitchen manager here. I use it to communicate with my staff
90210fred@reddit
You'd be freaked by Amazon using it then - I have to actively opt out
isaacfisher@reddit
Sure he is IN the US?
BlueSkyMourning@reddit
Their phone # was and the electronics ordered were shipped to California
zendetta@reddit
They should. iMessage has borked message compatibility and we all just motor on with surprisingly large amounts of texting going missing.
apexxin@reddit
What exactly is going missing?
zendetta@reddit
I send texts, randomly people dont get them. Usually the non-ios folks, but not always. People send me texts, on occasion I don’t receive. Not constantly, just like every twentieth or so. Way more prevalent for group texts. Tried all the easy stuff like rebooting phone, wiping phone. All the stuff people say online, even some of the crazy stuff.
Worked a ticket on that through Applecare for a year. They always blamed the carrier and would make ME get logs. So, I’d call the carrier, wait on hold, ask for logs of some kind. I’d get them in a few days, then I call Apple back. They say that didn’t show anything, so get these other logs. I’d do the whole cycle again, Apple would say they needed something else. Did this 3-4 times. Applecare guy told me this was easily the longest ticket he’d ever seen.
I gave up, changed carriers. Funny, still had issues. Got a GoogleVoice number, and just gave that to everyone. Worked better but not great. Still missed messages when iMessage was involved.
It ain’t just me. Just compare a group thread where you and someone you know exchanged messages. You’ll find missing messages— and on the end that sent it, it will show delivered, and that’s honestly the part that pisses me off the most.
My daughter went overseas and says no one in Europe uses iMessage or SMS. They mostly use WhatApp. I’m so jealous.
Apologies for the rant.
Express_Barnacle_174@reddit
You can turn it off and just use SMS.
zendetta@reddit
You’d think so, but no, it actually still partially routes through iMessage and messages get stuck there. Even though Apple claims otherwise. Absolutely maddening.
apexxin@reddit
I use it all the time on vacation, I simply don’t understand why this is the default for the rest of the world. It’s an outdated cumbersome app.
mommawolf2@reddit
People in the UK love it and are surprised when I don't use it lol.
pfffffttuhmm@reddit
WhatsAppnis very common for anyone with family in other countries. Lots of immigrants and first generation people in the US use it.
AfternoonPossible@reddit
Yeah I’m in the us and basically everyone I know uses it to talk to people overseas. Pretty uncommon person to person within the us tho
MistySuicune@reddit
It is very common among Immigrant communities. Most Indians almost exclusively use WhatsApp, even for communications within the US, especially those that moved to the US in the last decade. They are so accustomed to using WhatsApp for everything in India that the habit stays after moving to the US.
penninsulaman713@reddit
I use it person to person with some people because I did a master's abroad for 2 years and so we had to switch from texting to Whatsapp and then just. Never switched back lol
Shiney_Metal_Ass@reddit
Whatsappnis? Well Timmy, a penis is where boys pee from
pfffffttuhmm@reddit
Hahaha. I guess I should edit my comment, but after reading yours I think I'll keep it.
Blaizefed@reddit
This should be the top answer.
Damn near nobody uses it in the US, and just about everyone in the rest of the world does.
beyondplutola@reddit
WhatsApp didn't start until SMS was offered practically for free by US carriers. If you recall, there were massive bundle packages for $5 before carriers made it free entirely. Meanwhile, SMS was charged per SMS in much of the world. For the US, WhatsApp was solving a problem that didn't exist, so why go through the trouble of using a third-party app.
FirstPersonWinner@reddit
I don't think a lot of people in the US even know what it is
BlueDragon82@reddit
No we just know how many scammers, especially romance scammers use it. I swore off trying Whatsapp after seeing what a few people I know went through with scammers on there. Plus having to help one wipe and reinstall their phone several times from all the scammy stuff they were convinced to download. Just doesn't seem worth it when there are so many other more secure options for messaging.
No_Plankton2501@reddit
I use WhatsApp and have for more than a decade. I don’t have any scammer issues.
No_Plankton2501@reddit
My friends and I do because it solved our android/iPhone group text issues.
Up2nogud13@reddit
Damn near nobody? Weird, considering over 100 million cans are sold in the States every year, and that's not counting Hawaii.
Krusty_Krab_Pussy@reddit
I feel like most people who are using Whatsapp here are people you don't wanna be talking to
shermywormy18@reddit
Yeah for people in the US if you get a WhatsApp number it is likely a scan. When I went to Italy though that’s how EVERYONE communicated, even legit businesses, it was a culture shock.
Separate-Cake-778@reddit
Yes! I can WhatsApp my doctors in Italy! I used WhatsApp to book my flu/covid vax at the pharmacy last year.
isaacfisher@reddit
Most of the people who are using WhatsApp here are immigrants 🙄
Krusty_Krab_Pussy@reddit
I know, I'm an immigrant?
LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit
No it’s for talking to friends and family who live in other countries lol
MeetBeep@reddit
I can’t believe Kik is still a thing!!! When I was younger, it was a messaging app for predators to get risqué photos from teens.
penninsulaman713@reddit
Lmao I use WhatsApp with a few of my friends, but that's because we all had international things at some point and various other things like native texting apps didn't work, one girl couldn't use Facebook where she was, I've aged out of Snapchat a while back, etc etc. And then we never switched back lol
I find that most of the people I know who already have a WhatsApp are immigrants/children of immigrants and use it for a lot of family communication as well. That's the other reason I also use it
West_Guidance2167@reddit
This. Someone asked me while I was in Italy why I don’t use it. Like, I’m not a scammer or a drug dealer so I have no need for it. I got off of Facebook years ago to stop giving them all of my information. You’re literally giving them your entire conversations.
Nearby-Cream-5156@reddit
Serious question though, do Americans not have group chats?
West_Guidance2167@reddit
Of course
Nearby-Cream-5156@reddit
What apps do you use? Or do people with androids and iPhones not talk to each other?
West_Guidance2167@reddit
https://imgur.com/a/A0aQJFI here’s a group conversation with my family, where everybody has an iPhone so it’s blue, and a group conversation with my friends which are green because one person has an android
West_Guidance2167@reddit
Regular texting, I’m not sure what you mean. When I text somebody’s an iPhone it’s blue when I text somebody with an android it’s green. But I think Samsung sued to try to get that changed.
Nearby-Cream-5156@reddit
I didn’t know you could do SMS group chats. It’s not a thing outside the US!
West_Guidance2167@reddit
That’s kind of what I keep saying. The reason you all need to use separate apps is because your texting systems are kind of behind. I’m sure it varies country to country, we’ve had unlimited texting since like, 2008. From what I understand, not all phone companies in Europe have it yet at all.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Yeah, I'm not super eager to jump into that. I was never on Facebook because I thought they were a little too information-greedy. As soon as I read you couldn't really delete your Facebook account, they would basically hide it but they would still keep it anyway and not actually delete it, is when I decided to never join. What's App is tied into the very same people.
Fuzzy-Simple-370@reddit
It always shocks me that more Americans don't use Whatsapp. My SMS is just for promotional texts from my rewards profiles... If I want to text someone, I use either Whatsapp or Instagram DMs lol
RabbitTraditional135@reddit
I use it all the time, for the group chats for the parents of my kids' classmate...
In Queens, NY, where most parents are either immigrants or first-generation American.
acousticsking@reddit
I was in Greece and had to install it because everyone was using it such as the rental apartment, cabs, tours etc.
Appropriate_Clerk167@reddit
Wow, I thought it was Chinese
Zardozerr@reddit
I only have it because I routinely work with people internationally. But otherwise I hate it and get endless spam with WhatsApp.
Wonderful-Mess-7520@reddit
When Zuckerberg bought it, I was around 55% of all text messages sent in the world.
JoeTop7@reddit
Didn’t that come from china?
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Nope, it was invented in Silicon Valley.
aids-lizard@reddit
wait, americans dont use it ?
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Some do but it's nowhere near an overwhelming percentage or a day to day part of our culture. Lots of people have never heard of it probably and lots of people have heard of it but never ever seen it first hand. I don't think I've already used it but I'm not 100% sure. It's made popularity is for people talking to people or family/friends in different countries. Within the US it's not used by a large percentage of people.
moonfazewicca@reddit
Cheating (ex) boyfriends use WhatsApp in the states, ask me how I know😂I just think of it as the cheaters app now lmao
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
Good heavens. I would never, ever have expected WhatsApp to be almost unused in the US.
Tiny_Poetry_2267@reddit
Never understood how it didn't take off in the US. The lack of business usage in the US feels like the limiting factor for more adoption. I once worked out at a CrossFit gym where they chose slack over Whatsapp for a community messaging app, when I pointed out Whatsapp was far superior they told me nobody uses it.... Nobody uses slack to stay connected with their gym buddies in my opinion.
sholt1142@reddit
It became popular outside of the US because SMS was not free and was internationally fragmented. US had free texting, that worked to any other phone in the US, so why download another app? Outside of the US, texting had a fee until the early-mid 2010's in many places.
JeffreyOcean@reddit
WhatsApp is used a lot in Canada and we haven't had to pay for texts in quite some time
anypositivechange@reddit
Americans will have all the excuses why the rest of the country is poor and backwards and had to rely on text apps instead of SMS (an inferior technology) but won’t just acknowledge that like sticking with the imperial system America is just a kinda backward place that leans hard on its (diminishing) cultural and economic might.
KFCNyanCat@reddit
I like America's lack of WhatsApp because in countries where WhatsApp is fundamental infrastructure, that basically means everyone needs to give their info to Meta. A company that has contributed to an actual genocide and contributes to WHY America's cultural might is diminishing.
RCS (successor to SMS, problem is that Apple's implementation is bad) and Signal are both better options than software by an unscrupulous corporation.
sholt1142@reddit
WhatsApp is an absolutely huge win for Meta. Messages are encrypted, but they still see who you are texting, the frequency, how large your messages are, etc. They can build a model of who you are, who influences your opinions. The social data is massively valuable.
ClickClick_Boom@reddit
Texting was also very prevalent in the US before "apps" were a thing, before the smartphone era. Whatsapp released in 2009 for reference, texting was huge long before that in the US, why would all these people who have been texting for years switch to whatsapp which would just serve to limit who they could "text" with for what benefit?
sholt1142@reddit
Yes, and for comparison unlimited SMS became standard in the US in the late 2000's. They were available a bit earlier, but you had to choose the right plan.
WhatsApp launch is probably the reason SMS became free in the rest of the world, but it was too late, WhatsApp already took that market. Such a huge W for Facebook.
Mag-NL@reddit
I think it is so funny when Americans believe they were unique or rarly with free texting.
I still remember when Americans were payimg to receive calls and texts, when that was free everywhere else.
sholt1142@reddit
This is just wrong. Look it up. 2008-2010 texting in the US became free. WhatsApp launched 2009. In most EU countries, SMS had a fee for 2 or 3 years after that (I don't know about countries outside of EU/US), sometime around 2011-2013. This is actually a well studied case study in business/marketing, about how European reactionary business strategies failed with the speed of the WhatsApp takeover. Meta had to adjust their strategy because they didn't have US social data through texting, Apple took that market. Fee-free texting was not codified in the EU until 2017, with the "Roam like at home" legislation.
sgtm7@reddit
Well, aside from the point that WhatsApp was already entrenched before free SMS became popular in other countries, there is also the fact that WhatsApp is way superior to basic SMS.
WhatsApp was already the top messaging app when Facebook acquired them in 2014. It was a brilliant move by Zuckerberg to buy the largest competitor to FB Messenger.
sholt1142@reddit
SMS is superior only in that it doesn't require an internet connection. Back in the late 2000s/early 2010s cellular internet connections weren't as ubiquitous as they are today. This is why, for example, Twitter was originally SMS based service. It made breaking news have about the same latency worldwide, and worked even during complete internet outages.
Mag-NL@reddit
So with unlimited sms it was the same as in many other countries.
Mag-NL@reddit
All the other countries where texting was possibly even more prevalent because, unlike the us, it was free switched to whatsapp, so that's not a reason.
You seem to forget that texting had been prevalent for more than a decade by the time whatsapp was developed.
UdderSuckage@reddit
SMS messages were a lot cheaper in the US than most other countries (like the Netherlands). Americans aren't dumb, our decisions are shaped by the economic climate.
Mag-NL@reddit
Sms prices in the USA were similar to those in other countries. Manybthings were more expensive, for example there was a time when people in the had to pay to receive calls and texts on their cell phones. (Though to be fair, I don't know if this was still the case in the late 00s)
The reason why WhatsApp became popular because it could do much more than sms. It was better at group messages and sending pictures or video.
Tiny_Poetry_2267@reddit
All of these things are true for the UK but it still took off there. I suspect the need to communicate with more non domestic phone numbers in Europe is the driving factor.
apfel_kern@reddit
Unlimited SMS was a thing before whatsapp, here in germany (although not everyone had it). The real difference were MMS (pictures, sound, group chats), those were super expensive. I paid 2 Euro for my first and only MMS.
When Smartphone became common and everyone had a camera, people wanted to send pictures, and whatsapp was free, easy to use and worked on old and cheap phones (conpared to facebook). So everyone had whatsapp and after a few years it became the standard
Howtothinkofaname@reddit
Texting was also very prevalent in lots of other countries by then too. So lots of people switched to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is, or certainly was, much better for lots of things than standard texting such as groups and the kind of things that can be shared. Unlike iMessage, it doesn’t require everyone to have an iPhone.
No-Contact6664@reddit
We simply don't need it.
GenericAccount13579@reddit
Most people just text. Businesses too can get specific business text numbers
photonynikon@reddit
I'm American...I use Whatsapp everyday...to chat with my cousin in Italy
missxmeow@reddit
I don’t know anyone outside of my family and my BILs family that uses WhatsApp. My husband and I and my sister and her husband all lived outside of the US at one point so that’s the main reason we used, and still use, it.
OneFootTitan@reddit
I think one thing that would surprise Americans in particular is just how much WhatsApp is used in business and official settings. Like British Ambassadors have their own WhatsApp group chat, the British Conservative Party leadership has a WhatsApp chat, it’s perfectly acceptable to conduct business negotiations and politics over WhatsApp
_BMS@reddit
Lots of people in the military use it and Signal, which is why I started using it. Like all my platoon and squad group chats were done over Whatsapp/Signal.
Eventually got my family to start using it. And I've gotten friends to use it on vacation since internet-based messaging is more reliable that overseas texting.
sightl3ss@reddit
My theory behind this is that when it was released, in the US phone plans often came with unlimited talk & sms, but expensive data. Whereas in, for example Europe, data was super cheap but calls/sms were expensive or not unlimited
Mag-NL@reddit
Considering the fact the same was true in other countries unlimited texts were also.standard this theory is of course nonsense.
It's simply because whatsapp was superior to texting.
sightl3ss@reddit
That doesn’t make sense if WhatsApp did not take off in the US though. Because it would be superior to texting in every country, not just non-US countries.
Mag-NL@reddit
It was superior in the USA as well. However throughout the history of cell phones the USA has always been lagging a bit behind in the Europe. I would say that by the time whatsapp started.to get popular and might have caught on there as well sms started to catch up to the times.
Apart from this Iphones have always been ridiculously popular in the USA and Iphone users liked to act as if their phones were better. Apple promoted Imessage to distinguish itself, which worked well in a country where an Iphone was a status symbol.
Southern-Raisin9606@reddit
Because the US has free texting. WhatsApp, because of many shitty design decisions, has essentially no advantage over regular sms texting. It's only useful in countries where normal texts are expensive.
Comfortable-Bike9080@reddit
lmao forreal, i used to use WhatsApp here and omg so many people trolled me for using it😭😂
Objective-Plum1201@reddit
This. The only time I use WhatsApp as an American is when I’m talking to family traveling abroad or friends who live in Canada.
Redemptionxi@reddit
Maybe it's a NY thing but everyone I know has what'sapp. Not only for international trips but because it's annoying texting between iPhone and Android - especially in group chats.
luuhoov@reddit
Agreed. I didn't start using Whatsapp until I started dating my boyfriend whose family lives in England. It's just not as widely used in the US if you don't know anyone internationally.
Sparkle_Rott@reddit
In the U.S. it’s only popular within criminal circles. We joke you can always tell the perp because they have a burner phone with WhatsApp.
Try as they may with advertising, WhatsApp makes you sus in the U.S.
Keri2816@reddit
I live in the US and have it to talk to one person who lives abroad. My uncle uses facebook messenger when he travels abroad. I don’t know anyone who uses WhatsApp in the US.
CompetitiveRub9780@reddit
Because they don’t have unlimited data everywhere else! Learned that recently. They get charged by text like it was back when cell phones first came out with text messaging. So they use apps like that. I wonder if it’s cheaper
Queasy-Ad-9930@reddit
Omg, yes. I can scarcely text my family back in the US because not a single one has WhatsApp (and they don’t understand why they should). I literally had to trick Google Voice into porting in my old US number before moving to Europe so that my mom could continue texting me there.
gabrrdt@reddit
In good old Brazil everyone and everybody uses Whatsup. We do that for personal things, for business, for making apointments and everything, basically.
Careless-Safety4722@reddit
Haha I live in the US and only use WhatsApp because my long-distance girlfriend lives in Brazil.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
Yea, the only time I used it was the last summer camp I worked at. We had a staff group chat on there that way no one was required to give out their personal phone numbers to all of their co-workers.
LAWriter2020@reddit
The only time WhatsApp is used in the U.S. is when people who have friends and family overseas need to talk for free, or when scammers are trying to scam you.
LamerNameJr@reddit
my colleagues outside the use whatsapp to coordinate work stuff, personal data etc
ancaleta@reddit
This. I was in Mexico as an American for a while last year and I found WhatsApp super annoying to have to use. I totally get it by the way. It’s much cheaper. But numbers change. Contacts change. It’s hard to manage I guess and the UI is not my favorite. I dislike the idea that I cannot call without internet.
Chemical_Enthusiasm4@reddit
I am on several massive group chats on Whatsapp- but I don’t communicate one-on-one via Whatsapp
TooManyDraculas@reddit
Literally have whatsapp exclusively for keeping in touch with European family.
anypositivechange@reddit
I have it exclusively to talk to friends in Mexico City.
Nexant@reddit
My families have it. I despise Apple and my wife joined me but we use iPhone for all the old people in the family because it's idiot proof. I prefer my Galaxy Note/Ultra. WhatsApp had been the best way to video call and send high quality videos and pictures of our kids to the grandparents and great grandparents in other states between the Samsung and Apple ecosystems.
cornpudding@reddit
I never used it until my company got bought by an Indian one and my new boss wanted to use it. I uninstalled it after moving on.
marigoldpossum@reddit
Wait - WhatsApp was created in the US? Only people I know that use it are overseas, aka not in the US.
sgtm7@reddit
WhatsApp was founded by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former employees of Yahoo. Koum incorporated WhatsApp Inc. in California on February 24, 2009.
loveanddonuts@reddit
Yes, by someone in Orlando.
JennItalia269@reddit
This is what also came to mind. Only people I know who use it do so to chat with friends/relatives abroad.
Ok-Concert-6475@reddit
Exactly. My husband uses it to talk to family overseas. No one uses it domestically.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
I have never used it or known people who have talked about using it
col_buendia@reddit
Oh man not for us brown people it's how we primarily keep in touch with all our people out in the world
boulevardofdef@reddit
This is the one that immediately came to mind for me. You actually see a LOT of posts on subreddits like this one (if you can catch them before they're deleted) to the effect of "why don't Americans use WhatsApp, are they really that dumb?" I always wonder if they even know WhatsApp is American.
kbivs@reddit
Our nuclear family uses Whatsapp almost exclusively for texting and phone/video calls. It started when my son lived in Mexico for a couple years. Our extended family uses it for large group texting.
Donald_Goodman@reddit
¡Esto siempre me ha volado la cabeza! No concibo a NADIE sin WhatsApp: soy de la generación que creció a la par que se popularizaban las redes sociales y los métodos de comunicación rápidos, y recuerdo perfectamente cuando WhatsApp llegó a mi casa.
Tengo familia, amigos y contactos en toda Europa y en varias partes de Sudamérica, y está tan extendido que solo puedo compararlo a... Tener una cartera con tu documentación o una cama donde dormir. Es, literalmente, necesario para TODOS. Cualquiera con número de teléfono (de niños a ancianos) usa WhatsApp.
Por eso, me vuela la cabeza que el país donde nació, pionero de las redes sociales, esté tan poco extendido. Tengo algunos amigos en Estados Unidos, pero son europeos como yo, así que usan WhatsApp por tradición.
AnchoviePopcorn@reddit
Everyone I work with and hang out with uses WhatsApp. But we all travel internationally for work and have lived abroad at one point or another.
BudTenderShmudTender@reddit
My job in colorado uses it to send group notifications
mt_beer@reddit
I've used WhatsApp one time. We were getting quotes for movers and one company insisted on doing virtual walkthrough but only on WhatsApp. Their quote was about 1/3 of reputable companies and turned out it's a sort of scam.
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
Tried to get my family to use it cause I’m tired of group texts with poor quality videos of my niblings…but somehow we ended up back to group texts
SouthernGentATL@reddit
Agree. All of our business clients in Europe and Asia insist on using WhatsApp. No US client seems to even know what it is.
WeDontKnowMuch@reddit
It was big in the military for soldiers to chat with their side pieces.
XenonDragonfly@reddit
Me and my sister used WhatsApp to talk to our parents when we studied abroad and we just didn't stop using it
KittyCubed@reddit
I’ve used it for work (teacher) and for our artistic skating team. A lot of my students use it to talk to family in other countries.
Disastrous_Ad1260@reddit
I'm in the US and we installed it so apple phones could talk to Android phones. The default apps for both were not playing nice.
LoveSaidNo@reddit
My group chat started using it because one of our friends was Canadian. Even after we stopped talking to her we just kept it because we were so used to it. I’ve never heard of anyone else in my circle using it though.
dangelo7654398@reddit
Democracy. The secular state.
