1. In American movies and TV shows, one can often notice an "open door
   culture". It seems that people keep their front doors unlocked during
   the day and visitors can just walk in if no one answers the door. Is
   this really the case in America (at least in some parts), and if yes,
   aren't the people afraid of criminals entering their homes?

2. I have noticed many times that when there is a European or Asian movie
   that becomes a smash hit internationally, Americans tend to make their
   own Hollywood version of the movie. (Examples: The Spanish
   horror/thriller 'REC' [www.imdb.com/title/tt1038988/] was remade in
   America with the title 'Quarantine' [www.imdb.com/title/tt1082868/].
   The Japanese horror movie 'Ju-On' [www.imdb.com/title/tt0364385/] was
   remade as 'The Grudge' [www.imdb.com/title/tt0391198/]) The plot and
   the characters are basically the same ('The Grudge even takes place in
   Japan although it is the American version), but the production is
   American. Why? Why not just bring the original production to America?

   Sorry for the awkward linking in the second question. If you are
   interested, here are two trailers to compare: REC and Quarantine

------------------------

1. Late night talk shows seem to popular in America. We, in Finland, don't
   really have any talk shows, and channels don't seem to advertise shows
   that are aired after 11 pm. Do Americans stay up later than Finns? Do
   you think the American talk show format could be successful in Finland?

   Were you interested in the NBC Leno-Conan debacle? Do most Americans
   have a certain late night talk show host they prefer over the others?

2. Watching American TV shows, I've noticed how frequently characters
   refer to popular arts (films, TV, music, literature). Similar
   references don't occur on Finnish TV. Why are they common on American
   TV, and do real people actually use them in everyday conversations?

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1. I recently saw a film called "The Secret Life of Bees," which is set in
   South Carolina in 1964. The Civil Rights Act had just been implemented,
   and racial issues were causing major turbulence all around the country.

   The film left me wondering what the situation is nowadays; are there
   still large-scale racial issues in the United States? Is racial
   segregation completely a thing of the past or is it still a very
   sensitive subject? What is the significance of Barack Obama's
   presidency in this regard?

2. What are the origins of Uncle Sam as the personification of the U.S.?

------------------------

1. Ribfest traditions. Based on one summer spent in Chicago, ribfests are
   very popular during the summer, especially around 4th of July. Private
   ribfests are usually held in someone's backyard, and guests are
   families and friends around the neighborhood. Ribfests can also be
   larger events organized by an association or a club etc. A competition
   of who makes the best ribs is also an important part. Are ribfests
   popular throughout the nation? Where did this tradition originate from?
   Are there different variations in different regions as to what is
   cooked and how?

2. Comedy talk shows. Comedy Central, a cable TV channel, airs two
   satirical talk shows: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Both focus
   on national politics and media. They satirize especially conservative
   and Republican politicians. Are there any Republican counterparts for
   these kinds of programs where the liberals are laughed at?

------------------------

1. What's the status of women's professional sports leagues in the US?
   Women's leagues are very under-appreciated in Finland, even though
   Finnish women often fair better internationally than Finnish men.

2. Does the American audience of today criticize the 1939 film Gone With
   the Wind because of its attitude towards slavery and its very strong
   pro-South opinions, or is the story seen as purely nostalgic? For a
   modern-day Finnish viewer, the wistful words of the opening scene
   reminiscing the glory of the South have a very racist sound to them.

------------------------

1. I read in a poll that only about 40% of Americans believe in evolution.
   What do you think has caused this astonishingly low number; has this
   always been the case? Is it just a failure of the educational system?
   It seems to me like this might be at least partly the influence of
   religious organisations who lobby for intelligent design to be taught
   in science class as an alternative theory. So is the undermining of
   scientific thinking a consequence of the pervasiveness of religion in
   the American culture in general, or is the problem isolated religious
   groups that have too much political power?

2. Is there a difference between TV news in Finland and the United States?
   In my experience (mainly watching bits from the 24h cable news channels
   like MSNBC, CNN, Fox news) the US news seem more geared towards
   entertainment and shock value, but that could just be my skewed view
   due to limited exposure. Are the cable news networks popular and are
   there any alternative news outlets that would be more similar to the
   news in Finland?

------------------------

1. Certain TV series like Friends and the Bold and the Beautiful have been
   aired in Finnish television as long as I can remember. What is the
   status of these kind of TV series in American television?

2. Is plastic surgery as common in the US as TV series suggest, or is it
   just for the rich and famous?

------------------------

1. I've heard that the radio stations in the southern parts of the USA
   will not play any other music than country music, is that true?

2. In movies the "hillbillies" always drive pickups: how popular is the
   pickup in America and do urban people also drive pickups?

------------------------

1. Sarah Palin has been widely made fun of and criticized in the American
   media. Many instances have shown that she is not very knowledgeable
   about the issues she's talking about. You would think that no one would
   even consider her to be qualified to run a country, but her popularity
   among right-leaning citizens is immense. I think this video from one of
   her book signings is very descriptive of her following. What do you
   think "regular" people see in Sarah Palin? Could her popularity be
   explained in terms of popular culture?

