--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're absolutely American and distinctly…" description: "\"We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that we're such..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/michael-stipe-6714_absolutely_we-re-absolutely-american-and-distinctly_119827.png" --- # We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think… ![“We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that we're such a huge band outside of the U.S., where we're not so popular now as we were 10 or 12 years ago.” quote by Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/michael-stipe-6714_absolutely_we-re-absolutely-american-and-distinctly_119827.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/michael-stipe-6714_absolutely_we-re-absolutely-american-and-distinctly_119827.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/michael-stipe-6714_absolutely_we-re-absolutely-american-and-distinctly_119827.png) > “We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that we're such a huge band outside of the U.S., where we're not so popular now as we were 10 or 12 years ago.” [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American identity fuels global appeal, yet domestic popularity has waned, suggesting cultural export can outpace local relevance. **In simple terms:** U.S. culture thrives abroad despite local decline. Key Takeaway National identity can be a marketable brand. Themes culture identity globalization popularity Mood pragmatic observational nostalgic Type cultural observational When to use this quote - international music tours - American film festivals abroad - cultural export analysis Key Concepts cultural diffusion national branding Practical Applications - leverage American branding for overseas markets - re‑engage domestic audiences through nostalgia Questions to Reflect On - What factors cause a culture to be more popular abroad than at home? - How can artists maintain authenticity while appealing globally? A Different Perspective Generalizes American experience; ignores regional variations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely/) [Absolutely American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-american-1399861/) [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Distinctly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-distinctly-1399860/) [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Country Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-reason-1399862/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Huge Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge-band-1399863/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside/) [Part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Respond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respond/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [But we're very much an American band and that's that. I think that's part of the appeal outside of this country and it might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/but-we-re-very-much-an-american-band-and-that-s-that-i-think-that-s/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I can't believe we've got away with becoming this huge band. And we still haven't done anything I think is that good yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/i-can-t-believe-we-ve-got-away-with-becoming-this-huge-band-and-we/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [We'd started out as a garage band and it became like a huge band, which was fine. But everything was so magnified, drug addictions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izzy-stradlin/we-d-started-out-as-a-garage-band-and-it-became-like-a-huge-band/) [Izzy Stradlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izzy-stradlin/) > [Canada has one of the highest rates of insanity in any civilized country and one reason might be that life in many places is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/canada-has-one-of-the-highest-rates-of-insanity-in-any-civilized/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Nothing genuinely historical was ever lost in this country. For this reason we have two ruling parties: villains and fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/nothing-genuinely-historical-was-ever-lost-in-this-country-for-this/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [“Men's willingness to die for his country, is the reason he has to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-s-willingness-to-die-for-his-country-is-the-reason-he-has-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In college, I had a crush on one of my professors. I used to bat my eyelashes and coo at him. He didn't respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navi-rawat/in-college-i-had-a-crush-on-one-of-my-professors-i-used-to-bat-my/) [Navi Rawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navi-rawat/) > [We hope that the elected officials will respond positively to a ground swell of letters, phone calls, e-mails and visits from parents. The law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hope-that-the-elected-officials-will-respond-positively-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of my supporters are people who actually know me. I just continue to do the best I can and I don't bother to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/most-of-my-supporters-are-people-who-actually-know-me-i-just-continue/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-is-in-the-genes-of-cities-to-bounce-back-from-disasters-whether/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I didn't respond to people thrusting microphones at me and asking me questions that were unanswerable in a sound bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-didn-t-respond-to-people-thrusting-microphones-at-me-and-asking-me/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/when-you-really-need-help-people-will-respond-sincerity-means/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Hollywood is very much an industry town. Your life becomes caught up in all of the parties and this list and that list. