Transcription
Before visiting America, these were the opinions many Europeans British had. Would you ever move to America?
>> No.
>> No interest in moving there?
>> No. It's complete [ __ ].
>> No.
>> Already lose like 10 of the rights that you have here.
>> It's a disgusting place. They've got no NHS whatsoever. It's an absolute dump.
>> I don't like the culture, whether it's tipping, guns, the the thoughts on abortion. If you're dying or having a baby, why you got to pay for?
At first, they all said the same thing. No, I'd never moved to America. But after visiting the United States, many completely changed their minds. So, what happened? Let's find out.
>> We are enjoying America so much since we have arrived. It is an amazing country.
>> I am loving the way Americans don't say "what," they say "what's up." And instead of saying "okay," they say "I got you." Oh, so nice.
>> The waiter comes over, smiles, asks how are you doing, checks on you, brings refills, and actually tries to make the experience good. And when you're used to European service, that feels almost luxurious. I have even become friends with waiters at places I often go to. That would be very unusual in Germany.
And then we have one of the greatest American inventions of all time. Free refills. I still love this. You pay for one coffee and then you can drink more than one coffee. You pay for one Coke and they just bring you more. To Americans, this is normal. To Europeans, this feels illegal. And free water. Americans do not understand how amazing this is. In Germany, you often have to pay for water in a restaurant. Not just a little bit. Sometimes the water costs almost as much as other drinks. So when Europeans come to America and someone just brings them a huge glass of water for free, it almost feels like civilization has reached its final form.
And then comes the food. Europeans love to say American food is terrible. And then they come here and eat like they're preparing for winter. Barbecue, brisket, burgers, wings, pancakes, waffles, Chick-fil-A, In and Out, Texas Roadhouse, Waffle House at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Suddenly, everyone is quiet. In Germany, fast food is basically McDonald's, Burger King, and Daer. And I love DA, but America has an insane food culture. And not just fast food. That is another stereotype Europeans get wrong.
>> I feel like I've been lied to about the US. It is so nice here. We're in Miami Beach and it's a glorious day. There's people out here playing volleyball. There's just people riding bikes, riding roller skates, running. Everyone is extremely fit here.
>> I, you know, the stereotypical thought of America is that people are uh obese, but here everyone is so fit. We haven't seen hardly anyone that's even overweight. And they made us think that it was going to be so unsafe here. I feel super safe. There's police around. There's safety cameras everywhere. Like I don't know what's going on.
>> And here in um Miami Beach, there's loads of Spanish music and it's just like everywhere. The food's been great. The people's been really nice.
>> Fantastic.
>> Immigration on the way in was no issue.
>> They were so friendly. He was even making jokes with us. We were like, "What's going on? You're supposed to make us feel scared to come in here." And he was like, "Come on in."
>> I think the lesson is like don't trust anything you see on TV or on social media. Go and look for yourself, right?
>> Yeah. Yeah. Because this is a vibe. I will come back.
>> This is not what's happening in America. But then you go there and it is the chillest place in the world. Everybody is super friendly and that doesn't penetrate uh the the European media. There's so many people missing out on actually experiencing America and the culture for what it actually is.
>> Because people obviously see that and get scared and feel like, "I shouldn't go. I shouldn't go." But it's your ancestors or European ancestors went there and they say like in Europe and the media, "Oh, America doesn't have any culture." But it does. It has every culture in the world because America is this giant melting pot of every culture.
>> Yeah. In so many countries and food cultures and that's why it's like wild. Yeah, it's next level.
>> Like we've been walking down the street before and house after house in neighborhoods in Tennessee, you'll see uh a USA flag hanging out on the front porch and then right next to it, across the other side of the house, you'll have an Irish flag. You walk down then you've got an American flag and you've got the fleur-de-lis, the New Orleans flag. Then go down, you've got the you've got the rampant the lion rampant flag, like a Scottish flag. Then you've got the German, the French, the Swiss. We've seen neighborhoods that have literally decided that they're going to post their nationalities on the front of their house and tell you, "I'm American first." It's the first thing you see. Next thing you see is their sub-nationality, like from where they descended from. That's pride. And we just do not have that in the UK. But America, you're not they're not scared. And that makes me so happy to the bottom to my core. You've no idea like the the joy I feel when I see Americans celebrate their patriotic nature. Like I love it.