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
David Hasselhoff's music was weirdly popular in Germany decades ago.
Rashaen@reddit
Apparently Sweet Caroline specifically, and old timey country music. Got a buddy that plays Merle Haggard style country and gets a lot of love from Germany.
MaleficentLettuce@reddit
Take Me Home, Country Roads, too. I've met foreigners who can sing the whole song even though they barely know English
jdewith@reddit
Did you know Denver wasn’t singing about the state West Virginia? He was singing about Massachusetts!
th3cav3man@reddit
He was driving through Maryland when be wrote it. And the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River are not in WVa. They’re in western Virginia.
See this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/s/4DCPqphyKQ
The_Saddest_Boner@reddit
Merle Haggard is pretty dope to be fair. Outlaw country and alt country are perhaps the most underrated American music styles - everyone just hears modern pop country and writes the whole genre off
HavBoWilTrvl@reddit
Modern pop country is not country. This is a hill I will die on.
ArtDecoNewYork@reddit
Patsy Cline's music sounds more like the pop music of her time than it does stereotypical country music
MrVeazey@reddit
The instrumentation was more country but her voice was enough on its own to make everyone sit up and pay attention, regardless of what you called it.
My grandfather and I wore out a tape of her greatest hits when I was a kid, and I've been using "Walkin' After Midnight" as a lullaby since my son was born.
Flashy-Specific-4083@reddit
I’ve always been a Cline fan. “She’s Got You” and “Crazy” being my two favorites. The piano in those songs is sooo smooth and her vocals pairs so well with it. Then the gentle bass played on an upright bass.
Flashy-Specific-4083@reddit
The piano really lended itself to country of the time but her vocals were more like Connie Francis. Funny how country claims all of Johnny Cash but his earliest music was pure rockabilly.
MusicSavesSouls@reddit
Oh, 100%!! I don't know what that crap is, but it is NOT country.
tubcat@reddit
I've heard some up and comer acts that are more early 00s BET than CMT. Just with a twang.
0skarMatz@reddit
Pop music with a cowboy hat.
InsertEvilLaugh@reddit
No need to even get on the hill, it's a sespit. Modern country is just pop music with a country twang, swapping luxury cars for pickups and designer clothes for blue jeans.
Frosty_Vampyre@reddit
You will not die alone on that hill!!!
Living-Pomegranate37@reddit
It's not even modern. It sounds like '70s pop. Take it from one who was there. And Kristofferson lives!
Rashaen@reddit
And my pitchfork!
Nerisrath@reddit
and my torch!
sonny_flatts@reddit
And my steel guitar
jilliecatt@reddit
I'm with you.
John_cCmndhd@reddit
"Y'all dumb motherfuckers want a key change?!"
The_Saddest_Boner@reddit
Yeah, all the authenticity is gone. Guys like Cash, Haggard, Nelson, Jennings, Clark etc were the real deal. They were raised rough and lived hard. Essentially they were the white, rural equivalent of 90s rappers
amc365@reddit
Mama Tried is a bad ass song
Positive-Froyo-1732@reddit
I'll tell one of my favorite stories. In the early Aughts I saw Bob Dylan live, and Merle Haggard was his opener. Let me tell you that the crowd of mostly Boomers and younger hipster Dylan fans were NOT enthusiastic about this choice. Most of Merle's band looked old enough to have invented the instruments they were playing. But they blew the roof off the joint and won the crowd over with sheer musicianship and ace songcraft. I was a Merle fan ever after.
CaptainPunisher@reddit
I live in Bakersfield. Merle and Buck had one thing in common: Bonnie. While they seemed to get along fine in front of a camera, they didn't much like each other.
Oddly enough, The Bakersfield Sound is very popular in Norway, and there's even a Buckaroos tribute band called Bakersfield from Norway. They once came to play at The Crystal Palace for one of Buck's birthday bashes years after he died. Unfortunately, the Palace shut down last year.
paulnuman@reddit
That’s not outlaw or alt country, just country
The_Saddest_Boner@reddit
Merle haggard is 100% outlaw country
paulnuman@reddit
He’s an outlaw but he’s just country.
The_Saddest_Boner@reddit
Of course he’s country. “Outlaw country” is a sub-genre of country, and Merle is a textbook example of it.
That’s like saying the Ramones or the Clash aren’t punk rock, they’re just punks who played rock music
zydeco100@reddit
Sweet Caroline is schlagermuzik, and the Germans love it.
flamingknifepenis@reddit
My favorite bar in college used “Sweet Caroline” as their “the bar is closed, get the fuck out” song. People would intentionally end their night at the bar so they could stand on tables, belting it out while banging their fists on the walls. The singalong always continued out into the street as everyone went their respective ways.
I miss that place.
Graaaaaahm@reddit
Haha, my college bar's "Closing Time" was Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel.
cashewclues@reddit
Haven’t thought of that song in forever.
Moist_Rule9623@reddit
I was in a local band for many years, and at our “home” bar the official last call song (per order of the owner) was Paul Simon’s “Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard”
sparklyjoy@reddit
Oh God, I love that song!
botulizard@reddit
I've been in bars where they'd use The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald for that purpose. After I moved to Michigan I learned that bars here don't ever do that- instead they'll play it during regular hours and everyone sings along.
alan_blood@reddit
I went to one that did the same with "Livin' on a Prayer".
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
Sweet Caroline is HUGE in Boston. It got traction when they started playing it at Red Sox games. It’s now played at every home game, during the 8th inning. The crowd joins in on the chorus, “so good, so good, so good!”
shelwood46@reddit
Country Roads, also, apparently. They get mad when we say it was just a pop song from the 70s and not a traditional folk song.
AmerikanerinTX@reddit
Met a group of Germans who were completely shocked I knew this 'traditional german song.' Ya know, good ol fashioned WEST VIRGINIA sung by John DENVER! Sadly we had no wifi at the time, but they all had a big laugh at this arrogant American who assumes everything is American. They also insisted nobody in America knows this song. I genuinely thought they were trolling at first.
botulizard@reddit
It's like when you tell people Barrett's Privateers isn't actually a sea shanty and The Wellerman isn't either.
(This was maybe more relevant when "sea shanties" had an online resurgence in popularity a few years ago)
Cool-Bunch6645@reddit
It was the song when I went to Oktoberfest that got the first crowd GOING in the morning. I was simply flabbergasted
Inevitable_Bet5505@reddit
I loved this when I was in the army and stationed in Germany. I’m from WV and this would always come up when socializing with the public. Queue the singing, drinking, and friendship.
Odh_utexas@reddit
The play it at the NFL games in Germany and the crowd sings a long enthusiastically. Odd but cool
Alycion@reddit
That song makes me homicidal
big_sugi@reddit
Sweet Caroline is extremely popular in at least parts of the US. It always gets the crowd singing along.
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
It’s had a massive boost in England too in recent years, especially at England football matches or when any English sportsperson/team (and other Brit nations to a lesser extent) do particularly well at an event. Listen out for it at the upcoming World Cup in the US, if and when England score a goal. Crowd goes absolutely crazy for it.
hiimderyk@reddit
... but it's provocative; it gets the people going.
Drew707@reddit
Fuck the Red Sox
czarrie@reddit
I found this out watching the NFL's overseas games and when they were in Germany the whole stadium started belting out Sweet Caroline
Willing_Calendar_373@reddit
Old timey music is huge in Ireland. They love Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Appalachia music.
Dragonsfire09@reddit
Appalachian Music, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline being popular make sense. A great chunk of Appalachian music has its DNA right from Irish folk music
sparklyjoy@reddit
Yeah, it’s really sweet that they seem to have an affinity for their foreign descendants… Or you could call it diaspora?
ArtDecoNewYork@reddit
Sweet Caroline is extremely popular in the US
BellaFromSwitzerland@reddit
As a European TIL that David Haselhoff is American and not German
His name, if followed German spelling which I didn’t bother to check if it did or not, would mean in German: the rabbit yard
the-furiosa-mystique@reddit
That’s right, Germans love David Hasselhoff
couchjellyfish@reddit
One of Dallas Mavericks (basketball team) star players in the '00s was Dirk Nowitski. He was from Germany, liked Hasselhoff, and would hum his songs to psych himself up during games.
aachensjoker@reddit
I found that so interesting when I was there studying abroad in college. 1998.
HelloFellowKidlings@reddit
I knew he was popular there but I had no idea it was for music. That’s crazy.
psu256@reddit
Absolutely the first thing that popped in my head, and thought "no way anyone will say that" and it's the second highest comment. Bravo.
eyeroll611@reddit
Wasn’t he there when the Berlin Wall came down? Like an honored guest? Maybe I’m just stoned
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
Almost. I looked it up, and he was there like 6-7 weeks later to perform on New Year's Eve.
LedZeppelin31@reddit
Six seven?
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
huh?
Disastrous-Roll-6170@reddit
It's something the kids are saying... "Six Seven"...but I'll be perfectly honest when I say I have ZERO idea why.
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
OK, I'll just go back to my geriatric Millennial avocado toast
justhereforporn09876@reddit
Bro you're a solid year late to this
DesperateGanache7684@reddit
67 lol
SoundTight952@reddit
The wall was stoned too, dw
Friendly-Wear6213@reddit
Hasselhoff was stoned too.
Coneskater@reddit
David Hasselhoff performed shortly before the wall came down and his song I’m lookin for Freedom is rumored to be the real reason the wall fell. Coincidence? I think not…
Outside_Narwhal3784@reddit
I dunno. But I am stoned.
smoot__galoot@reddit
Yes, he sang Looking for Freedom atop the Berlin wall as they were taking it down.
thetoerubber@reddit
I just posted this without reading the entire thread, thinking I was going to be the only person to think of it lol. Now I see it mentioned multiple times here.
TillPsychological351@reddit
He was a Schlager singer in Germany, and that genre has a certain degree of ironic appreciation, particularly from young people.
let-it-rain-sunshine@reddit
Most Americans don't even know he sings
OpalOnyxObsidian@reddit
His what
ghoulthebraineater@reddit
https://youtu.be/WEWQIP9Xqrw?si=J2khxkSg7ofxkiYf
cjdstreet@reddit
No he wasn't. He just happened to have a single with freedom in it when the Berlin wall came down. Germany is probably the number 1 nation in the world for music
earthdogmonster@reddit
Once again proving my theory: Germans love David Hasselhoff.
clatadia@reddit
Went to Berlin to visit a friend. Stayed in a hostel because he had no room in his flat. This hostel had a David Hasselhoff Museum in the basement and the little nook at my bed to put my phone and glasses when I went to sleep had a photo of David Hasselhoff wishing me sweet dreams.
Ravenclaw79@reddit
Thanks, Norm
keepitrealbish@reddit
Wasn’t Cliff the one with all of the offhand knowledge?
Al_Bondigass@reddit
That's a little-known fact.
CorgiMonsoon@reddit
Who are three people who’ve never been in my kitchen?
WorldsMostDad@reddit
I heard it in his voice
big_sugi@reddit
We all did. Those of us old enough, anyway.
Cool-Bunch6645@reddit
I saw him do stand up right before he passed hardly knowing him outside of Adam Sandler movie appearances and it was by far the funniest stand up I ever saw.
Impossible-Taro-2330@reddit
I was there 6 years ago and his concert posters were plastered all over.
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
There’s a David Hasselhoff museum in Berlin
Mullattobutt@reddit
I definitely thought he was German hahah
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
He is Germa
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
Because he’s German
maceilean@reddit
He was set to kickstart his American career with a Pay-Per-View event from Atlantic City in 1994 but it got eclipsed by the OJ chase and no one tuned in.
sparklyjoy@reddit
God what luck 😅
Brock_Hard_Canuck@reddit
I love the gag in the Dodgeball movie where David Hasselhoff is the coach of the German team LOL
Nodeal_reddit@reddit
It was 2003. I landed in Germany for the first time, turned on the TV, and I swear the fist thing I saw was David Hasselhoff.
rimshot101@reddit
He pretty much has a whole other career as a music star in Germany. He's not really known for his acting there.
77evens@reddit
And Ween blew up in Australia back during Pure Guava around ‘93.
Adventurous_Bet1270@reddit
That was my first choice too
ClassicAdhesiveness1@reddit
Some would claim modern democracy “came” from here. It is certainly not currently “popular” with our federal administration.
WhiskyTangoNovember@reddit
A&W restaurants are a lot more popular in Canada than they are in the States. The original restaurants in Canada were part of the US-based brand, but a Canadian company took over them in the 90s, and now they're completely separate entities.
BoopleBun@reddit
I’ve never seen an A&W in the US that wasn’t comboed with another restaurant. (Usually Long John Silver’s.)
nomoregroundhogs@reddit
Either that or inside a gas station or mall food court or something. I know they existed decades ago, and maybe there are a few out there, but I have never seen a totally standalone one in the US in my lifetime.
Kindlebird@reddit
I’m in Michigan and they’re popular here. I have at least 10 within 25 miles of me.
RancidOoze@reddit
There's one north of Seattle attached to a KFC like a symbiotic entity
queenchubkins@reddit
Yeah, I’m originally from Michigan and know of a few there still.
It looks like there a couple near Akron, OH so I might need to stop at one soon.
oplukana@reddit
Yes, specifically the one in Ravenna OH is very oldschool. they will cook your food to order, and will bring out a tray to hang on your car door and serve you at your car. The owner also hand makes the rootbeer fresh every morning (or at least he did 18 years ago, geez im old).
I think most A&Ws in NEOH are like this. When I moved away from that area i finally encountered the drive through/fast food/combod with a gas station type A&W and its a lot worse, not worth going to.
NaturalForty@reddit
Michigan also has lots of Tim Hortons and hockey, so that tracks.
SquatchK1ng@reddit
Yeah i'm in Michigan also and can recall at least 5 in a 20 minute drive.
SquatchK1ng@reddit
Also have never seen them "combo'd" with another restaurant lol.
ELMUNECODETACOMA@reddit
Whereas I'm old enough to remember not just standalone A&Ws but them being the only place to actually get the root beer, if only barely (I was five when it became available nationally in stores).
Dimmer_switchin@reddit
I’m in CO and have a stand alone A&W drive in not far from me. There are quite a few in MN as well.
Brimstone11@reddit
In my home town in Michigan, there’s still a legit A&W drive in where you get food served on a tray the attach to your window.
Dunno if the waiter wears roller skates anymore
Hot_Frosty0807@reddit
There is still one of these in Ortonville, MI. They didn't offer indoor dining for decades, just added it in the last year or two. They also used to be seasonal, closing during the cold weather months.
Brimstone11@reddit
This one just closes during the long winter months
1127_and_Im_tired@reddit
I've got one about 90 mins from me. It's so much better than the ones that are combined with another store.
Prinessbeca@reddit
I think there's a stand alone in Fremont, NE. Last time I drove through there was but it's been a year or two since I took that road.
Husband ate at one in South Dakota last week. I know there's one inside the Rapid City Walmart, but i think they have at least one stand alone location there, too
Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit
To similar anecdotal evidence I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one that wasn’t standalone.
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
They used to be all over in the 60s/70s. I lived a few blocks from one in the 70s and it was great. They made the rootbeer on site, and you could buy it in gallon jugs. That was a real treat in the summer. Carhops, curb service, the whole thing-- quite common at one point.
hireme703@reddit
Ypsilanti?
silviazbitch@reddit
And quarts sold in megaphone-shaped waxed containers
hwrdhdsn@reddit
Only one I have seen in years is in Oakridge, Oregon. Still going strong AFAIK.
One-Significance260@reddit
We came across one in rural Vermont one summer. It’s only open seasonally like most ice cream places up there.
cashewclues@reddit
I’m in Northern California. Ours is combine with KFC. I had no idea LongJohn Silvers was also part of their company.
asecrethoneybee@reddit
yes i usually see them with kfc!!
cohrt@reddit
i've only ever seen one in an airport.
cguess@reddit
RDU airport still has one.
Ace-Redditor@reddit
There's a standalone A&W near me out in middle-of-nowhere Michigan! I didn't actually know they had combos with other places
justhereforporn09876@reddit
Most people haven't heard of the city of Mentone, CA, because there's pretty much nothing there besides houses and a privately owned 24/7 solo A&W
Psyko_sissy23@reddit
The last time I saw an A&W restaurant in the states was on a military base in 2005.
I just looked it up, and there are 6 in my state. Either in small towns I've never been to, or parts of cities I've never been to.
StasRutt@reddit
Ok I was trying to remember why I had A&W multiple times as a child but never see them anymore. The base we were stationed at had one and this was pre 2005
Psyko_sissy23@reddit
Yeah, the base I left in 2005 had one, but the next base I was stationed at did not have one on base. Not sure when the bases got rid of A&W, as I was probaby out before they got rid of them.
Objective-Plum1201@reddit
The one by me is with a KFC.
romero0705@reddit
There was one in my hometown in Californian that was standalone! I don’t think there were a lot of combo fast food restaurants in general at that time though.
Keri2816@reddit
There was one near where I lived in south central PA, but that was years ago. I never tried the burgers, but the root beer floats and other ice cream treats were great
CreamyImp@reddit
In Michigan we still have several stand alone A&W restaurants. Some of them are still the original drive in style that are still operational.
sparklyjoy@reddit
We had one in my local mall, but that mall is going under
Polarys-12@reddit
There's one that's run like a Sonic near Ithaca NY, pretty good
CaptainPunisher@reddit
I remember having a couple around town in the 80s.
NCHarcourt@reddit
I didn't even know A&W was a restaurant until I was a teenager. I always thought they were just a root beer brand and nothing else.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
There's one in Columbia Falls, Montana, "near" the west entrance to Glacier National Park.
Twi-face@reddit
I’ve seen some standalone drive-in A&Ws. They only seem to exist in small towns.
TooBusySaltMining@reddit
The old A&W restaurants were stand alone, and they'd bring your food out to your car. You would park and order from your car because each parking spot had a menu and a speaker.
Most of those old style A&Ws are gone in my state, and the new ones are combined with a KFC.
Impressive-Cod-7103@reddit
I have been to one, in the Chicago suburbs, but before that I’d never even heard of A&W restaurants, I thought they just made root beer. In the early 2000s A&W, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, and KFC were all owned by the same company, YUM brands, who apparently decided hybrid fast food joints were the future. We had a hybrid Taco Bell/Long John Silver’s in my home town. Cursed combo if you ask me.
ReplacementMammoth61@reddit
There was a stand alone restaurant in San Diego when I was kid. I was sad when it closed lol
Phantomtastic@reddit
I’ve been to stand alone A&Ws but the only combos I’ve seen are with KFCs.
Hieshyn@reddit
KFC out here. If you can find one that's a stand-alone they are fantastic. Can't say the same for the combos.
Rhalellan@reddit
A&W was awesome when I was a kid. The coaches took us there after every game and a root beer float really hit the spot after a hot sweaty day in the sun.
EnlightenedApeMeat@reddit
I have only ever seen one attached to a gas station
Erockens@reddit
I grew up in a tiny town in Northern California that had an A&W established in 1984. It just permanently closed on March 31st.
Eat_Carbs_OD@reddit
They taste WAY better in Canada as well. There is a A&W/KFC combo store near me and the burgers S-U-C-K .. just awful.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
Also popular in Okinawa, I loved that when I was there
Intelligent-Use-2658@reddit
Unilever acquired the Canadian A&W restaurants in 1972.
eternal_casserole@reddit
Man I could go for a teen burger right now. Inconvenient since I'm about five states away from the Canadian border.
Fire_Mission@reddit
I've never been to an A&W Restaurant. Are they linked to the root beer. The only one I ever saw was in Canada.
adotang@reddit
They're quite good. We frequently consider A&W and Harvey's as among of our best fast food franchises, mostly because the burgers actually taste like the ingredients you see in between the bread. Yes, they're linked to the root beer, they sell them in several stores and in the restaurants. They're obviously best out of the frosted mugs, but oddly the one closest to me tends to serve them in the paper cups.
TooBusySaltMining@reddit
I live in the US and I have a old A&W restaurant near me that I love. There you can order from a menu at every parking space and they bring it to you or you can dine inside.
Do you have any A&Ws like that in Canada?
adotang@reddit
Every A&W I recall being to outside a mall is just the usual walk-in or drive-thru, so I wouldn't know. Some probably exist or existed, but I've never been to any.
TooBusySaltMining@reddit
This one opened in the 1950s and it still looks like a '50s diner/carhop. It has corded phones at each dining table to order, and rootbeer comes in a frosted glass mug. I'd imagine there isn't very many A&W diners like that left.
venmother@reddit
Who is “we”. I don’t know anyone who thinks Harvey’s is “among the best” of anything. Maybe 40 years ago, certainly not now.
ghjm@reddit
I used to make a point of going to Harvey's on every trip to Canada, but for the last decade or so it's just been bad - soggy fries, the meat doesn't taste like I remember, and a weird sort of angry vibe at the counter asking for my toppings. Is this nationwide or have I just run into bad locations / bad days?
adotang@reddit
I don't know since I haven't been to Harvey's in years (the only ones I can recall in my area are along busy roads shared by other more interesting local restaurants), so don't take me as a source here, but reading more recent accounts of it, it's fast food, yeah, and there's been a quality dip, but it's still better than usual franchise fare.
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
Yes. Their root beer is amazing in the restaurant. I don't like it from a store.
seanymphcalypso@reddit
There are a few around us so definitely in the common fast food offerings here. We don’t go that often because we don’t get fast food that often, but whenever we do go to A&W we always get some of the fresh root beer they make in house to take home (typically the half gallon) and it’s sooo much better.
RupeThereItIs@reddit
Back in the day, they used to have VERY distinctive architecture for their standalone restaurants too. They had a roof like an orange witches hat.
KittyCubed@reddit
Yes, the root beer. They were a burger place. I’ve not been to one, but the closest one to me (now closed; looks like there’s only one left in the Houston area) was a combo restaurant with Long John Silver’s which also has gone by the wayside (love their hush puppies).
huffer4@reddit
Canadian here. They still are a burger place, and a damn good one at that. Probably my favourite fast food burger. Good onion rings too.
gonyere@reddit
For some reason I picture a hotdog when I think of AW. It's been years since I saw one. I think there used to be one in a mall.