2. In Finland, we get both American television shows and British
   television shows, but how much of British TV is shown in the US? Would
   most Americans know about classic shows like "Black Adder", "Jeeves and
   Wooster" or "Fawlty Towers"?

------------------------

1. In American TV series such as CSI where every time someone uses a
   computer they write long commands on the keyboard and never use a
   mouse. This is not how computers are used in reality. Seems as though
   in TV computers are still like they were in the 80's. (Computers are
   used in the same way in "Police Academy" from 1984.) Why is this?
   Wouldn't it be better to show the scientists using more sophisticated
   technology? Or is the idea to show that using computers is a difficult
   job and only for the geeks?

2. How much do they show foreign TV series in the US? Are the foreign
   language series always dubbed? How about British series? Do Americans
   always understand British English?

------------------------

1. We briefly discussed the university/college sports, and the fact that
   an American would assume UTA also has several sports teams etc. Have
   American universities&colleges 'always' had sports teams? What are the
   origins of this tradition? Sports are valued higher in the upper level
   of education overall, it seems (sport scholarships, for example), why?

2. Every now and then I've read about the sweeps period in relation to
   American TV and TV series. It is connected to shows trying to get more
   attention/viewers with all kinds of things that have some shock value.
   What are these sweeps and what is the history behind them?
   (See What Are the U.S. Television 'Sweeps'?)

 


1. Bridal showers and baby showers seem to be important for many people in
   American TV series. Are they really common in the U.S.? Why are they
   called 'showers'?

2. When and how do babies receive their name in the U.S.? Are there
   any equivalents of Finnish christening ceremony?

------------------------

1. In Finland, there seems to be a high level of democracy and equality at
   workplaces and at universities or schools. Is there a general
   difference between Finland and the U.S. concerning how the employers
   and employees / teachers and students interact?

2. Are there many families where the parents make their children call them
   sir/ma'am? Do you feel that there is a difference in how children are
   brought up in the U.S. from the way they are brought up in Finland?

------------------------

1. How has the representation of the black population changed in
   mainstream media since the 1950s?

2. How has the target audience of commercials changed in recent decades?

------------------------

1. From various films I've gathered that proms are the most important
   thing in the life of a teenager. Is that really so in reality or do the
   films merely exaggarate? If that is true, is there a reason for it?

2. I've read from the newspapers that many people in America are arguing
   about birth control and contraception. Also, there has been some talk
   that in the U.S. they do not want to teach sex education to young
   people. What is the current situation? What are the reasons for it?

------------------------

1. Is it just a stereotype that Americans eat more junk food than people
   in other countries, or do you think Americans in general have more
   unhealthy diets than people in Finland, for example? From what I have
   learned by watching American TV series, fast food, TV dinners, etc. are
   eaten very often. Also, in the documentary film Supersize Me, lemonade
   and junk food are often served for pupils in American schools. What do
   you think is the reason for this junk food culture? Lack of education?
   impact of junk food commercials? hectic lifestyle?

2. It seems to me that rhetorical speeches (and the ability to give them)
   are quite important in American culture. For a Finn, the rhetorical
   style used in famous American speeches (e.g. speeches of presidents and
   politicians) seems almost humorous. I heard recently that President
   Obama has actually been criticized for not being able to give effective
   enough speeches. In addition to politics, rhetorical speeches can be
   found in many American films. Why are they so important for Americans?
   Does this appreciation of rhetorical speeches date back to the age of
   settlement when sermons were considered as an 'art form' of some kind?

------------------------

1. Church-going. Do most Americans go to church every week? Is there any
   difference between Catholics and Protestants?

2. In many American TV series, whenever a family moves into a new
   neighborhood, they receive pies and fruitbaskets from their new
   neighbors. Does this really happen in real life, and if it does, is it
   common in all social classes?

------------------------

1. The more American books I purchase, the more I notice a strange
   pattern: almost all of them have a stamp on the cover citing 'NEW YORK
   TIMES BESTSELLER'. What defines this bestseller status? Why is it
   significant that a book is deemed a bestseller, and is it specifically
   important that this bestseller status is granted by the New York Times?

2. What is the function of godparents in American culture? I've received
   some contradicting information on this: some people claim godparents
   are similar to those in Finland (they are meant to help your parents
   with giving you a good Christian upbringing), but I've also heard that
   if the child's parents die, the godparents are expected to adopt the
   child. I've also heard that there's a difference between legally bound
   godparents and 'godparents in name only', the legally bound ones being
   the ones expected to participate in the child's life and the ones in
   name only being more like honorary aunts and uncles.

------------------------

1. Why is it that we rarely see American police officers on TV use a
   breathalyzer to test suspected drunk drivers? Is this just a distorted
   view perpetuated by television?

   It seems to me that conducting complex field sobriety tests is more
   time-consuming, difficult and unrealiable than a simple breathalyzer
   test. The only half-decent answer I've come up with is that this is
   some sort of backwards individual rights issue.

2. Is it common in American colleges to have some sort of an initiation
   ritual for the whole freshman class, or are these initiations or
   hazings confined to only fraternities and sororities?

