1.  How common is "toilet-papering" houses in America? (I got to try it
    myself during my exchange-student year: fun, fun, fun!!!)

2.  How come sports seem to be more important than school work in the
    U.S.? (It seemed that those who were really good at sports, belonged
    to the school football or basketball team, did not have to take all
    the tests or either they got exempted from some classes.)

3.  How do the American presidents represent the nation as a whole? (What
    is their connection to the popular culture? Do their views affect
    ordinary citizen's views?)

4.  How big is the mail-ordering business in America? (For example, in
    Finland a lot of people order clothes from 'Ellos', 'Anttila', 'H&M',
    etc., and make-up from 'Yves Rocher'. Are there equivalents for these
    in America? I know that at least 'Victoria's Secret' have a
    mail-ordering service, but are there others as well?)
=========================================================================

1.  I have wondering something for quite a while: does a person "survive"
    in the United States without a driver's license? I've heard rumours
    that Americans always take the car no matter how short the distance
    is. I might even believe that rumour, because American tv-series and
    movies are so "car-centered" and even 15 year-old kids already sit
    behind the wheel cruising around with their "driving teacher" who
    apparently can be just anyone who already has a driver's license! In
    Finland we have strict rules who can teach a person to drive a car,
    but apparently in the US this is different, right?

2.  A friend of mine spent a summer in California and when she came back
    she was sick and tired of American food. According to her doughnuts,
    pancakes and Coca-Cola formed the major part of the American
    breakfast. Did she just happen to have an "unusually sweet" experience
    or do Americans really eat such breakfasts?

3.  This last questions is quite weird, but I ask it anyway. Another
    friend of mine spent some time in Wyoming a few years ago and she told
    me she couldn't sometimes really get the jokes people were telling,
    because they often based on some national stereotypes that all the
    Americans immediately recognized but that she as a foreigner didn't.
    She still wonders which group is stereotyped as people who eat
    watermelons and play the harmonica! Do you happen to know who those
    people are? And do Americans in general joke a lot about people in
    neighbour states like we Finns joke about Swedes?
==========================================================================

1.  Are there, or have there ever been, couches in the States that are
    covered in plastic and look really stupid? I've seen two of these on
    TV, first in a film called "The Naked Gun 33 1/3" and then in a
    sit-com called "Everybody Loves Raymond". In both cases the couch and
    its cover were something that was laughed at, like Raymond's wife
    saying "I'm not having sex with you on your mother's plastic couch."
    (That's the sentence that gave me the name.) Was that kind of cover a
    fashion thing? If not, then what was it? Are those kind of covers
    still used in the U.S., and if so, where and by whom?

2.  During the first lecture you told us about a spy who used to go around
    yelling "the British are coming!" when the British were coming.  I was
    wondering if this has anything to do with the way advertisers were
    yelling "The Beatles are coming!" when the Beatles were coming to the
    States for the first time to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show in New
    York in 1964? Or is the similar sentence structure a pure coincidence?

3.  In a book called "That Lawyer Girl: The Unauthorized Guide to Ally's
    World" A. C. Beck calls Fox "the Rupert Murdoch network." So does this
    mean that the founder of FOX was somebody called Rupert Murdoch? And
    by the way, what's the "Nielsen race"? I know it's a "race" between
    TV-shows in the States, a ratings-race, but is it the most respected?
    Or the biggest? Do they publish the results? Is it for primetime only,
    or are daytime shows included?
==========================================================================

1. What strikes me as a peculiar assumption is that some traits and
   distinctive patterns of behavior of Americans have been explained
   simply by resting on the settlement history, the westward movement and
   the early living conditions in the United States. Can you convince me
   that the American history still lives on, reflected in the general
   characteristics of the American population?

2. Urban legends and modern myths are by no means specifically American.
   However, many legends have originated in the large cities of the United
   States. Surely everyone has heard the story about the crocodiles in the
   sewer system of New York...

   I received the following circular e-mail note from a suspicious friend
   some time ago. Since it wasn't the first message like this I have ever
   received, I strongly suspect it is an urban myth.

===========================================================================
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 05:36:54 PST
Subject: Fwd: If you like KFC chicken, you must read this!
From: [sender details removed]

Dear all,
I haven't paid much attention to commercials but I will from now on! Makes
you wonder, doesn't it? Read on.

KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many years already.
Many people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they really
know what they are eating? During a recent study of KFC carried out at the
University of New Hampshire, researchers found some very upsetting facts.
First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently, the company has
changed their name? Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. Does anybody
know why?