Gyvon@reddit
I saw one in the Houston area, once upon a time
Imightbeafanofthis@reddit
I remember when A&W was very popular up there with Carl's Jr and McDonald's. It was a drive in, and their signature dish was their root beer floats, but their hamburgers were really good too.
chriswaco@reddit
The root beer started at the restaurants. It’s great from the tap in a frosted mug.
ImNotWitty2019@reddit
A&W root beer has that frosty mug taste
mesembryanthemum@reddit
It was a huge treat when I was a kid; my sister and I always tried go order the largest size but mom never let us.
No_Butterscotch_5612@reddit
There's strong regional patterns in the US. A&Ws are particularly common in the upper Midwest and on the West Coast, and particularly rare in the South.
Blue387@reddit
It's a fast food joint like Wendy's
shelwood46@reddit
But started long before drive-thrus (mid 70s), they started out as a car-hop place, like Sonic apes, where you parked and ordered from a speaker on a stand in the parking spot, and someone delivered your order to the car on a tray designed to hook onto the car window. When I was a kid there was a copycat restaurant names Dog & Suds (the suds being root beer).
TheRealDudeMitch@reddit
I believe a&w root beer was originally brewed by the restaurants, yes.
rwanders@reddit
Yes, they are linked to the root beer.
RupeThereItIs@reddit
No curly fries in Canada, found this out five years ago & I'm still enraged.
The burgers are better there though.
PotatoOnMars@reddit
They failed due to Americans not understanding fractions. A&W introduced a 1/3 pound burger to compete with McDonald’s quarter pounder. Customers didn’t buy it because they thought the A&W burger was smaller because 3 is a smaller number than 4.
MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit
And they don’t have the same menu at all. American A&W is all about hot dogs and root beer. Canadian A&W is burgers.
blues_and_ribs@reddit
They are also popular in Japan.
27ce@reddit
a&w canada is completely separate from a&w america. like they’re not the same company
perceptionheadache@reddit
I went to A&W in Canada and they didn't have root beer floats. They weren't out. It just wasn't on the menu at all. Total disappointment.
WCowgirl@reddit
There's two within an hour of my town.
argentina17@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/GvcoCod9H1
Incredible timing
ElijahNSRose@reddit
Canadians don't count as foreigners
Local-Bat1001@reddit
Yes we do
thatisnotmyknob@reddit
The one by me had amazing curly fries. I wish we still had them!
Lemondroplet123@reddit
The singer called Anastacia. Apparently she’s very popular outside of America.
Lemondroplet123@reddit
Trump
Oceanbreeze871@reddit
Spam is more popular in the Philippines than in the US with the exception of Hawaii.
dough_eating_squid@reddit
S. Korea, too. You see fancy gift sets of Spam. It was some of the only meat widely available during the Korean war, and people got a taste for it.
degobrah@reddit
I taught in Korea and my bosses gave me Christmas gift set of Spam. It was huge and I had breakfast meat for months.
d00mslinger@reddit
If my boss gave me spam, I'd feel so undervalued. I mean I do anyway, but I'd be updating my resume for sure.
Doomdoomkittydoom@reddit
Are you from Texas, perchance?
I remember we we tickled by the signs like, "Eggs, pancakes, 2 breakfast meats."
degobrah@reddit
That is correct
reflectorvest@reddit
Same! I liked the spam set I got the second year better than the large case of oranges I got the first year, but the pair of costco day passes the third year was the winner by far.
chickengarbagewater@reddit
Costco day passes?
reflectorvest@reddit
Yep! Basically a one time membership that you show at checkout. I’m pretty sure it also included some sort of gift certificate amount but it was negligible. We were just excited to get decent bacon and pumpkin pie for the holidays.
FormerKey3258@reddit
I was in Bundang in 2005 and 06. My coworker and I shared a Costco membership back then. We looked absolutely nothing alike, and it had his photo on it. But I bought 50% right to that card, and it proved one thing to me--in Korea, all white people look the same.
Common_Vagrant@reddit
Yeah I have a friend that’s Filipina and she told me it’s basically an Asian delicacy. Asian households would have a can spam almost as a trophy lol.
Also have you ever eaten a musubi? They’re delicious if made well.
dough_eating_squid@reddit
I've seen that, but I'm a vegetarian so haven't eaten it.
DjinnaG@reddit
There are multiple brands of vegan spam available in South Korea. Would be a lot of money and effort to try something that you might not even like, but being vegetarian is no longer a firm barrier to eating it. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the production numbers on the those versions, but they were definitely solid when I did. Nowhere near the meat versions, but definitely higher than I would have expected for a meatless version of something that we mostly think of as “well, technically it is meat {shrug}”
I haven’t tried it, either, have a can in the cupboard because I do want to try it at some point in my life, but there hasn’t been a moment when I’ve decided that that was the time to do it
BrainRhythm@reddit
Fry it up. Don't slice it too thick, or eat it out of the container with a fork.
-ledollabean-@reddit
they have plant based spam now!!! we eat it about half of the time i use spam in recipes, its so good. just like soyrizo, ground meat products made vegetarian are generally top tier lol
njb328@reddit
Tofu musubi goes hard
VegetableSquirrel@reddit
Way too salty if you're supposed to control sodium intake in your diet.
Polynesian cultures welcomed the military C-ratins they got introduced during the War at Sea in the Pacific. WW2 introduced Spam where it was we widely accepted.
I remember living in Hawaii and being bemused seeing a 101 Spam Recipes cookbook that wasn't a joke book.
Two-Complex@reddit
It’s also called “Guam steak” among some islanders…🙂
BaseClean@reddit
I usually hate spam but Musubi is the shit!
Nathan-Esor@reddit
oh man musubi is one of my favorites! cheap to make and great for road trips or on-the-go. Just make sure to never refrigerate them for very long or the rice goes dry and hard
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
We make musubi all the time and my eldest (25 now) made bowl versions of it all the time in college.
There's actually a tocino SPAM now, and it's really good.
Funny-Monitor665@reddit
So true. Spam is used in a lot of stuff, like kimchi jjigae and army stew.
imuniqueaf@reddit
In case anyone is wondering why, it's because of the American support during the Korean War.
strawberryselkie@reddit
The first time I ever tried Spam in my life was in Japan. It was also the first time I'd ever seen it outside of a Monty Python skit.
splynneuqu@reddit
Go to a H Mart and you will be amazed at all the different spam style luncheon meats. H Mart is a Korean owned grocery in the US if you didnt know.
FormerKey3258@reddit
The Korean brands are a little better tasting than original Spam IMO, but that's a very, very rare food for me.
Ignatiussancho1729@reddit
Budae Jjigae! Literal translation: military soup. Spam and hotdogs added to a spicy Korean noodle soup. A true fusion dish as a product of American rations and Korean food. It's really good! My Korean coworker loved it, and said he liked to eat it when foreigners were in town because his wife wouldn't let him otherwise.
FormerKey3258@reddit
In the US, doing a recipe even close to authentic is getting pretty expensive if you don't already have a lot of the items at home. It takes so many small purchases to make one pot.
ACK_TRON@reddit
Spam fried rice with kimchi or spam kimbap is really good…never been to Korea but those flavors really work well together.
1337b337@reddit
Army Stew is still commonly eaten in South Korea, and contains things like Spam, hotdogs, instant noodles, process cheese, baked beans, etc.
BigbunnyATK@reddit
I like spam too, but it's way too salty for me. I do like the Korean rice ball with spam and mayo dish, though.
Medical-Total6034@reddit
You might enjoy low sodium spam or any of the flavored spams. They're significantly less salty than classic spam. Classic spam is so damn salty for shelf life so there's a few extra years on the shelf life but that's it really.
dr_stre@reddit
The flavored spams are actually quite tasty. I’ve got some Korean BBQ and some Gochujang SPAM in the pantry right now. Tocino flavor is also excellent. They make a killer breakfast sandwich with a fried egg on an English muffin or bagel.
Oceanbreeze871@reddit
Same for WW2 in the pacific. Resources were scarce and it traveled well
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
Korean BBQ SPAM is amazing!!!
bonzai113@reddit
my wife and her family are Germans and they love spam. it seems that everywhere the US military went during and after WW2, spam followed.
Sorry_Awareness_1451@reddit
Don't leave out Guam - or do they not count since they are a US territory? They love their Spam. It's even in McDonalds.
KeyInitiative8805@reddit
And Alaska!
Charming-Kiwi-9277@reddit
And (not a state but) Puerto Rico!
ZephyrProductionsO7S@reddit
Guam as well
dalaylana@reddit
Fried Spam has mostly replaced bacon when I add meat to my egg and rice bowls. Its similar fat and flavor but shelf stable
EnlightenedApeMeat@reddit
I have never even considered that
blackhawk905@reddit
You must work a good job to completely replace bacon, its so much cheaper to buy a big pack and freeze it than buy spam
dalaylana@reddit
My freezer space is limited right now but I have a huge pantry and buy spam in bulk. Its also super nice to have for hurricane season so I have bulk meat that wont spoil in an extended outage.
drsfmd@reddit
Due to shrinkflation, "pounds" of bacon are now 12 ounces. I can buy "bacon ends" (little bits off fat off the ends with very little actual meat) at Walmart in 3lb (I think it was) packages.
I've never seen prepackaged bacon sold in any larger packages than that.
On a per ounce basis they are very similarly priced.
bird9066@reddit
I buy those same odd pieces at Walmart. So does everyone else because that spot is always empty, lol.
The great value version of spam is pretty good in fried rice. It has way more fat than Spam but that's just fine when you're frying it anyway
drsfmd@reddit
I use them for cooking, but not for serving with breakfast.
SL13377@reddit
That and Vienna sausages. Soooo good. Vienna sausages and eggs are delicious
Friendly-Wear6213@reddit
SPAM could never replace bacon in my life. I could eat bacon with every meal and love it every time. I love just a bacon sandwich on toast with a little butter. Bacon is the best tasting food in the world to me.
ray_t101@reddit
And they make a bacon spam. Also a Hickory smoked. Both are great additions to breakfast or rice bowls
Future-Chemical7812@reddit
That explains why when I was a kid my Hawaiian grandmother always had multiple tins of spam in their house.
EntireInevitable26@reddit
And Guam 🇬🇺!
Mixedstereotype@reddit
We used to have spamorama in Austin. It was great and where I learned to use spices as a child.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
Hawaii is America. As is the Mariana Islands. Lots of mid-westerners like Spam as well. I love it.
Oceanbreeze871@reddit
Yes that’s why I said exception.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
Understood
uresmane@reddit
I live in Minnesota, where Spam is from and I didn't start eating it until after visiting Hawaii.
Deep-Profession-9321@reddit
Spam is from the U.S Army, that's where it was invented. It's popular in Minnesota, but it's not where it's from.
ghoulthebraineater@reddit
It's made in Austin, MN. There's even a SPAM museum. It's not popular in MN. It's literally from MN.
RIP_prev_account@reddit
And they have a conveyor belt of SPAM zooming around the ceiling inside the museum.
Friendly-Wear6213@reddit
Sounds cool. Next time I get up their I will try and visit this SPAM Museum.
TrumpTheAntichrist@reddit
Oh you sweet summer child.
Standard-Park@reddit
Ah yes. The state called "U.S Army". Where all the U.S. Army stuff is made 🤡
uresmane@reddit
This is an absolutely retarded comment... Wtf... You just say this with so much confidence... Like actually WTF?. Like just spend 2 seconds researching on the internet. That's not even popular at all in my state. But we know our history. This is why I don't like to spend too much time on the internet.
Tr33Bl00d@reddit
I love spam, but you are 💯 right. It isn’t all lined state side
Build68@reddit
Can confirm. My gf lived in Hawaii for a couple of years and she still love their comfort food, like loco moco. We always have spam and brown gravy packets. I suggested once that I could make a home made poultry gravy for the loco moco and it was branded heresy.
Mr_Noms@reddit
Well Hawaii is America so…
lokland@reddit
He just said that.
Mr_Noms@reddit
So then it’s an irrelevant comment. Because it’s still more popular in America.
Spirited_Ingenuity89@reddit
Hawaii is a very small part of America, so just being popular in Hawaii doesn’t mean it’s popular in the US at large.
Itzagoodthing@reddit
First thing I thought of
SL13377@reddit
This is a great one! Goodness I love Spam. I never tried it until I was almost 40
XuWiiii@reddit
Oh, SPAM, not spam
melonlollicholypop@reddit
So undesirable to Americans that we named unwanted email after it.
theEWDSDS@reddit
More like Brits named annoying things after it which internet users named repetitive messages after which email named unwanted emails after
Oceanbreeze871@reddit
lol! Good point
getdownheavy@reddit
Alaska, too, had a strange affection for it.
s0berR00fer@reddit
It’s because Hawaii and Alaska both run the risk of not having fresh food delivered so we make sure to have non-perishable food items in our pantries.
Alaska loves “pilots bread” too
Silent-Attention6685@reddit
It breaks the monotony of eating moose.
Diligent_Gear_8179@reddit
I almost tried it, once, but then I saw it was something like half sodium by weight (yes, this is an exaggeration, but only slightly...) and decided it would probably cause something like five simultaneous strokes if I tried actually eating it.
Oceanbreeze871@reddit
Yeah same. it’s like ultra processed. I can’t. lol
Soonhun@reddit
Spam does remain very popular, though,, with the diaspora populations from countries in which it is popular
Homie_Bama@reddit
I used to eat spam as a kid and loved it. Now I can’t touch it at all because it’s so salty. Even the low sodium variety is too salty.
bansheesho@reddit
I'd agree for most househols, but I do have a case of it in the pantry. I like that cut into slices and pan fried. Better than bacon.
Friendly-Wear6213@reddit
Really fried SPAM is better than fried bacon. Glad we are entitled to our own opinion because in my world SPAM is terrible and bacon is like the nectar of the gods.
Middle-Luck-997@reddit
Guam too!
Tx2PNW2Tx@reddit
We love spam in my house!
front_torch@reddit
So is banana ketchup
AlmiranteCrujido@reddit
And Tang! So many flavors of Tang in the Philippines.
kasumagic@reddit
Super common to see in non-halal restaurants in Malaysia too, where it seems to usually be referred to as "lunch meat".
sulunod1313@reddit
I love Spam. Cut thin fried crispy on a fried egg sandwich
Bloebmn@reddit
And it’s based out of Minnesota!!!
No-Conversation1940@reddit
An underreported branch of 50s and 60s American kitchen experimentalism was the pairing of Spam and canned peaches, which sounds awful and could not have possibly worked.
Rhomya@reddit
I mean, it has the same vibe as Hawaiian pizza..
the-coolest-bob@reddit
I want a spam and peach pizza now
tangledbysnow@reddit
Best part is their museum. It’s free. They do samples!
And there’s a gift shop where you can buy everything with Spam on it as well as all the different kinds of Spam they make, even those not available in the USA. I stocked up on those bad boys.
Avalanche325@reddit
Ok then.
os2mac@reddit
It's pretty popular in Alaska as well.
cwal76@reddit
It was part of ww2 rations so it ended up on a lot of pacific isles
Fun-Yellow-6576@reddit
My Dad’s wife is from Thailand and it’s huge in both Thailand and with Thai living in the states.
Responsible_Ask3976@reddit
Lol this is so true 😅
Kyle81020@reddit
It’s probably not there yet, but baseball is very popular in Japan and a few South American and Caribbean countries, while its popularity in the U.S. has waned.
Opera_haus_blues@reddit
this was my answer! For Cubans, Dominicans and Japanese people, it’s basically the national sport. I would say baseball hasn’t been so since at least the 80’s. Football is the all-American national sport now.
Afraid_Cupcake_6636@reddit
KFC
Emotional_One7953@reddit
Rosie O’Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, Nancy Pelosi
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
electric kettles
ImTheHollaBackGirl@reddit
Came here to say this, though I use mine every single day. Maybe if we had a tea-drinking culture like some other countries, they would be more widespread.
AutomaticSilver6687@reddit
I use mine for my French press. Works great for that.
SteampunkExplorer@reddit
We love tea in the south! And honestly, whatever Brits say about it, a microwave works fine. 🙂 So does a saucepan, an actual stovetop kettle, or whatever is on hand. I haven't noticed any particular difference in the results.
So I think maybe the driving factor in the British insistence on electric kettles is not so much the habit of tea-drinking, but more the habit of thinking there's an arbitrary "proper" way to do everything, and the earth will open up and swallow you if you don't follow it. 🤣
(I do kind of want an electric kettle, though.)
RoyChiusEyelashes@reddit
Their kettles use higher voltage and are super fast compared to ours. Overall faster to make tea.
requiemguy@reddit
A microwave heats water just fine, and nearly everyone in the US owns a microwave.
snmnky9490@reddit
It's slow, often makes the mug really hot, and a kettle is like $10-15.
An empty coffee maker that everyone else also has would probably heat up the water faster than a microwave anyway
requiemguy@reddit
A microwave heats water just fine, and nearly everyone in the US owns a microwave.
snmnky9490@reddit
A coffee maker heats water just fine and nearly everyone in the US owns a coffee maker
requiemguy@reddit
A microwave heats water just fine, and nearly everyone in the US owns a microwave.
hx87@reddit
Microwaves are 66% efficient at heating water at best, which is kinda terrible for electric heating. I really appreciate my AC system not having that 34%
requiemguy@reddit
A microwave heats water just fine, and nearly everyone in the US owns a microwave.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
stovetop kettles are also an option
requiemguy@reddit
A microwave heats water just fine, and nearly everyone in the US owns a microwave.
whatevendoidoyall@reddit
It funny, I grew up in Oklahoma and had friends who had iced tea makers but I didn't know kettles were a thing until I was an adult.
kmovi@reddit
The electric kettle was invented in stages with the first design from the US company but an English company started exhibiting their electric kettle at the same time. From there Bulpitt & Sons and Russell Hobbs developed the kettles much more like everyone uses today. So the US developed the very first kettle, but the UK invented the household kettle still in use today with the internal heating element and automatic shut off.
Flashy-Specific-4083@reddit
Right? We drink coffee in the states
Intrepid-Entrance460@reddit
Would be a lot more popular here but for 120V.
BlueDragon82@reddit
I had an argument with someone years ago. They claimed that kettles weren't a thing in the US. I had to correct them that we very much do have kettles but a lot of homes have a basic one that goes on the stove not the nicer electric ones. You can buy kettles in just about any store that has home goods. Take with a grain of salt but Google says 74% of Americans are familiar with or own a stovetop kettle but less than 20% own or have used an electric kettle.
Sylent09@reddit
I honestly never saw a kettle until I went to Scotland. Much less an electric one, lol. There was one in our Airbnb and I legit thought it was one of those Brita water filter things but couldn't figure out why it was electric
jigokubi@reddit
I've got one, but only after using one at my in-laws' in Japan.
WhiskyStandard@reddit
I had to go to India to realize I wanted one. I literally said “oh, so it’s like a toaster… for water!”
The_MoistMaker@reddit
I love my electric kettle so much
venturashe@reddit
I love mine but discovered it later in life. Was still using stovetop kettles until a few years ago (which take significantly longer to use)
Michael_N85@reddit
House music
Water-is-h2o@reddit
KFC
GucciAviatrix@reddit
Constitutional republic
Stupidlysurviving@reddit
That's the answer I knew was out there.
burner94_@reddit
Buick, the car brand. Wildly popular in China, it basically stays afloat thanks to the Chinese market nowadays.
Brilliant_Mastodon84@reddit
Wrangler jeans?
MatthewSBernier@reddit
Chicken feet.
arrig-ananas@reddit
Small cheap cars. The Americans made cars available for the masses with small cheaper cars. Now all the want is big trucks and SUV's, while smaller cats are still popular in rest of the world.
KnackeredQuokka@reddit
Sadly for those of us living here, Democracy
blaspheminCapn@reddit
Live Jazz.
Jazz musicians from the States make their money overseas. Less so at home.
iamclapclap@reddit
I scrolled way too long to find this answer! Jazz is America's greatest cultural contribution to the world, and most Americans don't listen to it.
No_Cobbler154@reddit
i just don’t like it. it’s nice enough but i wouldn’t seek it out to listen to. it’s background music
ancaleta@reddit
Unfortunately I think this is because it got relegated to academia and people associated it with something they had to “understand” before enjoying it. Which is a pity because it was literally dance music at a time!
Outrageous_Manner941@reddit
Classic jazz standards are great. Weird atonal "challenging" jazz is not great.
ancaleta@reddit
Most jazz musicians don’t even like that stuff lol
DLS3141@reddit
Henry Ford despised jazz and thought it would corrupt the country’s white youth. That’s why we had to do all that stupid, hokey square dancing in PE class.
axl3ros3@reddit
Henry ford despised black people and anything associated with black people in his time. Jazz was one of those things
Anagazander@reddit
Don’t blame it on the music. Long before jazz entered academia in the 1970’s, a long list of American jazz greats moved to Europe - and it’s still happening today. Blame racism.
Shreddy_Brewski@reddit
Ah yes Europe, famous for not being at all racist
leisuretyme@reddit
As a musician thats played it all. Jazz is gated AF - pretentious foo’s
ChristmaswithMoondog@reddit
It’s much less gated in Europe, which may be why it’s more popular. You can go to a local open jam and play “Autumn Leaves” or “Summer Samba” unironically and without the other musicians trying to deconstruct the music and/or demonstrate their Berklee chops.
Zillajami-Fnaffan2@reddit
Greatest cultural contribution?
ljb2x@reddit
I agree with you questioning it. Jazz is definitely an important American artist invention...but the greatest? Not sure about that.
username-generica@reddit
It’s a shame. My high school freshman loves jazz and plays the electric bass and double bass for his school’s jazz choir. He’s planning to try out for the city’s jazz youth orchestra this fall.
blaspheminCapn@reddit
Fantastic - my point is that is a tough career path, in the States.
