and yes, that is a question mark, lol. Hear me out.
By now, everyone knows I love TikTok.
I love scrolling through videos of dogs and cats acting weird; love the beauty makeovers; love the gym workout transformations.
My newest obsession and love-to-scroll posts are centered on visitors to America for the first time who are watching World Cup matches. People who have never before experienced the American culture in our own backyard and their reactions to things are hysterical, make me feel proud of my country, and also are a mite…upsetting.
Let me explain.
A few videos have shown Europeans getting their first view of places like Cosco and Walmart. A few chaps from Germany were stricken dumb when they saw that Walmart sold food like 10-pound ground beef loaves and frozen pizzas. An English family experienced Chick-fil-A for the first time, and they couldn’t even talk – all they wanted to do was eat. When they were done, the dad asked the mom and kids have you ever tasted anything so good, to which the boy, probably around 8-ish, replied that he wanted to move to America.
Pizza slices and their size have taken up a lot of Australian and South African posts. People can’t believe all the different toppings or the actual size of a pizza.
One group of Italians was awestruck when they got free refills of soda at a local Olive Garden. The guy filming stated he already had three refills of his 20-ounce soda.
Starbucks iced coffees are a favorite of Irish lasses; as mentioned, the pizza is a hit with The Aussies.
I laughed out loud at the awestruck words and faces while visiting a local Dallas High School football stadium. The chap couldn’t believe a school stadium was so large when he comes from only professional sports arenas that are as large.
All this is fun to watch, but then I started to think…we are, as Americans, a nation of overconsumers, both in food and “things.”
Our food portions are ridiculous. I know the ADA says to base calories on a normal daily intake of 2000 calories, but that’s 2k over three meals and two snacks, not one double cheeseburger plate with fries at 1950 cals for one meal.
Those Big Gulps look like fun at 7/11, but if you are getting a regular soda filled one, that’s 32 ounces of sugar and caffeine all at once – in just one serving. The calories are upwards of 400.
One Englishman touring Costco came up on a stack of large bath towels, 12 for S$8.99. His response? Why do you need 12? It’s just me and my wife and we use a towel for 2 showers each. Why do you need so many? Another girl from Ireland couldn’t believe that you could buy your groceries, everything you need for your house, even tires for your car, and get an eye exam all at Walmart.
Americans do love their convenience shopping, don’t we?
A man from Switzerland was in Walmart and made a post detailing all the American flags hanging from the ceiling. He said, I wish we did that in Switzerland, showed our pride in our country by hanging flags everywhere. He was in Dallas. I’m going to admit I’ve never noticed my own Walmart ( because I won’t shop there) ever having hanging flags from the ceiling.
All of these videos are hysterical – every single one. But as I said, when you get down to the nitty gritty of what they are really showing us and their viewers, Americans are a country of overconsumers, big eaters, and proud of it.
So yeah, that’s why this post is posed as a question.
Peggy Jaeger, Author 