Before we continue with more European opinions, let's look at something many visitors never expected. The kindness, generosity, and hospitality of Americans. This American guy offers fans for free on American Free Day.
>> People on an American adventure today.
>> I won't kill anyone. Every animal in here was alive.
>> Oh, really?
>> Every single one of them.
>> My elbows.
>> First interaction to ranch.
>> Okay. Okay.
>> This is my annual saucy thing.
>> World Cup ticket worth of meat right there.
>> Hey, look above your heads. Maybe.
>> A lot.
>> More bread.
>> I'm telling you, steak is good, huh?
>> Marshmallows on a potato.
>> That's great.
>> America.
>> America.
>> Best day of America.
>> I am living my dream. This is honestly, guys, I could cry. It's so beautiful. It's so. Apparently, there's just lightning. No, I didn't see lightning.
>> Was that?
Now let's come back to the girl who has been living in America and hear what she thinks.
>> So happy in the US. I can express myself in every aspect. The way I I speak, the way I dress, the way I walk, even like in my business, in my project, in my creativity, I can just be me. And you know, like I went to the doctor and I have this diagnosis and I'm like, "Fuck this." And it's the consequences of what happens when you have to shrink, when you cannot express yourself, when you just have to check some boxes because you have to be that way or that way and you cannot just be yourself, express yourself fully, when you feel that you're living in a cage. And this is what happens. I'm sorry. I love my country so much, but there's something that feels so off. Two days ago, I was walking like and I had a shirt and I was not wearing a bra because I don't need a bra and that's [ __ ] it, you know, like and I don't need any justification. But people were just looking at me as if I was a problem because that's the reality. When you walk here, people they judge you. If you dare to dream too big or just to dream, it's not allowed. It's not allowed. You cannot really express yourself. And of course, it exists also in the US. You have to check some boxes because in the end it's the cutest, the skinniest and things like that. Like I'm talking to women especially who are going to win. But in the end, yes, in the US I can breathe. I can breathe there and I don't feel this competition as much like with women as much as I can feel it here in France. That's why I love the US so much and I don't [ __ ] care about what others think about the US because even myself I was like full of clichés before moving to the US but then I moved there and I fell in love there. It was never my dream but damn it changed me so much. It changed me so much and I'm deeply deeply grateful for everything that happened in my life that brought me there. Damn, I love you so much. It's okay to move from the UK to the USA and be happy. It's It's okay to have good experiences within the USA. And I know that's not what people expect. I know when I first told people we was moving to America, there was a lot of negativity. And a lot of it does stem from the media. that what the what every other country is saying about America gives everyone a preconceived expectation of what they think America is going to be like. It's okay to come here and love it. It's okay to come here and love everything that America is, has to offer, and everything that comes with living in America. As you can tell from my videos, I love America. America is everything that you expect and more. Once you come to America and you experience America, whether it's on holiday, vacation, or moving to this country, that's when you really start to see the real America and you start to realize that maybe what the media have told you isn't necessarily true. If I'm honest, there's one thing that stands out to me massively about the USA and that is the people. The American people are what makes the country 100%. How welcoming they are, how loving they are, how open they are to speaking to other people, other cultures. I love.
>> Thank you to all of you. We're the best. And honestly, what is the reality behind what the media has told Europeans about America?
>> And so the rumors are true. Europeans only hate America because they've never actually been there. For years, you couldn't scroll through social media without seeing a European telling you how bad America is. The food is trash. The people are fake. The culture is shallow. No healthcare, no vacation days. And honestly, I used to just let that slide. And as a European myself, I was in their shoes. And let me tell you, the World Cup comes in the US and all of a sudden, millions of Europeans who've been talking down on this country their entire lives show up. And you know what happens? Well, they lost their minds, but in a good way. The stadiums, the energy, the fans, the food, the hospitality of Americans. Video after video of Europeans saying, "I had no idea it was like this. Americans are actually so nice." Uh, and they saying that they've been in the wrong place all their lives. Mhm. Funny. And again, I'm not saying America is perfect. It's not. But the World Cup just proved something really simple. You cannot have a strong opinion about a place you've never been to. Leave your hometown. Explore. Because I genuinely think the World Cup taught us all something. The only way to find out how good something actually is is to go experience it yourself. And for a lot of Europeans, America just changed their entire worldview in 90 minutes. So Europeans, tell me I'm wrong.
