--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Honestly, the only question most…" description: "\"“Honestly, the only question most Americans ask about a new building at this point is basically: Is it a soul-sucking eyesore of cheap-ass despair? It'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/sarah-vowell-2016_americans_honestly-the-only-question-most-american_1707029.png" --- # Honestly, the only question most Americans ask about a new… ![“Honestly, the only question most Americans ask about a new building at this point is basically: Is it a soul-sucking eyesore of cheap-ass despair? It's not? Whew.” quote by Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/sarah-vowell-2016_americans_honestly-the-only-question-most-american_1707029.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/sarah-vowell-2016_americans_honestly-the-only-question-most-american_1707029.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/sarah-vowell-2016_americans_honestly-the-only-question-most-american_1707029.png) > ““Honestly, the only question most Americans ask about a new building at this point is basically: Is it a soul-sucking eyesore of cheap-ass despair? It's not? Whew.”” [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often judge new architecture harshly, fearing it will degrade urban aesthetics. **In simple terms:** New buildings are feared as eyesores. Key Takeaway Critically assess design before dismissing. Themes architecture criticism urbanism Mood analytical skeptical Type cultural commentary When to use this quote - city planning - public art - real estate development Key Concepts aesthetic judgment cultural perception media influence Questions to Reflect On - What criteria should guide our judgment of new structures? - How does media shape our perception of architecture? A Different Perspective Personal taste may bias objective evaluation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Americans Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-ask-358928/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Building Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-point-1208055/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [New Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-building-1208054/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Question Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-americans-1208053/) ## Related quotes > [The question Americans should ask is not whether a candidate is affiliated with a particular faith but rather whether that candidate's faith makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/the-question-americans-should-ask-is-not-whether-a-candidate-is/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/my-fellow-americans-ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what/) [John F. 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What is wrong with them? This is not a rhetorical question.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/what-is-in-the-air-there-in-washington-what-is-in-the-water-what-is/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [“Let us all understand that the question before us is not whether some Americans are for peace and some are against peace...The great question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sheinkin/let-us-all-understand-that-the-question-before-us-is-not-whether-some/) [Steve Sheinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sheinkin/) > [I would answer with the words of the Stasi alumnus Wolfgang Schmidt, who was asked that question: "What about these Americans who say, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-would-answer-with-the-words-of-the-stasi-alumnus-wolfgang-schmidt/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [The question we Americans need to address, before it is answered for us, is: Does this First World nation wish to become a Third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/the-question-we-americans-need-to-address-before-it-is-answered-for/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The pertinent question: if Americans did not want these wars should they have been compelled to fight them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chodorov/the-pertinent-question-if-americans-did-not-want-these-wars-should/) [Frank Chodorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chodorov/) > [“The real question is, will we as Americans, accustomed to freedom, continue to sheepishly submit to the purveyors of political correctness without recognizing its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-real-question-is-will-we-as-americans-accustomed-to-freedom/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [I ask of cinema what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/i-ask-of-cinema-what-most-north-americans-ask-of-psychedelic-drugs/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [Tonight - to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans - I ask for your support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/tonight-to-you-the-great-silent-majority-of-my-fellow-americans-i-ask/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” that they summoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-caro/and-so-my-fellow-americans-ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you/) [Robert A. Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-caro/) ## More by Sarah Vowell > [“She is either male property (Mrs.), wannabe male property (Miss), or man-hating harpy (Ms.).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/she-is-either-male-property-mrs-wannabe-male-property-miss-or-man/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“We were breathing sooty air. The soot was composed of incinerated glass and steel but also, we knew, incinerated human flesh. When the local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/we-were-breathing-sooty-air-the-soot-was-composed-of-incinerated/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-was-a-big-nancy-drew-reader-nancy-figures-it-out-case-closed/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“After Hymns and tears, they boarded the brig Thaddeus, a vessel so crappy, it made the Mayflower look like the QE2.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/after-hymns-and-tears-they-boarded-the-brig-thaddeus-a-vessel-so/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“The last line of Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen is addressed to the American people and their congressmen. 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It was the most depressing, annoying, debilitating project I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/listening-to-the-radio-every-day-for-an-entire-year-was-a-prison/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [That's what I like to call him, "the current president." I find it difficult to say or type his name, George W. Bush. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/that-s-what-i-like-to-call-him-the-current-president-i-find-it/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“The historical periods I like to learn about aren’t so much costume dramas as slasher flicks. The French Revolution is a favorite because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-historical-periods-i-like-to-learn-about-aren-t-so-much-costume/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [While I gave up God a long time ago, I never shook the habit of wanting to believe in something. So I replaced my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/while-i-gave-up-god-a-long-time-ago-i-never-shook-the-habit-of/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [Most people don't like to talk about violent historical death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/most-people-don-t-like-to-talk-about-violent-historical-death/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who alphabetize their record collections, and the kind who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-the-kind-who-alphabetize/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [What are you hiding? No one ever asks that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/what-are-you-hiding-no-one-ever-asks-that/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“I don't have a driver's license (phobia).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-don-t-have-a-driver-s-license-phobia/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) [Explore all 190 Sarah Vowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. 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It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Honestly, the only question most Americans ask about a new building at this point is basically: Is it a soul-sucking eyesore of cheap-ass despair? It's not? 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