ChristmaswithMoondog@reddit
It’s not exactly a path to wealth in Europe either. Jazz is popular in Europe because people are willing to play as a hobby.
username-generica@reddit
I agree
kyuuketsuki47@reddit
As an american I went to so many live jazz shows in college (mostly because I had the time and there were 3 jazz bars near my college). My only regret is not going to more (but money was a factor)
Bjw4k8@reddit
I play the music at work and get comments of elevator music or Muzak every time.
blaspheminCapn@reddit
Very sad.
FunctionalAdult@reddit
I think the number one answer has to be WhatsApp. Incorporated in 2009 in California, founded by Brian Acton (American) and Jan Koum (Ukrainian- American), and as any semi-frequent visitor to this subreddit has seen - not really that popular with Americans.
No_Cobbler154@reddit
in the US it’s the scammers & cheaters app of choice 😂
thegreatestevil@reddit
I unfortunately have to use it every day because Verizon coverage sucks ass and cant even do wifi calling right.
AllInTackler@reddit
Kind of frustrating it isn't more popular. It works between ios and apple seamlessly with much larger limits on file/video sizes. Really simpler to create multiple groups, etc
wookieesgonnawook@reddit
The video thing ican understand, but I don't get the texting between operating systems thing. You can text between any phone, it doesn't matter what brand it is.
sapphireminds@reddit
Read messages, reacts, etc don't work as well cross platform
Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit
With rcs that’s become a non issue. And most of my friends and family have iPhones anyways so it’s been a non issue since iMessage came out.
EloquentRacer92@reddit
Apple has made it so that messaging is different between iPhone to iPhone and iPhone to non-iPhone, iPhone to non-iPhone being more difficult and slower to send messages.
hx87@reddit
What does it do better than, say, Signal?
AllInTackler@reddit
I'm not familiar with Signal, but from what I can tell the community and ability to collaborate with large groups is easier on Whatsapp. It seems that Signal suffers from the same problem as WhatsApp in that it still needs wider adoption. I do like that Signal appears to have better safety features.
mike_030852@reddit
Wait... What the heck do people use in the states then??
Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit
Default messaging apps. iMessage and rcs don’t have the limitations of standard txt and mms. A lot of people use FB messenger. My family and friends all use FB messenger to communicate. Mainly a matter of convenience.
Constellation-88@reddit
I hate What’sApp. No idea why everyone else uses it. The default texting app is far more user-friendly plus, I don’t have to sign into it separately. Maybe other countries they have to pay by the text message for that app while WhatsApp is free?
terryjuicelawson@reddit
The initial positive was whatsapp have text and calling free over wifi but it spread as it has so many other positives too. Unlimited size of message, attachments, pictures, group messages, dropping location pins, voice notes, it is all just a lot neater overall. Probably the sort of hidden things people won't get unless they use it a lot, but not enough to drive people across if they are OK with their current setup.
malex84@reddit
The only time I used it was when my sister was traveling overseas… if someone over here tried to get me to use it I would assume it was a scam.
ju5tjame5@reddit
My family uses it for our family group chat because some of us have iPhone instead of Android, and apparently that causes a problem somehow for the iPhone users?
Waja_Wabit@reddit
WhatsApp and Zelle are the two biggest red flags for a scam.
jaker9319@reddit
Yeah that's a good point. It's like first - I only communicate in Whatsapp. Also, I only take payment in Bitcoin or Amazon giftcards.
Like the first part could be legit, but it just sounds like a scam.
Coldhearted010@reddit
Oh, yeah. When I was in Paris, I could not believe that official government entities, like the railways (SCNF), would communicate (only, it seemed to me) through WhatsApp. I was floored!
o93mink@reddit
One of our most significant imports is messages telling us how stupid we are for not using it
GeneralBlumpkin@reddit
Why use what's app?
0wlBear916@reddit
I was told by a British friend that WhatsApp is popular in Europe because it’s easier to message people in other parts of the EU than it is to text them. It’s also cross platform. I downloaded it and he was the only person I ever messaged on it. I haven’t used it since.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit
That is false, a lot of Europeans use it even without messaging people abroad.
Silent_Status9126@reddit
I think the majority of Americans having iPhones is probably a big reason
life_inabox@reddit
Most teenagers do. It's an even split between iphone/android otherwise among general Americans though.
BlueDragon82@reddit
I mean I can do nearly all of that with my android phone through my cell carrier. The large file thing is the only thing I have to work around and I can just use, Email, Discord, online data drives, other messaging apps, etc for that. I'm not sending large files to friends and family very often though and if I was I'd want something secure with end to end encryption and not owned by Meta.
Americans don't need Whatsapp because we have unlimited calling, texting, and data on most of our phone plans. Whatsapp became popular in other countries because it makes it cheaper/free for people to call and message when normally it would cost them. I regularly chat with friends in other countries but don't use Whatapp. I have used Line for years as well as Google Hangouts which is now Google Chats, Discord, and a few other messaging apps that have unique features.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit
You can't. Android to Iphone defaults to SMS which is horrible and outdated for reasons stated above.
It's not just about unlimited calling and texting while that was historically a reason it's also because of the 4 reasons I stated above.
crasho7@reddit
Also, it's free. Just need wifi
0wlBear916@reddit
That does make sense. This was also back in 2018 tho so I’m sure a bit has changed. 🤷♂️
whatevendoidoyall@reddit
I think a lot of Americans use Discord for all that.
TeamTurnus@reddit
This is a weird assertion that most Americans use phones. Theyre very popular yes, but its not a majority.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit
TeamTurnus@reddit
Ah interesting, id seen it st less then 50, must he outdated. Thanks
ButtholeSurfur@reddit
With iPhones now having RCS I see much less people using apps for messaging.
RupeThereItIs@reddit
Nah,
It's basically device agnostic iChat/Facetime in one app.
It IS better then the solutions we use here in the states.
The problem is we don't use it here in the states, which is why we don't use it here in the states.
sstdk@reddit
In Scandinavia, Facebook Messenger is the de facto messaging platform besides plain SMS. WhatsApp is not that common, mainly if you have contacts in mainland Europe or India for example.
SharpestOne@reddit
Because people are poor and mostly can’t afford an iPhone. Even in Europe.
On iPhone media rich messages are handled by iMessage with zero fuss.
On android, you’re at the mercy of whatever your service provider can support.
So WhatsApp is the perfect middle man between all the various service providers, phone brands, and not to mention international numbers.
The average American is significantly more able to afford an iPhone, hence the 60%+ market share. We don’t need WhatsApp as much here.
dr_stre@reddit
Handles privacy better cross-platform and I think it’s supposed to do group messaging pretty well? Other than that I think it’s just cuz everyone else uses it. Most of the people I message are on iPhone though so there’s literally no reason not to use iMessages with them. All of the same benefits, but handled natively.
mythicalwolf00@reddit
WhatsApp is Meta. So no, definitely not privacy oriented
mtdunca@reddit
It was before Meta bought them, I'm having a hard time convincing people I know to switch to Signal. Which is what I mainly use now.
mythicalwolf00@reddit
Yea thats what sucks. It used to be great. Everyone used them. Then Meta took them but nobody wants to switch cause they still think its still good with privacy when there has already been instances showing how unsafe data is with meta. I have signal even though I barely use it but its there for when I need it.
Personally I never got the point of using something like whatsapp. At that point you might as well use any other social media platform messaging system.
clatadia@reddit
Yeah that's not true. If you message people for example on Facebook which is also meta as everyone knows it's not encrypted. So while meta can and will analyze who will message whom and how the network is used they actually can't read the contents of the messages because they are end to end encrypted. I use WhatsApp very rarely because most of my friends switched to signal a long time ago but communicating via WhatsApp is still preferable over communicating via most social media messaging services.
nebuladrifting@reddit
Facebook messenger is now end-to-end encrypted by default.
clatadia@reddit
Looked it up since I left Facebook a long time ago and they apparently do it for two years now, but Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok etc don't encrypt end to end at all or not per default. Or it gets cancelled altogether like at Instagram.
dr_stre@reddit
Fair! Seeing as I don’t use it, I’m not up to date on the ownership change.
The_MoistMaker@reddit
One of my group chats are in WhatsApp.
Idk why more people don't use it
GreenBeanTM@reddit
Because I have plenty of other options for making a group chat.
sgtm7@reddit
Also you can easily send your location, pictures, videos, files of any type (music, pdf, doc, etc.). I don't know the full imessaging capabilities, but only the USA, Canada, a few small island nations, and Japan, does IPhone have such a large market share. And other than the USA and Canada, even in countries with high iPhone usage, they still use WhatsApp more. In Japan, LINE is the most popular messaging app, even though iPhone market share is around the same as the USA.
BigbunnyATK@reddit
Yeah, the group chats are really nice. But it also handles sending files and images better. It's easy to share PDFs, videos, photos to people with any phone (Apple, Google, etc). And it links easily with computers so you can receive a PDF on phone, open in computer, download. Or download hundreds of photos to computer easily.
No_Shopping_8099@reddit
Define better. Because WhatsApp greatly reduces image and video quality
Eranov@reddit
melonlollicholypop@reddit
Is encrypted so your messages remain private.
Allows you to video chat across brands: apple/android.
Free international phone calls.
Easier group message settings.
bh4th@reddit
WhatsApp is an elegant solution to several problems that Americans don’t have because our phone plans are structured differently, our messaging apps tend to be better, and we make fewer voice calls to people in other countries than Europeans do. I am far from an American exceptionalist, but phone-based messaging is a case of something that is actually better here than almost anywhere else.
Xyzzydude@reddit
WhatsApp was iMessage without having to buy an iphone. It got a huge first mover advantage outside the US.
sleepygrumpydoc@reddit
It’s free where most other countries still pay for SMS texting. So instead of paying to text they use WhatsApp
dancingcroc@reddit
SMS is free (or at least your bundle has thousands per month) in the UK and I believe most of the EU, but we get charged for MMS (eg sending pictures)
nettap@reddit
It’s hard to beat free calls and texts across country borders.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit
Normal SMS cannot send large videos and degrades image quality, Whatsapp does not. Most Americans don't know this cause they use Iphone which has Imessage but that only works Iphone to Iphone.
No additional cost for interntaional calls.
You can do video calls which normal messages app cannot.
Group chats.
WinRough8326@reddit
You're definitely not American if you think we're stupid for not using it. Every American knows it is useless to us.
o93mink@reddit
Go back and re-read what I typed
WinRough8326@reddit
Ditto
Eubank31@reddit
I prefer Signal but I'd use Whatsapp exclusively if it meant I no longer had to deal with Apple's crap implementation of RCS
SteveS117@reddit
How is Apple’s implementation of RCS crap?
Eubank31@reddit
Replies don't work, reactions to photos don't work, and I will often run into issues where I or the person texting me will send a message that gets downgraded to SMS for no reason, then it gets double sent
Never have these issues when doing RCS between two android devices
cguess@reddit
This was all updated in the last year on iOS RCS implementation. RCS was never intended for all this either though, Google added a bunch of custom updates to the protocol, which is why it didn't work across platforms. The EU more or less force Apple to follow Google's lead while claiming it was more "open". RCS still sorta sucks though compared to Signal or iMessage or WhatsApp protocols.
Google in general has a really bad history of messaging apps, in this case they won because they make the only iOS alternative.
SteveS117@reddit
I’ve never had these issues with my friends that have Android and my iPhone. Replies and reactions have always worked.
Eubank31@reddit
Reactions work on messages, but for photos it just says "❤️ to a photo" in a plaintext message, not indicating which photo was reacted to.
Replies "work" in the sense that you can swipe to reply and it will show on your phone, but on the receivers phone the reactions don't actually show up.
mchris185@reddit
As someone with an android and lots of family overseas it drives me crazy to no end
2PlasticLobsters@reddit
I can't bring myself to use Meta products. Screw Zuckerberg.
CatacombsOfBaltimore@reddit
It’s honestly because Apple and Android incorporated their own protocols for texting and people used those instead of picking up WhatsApp. I use it however for any international travel and work related things. Depending who I am reaching I use both Apple and WhatsApp
PresentationFluffy24@reddit
Most people I know use whatsapp somewhat regularly. Typically for communicating with friends from overseas (even when they are in the states) or for group messaging. Obviously not used as much as in other countries but has definitely grown in popularity.
GooseyDuckDuck@reddit
In the UK ,at least, it’s mainly down to most networks still charging for MMS (picture messaging), whilst not an issue iPhone to iPhone there are cross platform costs.
WhatsApp and other messaging apps have no cost associated.
xx2983xx@reddit
I'm American and use WhatsApp daily. Wild to me to be reading this thread and realize it's not widely used... Regular text messaging for one on one texts, and WhatsApp for group texts
trevordbs@reddit
American and I use it all the time. Interesting to see so many people not use it.
EloquentRacer92@reddit
Not sure why more people here don’t use it. It works the same across all devices, unlike regular messaging.
trevordbs@reddit
Everyone I know uses it for this reason. It’s also a hell of a lot easier organizing trips and groups. Youth sports and tournaments, “boys trips”, family events, etc. it’s simply easier in my opinion
jade7slytherin@reddit
I use it all the time for my kids' activities! I'm from NY
1127_and_Im_tired@reddit
I use WhatsApp to talk with friends in other countries and video chat with my nephew who lives here in the US.
1goodlookingdad@reddit
But why is my wife on there ?
KittyCubed@reddit
I like WhatsApp. It’s been helpful with sending videos when Messages doesn’t want to cooperate or limits the video size. Our artistic skating club uses it for various club groups and info. Also used it at one of the schools I taught at with our grade level team.
No-Lunch4249@reddit
Spam. Super popular in certain parts of Asia and Oceania but looked down on as poverty food now by Americans
ElijahNSRose@reddit
I would eat it but it's too salty
mblee19@reddit
Apparently you can slice it and boil it or soak it in water and it pulls some of the salt out… I haven’t personally tried it but it seems like too much work lol
ch00d@reddit
There's a reduced sodium version
TallWalmartCovington@reddit
Well, I am poverty, sooo
_iwantataco63_@reddit
I didn’t even try spam until I went to hot pot. It’s pretty good
sharpshooter999@reddit
I'll eat spam maybe once or twice a year, usually when my wife is gone because she hates. If I ate it regularly, I'd probably hate it too
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
Try the Korean BBQ flavor with rice and fried eggs, sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Homie_Bama@reddit
Are there any tips to make it less salty? Even the low sodium version is way too salty for me.
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
I don't think so. Sorry. I always have to drink lots of water afterwards.
SummertimeThrowaway2@reddit
I don’t think it’s necessarily looked down on as a poverty food, I think people just never knew it actually tastes good and think it’s just like any other canned meat product.
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
I LOVE SPAM. And at $7 a can now, I dare anyone to look down on it in this economy.
big_sugi@reddit
I’m still paying about $3/can, but I buy in bulk at Costco or BJs.
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
If it wasn't just me, I'd get a Costco card.
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
Some people have always eaten it. It was camping food for my family in the 70s, my dad liked to fry it up with eggs as a sort of 60s Army nostalgia for him. But we make musubi with it all the time. Costco sells six-packs that come in at a pretty reasonable price.
catonsteroids@reddit
I feel like Spam is making a comeback slowly in the US. All it is is canned ham but people have always been told it’s made of different pig parts and so it’s always been seen and treated as trash here.
venturashe@reddit
Not by this American. Obviously not in huge quantities because salt, but still a favorite cheat snack as musubi.
dauntless-cupcake@reddit
Which is a bit of a joke considering how pricy it is these days 😬
RandyJackson@reddit
American Made clothing. Generally too expensive for the average working class American.
icewaterexclusive@reddit
California Spiny Lobster. I've lived in California for a long time. I've never eaten one. They're supposed to be fantastic but most of them are exported to China.
Still-Recognition-27@reddit
Freedom....../s
hireme703@reddit
Representative democracy
S0rry7h15N4m374k3n@reddit
The band CheapTrick is the definition of "Big in Japan"
TallWalmartCovington@reddit
I only listen to one of their songs and I have their recording in the American studio and their Japanese concert recording. The Japanese concert one sounds better because it's less slow
acu101@reddit
They were pretty popular in the 80s
Goodideaman1@reddit
Scump
InformationNormal901@reddit
Hacky Sack. It was invented in Oregon but its competitive scene is much larger and more organized in Europe than in the United States.
Ralph_O_nator@reddit
A lot of American clothing brands such as Carhart, Nike, Reebok, Ralph Lauren, et cetera are pretty pricy overseas. Between the exchange rate, lack of as many outlet malls (and deals/cheap prices) they are seen as a more “up market” brands in other parts of the world. I bought a pair of Nike shoes and Levis in the states for around $60 dollars each. The same jeans and shoes were around 2x that in Europe. When I have relatives come from Poland a stop at an outlet mall is one of the top things they want to do.
InformationNormal901@reddit
LEVI'S in India is equivalent to Louis Vuitton in the western world
Separate-Asparagus36@reddit
Lee Jeans
InformationNormal901@reddit
I came to say LEVI'S. While they are somewhat popular here in the US, in India to where Levi's is the equivalent of wearing Gucci in other parts of the world. It's all the hype in India.
ObjectiveElefant@reddit
The spray cheese that everyone from other counties seem to think we live off of lol. I’ve never seen that in anyone’s house and in my experience the general consensus is that it’s gross. It obviously has some fans or it wouldn’t exist, but it’s not a staple.
ctoal1984@reddit
Used to love that shit. Bout to see if I can find it next time I go to the store for some cheese dogs
ObjectiveElefant@reddit
lol glad to remind you. I hope you got your treat
ging3rtabby@reddit
Only time I think I've seen it outside of stores is at the vet. It works great to distract my cats from shots or exam stuff.
Ok_Coconut4898@reddit
In some parts of Mexico it’s common for chopped up hot dogs to be an option as a pizza topping….. usually called “wienies.” It’s looked at as very “American,” despite not being common here at all.
In Germany in the nineties I remember frozen “American Pizza” having corn on it, lol. It had an American flag on the package and the brand was something like “Big American,” so it was obviously marketed as American food. My host mother bought it for me because she thought it would remind me of home.
Dopeboy95AirMaxOn@reddit
I hear the actress that plays the mother in “Everybody Hates Chris” has a massive following in Brazil of all places
77notomorrow@reddit
Jeppson's Malört, but it's not popular anywhere else either....maybe some dark corners of Scandinavia....
aran_maybe@reddit
The Kelly Family. Practically unknown here in the states but they were huge in Europe during the 70s and 80s. Sort of like a real-life partridge family with much worse music.
tangledbysnow@reddit
Eric Nam.
He’s been called Korea’s Boyfriend and has some massive and incredible sway in South Korea. Kpop people know who he is, and he’s toured in the USA several times, but if you don’t listen to Kpop you will likely have zero idea who he is despite the fact he has many more English language songs than Korean at this point.
CompetitiveRub9780@reddit
Bahahha this made me laugh. This is true. But since traitors, I think he has more US fans
tangledbysnow@reddit
Not bad for a guy from Atlanta.
I actually forgot about Traitors as I’ve never seen it.
CompetitiveRub9780@reddit
Traitors is so good! UK version is amazing too. That’s the original. The last US season is great and u can just watch that one because he’s on it. Dip your toe in the water
StasRutt@reddit
lol I know who is because of Traitors and I know the reddit sub (myself included) was shocked to found out how famous he is. Pretty sure he had like the most instagram followers of anyone on his season
tangledbysnow@reddit
I legit forgot about Traitors. I’ve never seen it just clips of him talking about it on Daebak and in other interviews. But I remember something about him talking about this exact thing.
Special_Recording_32@reddit
May day.
DangerousProperty6@reddit
Freedom.
ShinyArticuno_420@reddit
Today, Tommy Hilfiger
smcwill63@reddit
The TV show “Everybody Hates Chris” is more popular in Brazil than the US
blues_and_ribs@reddit
In Russia, a studio did a shot-for-shot remake of the entire run of Married with Children, plus a few original episodes. Even the actors looked really similar to their American counterparts. A handful of jokes were changed to fit the audience. Apparently it was quite popular.
And I think India did the same thing with The Office.
monkeymind009@reddit
Columbia did this with Breaking Bad also.
boupsav@reddit
same thing in argentina🤣, it's called "casados con hijos" it's still popular and they play re-runs all the time
LikelyNotSober@reddit
The office was re-made in the U.S. after the original British version…
GreenBeanTM@reddit
India has like a million different versions of American Disney channel shows so it wouldn’t surprise me if they did the same for other American shows.
bonvoyage_brotha@reddit
It's looks like when you watch the first season of the Simpsons and the old animation
Fan_Rat@reddit
I understand Woody Woodpecker is (was?) very popular in Brazil.
StasRutt@reddit
I figured that out when I went into the comments of an instagram post by Tyler James William (Chris) and half the comments were in Portuguese
CG20370417@reddit
Federalized Constitutional Republic
zachm26@reddit
Are the Killers really more popular abroad? Maybe it’s just my age and demographic but a lot of people I know here love them. I’ve seen them headline multiple music festivals in the US and Mr. Brightside is probably the most popular and well-known karaoke song in the country.
Glum-System-7422@reddit
it pisses me off when the UK tries to claim the killers because they 10000% sound like they’re from nevada. their discography is the most southwestern “this used to be the old west and we’re kinda living in the former glory of danger and glamor” i’ve ever heard. pacific standard time icons
KilroyFSU@reddit
I mean, the whole Sam's Town album. Lol.
Awkward-Initiative28@reddit
Their first album is heavily influenced by '80s UK bands like The Smiths and Depeche Mode so it makes sense they would be big in the UK. Their second album is more western / Springsteen sounding (yes I know Springsteen is from New Jersey).
Glum-System-7422@reddit
No contest about why it would be big anywhere, it’s a great album. But it doesn’t sound British to me
SilverSnapDragon@reddit
There’s a line from the song “Flesh and Blood” that is so obviously a tribute to The Killers’ Nevada roots that it blows my mind anyone would think they’re a British band. “Cut from the cloth of the flag that bears the name ‘Battle Born’.” They are obviously referring to the official flag for the state of Nevada.