>> I've been reflecting a bit on the last 10 days I've had spent in America. And I just want to say that America, you've got it right. As a fan who's been experiencing things so far here at the World Cup on the ground, I have nothing but positive things to say so far in terms of the way that they've organized it. I mean, obviously there were concerns leading up to the tournament, but I think America's done a great job so far. Apart from the fact that the football's been amazing, I think every city has played its part in welcoming people to the country. I think America's shown its best side, and that's the people. In terms of organization, the transportation has been great considering they don't have the same infrastructure as Asia or Europe. I mean, getting around to and from games has been easy. Safety wise, it's been great. You know, you feel protected and welcome, not afraid of law enforcement. So, they've done a great job in making people feel like there's not going to be any danger at this World Cup. There's been people in the cities that have voluntarily helped me personally. I mean, there's been times when I've not been able to get to certain places and people have nudged me in the right direction. So, I think it shows that people are willing to help here. Cost of living here hasn't actually been too bad day-to-day. I mean, I was expecting to be tipping like $20 or something crazy, but I mean, people obviously know that it's not the culture back in Europe, and I've just been tipping people here and there that deserve it, you know? So, I think they haven't pushed people to be adding on extra expenditure during the tournament. But most importantly, there's just been a great atmosphere around the country. I mean, I've met the most friendly people around the US, not just from America, but from all over the world. From the Cape Verdians to the people from Corissal to the Moroccans to the Ghanaians to the Europeans to the Asians. I made friends with people from countries I never thought I would. So, it's been an experience that I'll never forget so far. Thanks to America, everyone's having a great time. And I also think it shows why the World Cup is the greatest show on earth. Because in a world full of diversity, the World Cup brings unity to everyone.
>> I feel like I've been lied to my entire life about America. Like, I'm in Florida. This beach is insane. Like, just as good as Australian beaches. But if you log on to the news, everything's bad. Everyone's got blue hair. Everything's terrible. It's not. It's absolutely [ __ ] amazing. Are you kidding me?
>> I'm a Brit living in America, but these are some of the things that are normal to Americans, but a little bit weird for us Brits. Number one, how much Americans love their country. Go America. Number two is that British people think Americans have so much freedom, but actually there's a lot of rules here, including things like HOA. If you leave your decorations up 2 days too late, HOA letter. If you've got something in your front yard that they don't like, HOA letter. Meanwhile, in the UK, your next door neighbor Dave leaves his broken washing machine outside his front yard for months. No one says anything. Where here you'd be fined. And to add to that, you only have to look at the front yards and everything is absolutely spotless. Everything is very clean. I've never seen a cigarette butt. I've never seen trash on the floor. Another thing that isn't as normal to a Brit, but here in America it's so normal is all the drive-thrus. I'm not going to lie, I've become very reliant on drive-thrus now, and I always choose to go through a drive-thru rather than go inside. I think there's this misconception with America, and I'm definitely seeing it with the World Cup, how much people actually are really enjoying it and how much America has to offer. If you'd like to see more videos as a Brit living in America, let me know.
Today we are going to discuss which state felt most magical.
>> Which state surprised us the most?
>> Which state feels the most American?
>> Things Americans don't even realize about their country.
>> Okay. Which state felt most magical for you, James?
>> I'm going to have to say Arizona because that's where we Well, I was personally that was where I was first introduced to America.
>> True. And I'd only ever seen America in the movies and in the media.
>> And the movies, yeah, they make it look wonderful, but the media in the UK, they make it look terrible.
>> But when I first stepped foot on US soil in Arizona, everything was bigger. Everybody was friendlier. Everything just felt more energized.
>> You should have seen him. He was so hyped.