We thought the real reason was the "FRIED" food issue. It's not.

The reason for which the company is called KFC is because they can not use
the word "chicken" anymore. Why? KFC does not use real chickens. They
actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so called "chickens"
are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and
nutrients throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers, and
no feet. Their bone structure has been shrunk dramatically to get more
meat out of them. Now, this is great for KFC because they do not have to
pay so much for their production costs. There is no more plucking of the
feathers or the removal of the beaks and feet. The government has told
them to change all of their menus so they do not say chicken anywhere. If
you look closely you will notice this. Listen to their commercials, I
guarantee you will not see or hear the word chicken. I find this matter
very disturbing. I hope people will start to realize this and let other
people know. Please forward this message to as many people as you can.
Together we can make KFC start using real chicken again.

[sender's name]
=========================================================================

    Now, is the KFC chicken a myth? If not, what exactly is the phenomenon
    we have just witnessed? I would also like to know whether there are
    any distinctive features to American urban legends as opposed to
    European ones or are the myths one can hear in America today only
    variations of international ones?

3.  It was effortless to arrive at a conclusion from what I received in
    discussion with two other class students, both of whom have been to
    America [names removed]. Theirs was a shared experience of everything
    being "big" in America. These trustworthy sources recounted their
    first impressions and how surprised they were at the large size and
    "grandeur" of buildings. I was also rained over by countless examples
    of other sizeable things, such as huge tea cups, enormous doors and
    colossal refrigerators. What we all are - of course - willing to know
    now is: Is the size an issue in America? Why?

4.  The "vampire culture" has been described as an utterly American
    phenomenon. This movement with almost religious features to it boomed
    in nightclubs not very long ago. In 1998 I laid my eyes on a document
    concentrating on the life one "vampire" group was leading. They
    considered themselves to be followers of Vlad the Impaler (the
    Transylvanian prince the story of Dracula is based on) and so it could
    be said that "the son of Dragon" is a kind of icon. How can it be
    explained that a figure Bram Stoker described as thoroughly repulsive
    came to be the symbol of eternal youth, beauty, strength and
    sexuality? As far as I know, the concept of vampire only went through
    this process of transformation in America. Is this merely the doing of
    the movie industry or are there any other reasons behind movements
    like this one?
==========================================================================

1.  Why do Americans carry their groceries in paper bags with no handles?
    Wouldn't a bag with handles be more convenient in opening doors, for
    example? And how about the material? Considering how much Americans
    love their cars, one might think that the preference to use paper bags
    instead of plastic bags cannot be explained by environmental
    considerations?

2.  What connotation of the color blue, if any, underlies Steven Crane's
    short story "The Blue Hotel"?

3.  It is said that the tv-series Star Trek has its roots in Fredrick
    Jackson Turner's Frontier Theory characteristics. To what extent is
    this true?

4.  Jerry Seinfeld drives a Saab. Is there a tendency among the American
    Jewish community to prefer European, or, to be more accurate, Swedish
    cars, like Saab and Volvo?

5.  On the web page 'Popular Objects and Artifacts', there is a list of
    foods. I think that at least one central item is missing from the
    list: In several series lately, including the Simpsons, Friends, and
    Frasier, a reference has been made to 'frozen yoghurt'. What is this
    thing and what's its history? I have the curious feeling that frozen
    yoghurt was 'invented' by accident. cf. the story of the origins of
    bread, according to which porridge accidentally fell on a camp fire.
==========================================================================

1.  What is Thanksgiving actually all about?  Is it a long tradition?
    Where does it come from?

2.  Why are reunions (high school reunions etc.) such a big thing in the
    United States?

3.  Why is it that certain song lyrics are censored in MTV, mainly
    rap lyrics? Does this apply to CD's too? Are certain words also
    censored in movies?
==========================================================================

1.  Are there really so many serial killers in the U.S. as one might think
    from watching all the American police series?

2.  What are the most famous urban legends in the U.S. and what is their
    origin?

3.  What is it with Americans and lawsuits??? Where do Americans get their
    enthusiasm to sue everybody? Have I been watching too much Ally McBeal
    or is it really true that Americans tend to sue people with the most
    peculiar reasons (e.g. the man suing some cafe because the coffee was
    too hot, etc.)?
==========================================================================

1.  How superstitious are Americans? Do they strongly believe in myths
    like Friday  the 13th, walking under a ladder etc. Compared with
    Finland, where there even are campaigns warning people about possible
    accidents likely to happen on the Friday the 13th, what can you tell
    about the degree of superstition in the U.S.?