Then there’s their Christmas album, which makes Brandon Flowers’ deep Nevada roots (and coming of age in a tiny town in Utah) absolutely explicit. People think they’re British?
cguess@reddit
"Caution" is explicitly about "living in the desert". "Merry Christmas Guadalupe" is also explicitly about being down and out in Northern Mexico. Could go on, you can smell the salt flats in 90% of their songs.
eyetracker@reddit
It's kind of mind blowing when Vegas people use Battle Born considering it wasn't part of the state until 2 years after the battle ended, let alone the city of Vegas being much of a thing for another 50 years. Until some time in the 1920s, the big city Las Vegas was the one in New Mexico.
PacSan300@reddit
And one of their albums, Sam’s Town, is literally named after a casino in Vegas.
Glum-System-7422@reddit
Their music gets progressively more Nevadan - I think they hate being confused for something else too lol
Artistic_Echidna_701@reddit
Someone on Reddit once said Mr Brightside is Millennials' Don't Stop Believing. As a millennial, thought that was a perfect description lol.
Awkward-Initiative28@reddit
Mr Brightside had a lot of staying power and is by far one of the best known Y2k songs at this point. See also: Seven Nation Army.
mewikime@reddit
Mr Brightside has been in the Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart for 500 weeks (almost 10 years), and streams over one-and-three-quarter million times a week. It is still insanely popular
Bleh3325@reddit
I love the Killers but that has to be my least favorite song of theirs.
the-coolest-bob@reddit
Jfc wtf why. It's a great song but wha
emotions1026@reddit
lol yeah I was gonna say I don’t know if that’s a really a flex for the Brits
781nnylasil@reddit
I heard it’s played at every Scottish wedding reception.
StardustOasis@reddit
It's one of those songs every events DJ will play because it gets people on the dancefloor.
sparklyjoy@reddit
I am a caterer and it’s played at almost every American wedding reception. For reasons I went through a period about 10 or 15 years when I didn’t listen to any secular music, and a wedding reception going nuts over Mr. Brightside was when I was first exposed to the song a few years back. I had to look it up because I was unfamiliar and I think it’s super funny that it’s a song about cheating, but it’s played at almost every wedding 🙃
sixthmusketeer@reddit
Truly insane that online Brits try to claim The Killers and think they’re not popular in the US. They sell out arenas when they tour; their songs are at every wedding reception, sporting event and karaoke bar. It’s like if Americans tried to claim Harry Styles or Paul McCartney
emotions1026@reddit
American women can definitely claim Paul McCartney, he’s had successful long term marriages with 2 American women and his one marriage to a British woman was a disaster
big_sugi@reddit
They’re popular in the US. They’re huge in the UK.
TressoftheEmeraldTea@reddit
They’re huge in the US
Zenjoki@reddit
In the US, When You Were Young, Somebody told Me, and Mr. Brightside are the three I still hear from time to time in the US. Outside of that they are a legacy band.
No idea how it is in the UK, but if the new stuff is popular i'd be suprised.
rimshot101@reddit
A friend of mine on hearing The Killers for the first time:
"They don't sound like they've ever killed anybody."
ForagerTheExplorager@reddit
Should've gone with Satan's Fingers or the Hospital Bombers, imo.
eyetracker@reddit
Feels blasphemous today but hail Satan
ForagerTheExplorager@reddit
Lmao. Yeah. It's a mountain goats lyric, too.
eyetracker@reddit
Yeah, it's the same song
ForagerTheExplorager@reddit
😁 Wasn't sure if you knew in responding to me. Hail Satan, friend.
eyetracker@reddit
They got it from a New Order video with a fictional pretty boy band.
TheLizardKing89@reddit
They might be slightly more popular abroad, but they’re still absolutely huge here. For some reason, British fan especially want to make it seem like the Killers aren’t really appreciated here.
Mr_BillyB@reddit
They got their big break when they were signed by a British label. They played Britain a lot at the time. A lot of Brits think The Killers are British.
Jimothy_Riggins@reddit
I’m American and thought the killers were British for over a decade.
GenericAccount13579@reddit
Mormons from Las Vegas lol
HairyPotatoKat@reddit
TIL Brandon Flowers is Mormon.
salbrown@reddit
I genuinely cannot believe he is still a practicing Mormon. So 10% of all those song royalties go straight to the LDS chruch. Yikes.
LeftenantScullbaggs@reddit
😭
Neracca@reddit
I'm American and thought they were.
Darmok47@reddit
A lot of Americans, too.
Ohitsworkingnow@reddit
The killers are very well liked in the USA. It’s just they basically worship them in the Uk
hashslingaslah@reddit
Yo! My brother in law is homies with Brandon Flowers (Killers lead singer) and apparently they were wayyyy more popular in the UK that in the US. They’re still more popular there and they are here, although they’re obviously popular in the US too :)
Sir_Auron@reddit
The more correct version of this was Kings of Leon, who were actually massively more popular in UK than the US for their first couple albums but eventually blew up domestically.
personthatiam2@reddit
When the killers released Mr Brightside in like 2003-2006, they were orders of magnitude more popular abroad. I don’t know why people are on here arguing against this fact.
Stan_Deviant@reddit
Michigan would probably like to be in on this debate.
one-off-one@reddit
Mr Brightside is equally as popular abroad but all their other singles after that are much more popular in the UK than the US
longganisafriedrice@reddit
Somebody Told Me was on rock radio constantly when it came out
zachm26@reddit
Same with When You Were Young. That’s actually the first big hit I remember hearing from them even though it came out a couple years later.
Zenjoki@reddit
Those are the three that still get play in the US, everything else you have to seek out. I wish Read My Mind was as popular but so be it.
zachm26@reddit
Incidentally that’s also my favorite Killers song, great taste
sapphireminds@reddit
They have a lot of hits. I love the Killers. It's bizarre that someone is saying they aren't big here.
Parking-Poetry-1066@reddit
I don't know how big they are abroad, but they were definitely huge in the US and I still hear their songs random places. I've even been to one of their concerts, and I don't go out much.
pfffffttuhmm@reddit
Yeah, it's up there with Sweet Caroline. I remember the first time I heard that song in college via the university's radio station and knowing instantly that they were going to be huge, and they absolutely were.
KilroyFSU@reddit
The NBA is so much more popular abroad than it is in the US.
jksinspades@reddit
David Hasselhoff
anarchiteuthis@reddit
In terms of music the band Sparks. And, until more recently, Pixies.
FormalWaters@reddit
During the 90s and early 2000s Brian Setzer Orchestra played in amphitheaters and venues like the Ryman auditorium here, but they would fill huge Stadiums in Japan.
husky_whisperer@reddit
American politicians
heartwoodhoney@reddit
Housing First
sassycat13@reddit
Des Bishop. Irish-American whose mom sent him to Ireland to get sober?!? when he was like 13. He is sober now and very popular (or was, it’s been a while for me) over there.
Steelquill@reddit
Cigarettes. (Or at least certain brands.) Not that Americans don’t smoke, but the degree to which people in other countries, especially in Europe, smoke, most Americans would find ridiculous.
Il_Will@reddit
Clamato
External-Entry-2253@reddit
Goeduck. The large phallic clam harvested in the Pacific Northwest but is mostly shipped to China and rarely seen on any menus in North America.
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
I’d argue Jazz music. It started here. Its not “unpopular” but its been huge in France, Russia, and some Asian countries for a hundred years and still is to this day. Today its pretty niche in America and only listened to by people with really refined musical tastes.
Disastrous_Ad1260@reddit
Billie Holliday
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
She's been dead for 65 years. Something tells me your average person riding the subway isn't jamming out to her and Louis on their spotify playlist. Jazz music has been out of the public sphere for more than half a century in America. It's had more staying power in Europe and Asia.
lokland@reddit
I’d disagree. Big Band, Blues and all other types of Jazz are still in the mainstream. Laufey is a popular jazz musician who found mainstream US success in the past 5 years. I didn’t notice any significantly higher appreciation for Jazz across Europe. With the exception of France of course. The Japanese do adore Jazz to a level unmatched by others though.
When I visited Asia, I was struck by their impressions of America. When I told Europeans I was from Chicago, all they did was ask about crime, guns and if it was safe. When I told the Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese I was from Chicago, all I heard was “Oh my god, I love Chicago, I visited to see all your blues music and jazz. I loved it” - the Japanese “Oh my god I love Chicago, I got to see the architecture and the Taiwanese in Chinatown!” - the Taiwanese “Oh my god I love Chicago, I got to see the bulls play and I got a Michael Jordan bobble head!” - the Chinese.
“
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
I guarantee you - go poll any random 1000 Americans - none of them will be able to name a single living American jazz musician.
This isn’t a knock on the genre or the talent or awesomeness of Jazz Music, I’m stating its just super niche now.
ChristmaswithMoondog@reddit
I think most Americans can name Flea.
lokland@reddit
And again, I’m telling you your opinion is at least 20 years out of date. Jazzis more popular among young Americans than you think. I’m aware of the bubble I live in, and I still maintain that Jazz’s popularity is higher in the United States than Europe. I’m a young guy, my friends are all young guys and gals. It’s not mainstream pop, but it’s also about as niche as Radiohead. Which is to say; it isn’t.
Zenjoki@reddit
People like jazz-influenced music and the culture around it. Those poeple actually seeking out/listening to jazz doesnt happen in 95% of cases.
Jerentropic@reddit
Delusional.
lokland@reddit
All I’m saying is, Laufey has 8 million followers and blew up on TikTok. And that’s just the most recent famous Jazz musician I can think of. Miles Davis, Chet Baker, John Coltrane are all firmly referenced widely in American pop-culture. Watch any talk show, animated comedy, or sitcom and these names are widely accepted references within the context of a wider highbrow-American culture. Fuck man, wasn’t Chuck Mangione literally IN King of the Hill?
I’m not saying Jazz and Hip Hop are comparable in popularity. But I’ve been to Jazz bars in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Denver. There’s a wide audience of people attending and the venues consistently book musicians. Chill-lo-fi-beats-to-study-to are literally a gateway drug to Jazz as well, and Gen Z adores that shit.
I don’t anticipate my coworkers will know every Jazz musician, but they’ll absolutely be familiar with listening to jazz music, they might even attend a jazz show, or even purchase a poster of a jazz musician despite not listening to their music at all. People often venture outside their comfort zone more than you think, I often reflect on how every comedy show I attend is most people’s first. Same goes for Jazz music. It’s appropriate in a wide amount of contexts in America (waiting rooms, street performances especially, aforementioned studying), so people are exposed to it a lot. It inevitably sticks.
Besides, the last time 1000 Americans were polled, we didn’t even get to guess the president correctly. People ebb and flow with interests like music, television, exercise and gaming a lot throughout their life, so polling it at any given time is usually not capturing the full picture.
But most importantly, it’s just pretty apparent that Jazz’s popularity is IMPROVING in America regardless of its peak.
St. Louis is a pretty sleepy city. For all I know, you guys are still 20 years behind on the pop culture. Your city museum is fucking awesome though. God bless
Anagazander@reddit
The image of jazz is bigger than jazz is. That’s why we get jazz festivals without much jazz. People will go to restaurants with a jazz band and not listen to the music. La La Land was about jazz without jazz. Laufey is a kind of simulacrum of jazz with no improvisation or swing or blues.
Lopoetve@reddit
I play jazz. Or played, started traveling and put down the ‘bone. Other than Trombone shorty, that shit dead. It’s a microscopic fraction of what it used to be historically. It’s coming back in odd forms, but it’s certainly not classic jazz. There are jazz bars for fun - you mention Denver elsewhere, and Nocturne is great, but most folk go there once or twice every couple of years. And it’s not entirely for the music - it’s for the ambiance.
And that video ain’t jazz. It’s video game music done by a jazz band. Which is cool and epic, and I’m totally adding them to the playlists - but you ask that crowd to identify classic jazz songs and you’re going to get blank stares. The stuff you describe as Jazz most folk describe as background sound - which is like calling Kenny G a real musician and not a crime against humanity.
Especially since I haven’t seen a reference to Miles Davis or Coltrane in modern media in 30 years, and king of the hill went off air 14 years ago so even if someone was in it - that predates Obama second term. I don’t know what sitcoms you’re watching but that’s not coming up in any I watched …
tyedrain@reddit
As someone from New Orleans I would agree only live jazz musician I know is because I sold them stuff at one of my jobs. Kermit Ruffins and Trumbone Shorty.
bloodoftheinnocents@reddit
Him shot Wyatt earp at the ALMO!
SequesteredInMemphis@reddit
A server in Portugal was strangely obsessed with the Cheesecake Factory in San Diego. Said he traveled internationally multiple times for it.
_badwithcomputer@reddit
I had a swedish colleague who was similarly obsessed. For him it was due to The Big Bang Theory show.
ChristmaswithMoondog@reddit
Big Bang Theory is a great example of a TV show that educated intelligent Europeans are quite open about enjoying unironically but is held in contempt by every American I know who wants to seem sophisticated.
Low_Attention9891@reddit
I’d be pretty disappointed if I travelled all the way to the US for the Cheescake factory. You can make better cheescake at home.
Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit
My buddy worked for a Spanish company.
When the Spanish guys visited Michigan, they apparently beelined for Buffalo Wild Wings. He said they loved that shit, they ate there every day they could.
jimbalaya420@reddit
That's an expensive meal. The airfare is probably pretty pricey as well.
Door's that way right?
porcelainvacation@reddit
I have met multiple Germans who also love it. I don’t get it, its like a diner with extra drama.
pl0nk@reddit
I think it’s the spectacle of a menu the size of a dictionary and portions that are 5x the size and calories of what you’d find in Europe. I could see it being a pretty good cultural experience kind of thing. Like Americans going to Oktoberfest
StasRutt@reddit
To Cheesecake Factory’s credit, everything except the cheesecake is made from scratch at the restaurant. They have an insanely tight ran kitchen to make it happen
mephistopholese@reddit
Democracy
Cyoarp@reddit
Can cheese. Not many people like it. Same fir potted meat.
Also, I think team handball may have been ours.
Atlas7-k@reddit
It was created as a less athletic version of basketball for women.
Cyoarp@reddit
No it wasn't. It is NOTHING like basketball. Team Handball, uses a hockey goal and not a net, it also has a goaly like soccer or hockey, the movement rules are completely different... honesty it would be hard to find two sports that are more different than basketball and Team Handball.
Atlas7-k@reddit
And yet it is in fact based on basketball. It is partially based on a miss reading of the rules directly from James Nasmyth by Clara Baer. And a modified version of basketball created by a physical education, instructor at a London based women’s college.
netball history
Feel free to apologize, but till you do just stand there in your wrongness and be wrong.
Cyoarp@reddit
What are you talking about, that's a totally different game...
For one thing it's called "NET BALL," not, "team handball."
Please remember that I said TEAM HANDBALL!
Second, unlike "Team Handball,"(the sport I specifically used the name of), "Net Ball," uses some sort of basketball net... Which as I already explained, "Team Handball,"(again the sport I called by name, a name which is not, to clarify, "Net Ball,") uses a field hockey goal and NOT any kind of basketball net.
I honestly don't know how you're confusing these two sports... Or why you think I'm talking about a sport that I did not mention, in any case, I will wait for your apology, or assuming it does not come I will allow you to sit in me you're wrongness and be wrong.
20190603@reddit
Donald Duck comic books
ThatMidwesternGuy@reddit
Jerusalem Artichokes. Much more popular in parts of Europe and other places around the world, than their native North America.
BelligerentWyvern@reddit
Sunchokes are growing in popularity both as ornamental plants (because many states are banning non-native plants except for farming to protect ecosystems) and for food consumption cause they are enough like potato. Plus they are prolific. You can plant a few and in 4 years you'll be overrun with them like mint.
zuzudomo@reddit
we call them sunchokes and they are VERY popular, especially at higher end restaurants here (SF Bay Area).
scoschooo@reddit
sunchokes are not very popular in the Bay Area at home - do you think everyone is buying and cooking sunchokes at home?
zuzudomo@reddit
No, that’s why I specified restaurants in my comment. 🤷
eyetracker@reddit
Jerusalem crickets are unknown in Jerusalem, but known in the SF Bay Area as "oh God what is that thing?"
Bjw4k8@reddit
Had no idea sunchokes was an alternative name. I learned today
Vegetable-Star-5833@reddit
I have literally never heard of these before, just had to google them and they kinda look like ginger
Dollar_Admiral@reddit
Fartichokes are indeed unpopular in the USA.
elenchusis@reddit
Ah yes, grown in our Capital City!
Scary_Compote_359@reddit
the hoff
Bosanova_B@reddit
David hasslehoff
EmergencySpare7939@reddit (OP)
Another thing I found out was in Japan its apparently a tradition to eat KFC chicken for Christmas becuz of a lie the Japanese marketer told the Japanese people.
BenJudah619@reddit
Apparently KFC is very popular in other countries too, like South Africa. A lot of foreigners have this assumption that we share their affinity for KFC, but most would be surprised to learn that KFC has a mostly negative reputation here in the states. They’re pretty well known for their restaurants never being managed well.
paranoid_70@reddit
20 years ago I went to China once a year for business. At the time, there were several KFC & McDonalds restaurants there.
oremfrien@reddit
Also, Non-American KFCs have different food offerings. My friends from China are astounded that KFC does not have chicken wings in New Orleans sauce. It was their favorite KFC meal.
core_bluu@reddit
KFC has a far better reputation in East/Southeast Asia than in the US. I went to one in Vietnam and everything was cleaner, you received metal silverware and glass cups for the meal, and the food tasted fresher and fried in cleaner oil.
It's really a special occasion kind of establishment over there vs. the sketchy place that single parents feed their kids on in the US.
SonuvaGunderson@reddit
Not a “lie” so much as they just dressed Colonel Sanders as Santa in an ad and the connection took hold.
ninjette847@reddit
The Santa we know with the red and white suit is from a Coca-Cola campaign
xqueenfrostine@reddit
They love Colonel Sanders. It’s funny because that part of the branding has been phased out here in the US, but is very front and center in Japan. It’s not uncommon to see life size states of Sanders outside of Japanese KFC locations, and they often get dressed up in seasonal costumes.
botulizard@reddit
They even had their own baseball curse centered on Colonel Sanders like the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino and the Cubs had the Curse of the Billy Goat.
In 1985 the Hanshin Tigers made it to the Japan series. The people of Osaka decided to try and bring the team luck by having fans who looked like players on the team jump into a canal that had superstitious significance. It was easy enough to find people who looked enough like one player or another for the ritual to work until they needed someone to stand in for Randy Bass, a white American player who might very well have been the only such guy living in Osaka at the time. In the absence of another easily accessible gaijin, they worked with what they had and liberated the statue of Colonel Sanders from the front of the local Kentucky Fried Chicken and threw it in the water, figuring it was close enough. The Tigers would win that series, but wouldn't win again until 2023, apparently cursed by the spirit of the man whose statue the fans had drowned.
xqueenfrostine@reddit
Hilariously the statue that was thrown into the canal (only located in 2009) was ceremoniously buried in 2024 the year after the curse was lifted.
bovely_argle-bargle@reddit
Interesting, I’m wondering if a lot of fast food mascots are still around outside the US chains
sparklyjoy@reddit
Just saw a really cool KFC commercial featuring a hot Colonel Sanders at the movies - my Gen Z daughter thinks it was a Gen Z marketing person
GreenBeanTM@reddit
KFC came out with a dating sim a few years ago featuring hot Colonel Sanders. They’ve definitely been trying to target Gen Z with their marketing for a while now.
CommunityCritical822@reddit
There is a KFC in Kentucky i think thats where it is but there is a like 3 or 4 story tall chicken that has moving eyes and beak craziest KFC i have ever seen
sparklyjoy@reddit
How widespread is this? Cause I get the impression not a lot of Japanese people celebrate Christmas, but I wonder if it could have become something a little bit like how tons of people in the US with zero appreciation of Mexican independence celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a vague Mexican food and drinking holiday?
PikaPonderosa@reddit
MX Independence day is September 16th not May 5th. Cinco is a military celebration against the French.
mrggy@reddit
Extremely. Christmas isn't celebrated as a religious holiday in Japan, but it is celebrated. Christmas and New Years are basically reversed. Christmas is a time to hang out with your friends (or go on a romantic date) while New Years in a big family holiday
MeetBeep@reddit
That’s crazy because our tradition is to eat Chinese food on Christmas lol
properchewns@reddit
That is crazy, what with the Japanese eating KFC for Xmas instead of their usual daily… Chinese food?
wooq@reddit
Another fun Japanese Christmas tradition is the song "Last Christmas" by Wham. It's about as popular there as the Mariah Carey one is here.
Weekly_March@reddit
Almonds. Not that they're not popular here but that the US, specifically California, produces a vastly disproportionate amount of the world's almonds.
ash_274@reddit
The almond orchards in California consume 11% of the state’s water supply.
All residential consumption of water (for 37M people) uses 10% of the state’s water supply.
Industrial, commercial, all other agricultural, and natural replenishment take the rest.
deafballboy@reddit
Good thing they aren't facing a water shortage or anything.
ash_274@reddit
The state cannot limit their water because riparian rights is an area of law that predates anything the state can do about it, so they fine you for washing your own car in your driveway if you don’t have a nozzle on your hose (even if it’s not flowing)
The state could put an excise tax on almonds and bump the wholesale price by 500%, drastically reducing that (mostly export) market until the holders of those rights pick a different crop (even nearly any other type of orchard), but they won’t.