>> He was so happy and so hyped. He was like buzzing to get going. Especially when we started walking around and everybody started speaking to me and I was like, "Is this what Americans are actually like?" And that is what Americans are like. You have a heart-to-heart conversation with everybody you meet. They give you such energy. I just didn't realize that that's actually how it was. The land of opportunity, the land of energetic, supportive people. And in Arizona, we tried out a rodeo. We went to a cowboy shop in which
>> we made we made a great friend called Gabe. He showed us around all of the cowboy stuff. He showed us all different cowboy boots. He dressed us up as cowboy and cowgirl.
>> Howdy.
>> And he showed us all the different materials that the cowboy boots were made out of. He kept saying, "Don't worry, you don't need to buy anything. I just want to show you guys."
>> He he looked like an actual cowboy himself. He was dressed so smartly. He had a cowboy hat on, the boots, the everything.
>> He actually invited us to the rodeo that we went to later on in that day.
>> Yeah. He's the one that told us about the rodeo. And I think a lot of the video of him explaining to you that you can go to the rodeo. Oh, you should have seen James's face. I'll try and upload it here. He was like, "No."
>> I was positive.
>> Like the way he was explaining it.
>> Boom.
>> They feel so good. They feel so good.
>> It instantly makes me want to get on a horse and shoot a gun.
>> Actually, that's a rodeo. You could do shooting.
>> So,
>> you can go.
>> Here you go.
>> You can go.
>> But the truth is people don't really. Cuz the America is painted in such a bad way most of the time. You don't really think about America in the way in which we saw it. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's a It's like people judge a book by its cover, don't they? It's dangerous.
>> Most British people go to the cities. They go to LA. They go to New York. They go to San Francisco.
>> This is my first time in the US during summer and I'm thinking about all the videos I watched last year about like how British heat is worse than American heat and how British heat is hotter than American heat. I'm in the south of the US right now. What is it on my hair? I have never experienced humidity like this. And I grew up on an island by the coast of Africa. It's a tropical island by the coast of Africa. I understand humidity. I was born in humidity. The the the air here is thick. It's heavy. It's hot. It's sticky. Anyways, uh heat is heat. I regret to inform you. We also have a way of measuring "real feel," accounting for things like humidity. Before British people are like, "Yeah, but in Britain we have humidity." It is so hot. But I would much rather prefer spending my time in in in the US during summer than I would in Italy though because at least over here I don't have to smell BO. Like that's nice. It's like revolutionary. Honestly, the lack of BO makes summer better. If the discourse was about the enjoyment of heat, then I would have agreed. It's much more enjoyable to be hot here. But guys, British heat is not hotter than American heat. And like what what even is American heat? Are you talking about Arizona heat, Florida heat? Anyways, you know.
>> The media portrays Americans as rude, lazy, all the above. And it's further from the truth. The amount of hospitality and kindness and care and pride Americans hold is truly like no other country I've been to. And to show you a perfect example of that, today is Flag Day, National Flag Day, and I went to the Huntsville Square. They did the whole ceremony where they lower the flag and I guess put a new flag up for the year. And that was obviously followed by the American national anthem. And it was just so nice to see everyone get their hat, take it off and respect the country. The communities are so tight-knit together. And whilst I was there, of course, I was noticed because of my online presence now. And everyone came up to me and said, "Hi, handshakes. How are you? If you have any questions about this or that, let me know. If you want to go hunting, I'll show you this." Not to mention, I've got fantastic neighbors. and they are always coming over to see if I need anything. After specifically living in Arkansas for almost 6 years, I can safely say anyone outside of the US, ignore the media because this is the best place I've been to. I love living here. I respect the culture here and I'm so proud to be an American citizen. I'm just so grateful to be here and I'm looking forward to the next 50 years that I have as my life in this country and hopefully soon I'll be able to travel the country as well and experience all of it because it's just wonderful. I've got to say collectively we owe the USA an apology. And when I say we, I mean the entire world and that apology is needed purely because of how much judgment the world has thrown onto the US over the last few years. The American people are probably the most genuine, welcoming, humble people that I've ever met in my life.