2.  In what kind of situations do Americans have rituals like the coffee
    ritual in Finland? Are there any generally known rituals or do they
    vary from one (ethnic) group to another?

3.  The film business worldwide is strongly influenced by "Hollywood" but
    do foreign (European?) films have any markets in the U.S.?
==========================================================================

1.  I'm quite interested in American talk shows. Mainly because I cannot
    understand them. How come they always seem to get the stupidest people
    there? How do they get any people there, anyway? Or is the idea of
    being on television simply so strong in the American culture? And why
    in the world do they have to "beep" every other word off when
    everybody knows what they are saying anyway? And how come there are
    always either truck drivers or unemployed? Just wondering...

2.  I also like to see a lot of films. Not so much American films, though.
    By this I mean most of the mainstream movies. The term "American
    movie" seems to be connected with movies that normally include a big
    budget, famous (worn out) actors, and a happy end. That is, no idea,
    in my opinion. Therefore, I would be interested to know if there was
    any underground culture in American film industry and why it isnīt
    more widely known?

3.  Something about geography then. I have been told numerous times that
    the reason why Americans don't know anything about European geography,
    not to mention Asian, is because they concentrate so much on their own
    geography. How come then I've been asked at least as many times
    whether Finland is an American state somewhere in the North? Shouldn't
    they know if it was?!
==========================================================================

1.  I've watched a few American TV-series, and it seems that American
    people are very superstitious. what are the most common superstitions?

2.  What is root beer? Sounds disgusting..

3.  It seems that USA is the most 'politically correct' country in the
    world. How do Americans react to Tv-series such as the Simpsons and
    South Park, which seem to be mocking all the basic values of the
    American society?
==========================================================================

1.  Do native Americans produce their own movies and/or TV series? Are
    these available to international audience? Except for some place
    names, are there any signs of native American culture(s) visible in
    everyday American "mainstream" life?

2.  Several television series of the last few decades (Twin Peaks,
    Northern Exposure, Picket Fences, Ally McBeal etc.) have introduced
    various peculiar characters with more or less strange personal traits
    and habits. Is this trend spreading to other media or areas of
    culture, and what does it tell about the American culture and society
    in a larger context?

3.  Are there, or have there been, any American _drama_ series with the
    main emphasis on characters representing some other race than
    Caucasian? (vs comedy: Cosby Show)
==========================================================================

1.  What is the significance of The Magic Eight Ball to Americans?
    I have seen it being used in different television programmes (such as
    "Friends" and "Dawson's Creek") as a some sort of fortune telling
    device. What is its history? How old is it? Is it only a toy for
    children or something more?

2.  How important is Groundhog Day? Do all Americans celebrate it and how
    do they do it? Is there some special food that is served on that day?
    Why is it celebrated at all? Whose idea was it in the first place?

3.  I watch a lot of television and films and one thing has been bothering
    me for quite awhile. Whenever they show a cleaner on the screen there
    equipment look positively ancient compared to those in Finnish
    programmes. Why is that? Is it somehow linked to the social status
    that being a cleaner is a poor man's job? Surely it can't be possible
    that they don't have modern cleaning equipment in America? Can it?
=========================================================================

1.  The role of news reporters seems quite large in tv news. How did this
    come by?

2.  Is there some actual fact behind the "cops and donuts" myth?

3.  What are the largest national "rag" newspapers? What's their status?
=========================================================================

1.  Has (professional) cheerleading spread from American football to other
    sports e.g. ice hockey (which has happened in Finland)?

2.  What are the Finnish equivalents (if there are any) to Kmart, 7-Eleven
    and Wal-mart?

3.  What are Pop-Tarts?

4.  What do Twinkies taste like?
==========================================================================

1.  Why is the Jewish influence on American culture so prominent? At times
    it seems that almost all American comedians, writers, and other
    cultural figures belong to the Jewish minority, which still is rather
    small - isn't it?

2.  I have understood that in America the daytime soap operas are mainly
    intended at housewives. Is the number of working women in USA still
    that much smaller than in Finland, for example? Are housewives still
    considered to be "ideal" mothers and wives?

3.  Is it true that the tallest candidate always wins in the presidential
    elections? Is there some reason for this?
==========================================================================

1.  Why is Connecticut considered a specially dull place in many TV shows
    (Kate and Allie etc.)?

2.  TV shows give an impression that it's no big deal to drive a car under
    the influence of alcohol. Is it really generally accepted in the US?