At least the dying wine industry has already left a lot of vineyards fallow, though they don’t need nearly as much water as almonds
Former-War1318@reddit
Article 1 Section 10 of the US Constitution denies states the ability to tax or impose a duty on imports or exports. Article 1 Section 9 prevents the federal government from imposing any tax or duty on exports. So, no, neither the state nor the feds can tax the exported almonds. They could try to impose a special tax on the income generated by growing and selling almonds specifically, but that'd likely face challenges on the equal protection clause.
ash_274@reddit
Not on the exports, but from the harvest, itself with a yield tax. California already taxes crude oil pumped and timber felled in the state. Plus, they can simply make it an orchard “fee” and do their typical end-run around requiring a public vote as a “tax”
GeneralJavaholic@reddit
Millions and millions of honeybees die for the almond crop, too.
jimbalaya420@reddit
Fucking Dasani takes a huge chunk of water too and pays barely anything for it. Even during years with very good rain they always warn us of droughts
Weekly_March@reddit
Yeah, it's definitely a problem but there's a lot of money behind it. Let alone water rights claims in CA are considered a tradable asset and already there exist claims that exceed the average annual run off by 5 times.
Big-Ice6095@reddit
The California spiny lobster is found off the coast of California (duh) but most of them are shipped to China where they’re more popular than
guyacrossthehall@reddit
Also squid.
mimitchi33@reddit
Believe it or not, the donut chain Mister Donut originated in the United States and became one of the biggest fast food chains in Japan.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Syphilis
Former-War1318@reddit
To be fair, we don't know that syphilis came from the United States specifically, we just know it showed up in Europe for the first time in 1493, in the ports Columbus stopped at after his first voyage (and he didn't touch what is now US territory until his second voyage when he landed in Puerto Rico later in 1493).
IngloriousGlory@reddit
7/11
echo_808@reddit
Yes. Japan's 7-11 is on another level. Hawaii comes close though.
Sizzlin-Sunshine@reddit
7/11 is my go to convenience store in Colorado. What other countries are they in?
blues_and_ribs@reddit
All over east Asia. In fact, 7/11 is now owned by a Japanese company.
And they are way different overseas too. Generally better, with a lot more hot food options. The only ones in the states on par are the ones in HI, which are usually really good.
IngloriousGlory@reddit
Japan Loves the hell outta 7/11 . They make our 7/11 look extremely inferior in comparison to ours.
Tinkersmom11@reddit
Megan Markle
pat_troll@reddit
Marshmallow Creme is in every American section of markets in the UK, but I don't know anyone who uses it here.
Thhe_Shakes@reddit
Spouse asked me to pick some up the other day. It was the first time I've ever bought the stuff. Didn't even know what aisle to find it in at first.
Tjtod@reddit
I use it to make homemade fudge.
Atlas7-k@reddit
New England and their fluffernutter sandwichs.
onyxanderson@reddit
Geoduck
onyxanderson@reddit
Geoduck
Benchod12077@reddit
War
Suitable_Bed_7783@reddit
Bruce Springsteen. He sells out stadiums all over Western Europe yet he struggles to fill American arenas half or third of the capacity outside the Jersey/NYC/Philly area.
SigmaAgonist@reddit
He's in the top 10 highest grossing North American touring artists each decade for the past few decades.
Suitable_Bed_7783@reddit
Not to the extent he is in Europe
MicShrimpton@reddit
Springsteen shows are selling out this year. People are paying up to $3000 a pop for tickets. I wish I had those “struggles “!😆
Rgt6@reddit
Glass Eels. Fishing for juvenile eels is a big industry in Maine, used for sushi in Japan.
Ok_Moose_7436@reddit
For a good while I thought The Killers were British💀
SavagePengwyn@reddit
Lol. They're from Vegas which is probably the least British place possible. Loud, gaudy, bright and flashy, everything everywhere is trying to draw your attention all the time. I can see why you'd think that, though. The only thing Vegas about them is the giant crowds they get.
Totschlag@reddit
If you know anything about Vegas, their discography is absolutely littered with Las Vegas references.
Their logo is bright lights after the Vegas signs. It's supposed to look like a glitter gulch casino sign. Also, Sam's Town the album is named after Sam's Town The casino, which is off strip and used to be a meeting place for locals more so than the strip casinos.
After that they came out with battleborn, which is the state motto of Nevada and it's on their flag.
Their second most recent album is called imploding the mirage, which is a reference to the destruction of the mirage casino to build the new hard Rock casino.
Even their songs have lyrics, like caution includes the line "her mother was a dancer cuz that's all she knew cuz when you live in the desert that's what pretty girls do." Tyson vs Douglas is about Mike Tyson finally losing a fight, which is a breaking of innocence moment considering that he was a saint in the Las Vegas scene at the time.
SavagePengwyn@reddit
That is really cool. I'm glad to know they have a local Vegas feel/influence to them. One thing I failed to communicate in my original comment was that their feel is so different than how I thought of Vegas and that I wondered how they developed that feel; it's cool to know that the local scene is just super different than the rest. I was only speaking from the perspective of someone who is only familiar with the "persona" Vegas has in the general cultural understanding of it, which I should have clarified. I'm sure it's a much cooler place than I've seen as someone who has only been for conferences and music festivals.
Totschlag@reddit
Yeah I don't blame you! Vegas has two sides of it to a huge extent. Vegas locals aren't born of the strip, Vegas is disproportionately a town of the rejects and escapees of the dustlands and farm fields of America. It beckons to a specific kind of person who came there as a bright-eyed teenager or young adult trying to experience the world they never could have back home. To most visiting it might be a bar that's open 24 hours. Talk to your bartender there though and it's 2 young women from Iowa who ran away from their family, it's a 22 year old from the suburbs of Minneapolis who was tired of suburban life, it's a 24 year old musician from idaho who came in hoping to break through. It's the girl in your high school that had tattoos and a knack for finding trouble but dreamed big. They walked into the clubs like a space alien the first time, but since have settled down because they can't deal with "another headache, another heartbreak. They're so much older than they can take."
In that perspective, listening to their songs gives them a whole new sound. It's where 2+2 happens.
The locals don't go to the strip unless a concert or something is there once a year. The locals do drive through the desert to climb and walk the red rocks. They hike mount Charleston, they drive through the desolatjon to see southern Utah, and it might as well be mars compared to the corn fields of Nebraska where they grew up.
That is the mindset that Brandon taps into. And it's a shared experience for a lot of locals. Note too that they're locals, not natives. Part of what makes the killers so successful is that instead of writing what you might think about Vegas they wrote to such an intimate shared experience of the community. It's why They are like patron saints in that city.
SavagePengwyn@reddit
That is really beautiful. It gives me a whole new appreciation for Vegas (especially as someone who moved to the Sonoran Desert from North Carolina). Thank you so much for sharing that.
Totschlag@reddit
I appreciate the kind words! I'm not a Vegas local but it's close to the heart. I have 3 relatives who escaped the corn fields of Iowa to Vegas and all three met their spouse in Vegas, all of whom escaped from Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas respectively.
SquarelyNerves@reddit
Really bugs me they have an album called imploding the mirage when the mirage is still standing with no plans of being imploded 😂
Totschlag@reddit
I mean it is closed, being gutted, and it's signs are at the neon museum. I don't think many people thought they'd repurpose the tower to be the Hard Rock tower lol.
SquarelyNerves@reddit
Yeah “gutting the mirage” would have been a more accurate name lol
Otherwise-OhWell@reddit
Oh, my my, oh hell yes,
Honey put on that party dress,
Buy me a drink, sing me a song,
Take me as I come 'cause I can't stay long.
Chillow_Ufgreat@reddit
Sam's Town is deeply underappreciated as an album. Just a great listen front to back. Tremendous range of emotion. Feels like Springsteen in the desert a lot of the time.
Totschlag@reddit
I say this as a tremendous fan of both but I truly believe Brandon and Bruce Springsteen are almost the Spirit of the same musician, separated by timed and miles. They can both paint just beautiful pictures with lyrics and with sound, and the way they build to powerful crescendos like when you were young or born to run is just amazing.
DeMessenZijnGeslepen@reddit
I used to think the Monkees were British, but it turns out only the singer was.
CinemaSideBySides@reddit
Mickey Dolenz was British? /s
o93mink@reddit
They’re the opposite of British: Mormon
GeneralJavaholic@reddit
There have been British Mormons from the beginning. They're even in the first Sherlock Holmes story.
-Acta-Non-Verba-@reddit
In the 1850s, the Mormon church was predominantly British, Utah is the most British of all states still nowadays.
eyetracker@reddit
Mormon and Danish. Minnesota is associated with Scandinavians but Utah is higher by percentage.
PhoneJazz@reddit
Mormons from Las Vegas, at that
SummertimeThrowaway2@reddit
That’s an oxymormon
alicelestial@reddit
brendon urie of panic! at the disco is a mormon (now non-practicing) from las vegas
bovely_argle-bargle@reddit
I swear I heard he was atheist nowadays
leeloocal@reddit
There are a TON of Mormons here. They were the ones to first settle in the valley, and they stuck around. Sort of how Sutter of Sutter’s Mill was Mormon.
combabulated@reddit
John Sutter wasn’t Mormon though.
leeloocal@reddit
I was mistaken, but he hired the Mormon Battalion to run the fort and the mill.
Communal-Lipstick@reddit
There's actually a decent amount of Mormons in the UK. Its so funny how everyone knows the singer of this bands religion. Its like whenever they are mentioned, Mormons come up but I dont really see that with other bands. Even other bands with Mormons lol.
therlwl@reddit
Because most other bands stfu, instead The Killers whined about Green Day.
Go_Freaks_Go@reddit
The singer literally participated in an advertisement campaign with that religious organization.
UInferno-@reddit
A lot of Utah has British Heritage. And not in the sense of the rest of the US has a lot of British heritage. Specifically a lot of British converts immigrated to Utah in the mid 19th century. Unlike other parts of the US where the most common European origin is Germany, Italy, or Ireland, Utah still remains weirdly British ancestry wise.
Bacontoad@reddit
I assumed that was the French.
jk_pens@reddit
Some of my ancestors were converted to Mormonism in England in the mid 1800s and then came to the US. I suspect they mostly did it as a way to GTFO and get some land in the new world…
TheLizardKing89@reddit
Only the lead singer is Mormon.
2Asparagus1Chicken@reddit
They're from Michigan, right?
Dorkinfo@reddit
The lead singer is a Mormon from Las Vegas, I always thought that was funny.
Next-Bit883@reddit
If I'm not mistaken, the largest LDS congregation away from Utah is Vegas.
_NEW_HORIZONS_@reddit
Real easy to convert people when you go on living your ideals while others are chasing a high of some kind or another at the expense of anything and everything.
sparklyjoy@reddit
Maybe! I’ve gotten the impression the church itself does a lot of money laundering but I’m no expert
nostrademons@reddit
The Mob Museum in Vegas has an exhibit that says that the LDS church funded the early casino development of Las Vegas.
-Acta-Non-Verba-@reddit
No, nowadays, probably Idaho, back in the 80s it was California. But Las Vegas is about 10% Mormon.
rakkquiem@reddit
There are a lot of Mormons in Las Vegas.
-Acta-Non-Verba-@reddit
About 10% of the town.
Totschlag@reddit
I mean it's a core part of their identity. All these things that I've done is literally about his internal guilt about being a rockstar in Las Vegas while trying to be faithful.
NoNectarine9208@reddit
I thought it was about Matt Pinfield
winter_laurel@reddit
Wait. They’re not?
BipolarSolarMolar@reddit
I did until I read this comment.
Chillow_Ufgreat@reddit
You probably also didn't guess that the front man is Mormon.
Mean-Concentrate-257@reddit
I've known this for legit decades but still don't really believe it.
Odd_Mistake8513@reddit
Straight from Mr. Flowers himself: https://youtu.be/4PF0h7oqUEQ
Mean-Concentrate-257@reddit
Oh, no, I mean, I do know it and believe it. It just doesn't seem believable.
Common_Vagrant@reddit
What the fuck. I’m learning so much
sysaphiswaits@reddit
He’s not. He was.
John_cCmndhd@reddit
It's funny how it's easier to distinguish between Canadian and American singing voices than it is to distinguish between British and American singing voices
Totschlag@reddit
If you know that they're Vegas born, It is extremely obvious they are Vegas born. Seriously, they drop Vegas references in their music about as much as Bruce Springsteen drops New Jersey references. Two of their albums are named after casinos and one of them is named after the state motto of Nevada.
royalhawk345@reddit
Every other song is about growing up in the desert, I don't know why anyone would think they're British.
Totschlag@reddit
Plus Vegas' identity outside of the tourist perspective is of a bunch of kids and young adults from the desert and heartland who dreamt big and moved wide-eyed into a city of sin and vice. It's one of the core experiences the transplant population has.
That's... That's like the entire theme of hot fuss and many other songs. They couldn't be from anywhere else, IMO.
daveescaped@reddit
Really? I feel like they’re huge in the US as well.
But oddly enough, as an American, the only times r seen them live was at O2 in London.
Mr_Noms@reddit
Why did you think that?
They’re very possible here.
LoadCan@reddit
That's reasonable, their lead singer does that weird fake British singing accent thing.
Slight_Literature_67@reddit
TIL they are not British.
TopperMadeline@reddit
As did I.
fenchurch_42@reddit
Absolutely same.
cownan@reddit
7-11 is really popular in Japan, Thailand, and Southeast Asia in general. Way more popular, with a better reputation than in the US.
NflJam71@reddit
Is 7-Eleven not super popular throughout the states too, though? Pretty much everywhere I've been or lived in the US they're absolutely all over the place.
HorrorAlarming1163@reddit
I grew up in Tennessee and had never seen nor heard of 7-11 until I moved to Texas
ljb2x@reddit
I grew up hearing about them, but only because of media. The closest to me is about 150 miles...
Darmok47@reddit
Every 7/11 I've seen, regardless of surrounding socio-economic areas, always seems dingy, run down and full of sketchy characters. It's a place to pop in if you're craving a cold drink or snacks or lotto tickets. Not really a place I enjoy going to. Especially at night.
Its like you could put a 7/11 in the richest zip code in America and within a week it will feel like a spawn point for crackheads.
NflJam71@reddit
This has not been my experience whatsoever, so as to say, it varies by location and region.
nubhorns@reddit
There's like three 7-11s from where I live and all are kept immaculate and are updated. It really just depends on where you live lol. I love our local 7-11s.
requiemguy@reddit
You're allowed to think that.
fluxenkind@reddit
7-11 is popular in the United States as in there’s a lot of of them, but nobody likes 7-11 in the US. In Japan, it is beloved, but to be fair it’s really different in Japan, with really good food. I was out at a club in Oslo, Norway, and after it shut down for the night, the Norwegians we left with said let’s go to 7-11, so we went and got food there. That’s how I learned it’s also really popular in Norway at least, probably Scandinavia in general. Again, the food was different and much better.
In the US, it’s a place you go to out of desperation because you have to; a lot of other places people go there because they actually like it (and because it’s always open).
NflJam71@reddit
I don't know if it's exactly accurate to say nobody likes 7-Elevens in the US, it totally depends on the area. I personally really appreciate having one around the corner, it's clean and sells what I may need in a pinch. I've of course been around dingy ones but I think that's typically a reflection of the neighborhood you're in. And as a kid I know everyone my age loved 7-Elevens because it meant you were about to get a slurpee.
I get it being different or more beloved abroad, but I don't think it fits the scope of OP's question.
jricky_tomato@reddit
It is, but when I was in Taipei I was shocked by how many there were. It was like if 50% of all bodegas were 7-11.
From a quick google search: Taiwan-7100 stores, 23 million people US-12300 stores, 340 million people
SufficientProject273@reddit
7-11 isnt "from" America though. Its Japanese.
heyitismeurdad@reddit
Its now owned by a Japanese company but the first 7-elevens were in the US.
intellectualarsenal@reddit
7-11 was founded in Texas in 1927, and took the name 7-11 in 1946 (for the hours they were open.)
They didn't enter the Japanese market until 1974.
The Japanese franchise bought out the American corporate in the two thousands.
Phantomtastic@reddit
7-11 started in Texas.
RubGlum4395@reddit
It started.in the US though, 1927. It didn't start the process of becoming a Japanese holding until the 1990's.
Smeegs3@reddit
Japanese owned now, but originally founded in Dallas, TX.
catonsteroids@reddit
Super popular in Taiwan too. There’s one (or one of its competitors) just about every corner on every street (or even right across from each other).
Ok_Grape8420@reddit
Kenny Roger's Roasters - a restaurant chain that went out of business in the USA but in the Philippines is still weirdly popular and has franchises all over the country.
Bungalow_Man@reddit
Oh man, I LOVED Kenny Roger's Roasters! It's the wood that makes it good! Way better than Bosten Chicken/Market or KFC, and they had the best cornbread ever. I'll never understand why they failed.
Claypool-Bass1@reddit
Also, great meatloaf, mashed potatoe and gravey
ashlyn42@reddit
Omg their cornbread was amazing! And the smell while being surrounded with all those rotating chickens… XD
snmnky9490@reddit
I still distinctly remember getting completely raw chicken that was still cold in the middle there as a kid and spending hours and hours violently throwing up
SunShine365-@reddit
I think the Philippines has a lot of Shakey’s Pizza places too. I haven’t seen one here in decades
FormerKey3258@reddit
I briefly dated a Filipino girl I met in Seoul (we were both working there) in 2005 or so, and she told me American-style country music was very, very popular there, particularly among agricultural workers and rural people.
Loose_Leg_2918@reddit
Is it good?
astarisaslave@reddit
Shakey's Pizza too
cguess@reddit
Shakey's was huge when I was a kid in the midwest, seems all of them are in California or Washington now states-side.
aleatoric@reddit
Kenny!
aDrunkenError@reddit
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
StargazerRex@reddit
Berdan primers.
darw1nf1sh@reddit
Jimmi Hendrix was pretty much ignored in the US. He went to the UK and recorded almost all of his best stuff. The blues, and jazz weren't mainstream in the US because that was black music. But overseas, it was huge. The entire 60s and 70s rock explosion in the UK was inspired by the blues.
imthehamburglarok@reddit
May day.
GaryJM@reddit
How does May Day "come from America"?
SigmaAgonist@reddit
The Haymarket strike was in Chicago.
GaryJM@reddit
Ah, I see the confusion now. When you guys say "May Day", we hear:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day
... which is obviously not American in origin.
Weekly_Barnacle_485@reddit
Smoking is much less popular and considered uncool. I rarely see people smoking where I live (New England).
Past_Newspaper5351@reddit
New York hats.
Addicted_to_Nature@reddit
The Killers are wayyy more popular abroad than in U.S. Not saying they don't have fans in america but the UK's obsession with them makes us Americans look like we don't like them lol
El_Cartografo@reddit
Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Wermys@reddit
David Hasselhoff.
TumbleFairbottom@reddit
The song You’ll Never Walk Alone is an American song covered by a British musician and now sung at in the UK at football matches.
pastafariantimatter@reddit
Where I grew up in Ireland we had a parody version for our local Gaelic team: "You'll never walk again"
darwinkh2os@reddit
I'd argue Seven Nation Army as well...or maybe it was before its use as a sport chant migrated back to the U.S. from Europe.
scarletteclipse1982@reddit
We traded that one for Song 2
username-generica@reddit
I love Song 2. I saw Blur play at an overcrowded club in the US during the 90s and it was incredible.
scarletteclipse1982@reddit
That would be amazing.
fadeplayer40@reddit
Just to clarify, this is not universal to football in the UK. It is specifically the official song, anthem, and motto of Liverpool Football Club. It is sung at the beginning of every home football match for Liverpool, and not other clubs. The club's most influential manager, Bill Shankly, initiated this as the official song while trying to create a socialist, inclusive atmosphere around the team. In victory or defeat, they stand together as one It would be terribly insulting to Liverpool fans to insinuate that this is a "UK" thing, and further insulting to fans of other clubs that this was getting associated with them too.Shankly Gates Liverpool
donniedarkero@reddit
Celtic also sings them at the start of some important games
Financial_Test_6391@reddit
Ditto with I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles and West Ham
perishparish@reddit
It's also used in the song "Fearless" by pink floyd which only makes it more British
Beautiful-Rent6691@reddit
Even more wild, it is a song from a musical sung to a woman mourning her abuse husband who accidentally stabbed himself and died in her arms.
707Riverlife@reddit
I read your comment and thought – Wow, that sounds like a terrible musical! - and then - Wait a minute, that’s from Carousel! One of my favorites! - My sixth grade teacher, who all the girls thought was cute played Billy Bigelow in a local production and my whole class went to see it. Memories…
roughhewnnoodles@reddit
It’s especially jarring when they use it as a memorial to someone at a football match because I’m always like what are you trying to say about him?
sapphireminds@reddit
That's where I learned it lol. I love Rodgers and Hammerstein
MillieBirdie@reddit
I learned that when I took singing lessons, that's a very weird song to sing at a match...
DSPGerm@reddit
Danced with my mom at my wedding to the Gerry and the Pacemakers version. Brought down the house
ihatemyself887@reddit
What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I've been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and I'm the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You're fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that's just with my bare hands. Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little "clever" comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn't, you didn't, and now you're paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You're fucking dead, kiddo.
alltoovisceral@reddit
Trump
ChuckFarkley@reddit
Representative democracy.
Hieshyn@reddit
MANOWAR. Stadium act in Europe, theaters in the US.
Hot_Frosty0807@reddit
Plenty of US based metal bands have a bigger market in Europe. I used to be in a band with the guys who would go on to form Miles Beyond. They're virtually unheard of in the states, but they have a massive following and have had records in the album sales charts in Germany.
Lunar-Cleric@reddit
It's funny, that's the opposite of how the Scorpions got popular. They were a pretty average rock band in West Germany who went to America, got super popular, and then went back to Germany as celebrities.
gabrrdt@reddit
It's very important to know Manowar. People that don't know Manowar are in trouble.
Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit
Sabaton has an awesome song where the lyrics are only titles to Manowar songs lol
Abagofcheese@reddit
One of the band members was accused of molestering l8ds a while back
Dad0013@reddit
Kit Kats
GaryJM@reddit
What are American Kit Kats?
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
Lawson's convenient stores lol. They were started in Ohio, but never really took off in the US. But the konbini culture in Japan is HUGE, and Lawson's is a major one, up there with 7eleven, Mini Stop, and Family Mart.
