warksgirl

I hope I don't offend anybody who might post here, but...

Is it me, or do lots of American men have hang ups and feel they need a "macho" image? Maybe it's just superficial and underneath they're ok. But they seem to brag a lot, especially about their possessions, as if they have to prove something. I've heard some call their wives their "old lady"! My husband better not ever call me that, or I'll knock him all the back across the pond!

British men overall seem much more at ease with themselves.

I know it's wrong to generalize and there are as many good yanks as there are yobs. I can't seem to put my finger exactly on what it is. Maybe I'm just suffering from culture shock?

bored-silly

I've heard plenty of men in Warwickshire call their wives their 'old lady' and probably worse. Depends how pikey you are........

meauxna

Or hanging with the wrong crowd.
Want me to describe some of the charming British men I met in Faliraki?

Mad Max7

Could not agree with u more!! All this big hunting, fishing etc macho rubbish!

anotherlimey

It's called materialism, and it's rife here, but rest assured it's not limited to the male gender, the females do it too, just say the word BMW or Mercedes to a girl and she'll go weak at the knees.

It happens in Britain too, just not as much. (I hope)

-tom

warksgirl

Maybe that's a bit of what it is. People thrusting in your face what they have instead of what they're about.

Do they know what they're about? Are they about things?

This stuff worries me. I have the ability to pick through it, but I don't want my boys to turn out like that.

candy wy.

you mean compared to the uk males who think there not a man unless they go down the local pub and get drunk on a friday and saturday night.

mattbutt

I know what you mean,

Think American men feel the need to prove they are not gay, the amount of comments that were made when I wore a Lilac shirt to work, I had to explain that it was quite a fashionable colour to wear. They were not buying it said it must be a 'Brit Thing'.

Think its the whole bigger, faster, higher, better, stronger american way of life thats the problem with Americans.

warksgirl

Did you wear the Lilac shirt again?

anotherlimey

I agree, I don't think I've ever met a heterosexual non-homophobic person here yet, although they'll always deny it.

-tom

Mad Max7

I am sure I heard someone say that they were popping out for a fag though!

anotherlimey

I think it was "Can I bum a fag off you" !!

-tom

warksgirl

This is all very interesting!

I just noticed this macho thingy. My husband's not like that. and it surprised me. He's quite liberal and open-minded. So it surprised me when we got here to see the behaviour of some other men.

I don't think the macho thing is appealing at all. And it's not the kind of thing I like to influence my sons.

meauxna

oh my god.
Did it ever occur to you that you're finding what you expect to see?

NC Penguin

The bigger is better mentality could be the ruin of Americans/America. Being overweight/obese through eating supersize meals that are cheap is not the way to go (unless it's an early grave you're seeking).

The machoness that some American men seek to achieve is probably drilled into them through their Christian and religious beliefs.

Having GI Joe, Ken (as in Barbie's Ken) and media images like WWF wrestlers probably magnifies the relentless moulding of American men as manly men and nothing else will do.




NC Penguin