------------------------

1. A couple of months ago, I visited the United States with my family. I
   was quite amused to notice that even in nice restaurants adult
   customers preferred to drink sodas (soft drinks) instead of water,
   juice, wine or beer.  Sodas were usually cheaper than water, and you
   could get free refills. Do the different soda brands and drinking soda
   have a special role in the American way of life? And how can their
   teeth bear it?

2. During our visit, we spent two days in Disney World in Orlando,
   Florida. The magnitude of these parks and all the related places and
   happenings was amazing. What do ordinary Americans (if there are any
   such persons) think of these parks? Are the parks well known? Do all
   American children dream of visiting these parks?

------------------------

1. They have shown a few American films in the Finnish TV that have only
   featured Black American actors. It seems that there are also sitcoms
   where most of the actors are Black Americans, for example "The Fresh
   Prince of Bel-Air". How popular are these among Black Americans? How
   popular are these among other ethnic groups in the US? Are there
   all-Hispanic films or sitcoms? If so, what are the most characteristic
   features in them, how do they differ from "main-stream" sitcoms/films?


2. In Finland the majority of the population is Evangelical-Lutheran,
   Religion is taught in schools, and the majority of teenagers attend
   confirmation class (often in the form of confirmation camps). Still,
   only a very small minority of Finns read the Bible word by word,
   believing that everything in it, even in the Old Testament, is the
   literal truth, and none of it is in the slightest way figurative. The
   vast majority of Finns believe in the theory of evolution, and this
   theory is taught in the Finnish schools as the scientific truth of the
   origin of species.

   My old Biology (Natural Science) teacher in upper secondary school was
   a highly religious Christian, and he saw no conflict between what he
   believed in and what he taught us. Is it true that most Christians in
   the US believe that the Old Testament tells the literal truth?
   Consequently, is it true that they believe that the theory of evolution
   is all lies? If so, how strong is their influence in the US? What is
   taught about the origin of species in the American schools of today?
   How does this influence the Natural Science related programs in the TV?

------------------------

1. I would like to know more about the Health Care Reform that is now
   taking place in the United States. How does this new policy actually
   differ from the old one? And why do Republicans oppose this reform so
   fiercely (to the extent of calling President Obama a communist)?

2. Is it only in movies or do police officers actually force a possible
   drunk-driver to do all these silly tests before the actual breath test
   (walking a straight line, eye movement tests, counting backwards from
   99 etc.). Why not just use the breathalyzer, like here in Finland?

 


1. This year's Super Bowl became the most-watched program in American
   television history. The record had been held for 27-years before this
   by the final episode of the television series M*A*S*H*. How did the
   show become so wildly popular to hold this kind of record so long? I
   don't ever remember seeing in on Finnish television on reruns even
   though other old American shows are, but it is apparently re-run on
   American TV constantly. Was there something so culture-specific that it
   did much better in the U.S. than anywhere else; was it particularly
   popular among the Korean War veterans, for example? Did it hold the
   huge popularity from the beginning, or did the ratings and fanbase
   gradually grow?

2. There are certain works of literature that are "staples" in most
   nations and cultures - that all adult (natives) of a certain nation are
   expected to have read, and that probably have played a part in shaping
   the collective consciousness. What literary works, if any, could be
   considered like this in the United States? You have mentioned Catch-22,
   for example. Might that be one of them?
   (see Modern Library '100 Best Novels' and  The Library of America)

------------------------

1. Sometimes it seems like every movie or tv-series made in the US has to
   have at least one African-American actor in it. When did
   African-American actors start to appear on screen so frequently (and in
   roles which are not stereotypical)?

2. How much did the black "teenage culture" in 1950s and 1960s differ from
   the white "mainstream" teenage culture?

------------------------

1. In Finland, there are no dogs or cats sold in pet stores. This seems to
   be the case in many American movies and tv shows. How often can one
   actually see puppies for sale in pet stores in the United States? Is
   this permitted in every state or only in some of them?

2. How common is it to own exotic animals, such as chimpanzees, in the
   U.S.?

------------------------

1. After watching the movie "Little Miss Sunshine", I was horrified. In my
   opinion, those child beauty pageants can, at worst, ruin a girl's whole
   childhood and distort her ego. It seems to be all about parents living
   out their own fantasies through their kids, or trying to win money and
   prizes by making their poor little girl do all the work. How come these
   competitions aren't illegal yet?

2. Let's say there was an American school where a bigger number of boys
   played golf than girls did. Since the school has to spend as much money
   on both sexes' teams, wouldn't it mean that the girls would
   automatically perform a lot better in competitions, since their team
   could afford a better coach, better equipment, etc.?

------------------------

1. What might be the reason for the popularity of conspiracy theories in
   the US? Some of them, for example those concerning the Roswell alien
   landing and President Kennedy's assassination, have endured for decades
   and new information is still being searched for.

2. From watching American television programs it seems that the gap
   between "white" and "black" is still enormous: whenever a white
   character says or does something even remotely African
   American-related, anything from nasty looks to bodily harm might come
   his way. Is this just exaggeration for comedic purposes or is the
   situation really still that flammable?