BrightGreyEyes@reddit
7eleven also started in the US. The Japanese 7eleven was a licensee of US 7eleven. Eventually, Japanese 7eleven bought the US 7eleven
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
I know that, but 7eleven is still pretty popular in the US, Lawson's isn't.
Beatleboy62@reddit
Funny enough, there are two Japanese Lawson's in Hawaii, to cater to Japanese tourists.
Illustrious-Line-984@reddit
OMG. I just had a flashback to Lawson’s chip dip. That was the best dip. I haven’t seen that since I was a kid.
LakeEffectSnow@reddit
Still available at area Circle Ks.
Illustrious-Line-984@reddit
I moved away from the snow 5 years ago. I’ll have to pick some up next time I visit the north coast.
LakeEffectSnow@reddit
Roll on Big O!!
Lawsons! They were pretty big here in Cleveland until they sold and rebranded to Dairy Mart, and is now Circle K.
Outside_Reserve_2407@reddit
I saw a Lawson’s in Hawaii but I think it was an outpost of the Japanese Lawson’s, catering to the huge numbers of Japanese tourists. So it was a weird sort of full circle, coming back to its home country.
jigokubi@reddit
God, I love Japanese convenience stores.
I haven't been to one in the States for like 25 years, but In Japan I go like every other day.
my-coffee-needs-me@reddit
*convenience stores
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
It was a typo. I think you'll live, lol.
cruzecontroll@reddit
Think the remaining Lawson’s in Ohio became DairyMart which are nowhere near the same
Atlas7-k@reddit
Which was bought by Circle K.
However Lawson’s chip dip is still sold at Ohio Circle Ks
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
Aw crap, really? That sucks. I miss Lawson's, there was one half a block from us in Shinagawa, I would walk there in the morning and grab a coffee and a dorayaki, I miss it!!
ThePBThief1@reddit
I lived in Japan for a while and had no idea Lawsons were originally from the US. I preferred Family Mart anyways.
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
Lol, I like different ones for different things. Lawson's for breakfast, 7eleven for their onigiri, and Family Mart for their drinks and snacks.
Separate-Asparagus36@reddit
Pizza Hut
ArtDecoNewYork@reddit
Very popular in the US
Separate-Asparagus36@reddit
No one actually dines there for a meal out.
ArtDecoNewYork@reddit
People used to when they had the buffets
Separate-Asparagus36@reddit
Have you been to Pizza Hut in another country?
GamerDadofAntiquity@reddit
[Insert virtually any politician’s name here]
Atomic_Priesthood@reddit
Trump
Mitch_Darklighter@reddit
The US exports tens of thousands of horses to be slaughtered for meat every year, but it's illegal to sell it for human consumption in the US. Which I recognize is just plain ironic.
HiAndStuff2112@reddit
Thr May Day holiday (May 1st), which celebrates workers, started in America, but it's not celebrated much here. Communist countries celebrate it.
fuzzywizzlenutz@reddit
Americans?
Lt_Jones727@reddit
Fanta soda
Norwester77@reddit
Created in Nazi Germany by what had been (and after WWII again became) a German subsidiary of Coca-Cola.
Dazzling-Climate-318@reddit
Due to the difficulty of obtaining the ingredients of Coca Cola.
Avalanche325@reddit
Fanta is actually German.
Lt_Jones727@reddit
You learn something new every day.
Nick_080880@reddit
They are subtly different though.
The European version tastes like the fruit orange.
The US version tastes like the colour orange.
AdTemporary7651@reddit
Buick. It’s way more popular and much more a status symbol in China. In the US, I tend to think of Buick as a niche market for older people.
fluxenkind@reddit
When GM killed off Oldsmobile and a bunch of other brands, the only reason Buick was saved was because it’s beloved in China. They’re perceived as very durable for some reason.
Dazzling-Climate-318@reddit
The last Emperor of China had a Buick.
requiemguy@reddit
Probably due to military trucks from WW2 that were still going for decades.
LiquidSssnake@reddit
I feel like GM could have sold more Pontiacs in America, and pulled some good ol GM badge engineering in China as Buicks.
_badwithcomputer@reddit
It could easily be brought back as a performance sub-brand of Chevrolet like they did with Hummer now a sub brand of GMC
boulevardofdef@reddit
I occasionally wonder what the market actually is for Buick, considering it's a luxury car but people who can afford a luxury car wouldn't be caught dead in anything from General Motors. I guess "old people with money" is the answer.
Loose_Leg_2918@reddit
Cadillacs can be nice.
Bungalow_Man@reddit
Buick is entry level luxury; all of the luxury car features but without the needlessly expensive price. It lacks the prestige of a true luxury brand due to the price, but it's great if you want to have a really nice car without drawing (sometimes unwanted) attention to yourself. I've owned several Buicks and they were great cars. Sadly, they only make suvs/crossovers now (in the US) which are of no interest to me, so I've moved on to other brands.
ObviousCarpet2907@reddit
This exactly. I have their crpssover because it’s HUGE inside without being enormous on the outside (Luke an Expedition) and I have 4 teen+ kids. But it’s a very cushy, upgraded ride without the monster price tag.
Helpful_Web2226@reddit
Affordable luxury is my guess for modern sales. People who can’t afford luxury but want something nice. I will say I have loved every Buick I’ve ever owned, albeit none made in the last couple decades. My 04 century is the best car I’ve ever owned. I’ve never been in a situation it didn’t get me out of, and I’ve put myself in some dumb situations lol. And it’s shockingly good in the snow.
ArtDecoNewYork@reddit
It's for Phil Leotardo
Heatmap_BP3@reddit
Some musicians yeah. WIll Oldham is a country singer from Kentucky who is probably way more popular at European music festivals than in Kentucky. Too "alternative" for the hometown crowd.
doyathinkasaurus@reddit
Different genre entirely, but Scissor Sisters are another musical example that comes to mind
GeneralJavaholic@reddit
Also Kentucky roots.
fartkidwonder@reddit
Kentuckian here. Never heard of him.
RawAsparagus@reddit
Kentuckian here. They are talking about Bonnie Prince Billy.
fartkidwonder@reddit
I have also never heard of this person.
eyetracker@reddit
Johnny Cash covered him
Specialist_Stop8572@reddit
You should
Jerentropic@reddit
Proving the point.
TheNerdChaplain@reddit
This is wild to hear. I only learned about Bonnie Prince Billy from this kinda weird music video he did, I See A Darkness. Turns out it was popular enough that Johnny Cash covered it.
Atlas7-k@reddit
Not sure popular had anything to do with it.
The American Recordings sessions Johnny did with Rick Ruben are basically them just doing a cover of every song they thought might sound interesting.
l12@reddit
Pretty sure Johnny Cash had no idea about any of these songs and Ruben was picking them.
l12@reddit
Was going to say this. Also Howe Gelb, probably some other indie musicians.
BlakeMajik@reddit
Sam Outlaw is a similar example. Had some mild success in the US but is much more popular in the UK and Northern Europe than in his homeland.
allthingsme@reddit
P!nk, while not unsuccessful in America, is wildly, wildly popular in Australia, and has broken a bunch of all-time arena attendance records. Bogan mums love her. It's wild.
Heatmap_BP3@reddit
She does have that muscular butch thing going on.
the_vole@reddit
On the bright side, when he tours the area, I get to see him in small venues. 😍
Mojoholic@reddit
How often is that? I'm in Kentucky and never see him listed playing Nashville or STL. I keep trying but it seems like he is always in Europe.
the_vole@reddit
I’ve seen him in Newark, Nelsonville, and Cincinnati here in Ohio in the last 5 or 6 years.
Icy_Consideration409@reddit
Saw him in a small venue in Fort Collins, CO last year. He was excellent.
AJX2009@reddit
I only know who he is because of the Can’t Tell Me Nothing. I was like who is this dude he looks really familiar, and sure enough it’s because I had seen him around town. I’ve never heard anyone talk about him while in Louisville either. I met this French guy one time and he lost it and spent 10min talking about Bonnie Prince Charlie after I told him where I was from.
mo_mentumm@reddit
Bonnie Prince Billy doesn’t get the love he should here in the bluegrass state
longganisafriedrice@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_in_Japan_(phrase)
SavagePengwyn@reddit
Ok, this is wild. "Another example is The Ventures, an American band formed in 1958 and touring Japan every year between 1964 and 2019."
GeneralJavaholic@reddit
Saw them in '87 or '88 in Virginia. Great show.
jungle4john@reddit
Makes sense why there are awesome surf/garage bands from Japan. 5,6,7,8's being one I've known forever. They're the band in Kill Bill playing in the Japanese club.
Proper-Emu1558@reddit
I love The Ventures. My dad used to play surf rock when I was a kid. When I sold my first car, I accidentally left a CD of theirs in the stereo.
wjbc@reddit
The Ventures were actually a precursor to surf music. In the late 1950s they played what was called instrumental rock and roll, which evolved into surf music. That said, when instrumental surf music became popular, they took advantage of the trend, including creating the iconic theme to Hawaii 5-0.
SugarsBoogers@reddit
Their Christmas albums are the tops
wjbc@reddit
DocTeeBee@reddit
This totally dislodged a memory from the 1980s: the Alphaville song "Big in Japan." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl6u2NASUzU&t=49s
sonofkeldar@reddit
This always makes me think of Townes Van Zandt. He was a Texas country and folk singer/songwriter, who wrote a bunch of hits for other artists, but never achieved much solo fame. Today, he’s recognized as one of the founders of the outlaw country movement. He wrote a song called “Talkin’ Karate Blues,” which was widely seen as racist in the US, but he toured quite a bit in Japan, and was more famous there than here during his lifetime.
oodopopopolopolis@reddit
I only know him from The Big Lebowski ST.
cguess@reddit
Now there's a hotel in Austin named after him.
Appropriate_Park313@reddit
I assumed that the hotel was ambiguously named after Townes, the county and Townes ancestor Isaac a here of the revolution that the county is named for.
cguess@reddit
Really only Texans know about Isaac though, Townes is way more well known to people who would actually be visiting.
just_some_Fred@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM60iVDu79Y
Tr33Bl00d@reddit
Corn syrup
cyberchaox@reddit
I was going to argue that the Killers are plenty popular here...but yeah, I've seen enough videos of Brits reacting to American sports to know this is true, they were legit surprised when a clip of the whole crowd at Michigan Stadium rocking out to Mr. Brightside came up that we Americans even knew that song. They're not British, they're from Las Vegas! And that's they're most popular song, I've seen plenty of people calling it the Millennial anthem (and I'm even more inclined to agree now that I know that the Killers are so popular in England that many Englishmen don't even realize they're American--far too many accusations on Reddit of being "American-biased" but that's clearly a global hit.
username-generica@reddit
Didn’t realize that it was a millennial anthem. I’m Gen X and love them.
Ohitsworkingnow@reddit
They don’t realize they don’t have British accents or…? Where would they think they’re from if not America
mr-scotch@reddit
To be fair, he does kinda sing with a slight British accent on a lot songs, especially Mr Brightside
botulizard@reddit
It's fairly common for American rock singers to try and sound kind of British and British rock singers to try and sound kind of American I think.
heyitsxio@reddit
When the Killers debuted, American critics thought they were trying too hard to sound British. Turns out the British absolutely loved that.
Standard-Analyst-181@reddit
Off to go Google Killers because I have no idea what it is.
EngineVarious5244@reddit
I mean British people calling the kettle black isn't news.
Current_Poster@reddit
The continual-improvement process Japanese companies call Kaizen was developed by an American statistician named Edward Demings. Their auto-industry's quality control process (especially Toyota's) are descended from a tour he did in 1947, where he trained hundreds of engineers, managers and executives in his ideas.
fingers@reddit
Thank you!
give_me_two_beers@reddit
Used to work for Denso America and they had Kaizen meetings every month. Not sure why though as nobody ever listened or paid mind to anyone else below their position. Hey I guess it was a good paid break though.
Current_Poster@reddit
Yeah. Get it. I can't think of any system that's immune to "...okay, but what if nobody actually cares about doing it right?", though.
Prestigious-Talk1112@reddit
My company is big on kaizens too all of the management and leaders are always going to Kaizens
neelvk@reddit
Edward Deming is a demi-god in Japan. When I was there, every time I mentioned his name, people would physically bow as they spoke his name. I wish the software companies in the US learned from him.
hx87@reddit
Software companies borrowed all the buzzwords but none of the actual practices.
Far-Speed-6027@reddit
As an ex-employee of Trader Joe’s, I hope I never hear the word “kaizen” again. Ugh.
sparklyjoy@reddit
Oh no. Tell?
Far-Speed-6027@reddit
I worked there for 12 years and they use that word constantly. Like any large company, they’ve got their own set of corporate-speak buzz words and that one takes the cake. Also their version of kaizen seems to mostly be reducing staffing, pay, raises, scheduled hours, and benefits. It was hard to watch the company change so dramatically over the time that I was there. I have mostly good feelings about working there and wouldn’t steer anyone away, but they’re gonna hear the word “kaizen” a whole hell of a lot.
Quenzayne@reddit
House music
Queasy_Walk8159@reddit
international workers day (inspired by haymarket square bombing)
PhantomdiverDidIt@reddit
David Hasselhoff.
Plenty_Adeptness7631@reddit
Checks and balances
Tangboy50000@reddit
Malört probably
Neracca@reddit
Its not popular anywhere.
Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit
It's popular in Chicago.
I think the whole company is propped up by Chicago residents tricking their visiting friends.
cguess@reddit
It's just a type of schnapps in Sweden, and the flavor profiles pretty common in Scandinavia and the Baltic states. The Chicago version dials it up though quite a bit.
LeftenantScullbaggs@reddit
It’s “popular” in Chicago. 😂
RubGlum4395@reddit
Good one. So horrible. Only drink it once.
ThoughtsorPrayers@reddit
Vicks Vapor Rub! From Greensboro, NC adored by Latinos the world over.
AmyGranite@reddit
Democracy.
zagnuy@reddit
Horse meat for human consumption
Albino-Buffalo_@reddit
Soybeans, I feel like I saw a thing about soybean farmers being upset at the tariffs because it's primarily sold to China.
jeharris56@reddit
Ironically, the US exports much of the oil that it extracts from US soil. And we import Canadian oil.
aachensjoker@reddit
KFC
It is a holiday favorite from what I understand in Japan. Like a must have for Christmas.
Definitely not a Xmas meal here in the US.
asexualrhino@reddit
We don't eat KFC for Christmas.
IngearILMNC@reddit
Donald Trump?
Divinecolin@reddit
Labor Day? May Day?
KrispyKreme725@reddit
Corn cob pipes
ashamedfame@reddit
KFC
atlmobs@reddit
Turkey Tails https://www.themeateater.com/cook/cooking-techniques/how-to-cook-a-turkey-tail
morganproctor_19@reddit
David Hasselhoff
semisubterranean@reddit
These days, cigarettes.
hx87@reddit
East coasters still smoke it up. West of the Mississippi yeah things are different
Aurelian369@reddit
Americans replaced their cigarette addiction with vaping 💀
n0t_4_thr0w4w4y@reddit
There was a significant period of time where neither smoking nor vaping were common in the US
Atlas7-k@reddit
If by significant you mean the ten year period between 2000-2010.
Aurelian369@reddit
bitches were drinking 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑
Proper-Emu1558@reddit
Reminds me of that SNL sketch with Bad Bunny, “The Age of Discovery.” Explorers bring back a bunch of stuff from “the new world” and the Spanish king hates it all except tobacco.
Fan_Rat@reddit
I’ll go back further and reference the Bob Newhart’s routine as the English trade official learning about tobacco from “Nutty Wally” Raleigh.
RoryDragonsbane@reddit
Ironically, plenty of monarchs actually hated the stuff
https://www.lva.virginia.gov/collections/educator-resources/dbva/items/show/124
sgtm7@reddit
I am guessing you mean US cigarette brands, which are often more popular than local brands?
irena888@reddit
Donald Trump
indifferentunicorn@reddit
Soy
professornb@reddit
Freeze dried/instant coffee. For some reason my UK relatives love the stuff.
Sethalopoda@reddit
David Hasselhoff
krebstaz@reddit
Lana Del Rey was quite popular in Europe. I've never heard her in the radio in the US
emotions1026@reddit
Who is listening to the radio in 2026?
LeftenantScullbaggs@reddit
Hmm…some people just aren’t radio artists.
halfty1@reddit
“Summertime Sadness” and “Young and Beautiful”were both moderate hits in the US.
I remember Young and Beautiful being very popular with sororities in the rush videos or whatever they did at the time.
MobileOrdinary6827@reddit
I went to a local farmers market in the UK. There was a business selling homemade peppermint patties. The owner told me she imports all her mint from Oregon. I had no idea Oregon was a popular place for mint or peppermint. She's never made the patties with English mint which I found super odd because mint can definitely grow in the UK. Why is she importing it? Is mint popular in Oregon?
boulevardofdef@reddit
This is a very dated answer, but I bet none of the other 500 comments mentioned it, so it falls to me:
In the 1983 British comedy Monty Python and the Meaning of Life, there's a great scene where an American tourist couple -- played by British Python members doing intentionally terrible Midwestern accents -- eat at a tacky hotel restaurant where their waiter gives them "conversation cards" prompting them to talk about philosophy. After hearing the name Schopenhauer leads them to wonder if all philosophers' names start with an S, they muse about whether Salena Jones is a philosopher, because she sings about the meaning of life.
This is actually a rare misstep by the normally meticulous Python team. The premise of the joke is that Salena Jones is exactly the kind of lame singer that simpleton middle-aged Americans would enjoy. What they didn't realize was that Jones, while American, was virtually unknown in America. After her singing career failed to take off, she toured internationally and found success in Europe and Japan, eventually relocating to England, where she still lives at the age of 88.
restlessmonkey@reddit
Who???
AdmJota@reddit
You know, the philosopher?
seanm2@reddit
MIKE JOOOOONES
its_saraax@reddit
Hotdogs, invented here, national pride, but most Americans wouldn’t eat one outside of a baseball game
Outside_Reserve_2407@reddit
Costco seems to do well with its hot dogs.
Bora_Horza_Gobuchol@reddit
The cartoon Top Cat is American but very popular in Latin America
Njaala@reddit
Michael Jackson is insanely popular in Japan, and basically ceased to exist from the American zeitgeist after the 90s
scubafork@reddit
On this subject, the documentary "Searching for Sugarman" is about an American musician who was all but completely unknown in the US, but one of the most wildly popular musicians in South Africa. What's more amazing is he himself had no idea for decades and hadn't recorded an album in 20 years when he heard about it.
Carl_Schmitt@reddit
America is the world's leader in making missiles that are used to destroy hospitals and elementary schools, but using them domestically would probably be very unpopular.
Ponchyan@reddit
Blues music. Jazz.
aSYukki@reddit
The singer Anastacia. She is really popular in Europe with several number 1 hits, but no one in the US knows her
fook75@reddit
Horse meat. All our horses that get sold for meat ship to Mexico or Canad for processing.
CompetitiveRub9780@reddit
wtf
Why are people eating fucking horses
cguess@reddit
Super common in Iceland (most of those cute horses you see on tourism advertising are for consumption, though some are for riding), literally available at every grocery store, and because it's produced locally it's usually pretty reasonably priced compared to imported meats.
First time I had a horse burger was in Quebec though, it's not bad, a little gamier than beef.
fook75@reddit
It's a lean, healthy meat. It's eaten all over the world.
give_me_two_beers@reddit
The same reason people eat cows and chickens. While I have never tried it myself I hear that horse is actually a very good meat. If I'm not mistaken it was still on the White House menu up until the 90s.
VixxenFoxx@reddit
Electric Tea Kettles.
jawshoeaw@reddit
were those invented in the US? Also everyone I know in the US has one
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
Weird. No one I know in the US has an electric kettle. We all jusy put a normal kettle on the stove.
Severe-Park-6200@reddit
Yes, Chicago
Typical-Amoeba-6726@reddit
Isn't Woolworth's big in Australia?
GaryJM@reddit
Yes, but that one is completely unrelated to the US company.
HelloFellowKidlings@reddit
David Hasselhoff is way more popular in Germany than he ever has been in the U.S.
Basic_Scale6330@reddit
British knights sneakers
Jimxor@reddit
Since recent tariffs were levied, U.S. exports of porcine byproducts have plummeted leaving a surplus here.
Bung, hog rectum, i.e., artificial calamari abound. Hear the whole sordid tale at Doppelgängers.
myrichiehaynes@reddit
Heinz Beans. I'm from Pittsburgh and I've only had Heinz Beans when I was in U.K./Ireland
Defbond@reddit
Cheese in a can
tyleratx@reddit
War
PlatypusDefiant991@reddit
Electric subways/metros/els that didn't need locomotives cause they solved the control "all motors from one lever" problem USA was first only a few US cities have them.
Homr_Zodyssey@reddit
David Hasselhoff
alexseiji@reddit
David Hasselhoffs Music
Diesel-the-merciful@reddit
StarCraft
Stinky_Butt_Haver@reddit
We’ve exported a lot of democracy but we hardly ever use it at home anymore.
ctoal1984@reddit
Democracy wasn’t invented in America. Jean Girard tells me the French invented democracy along with existentialism and the blowjob
randomnighmare@reddit
The French didn't export democracy because during the American Revolution and 170s, France was under a king with great impunity. Ancient Greece (Ancient Athrns) is considered the birth place of democracy but that form of government didn't exist until 2,000 years ater in the US.
ctoal1984@reddit
I knew that wasn’t the real origin. Jean Girard is a character from the movie Talladega Nights
randomnighmare@reddit
I realized that (and I hadn't seen that movie in ages) but I have literally seen users typed up things believing that France had democracy before the US and that the French Revolution happened before the American Revolution and inspired it. Totally backwards but given the massive amounts of"America Bad, Europe good" propaganda and lack of education I have seen on Reddit I assumed you were serious.
LABELyourPHOTOS@reddit
Probably KFC? But not "as" popular.