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/hollywood-is-very-much-an-industry-town-your-life-becomes-caught-up/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) ## More by Michael Stipe > [We don't get groupies.We get teenagers who want to read us their poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/we-don-t-get-groupies-we-get-teenagers-who-want-to-read-us-their/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [ At the \[teenage\] time, I did have an inkling of my sexuality. And I had an inkling that I was different from other people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/at-the-teenage-time-i-did-have-an-inkling-of-my-sexuality-and-i-had/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I don't find R.E.M. to be nihilistic. There is a constant undertone of joyous optimism. I'm not going to kill myself to Patti Smith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-don-t-find-r-e-m-to-be-nihilistic-there-is-a-constant-undertone-of/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [ I simply constructed a project to try to snap Kurt \[Cobain\] out of a frame of mind. I sent him a plane ticket and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-simply-constructed-a-project-to-try-to-snap-kurt-cobain-out-of-a/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I was vulnerable every day. Every night that I stepped on stage I was laying myself open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-was-vulnerable-every-day-every-night-that-i-stepped-on-stage-i-was/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [ \[Columbia House\] magazines were how I found out about the punk world going on in New York. Because of what I read, at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/columbia-house-magazines-were-how-i-found-out-about-the-punk-world/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I'm tired of being this solemn poet of the masses, the enigma shrouded in a mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-m-tired-of-being-this-solemn-poet-of-the-masses-the-enigma-shrouded/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [Frankly I'm not great with heroin addicts. I tried heroin, but it was by accident. I'm not great with that level of substance abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/frankly-i-m-not-great-with-heroin-addicts-i-tried-heroin-but-it-was/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [The whole punk ethic was do-it-yourself, and I've always been very literal, especially as a kid. When they said that anybody can do this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/the-whole-punk-ethic-was-do-it-yourself-and-i-ve-always-been-very/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [They spoke truth and a lot of people listened… that voice, Kurt we miss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/they-spoke-truth-and-a-lot-of-people-listened-that-voice-kurt-we-miss/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [A wise man once said-'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave,'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/a-wise-man-once-said-the-skill-in-attending-a-party-is-knowing-when/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [They always want me to play myself and that's a big snooze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/they-always-want-me-to-play-myself-and-that-s-a-big-snooze/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [Anything you do as a group is fraught with compromise... But everyone 's got to do that, right? It's part of being a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/anything-you-do-as-a-group-is-fraught-with-compromise-but-everyone-s/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [To be called an elder statesman is so unbelievably insulting. Brad Pitt is exactly three years younger than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/to-be-called-an-elder-statesman-is-so-unbelievably-insulting-brad/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [“Death is pretty final./I'm collecting vinyl./I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world/'cause if heaven does exists/with a kickin' playlist/I don't wanna miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/death-is-pretty-final-i-m-collecting-vinyl-i-m-gonna-dj-at-the-end-of/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) [Explore all 98 Michael Stipe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) ## More Absolutely quotes > [I am absolutely my own biggest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/i-am-absolutely-my-own-biggest-critic/) [Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. Absolutely lovely, but very English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/i-was-brought-up-by-the-english-side-of-my-family-who-are-very/) [Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/) > [Nobody ever wins by the cavalry coming to rescue you. It isn't a question of you're happy if you get married, or you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/nobody-ever-wins-by-the-cavalry-coming-to-rescue-you-it-isn-t-a/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [“None is absolutely true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-z-lavine/none-is-absolutely-true/) [T.Z. Lavine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-z-lavine/) > [The game business arose from computer programs that were written by and for young men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/the-game-business-arose-from-computer-programs-that-were-written-by/) [Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/) > [If I was a man, I would be a drag queen. Honestly, I would. I absolutely love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/if-i-was-a-man-i-would-be-a-drag-queen-honestly-i-would-i-absolutely/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [There's very little about being in a functional-M.R.I. scanner that is natural: you are flat on your back, absolutely still, with your head immobilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/there-s-very-little-about-being-in-a-functional-m-r-i-scanner-that-is/) [Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/) > [When you're still, and some actors are really brilliant at that, you bring a kind of energy to you as opposed to sending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/when-you-re-still-and-some-actors-are-really-brilliant-at-that-you/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [I'm absolutely an Elizabeth Taylor fan!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-m-absolutely-an-elizabeth-taylor-fan/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [You can absolutely be what you can't see! That's what innovators and disruptors do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/you-can-absolutely-be-what-you-can-t-see-that-s-what-innovators-and/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [There were a lot of clubs interested in me - a lot, really. But Manchester United appeared and didn't go away. They absolutely wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-di-maria/there-were-a-lot-of-clubs-interested-in-me-a-lot-really-but/) [Angel Di Maria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-di-maria/) > [People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person-will-say-this-is-the/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I absolutely love 'TOWIE.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/i-absolutely-love-towie/) [Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/) > [Chucky is absolutely still a puppet. He will remain to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-dourif/chucky-is-absolutely-still-a-puppet-he-will-remain-to-be/) [Fiona Dourif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-dourif/) [Browse all 1,136 Absolutely quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. 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