3.  We Finns have the coffee ceremony. Does anything like that exist in
    the US? If, are there any unwritten rules we should be aware of?
==========================================================================

1.  It's all about entertainment in the U.S. (There's no business like
    show business!) Why is that? Don't people get fed up with it (I mean
    being entertained all the time)?

2.  Don't they teach anything about the world outside the U.S. in American
    schools? Geography, history, different cultures...? (In my school, we
    had to learn all the countries in the world by heart! Not that I would
    still remember them all, but anyway...)

3.  American taboos? -- And an extra question...
    I just got this stupid e-mail message.
    None of it is true, right?!
    =========================================================================

1.  Are the musical and the western film really dead as movie genres? I
    don't think there have been any Hollywood musicals for ten years or
    some, but there were some popular westerns at the beginning of the
    90s, such as Dances with Wolves and Unforgiven.

2.  Are the shows like those of Ricki Lake really as popular as one might
    think (at least Ricki Lake is shown in Finland). Are they watched only
    by "the less educated" or are they general entertainment?

3.  About history. Was Paul Revere a real person during the War of
    Independence or is he like Sven Tuuva and Antti Rokka in Finland?
===========================================================================

1.  I've seen some short extracts from David W. Griffith's film The Birth
    of a Nation. It was quite shocking and I would like to see all of it.
    Was Griffith serious about the subject, did he think that the Ku Klux
    Klan was entitled to do the things they did? Was Griffith a white
    supremacist racist or did he handle the subject without prejudice?

2.  A League of Their Own is, as I'm sure you know, a film about women
    playing baseball. Was there such a league in the United States during
    the war and did it gain much popularity? If it did, how easily people
    forgot all about the women when the men started playing baseball in
    the major league again?

3.  Maila Nurmi, who played the role of Vampira in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from
    Outer Space, has a Finnish backround. Was she famous in those days or
    was she jut the heroine of a small b-movie audience? Has she done
    anything else people should know about?   *  In Humppa We Trust *
=========================================================================

1.  If it is Christmas in an American movie or tv series, it is almost
    impossible to avoid seeing mistletoe and traditions that are
    associated with it. Where, when and why did the decorative use of
    mistletoe start, and what is the origin of the "compulsory kiss"?

2.  It is also impossible to watch tv without seeing the Ku Klux Klan at
    least once a week. Where  does the name of the organization come from,
    and who founded it? How systematic was the harrassing of the Blacks?

3.  Why did the Democrats and Republicans choose a donkey and an elephant
    as their logos?
=========================================================================

1.  What is the role of the military service in the U.S. today?

2.  How old is the tradition of wearing the capes and hats at high school
    graduation ceremonies? Is it common practise in all American schools?

3.  Do Americans ski cross-country? Or do they even have the slightest
    idea of what that is?
=========================================================================

1.  What is this Jolly Green Giant you often hear about in movies? I know
    that he was a character in some commercial or something, but that's
    about it. Are there some other commercial characters (other that
    Ronald McDonald), that have become concepts or icons in the American
    culture, that we should know about?

2.  How important and wide spread is the so called cowboy and country
    music culture in modern America, especially in the major cities? Is
    the present new wave of popular culture smothering this traditionally
    integral (at least in the eyes of a foreigner) part of the American
    way of life in urban areas, or has this culture always been restricted
    to certain states or areas?

3.  Why do you think the TV Show format used by the likes of Jerry
    Springer and Ricki Lake is so popular in the U.S.? I mean I can't
    imagine a show like that being made in Finland.
==========================================================================

1.  The kids in South Park watch the Canadian cartoon "Terrance and
    Philip",which doesn't particularly flatter the dear neighbours... Do
    Americans have the same kind of "warm" relationship with Canadians as
    Finns have with Swedish?

2.  The United States will have a new president this fall. How much
    attention does the election get in the media now, over six months
    before the actual election day? There has been quite a lot of articles
    about this topic in Finnish newspapers recently.

3.  Does Formula 1 mean anything to Americans? It certainly does to Finns!
==========================================================================

1.  How can comics syndicates like DC and Marvel be profitable, when their
    comics sell 200,000 copies per issue (maximum) in the US, but for
    example in France alone French comic albums usually sell some 250,000?

2.  Why Americans still use NTSC television system while the rest of the
    world is using the much better PAL?

3.  Who killed JFK? Was Oliver Stone right or should we believe in the
    lone gunman theory? And what's this deal with the magic bullet?