Like we used to have one but I don't even know where there is one anymore.
notapoliticalalt@reddit
KFC is pretty ubiquitous in the US, but it is not super popular as far as fast food chains. This largely has to do with the quality being shit.
scoschooo@reddit
KFC is massive in Hong Kong and the Philippines. And somewhat better food also. And Rice.
BlueMacaw@reddit
Seem hugely popular in Australia. Visited last year and there were lines out the door of every KFC we passed. Apparently a big Christmas thing there as well as other mentions I’ve seen for China and Japan.
781nnylasil@reddit
So many in El Salvador
reluctantmugglewrite@reddit
True. My loval KFC technically exists but theres never anyone going through the drive thru or eating inside. I dont remember the last time Ive seen someone carry KFC but I definitely seen plenty of chick fil a, popeyes and raisin canes bags.
Avalanche325@reddit
Pretty popular in New Zealand.
loveanddonuts@reddit
I used to teach English online and it is insanely popular in China.
Orogogus@reddit
I'd read that KFC was able to pull off a major marketing coup in Japan and that even to this day it's considered nearly as much a part of Christmas there as turkey is to Thanksgiving in the US.
Like 25 years ago I know that KFC in China was a similarly huge thing, with a flagship three story restaurant in Beijing that was always packed, and people would save up their salary to go there for a fancy meal. And a manager at my company went to our facility in Hangzhou, and said that the chicken at the KFC there was way better than it is here in the US. But when I was in Shanghai in 2016 I got the impression it was just another fast food restaurant by that time.
SufficientProject273@reddit
What? There's like 5 KFCs in my area...
LABELyourPHOTOS@reddit
What state do you live?
SufficientProject273@reddit
Deep South. Not into giving out my state
Suspicious-Bisexual@reddit
Those bathroom doors with the gaps so large you make eye contact with people waiting for you to pee
solid-north@reddit
I've only ever seen these in America
ImDistortion1@reddit
Esports is not popular in America? What?
FingerCurious9180@reddit
Trump
Dogs_Are_Just_Better@reddit
Freedom?
newPrivacyPolicy@reddit
Bombs.
Lendolar@reddit
Donald Trump.
IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit
Ruby Wax. She is an American comedian who was very popular in Britain. People used to tell me how much they loved her. I had no idea who she was.
weirdoldhobo1978@reddit
Rich Hall as well. They were both staples of the panel show circuit for a long time.
doyathinkasaurus@reddit
Reginald D Hunter and Desiree Burch too, and to a lesser extent Rob Delaney
Atlas7-k@reddit
This is kinda true of any American comedian in the UK.
blues_and_ribs@reddit
I’ve recently become a big fan of the comedian Des Bishop. He is from the US but grew up partially in Ireland and started his career there. In the US, he isn’t widely known despite touring extensively here (I saw him at a little comedy club in Denver), but apparently he is relatively famous in Ireland.
AndelHactur@reddit
A functioning constitutional republic
barkilung@reddit
Stoner Rock. Bands like Monster Magnet and Queens of the Stone Age are way more popular in Europe.
GrilledCheeseMnky@reddit
Education?
Reaganson@reddit
I heard Triscuits are popular overseas, but not as popular in the USA.
Used_Return9095@reddit
KFC. Super popular in asia and it’s actually good lol
True_to_you@reddit
It's not like KFC isn't popular here though. I will say that it's tastier than a lot of other fast food options and their new restaurant Saucy is ok for a quick bite.
amc365@reddit
Popeyes is more my go to when I want fast food chicken. Good fries and the gravy/ mashed potatoes way better.
elenchusis@reddit
KFC is probably the 8th best tasting chicken fast food restaurant I can think of
jda404@reddit
To each their own, it's my go to for fast food chicken, and the one in my area is always packed. If I get the craving for it I make sure to get an early lunch or dinner because if I go at like noon or around 5-6pm there will be a long line.
Used_Return9095@reddit
I don’t think KFC is popular in the U.S or atleast in california. No one really raves about it and most people I know of go to popeyes for fried chicken or somewhere else.
As a californian who frequently visits malaysia, we don’t have many KFC locations compared to other fast food restaurants.
In malaysia there is literally KFCs EVERYWHERE lol. The difference is crazy
amc365@reddit
Did anyone say Jerry Lewis?
Sobakee@reddit
War.
Antioch666@reddit
Isn't Android and whatsapp relatively unpopular in the US?
While whatsapp is the prime messenger in Europe regardless if you have iPhone or Android.
In the US Facebook Messenger followed by Apple messenges dominate.
twick2010@reddit
Donald trump?
LadyWithAHarp@reddit
Jazz. The sheer number of fantastic Jazz musicians who had to go to Europe to make a living is insane.
ddsiddall@reddit
Donald Trump.
1917-was-lit@reddit
The show prison break. It was somewhat popular in America but it’s a cultural institution for young people in other countries for some reason
Far-Sky-4763@reddit
Techno, Kings of Leon.
LostInChrome@reddit
Spam (except for Hawaii)
pl0nk@reddit
Hawaii you go to store and they have a Ziggurat of spam cans
venturashe@reddit
And CA
OrcaFins@reddit
And Alaska.
Carl_Schmitt@reddit
Bombing elementary schools.
Nick_Coffin@reddit
Democracy
voltairesalias@reddit
Dustin Wolf, Devin Cooley, Blake Coleman, Craig Conroy.
They all will be popular though during the next Olympics I'm sure you'll hear of them.
zoppaTheDim@reddit
Heinz products
I’ve seen people from the UK yap about beans and toast enough, yet they always declare Heinz to be the baked beans of choice, and they never mention it is an American brand, selling an American invented dish.
chayashida@reddit
Donald Trump?
2cats18@reddit
Donald Trump
Nostradonkey@reddit
Donald Trump
LikelyNotSober@reddit
NY Yankees hats… unless you’re actually a Yankee fan.
cv5cv6@reddit
I volunteer at a museum in the US and stroll around and engage with visitors in the lobby before one of our movie starts. I was doing my usual "where are you coming in from?" bit when I went up a guy and said "Yankees fan? I know where you're coming in from." and he answers with "the UK." We all had a good laugh.
t-poke@reddit
I was somewhere abroad and saw a guy wearing a Yankees hat and a Red Sox shirt.
Background_Big7363@reddit
It's a wonder he didn't burst into flames.
MillieBirdie@reddit
I see those everywhere in Ireland. That and Raiders merch.
Casus125@reddit
Marshmellow fluff is something I see in every "American Section" of foreign grocery stores; and I've never seen anybody touch the stuff in America.
thetoerubber@reddit
Music from David Hasselhoff. I couldn’t believe how many people like him as a singer in Germany. He’s had #1 pop hits there.
Traveling-Techie@reddit
Six sigma aka zero defects manufacturing — invented in US, big in Japan.
Illustrious-Line-984@reddit
That’s where American manufacturing dropped the ball.
LvBorzoi@reddit
Chicken feet....we ship most of ours to China
Azule330@reddit
Nuclear Warfare
mousecop5150@reddit
Techno and house music came from Detroit and Chicago late 80’s early 90s. Definitely caught on more in Europe than here for the longest time.
9inez@reddit
Soy beans
Trump
War
Kid rock
Don_Pickleball@reddit
People like Trump outside the United States?
9inez@reddit
Well, not popular in the US.
I would not venture to project positive feelings for djt on others.
ctoal1984@reddit
There’s plenty of people in America that worship trump. There’s enough of them that he got elected twice
9inez@reddit
Yet his popularity is the lowest it’s been.
laurasdiary@reddit
I think he’s pretty disliked everywhere
Minimum-Round5097@reddit
The President
Finally, someone said the right answer.
forgetful-giraffe@reddit
Lawson’s convenience store is one of the major “conbinis” in Japan but has no original presence in America anymore.
Also honorable mention to those easy squeeze sauce packs they give you for ketchup/mustard cause they were originally invented in America.
WizardWolf5@reddit
With the exception of NYC, I see so many Yankees hats when I go abroad, especially in Europe. I make the same stupid joke to my fiance whenever we travel : "Wow so many Yankees fans here"
Friendly-Wear6213@reddit
My grandpa work for the SPAM company after WW2. He was one of their top salesman in Indiana and the Midwest. My mom side of the family was really poor and grandpa got SPAM for a discount because he worked for them. My mom's family loved SPAM and my dad's family was well off and didn't eat SPAM. They didn't consider it real meat. I can't stand SPAM but here in the good ol USA it is very popular with a lot of people in the southern states. Than not so popular in the northern and western states.
Stunning-Mention6950@reddit
Cult religions.
Mysterious_Benefit_7@reddit
Tina Turner
TheMuffler42069@reddit
Color tv
BizarroMax@reddit
Baseball.
deshi_mi@reddit
Tobacco.
Atlas7-k@reddit
So, kinda.
Rustica is from mainland North America. Most tobacco grown now a days is actually from a different species that originated in Trinidad.
finnbee2@reddit
I ate lots of fried Spam when I was in high-school. I spent much of the summer at my families camp on Lake Superior. A fried spam sandwich on toast was eaten almost daily. Once I got married I've bought only a few cans in the last 50 years.
Nacho_Sideboob@reddit
Ginseng. Wisconsin grows about 98% of the Ginseng in America and most of exported to Asia.
Jake_Corona@reddit
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). I have lived in Kentucky my whole life and when I travel, people are quick to bring up KFC when they learn where I am from. Most people I know either hate it or have a neutral opinion of it. It’s not even close to being most people’s favorite chicken restaurant. I think it’s too greasy, myself.
ScrotalMigraines@reddit
The show "Columbo"
Just_curious4567@reddit
While baywatch was popular here I always heard it was super popular abroad.
Weightmonster@reddit
I would argue a free and fair democracy and voting rights as of late.
SkotEP@reddit
Techno
Koboldneverforget@reddit
FREEDOM!
ericlctong@reddit
7-11
The-Cursed-Gardener@reddit
Beans on toast was invented here, but became popularized in Britain as it lost popularity here. Now people consider it to be a British thing.
thatswherethedevilis@reddit
Ginseng. Grown in Wisconsin.
elonmusktheturd22@reddit
Right now i would have to say our government
Ordinary_Cat_01@reddit
Whatsapp
stayweird3000@reddit
Horsemeat
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Heinz canned beans. The ones in the US have changed significantly one the years but the brits still get the original recipe.
Curmudgy@reddit
Afaik, Heinz no longer sells beans in the US market, at least not under their own name.
StasRutt@reddit
Costco has them so Im curious if they are imported
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Ah, ok. I don't eat baked beans at all, so it's been awhile since I've looked.
Jonathon_G@reddit
Apparently KFC is massive outside of the US. It’s not that big here
ULTRA_CRYSTAL_LOSER@reddit
A friend of my partner traveled to China and found a toothpaste with a blackface mascot in a regular pharmacy. I don't know the name of the brand, but he found out the product is manufactured in, like, New Jersey. It's just not sold anywhere in this country for reasons that are obvious when you look at the label.
Long-Cauliflower-708@reddit
David Hasselhoff
tultamunille@reddit
Chicago House and Detroit Techno
Gescartes@reddit
This is a big one to me. What's probably the world's most popular genre of music (ebm) primarily came out of two cities where its reception was middling at best
tultamunille@reddit
Yes indeed. Similar to how Black music and culture, particularly blues, was reappropriated by English bands, they did a number with Electronic music.
At one point Raves were brought back to the USA by American DJs like Frankie Bones etc. But it was underground culture here primarily for a time.
Then there was the Rave Act, thanks to Biden, criminalising repetitive music, nearly 10 years after the Criminal Justice Act of Britain in the early 90s, which outlawed more than 2 people dancing to repetitive music at the same time.
As someone once put it:
“America is not on the Vibe”
-andshewas-@reddit
Sixto Rodríguez
Cold_Barber_4761@reddit
Such an incredible musician!
Year_1996@reddit
For a long time the The Chicks (The Dixie Chicks).
sparklyjoy@reddit
I sometimes get the impression break dancing is more popular in other places… Can anyone confirm?
AggressiveKing8314@reddit
Trump
OddPerspective9833@reddit
Spanish Flu
KFCNyanCat@reddit
House, Techno, and probably a few other electronic music genres.
jewboy916@reddit
WhatsApp
ruinrunner@reddit
uh everything?
ruinrunner@reddit
Florida man! omg thank you for this. The whole Florida man thing is solely upheld by people outside of the US. They love that shit. They eat it up. Americans don’t care about it but foreigners are obsessed.
mikel145@reddit
Some comedians. Bill Hicks had more success in the UK. Arj Barker in an American comedian who is more well known in Australia.
MrVeazey@reddit
He was also on "Flight of the Conchords." I wonder if he's popular in New Zealand, too.
Master_Customer3670@reddit
Wimpy restaurant. I don't think most Americans have even heard of it but its massive in South Africa and I think used to be popular in the past in the UK. Wikipedia literally say: "Wimpy is a South African fast-food casual dining chain that was founded in the United States"
eaglecraft2@reddit
The song teenage dirtbag as it was in the top 100 in australia but not america
Great_Value_Trucker@reddit
Drake Bell? Super beloved in Mexico. Huge fan base there. I forgot he existed until I read this post.
TheAllSeeingGod@reddit
What’s app
LivingWaffle33@reddit
Red solo cups not sure if its still a thing but I remember hearing that in some euro countries they can be given as gifts that are cherished
strumthebuilding@reddit
Jazz
Snoo_50786@reddit
Counter strike
sgtm7@reddit
I wouldn't say they aren't popular, but they are way more popular in Asian countries ----7-Eleven. When I was in Taiwan from 2010 to 2012, I don't think most Taiwanese knew it used to be US company. I couldn't say much, because until I looked it up, I didn't realize the Japanese had bought 70% of it in 1991, and 100% of it in 2005.
Rays-R-Us@reddit
Trump family
EmergencySpare7939@reddit (OP)
Something I don't see mentioned much in this thread is movies. Seeing how popular movies like Die Hard and The Greatest Showman have been overseas and how much influence Disney movies have from Pixar movies to the disney renaissance movies.
SAwfulBaconTaco@reddit
Supreme Court Justice Mahlon Pitney. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlon_Pitney
pbmadman@reddit
Freedom.
Ok_Sheepherder_1794@reddit
For the world outside the US, Labor Day is May 1st… in commemoration of an event that happened in the US.
Honest_Swim7195@reddit
David Hasselhoff
Formal-Telephone5146@reddit
WhatsApp
Tintoverde@reddit
US News
Turdposter777@reddit
KFC
tinkerbelltikka@reddit
Effects of war and war crimes.
scarletteclipse1982@reddit
Horse meat
wizzard419@reddit
A lot of seafood like abalone and sea urchin. It isn't as popular here so it gets exported to Asia where they will pay considerably more for it.
JuliusSeizuresalad@reddit
Trump
CZall23@reddit
Donald Duck is apparently popular abroad.
SteveS117@reddit
I’ve never had these issues with my friends that have Android and my iPhone. Replies and reactions have always worked
astarisaslave@reddit
Starcraft.
BoBoBearDev@reddit
Furby
Powerful_Image6294@reddit
The Philippines has Kenny Rogers and Shakey’s pretty much a everywhere
kilertree@reddit
Techno. It's from Detroit but most Detroiters like Techno that's closer to house music.
themanofax@reddit
The band cheap trick is apparently as popular as the Beatles in Japan. I only know that because they're from my hometown
jtfjtf@reddit
Heinz beans in tomato sauce. Very popular in the UK. Not popular at all in the US.
Up2Eleven@reddit
Facebook. It's used extensively in SE Asia but has declined in use in the states.
Glittering_Animal395@reddit
David Hasselhoff
choglin@reddit
Freedom
Aware_Commission_995@reddit
Californians
tiowey@reddit
Musicals are from the US but are immensely more popular in India.
No_Sorbet_5754@reddit
Years ago, when I was visiting Beirut, Lebanon, Engelbert Humperdinck was super famous. In the states, we always thought he was super cheesy
GeishaGal8486@reddit
He’s not American.
sgtm7@reddit
David Hasselhoff was a very popular singer in Germany, whereas most Americans didn't even know he could sing. Jerry Lewis was very popular in France way after his popularity had fallen in the USA.
Otherwise-OhWell@reddit
Medical debt bankruptcy.
johndoja707@reddit
Freedom
x---HI---x@reddit
Induction Ranges
Blue387@reddit
The singer Anastacia is from Chicago but never really hit it big in the US, I have heard of her most famous song I'm Outta Love
feistyoneyouare@reddit
This is literally the first thing that popped into my head. I don't know why she's not popular here. She has some good songs and a great voice.
PreviousGolf9541@reddit
She was popular in the US gay scene.
Comfortable_Orchid23@reddit
Buick is really popular in China.
TangoCyka@reddit
The electric kettle.
Avalanche325@reddit
I had to double check you on that. Invented in Chicago.
TangoCyka@reddit
Don’t blame you, freaking wild isn’t it?
supremeshe@reddit
Lots of musicians that don't get love here anymore, one-hit wonders, regional artists that never went national, and old favorites from the past.
Wesmom2021@reddit
KFC
Nice-Yogurtcloset772@reddit
Kenny Rodger’s music in Kenya circa 1990-2000; his chicken circa 2020 in the Philippines
Individual_Agency703@reddit
Donald Trump.
nickferatu@reddit
A lot of really great music of varying styles.
Aquarius_K@reddit
The killers or the kills? The kills are awesome.
longganisafriedrice@reddit
Half of the kills is a British guy
Aquarius_K@reddit
I'm not debating on the American-ness of them, only that I like them lol.
JennItalia269@reddit
Swensen’s, Kenny Rogers Roasters and Sizzler are still big things in Thailand.
Avalanche325@reddit
I used to love Swensen’s.
Rudytootiefreshnfty@reddit
In the mid 2010s (before they redebuted in America) I ordered dunkaroos off eBay from Canada and was shocked to see they were still made in the USA although not sold here
StrikingDeparture432@reddit
Regime change wars ?
dbd1988@reddit
KFC has been declining for multiple years consecutively in the US but it’s super popular internationally.
Southern_Conflict_11@reddit
Good healthcare
Responsible-Yam4748@reddit
Mr Donut, the original Dunkin Donuts from Quincy, MA. Apparently its big in Japan.
No_Walk_Town@reddit
The Toto Washlet was invented in America as a medical mobility aid. It was commercialized in Japan.
canisdirusarctos@reddit
There are brands that are produced for American sections of grocery stores in the rest of the world that are made in the US but nobody has ever seen them for sale in the US.
Ok_Bird_9745@reddit
Me
Goat_inna_Tree@reddit
Trump's War.
jahnoyoudidnt@reddit
Post WWII social safety nets.
aguy21@reddit
Kenny Rodgers Roasters. Founded in the US in 1991, the last US location closed in 2011 but there are still 156 locations globally. They are all located in Asia or the Middle East.
Snake_Staff_and_Star@reddit
Horse meat.
TriRS109@reddit
My friend Jay Riemenschneider eats horse all the time. He gets it from his butcher
MooseFlyer@reddit
In what way is horse meat American?
Snake_Staff_and_Star@reddit
We have massive herds that get culled and the meat sold to foreign countries due to laws and social morays against it here.
venturashe@reddit
19th Century Deception: During the Panic of 1857, East Coast butchers sold horse meat labeled as beef, leading to a temporary, scandalous acceptance.
Wartime Surges: Horse meat became a substitute protein in the US during WWI and WWII, notably when beef was rationed.
Export Industry: Post-WWII, U.S. and Canadian facilities, often supplied by "kill buyers" at auctions, slaughtered unwanted horses for export to Europe, a practice that continued until the last U.S. plants closed in 2007.
Funny-Dare-3823@reddit
Kazakhstan's national dish is fresh horse meat.
swake3@reddit
Jerry Lewis and David Hasselhoff
Norwester77@reddit
And Jim Varney (Ernest). Well-known here, but HUGE in France, or so I’ve been told.
TwentyCharacters2022@reddit
Freedom.
NewNose9155@reddit
Trump
TrillyMike@reddit
Them Heinz beans they be lovin in the uk
GrowlingAtTheWorld@reddit
Heinz baked beans
heyitsYMAA@reddit
The current war in Iran.
DevilPixelation@reddit
Not to say KFC isn’t popular here (it’s still one of the biggest fast food franchises domestically), but KFC is generally much more popular in Asia imo. China is the largest market for KFC, above the US, Japan’s Christmastime KFC traditions has been of the company’s best marketing ploys, and the Zinger Burger is huge in South and Southeast Asia.
Jpkmets7@reddit
Spam
Smeaglete@reddit
Heinz baked beans.
StobbstheTiger@reddit
Battle rap. The Filipino, Brazilian and Russian Leagues are way more popular than the American ones. I think the Russian scene might have fallen off though.
brainmeds@reddit
Constitutional democracy
couchbutt@reddit
Democracy.
S4ntos19@reddit
Democracy is not a new concept my friend.
von_sip@reddit
And not at all an American invention
dead0man@reddit
to be fair, the American Constitution was unique in the world in how much democracy it gave it's people. Sure, it wasn't full democracy, but it's not like the ancient Greek form of democracy was any better in that regard.
S4ntos19@reddit
That was my implied joke of it being too young to be the inventor
thatisnotmyknob@reddit
That would be Greek.
Youre_Rat_Fucking_Me@reddit
Whatsapp
ElijahNSRose@reddit
Michael Bay Movies.
In China they're considered the best movies.
viveleramen_@reddit
Sorghum
brownzilla999@reddit
INDIANS
paragon_of_karma@reddit
Constitutional republics
DeliciousMoments@reddit
The pop singer Anastacia. I remembered seeing her on some sort of short lived MTV competition show in the late 90s where she didn’t win, but I remembered her strong voice. Years later I learn she’s massive in Europe but still an unknown in the US
21PenSalute@reddit
Democracy!
gobaldridefaster@reddit
Spam. Was big in the US decades back, now wildly popular in many Asian cuisines
BananaFern@reddit
David Hasselhof
Durham1988@reddit
Scott Walker
QuantumAttic@reddit
The Walker Brothers
justhere4freesnacks@reddit
US foreign policy.