For other uses of the term, see Ugly American (disambiguation).

Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens at home, but mainly abroad. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} Although the term is usually associated with or applied to travellers and tourists, it also applies to US corporate businesses in the international arena. ^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Contents 1 Definition 2 Other use 3 Background 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Definition

The Encarta dictionary defines "Ugly American" as: stereotypical offensive American: a loud, boorish, nationalistic American, especially one traveling abroad, who is regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives Americans a bad reputation. Encarta is a Digital Multimedia Encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation. ^[12] In contrast, Dictionary.com defines "the Ugly American" as: Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards. Referencecom is an online information source that provides Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus, and other content ^[13]

Other use

The term has also been used in the international sporting arena. At the 33rd Ryder Cup held in September 1999, the United States over-zealously celebrated after Justin Leonard holed a 45-foot putt on the 17th green; resulting in extensive and adverse media coverage. The Ryder Cup is a Golf trophy donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded Biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from Amateur wins (6 1992 Western Amateur, Southern Amateur, US Amateur 1993 Western Amateur, Southern Amateur ^[14][15]

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the term was widely used after members of the US 4 x 100 relay team pranced around the stadium, flexing their muscles and making poses with the American flag, after winning a gold medal. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever ^[16] One foreign journalist called the incident "one of the most cringe-making exhibitions that the Olympics has seen". ^[17] This event was very heavily critisized by the American press and public. The members of the relay team were contrite and apologized for the incident the same day.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, the term was regularly used after the skiing superstar Bode Miller, who bragged about skiing drunk before the Olympics, was adversely compared to the term "Miller time," and went home medal-less. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Bode Miller (born October 12 1977) is an American alpine skier. Miller Brewing Company is the second largest American style Beermaker and is based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, United States. ^[18] A lesser-known teammate was sent home for fighting in a bar. ^[19]

In the scientific fields, the term has been used by the international community for the failure by the US to adopt the metric system, despite the United States Congress legally recognizing the metric system of measurement in 1866 and passing the Metric Conversion Act in December 1975. The metric system is a decimalised system of measurement. It exists in several variations with different choices of base units, though the choice of base units does The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses ^[20][21] The US, along with Liberia in Africa and Burma in Asia, remain as the only three countries in the world who have not adopted, or swapped to the metric system. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. ^[22]

Main article: Metrication in the United States

The $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter was destroyed after NASA specified metric units in the contract, but one subcontractor, Lockheed Martin, provided thruster performance data to the team in pound force seconds instead of newton seconds. Metrication in the United States is the process of introducing the International System of units ( SI) to replace the Customary units of measurement The Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter was one of two spacecraft in the Mars Surveyor '98 program, the other being the Mars Polar Lander The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Lockheed Martin ( is a large multinational Aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology Company formed in 1995 by the merger of ^[23][24]

In Philadelphia, a businessman opened a bar and restaurent called the 'Ugly American', stating it was a funny and provocative name. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə ^[25]

Background

The term originated as the title of a 1958 book by authors William Lederer and Eugene Burdick, The Ugly American. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. William Julius Lederer (born March 31, 1912) was an American author US Naval Academy graduate in 1936 and Cold warrior. Eugene Burdick ( 12 December 1918 - 26 July 1965) was an American Political Scientist and co-author of The Ugly American The Ugly American is the title of a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. ^[26] The film adaptation of the novel came out in 1963, directed by George Englund and starring Marlon Brando. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century ^[27] Englund was nominated for a Golden Globe award as director of the film. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner

In the context of this novel, the title alludes to both positive and negative attributes of its characters. The authors state that one of the "good" characters is "ugly" looking to create a contrast with the "bad" characters who were "handsome". In the book, the authors' "good" characters used their skills and resources to make a positive change in the lives of villagers in Southeast Asia and the "bad" characters used their skills and resources for other purposes. For example, there is an "ugly" engineer who helps villagers with an irrigation system, and a "handsome" Ambassador who does not care about what happens to the people on the village level. The novel weaves many separate stories with these kinds of counterpoints of an "ugly American". ^[28]

The best-selling, loosely fictional account included descriptions of blundering, corrupt, and incompetent behaviors of Americans in Southeast Asia that were involved with American foreign aid. Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is The book led to a move by President Dwight Eisenhower to study and reform American aid programs in the region. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general ^[29]

In the book, a fictional Burmese journalist wrote, "For some reason, the people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They're loud and ostentatious. Perhaps they're frightened and defensive, or maybe they're not properly trained and make mistakes out of ignorance. "^[30]

The idea of the ignorant or badly behaving American traveller long predates this book. Mark Twain wrote about The Innocents Abroad in the nineteenth century, and Algonquin Round Table member Donald Ogden Stewart wrote Mr and Mrs Haddock Abroad in 1924. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims' Progress was published by American author Mark Twain in 1869. The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers critics actors and wits Donald Ogden Stewart ( November 30, 1894 &ndash August 2, 1980) was an American author and screenwriter ^[31]

See also

• American exceptionalism
• Anti-American sentiment
• The Quiet American

References

External links

• Washington Post's How the World Sees America
• Ugly American: Common Errors in English

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