--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Europeans think Americans are fat…" description: "\"Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative Am..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/christopher-hitchens-117_ambitious_europeans-think-americans-are-fat-vulgar_475485.jpg" --- # Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid… ![“Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American, someone who actually embodies all of those qualities.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/christopher-hitchens-117_ambitious_europeans-think-americans-are-fat-vulgar_475485.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/christopher-hitchens-117_ambitious_europeans-think-americans-are-fat-vulgar_475485.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/christopher-hitchens-117_ambitious_europeans-think-americans-are-fat-vulgar_475485.jpg) > “Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American, someone who actually embodies all of those qualities.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stereotypes about Americans are oversimplified and often projected onto a single representative figure. **In simple terms:** Stereotypes oversimplify complex cultures. Key Takeaway Challenge broad generalizations. Themes stereotyping culture politics Mood critical analytical Type essay political commentary When to use this quote - political commentary - media analysis - cross-cultural dialogue - education Key Concepts identity media representation nationalism Questions to Reflect On - What drives these stereotypes? - How to foster nuanced understanding? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can sometimes highlight real issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Europeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europeans/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vulgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulgar/) ## Related quotes > [Looks is a matter of perception. At Cannes, Europeans think I am good looking, while in India, I am not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawazuddin-siddiqui/looks-is-a-matter-of-perception-at-cannes-europeans-think-i-am-good/) [Nawazuddin Siddiqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawazuddin-siddiqui/) > [Many Europeans think that all Moroccans speak French, but no. I had to make an effort to learn it when I studied French literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdellah-taia/many-europeans-think-that-all-moroccans-speak-french-but-no-i-had-to/) [Abdellah Taia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdellah-taia/) > [ In \[Philip\] Howard's view, our reliance on law, lawyers, and lawsuits has turned Americans into fat, neurotic cowards who 'go through the day looking… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahlia-lithwick/in-philip-howard-s-view-our-reliance-on-law-lawyers-and-lawsuits-has/) [Dahlia Lithwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahlia-lithwick/) > [I have to hear this all the time in England: Well, all Americans are fat and stupid, mm-hm-hm-hm-hm. Really? Well, thanks for sending over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-proops/i-have-to-hear-this-all-the-time-in-england-well-all-americans-are/) [Greg Proops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-proops/) > [Of course cake is not bread. Is this why Americans are fat? You confuse cake with bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-adams/of-course-cake-is-not-bread-is-this-why-americans-are-fat-you-confuse/) [Steven Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-adams/) > [“Should I, too, prefer the title of 'non-Jewish Jew'? For some time, I would have identified myself strongly with the attitude expressed by Rosa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/should-i-too-prefer-the-title-of-non-jewish-jew-for-some-time-i-would/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [So there's nothing more vulgar than the sound of someone saying, God Bless America, someone who doesn't really believe it, but he thinks it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-there-s-nothing-more-vulgar-than-the-sound-of-someone-saying-god/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [As well as being a vulgar producer of her own spectacle, and an embarrassment to her family, Cindy Sheehan is at best a shifty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/as-well-as-being-a-vulgar-producer-of-her-own-spectacle-and-an/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I had become too accustomed to the pseudo-Left new style, whereby if your opponent thought he had identified your lowest possible motive, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-had-become-too-accustomed-to-the-pseudo-left-new-style-whereby-if/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Religion looks forward to the destruction of the world… Perhaps half aware that its unsupported arguments are not entirely persuasive, and perhaps uneasy about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-looks-forward-to-the-destruction-of-the-world-perhaps-half/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I think the Americans fished out the same condom but found it had too many holes in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-think-the-americans-fished-out-the-same-condom-but-found-it-had-too/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [I think Americans did learn that you just are not going to be able to live well if you subordinate people on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-think-americans-did-learn-that-you-just-are-not-going-to-be-able-to/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [I think Americans still can't help but respond to the natural authority of this voice. Deep down they long to be told what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-americans-still-can-t-help-but-respond-to-the-natural/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I think for most Americans, knowledge of the Islamic world was pretty slight before 9/11, and then it was thrust upon us in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-campbell/i-think-for-most-americans-knowledge-of-the-islamic-world-was-pretty/) [Thomas P. Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-campbell/) > [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. 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