4.  Are there any rules or regulations concerning TV commercials? Is there
    any limits how long they can last, how many there can during
    commercial breaks and so on?
==========================================================================

1.  What is the story behind the MARDI GRAS festival in New Orleans?

2.  Are astronatus still regarded as national heroes in the US?

3.  What seems to be the most "appealing" profession on TV these days? The
    range seems to have gone from police officers to lawyers to doctors.
    Could e.g. politicians/artists/journalists be the next big thing?
==========================================================================

1.  During the Gulf War many people in the U.S wore a yellow ribbon. I was
    told that wearing it showed that they supported their troops (which
    didn't necessarily mean that they supported the war.) What I'm
    wondering about is, where did this idea come from? And does the color
    yellow symbolize something?

2.  Is it a common custom in the U.S to hide Easter eggs in one's yard?
    And are there any other easter customs which are typical to Americans?

3.  Where does the drink 'eggnog' come from? Can you buy it from the
    grocery stores only at the Christmas time?
==========================================================================

1.  How much do Americans actually know about the rest of the world and
    what's happening there, in Europe for example? My friends who have
    spent some time in the States as exchange students have told me
    unbelievable stories about 17 year-old students who think that Europe
    is one big country where everybody speaks English, or that there still
    is a war going on between Russia and Finland! How is that possible,
    even if the country is big and influential, and quite "independent"
    from the rest of the world?

2.  I'd like to know how big is the percentage of traffic accidents which
    are caused by driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs of
    all the traffic accidents in the States. I hear the most common way
    (at least for young people) to get home from parties, clubs etc. is to
    drive, no matter what has been on the "menu" during the night!

3.  Finally, a "stupid" question. Who do most Americans like their morning
    cereal, yoghurt, desserts etc to taste so sweet? An American friend of
    mine added sugar to almost everything she ate during her stay in
    Finland! Just wondering... :)
==========================================================================

1.  I have a question about a town stereotype (in a joke). I don't know
    whether this is a British or an American thing. The town is called
    Wigan. It must have something to do with fishing, right?  The joke is:

    Q: What's the difference between a woman from Wigan and a walrus?
    A: One's got a moustache and smells of fish; the other lives in the
       sea.

    What is Wigan known for, or does it just have a weird reputation for
    no obvious reason (like a general butt of a joke)?

2.  Are there any traditions for the 29th of February in the States? (Like
    here on the 'karkauspäivä' women can propose to men and if
    they refuse they have to buy the girl's dress material.)

3.  My third question is about 'pot-luck suppers'. They were mentioned in
    the rituals outline. What are they? I have
    studied anthropology so I know that 'potlatch' is a ceremonial
    feasting and gift-giving found among the Indians of the Northwest
    Coast. Do these two have anything in common?

4.  What are the status symbols in the States nowadays? Are there
    differences between sexes, socio-economic classes or ethnic (or other)
    groups? How fast are they changing and what is causing the changes?
==========================================================================


1.  Women and sports. Are there teams for women in all the major sports
    (ice-hockey, football, basketball etc) and how are these appreciated
    among the public? The appreciation of women athletes is not that high
    in Finland...

2.  Body-building and fitness are sports that are not valued in Finland.
    What is the situation of these sports in the US? Were these sports
    "born" in the US?

3.  Are silicone breasts and other artificial aids common among "ordinary"
    people or are they just for celebrities? How expensive are these
    beauty operations?
==========================================================================

1.  In one quite new Simpsons episode Bart was walking in a mall, in which
    every other shop was called Starbucks. Then when he left the place,
    the camera zoomed out and the whole mall was full of Starbucks shops.
    Is Starbucks a real chain of (coffee?) shops and is this joke some
    sort of a comment on their expansion policies?

2.  Who is Oliver North? He's been referred to in some movies and
    TV-series (In the Simpsons there was a comment about the Oliver
    North trial). I would like to know who this fellow is and what has he
    done to earn his fame/shame.

3.  A while ago I saw a movie called American History X, which was about
    two brothers who were skinheads. We all know the story about Joensuu
    and its skinhead population, but has the skinhead "movement" caused
    that sort of problem in the US and is it a large movement there?
=========================================================================

1.  Who or what is Rosie the Riveter? I have often came across this name
    in various newspaper articles and TV shows and even in a couple of
    movies. I know that she is some kind of character that has to do with
    women's liberation movement and women in war, but how? And was she a
    real person or more like a symbol for working women?

2.  There are many TV shows (for example Mad about you, Friends) that are
    situated in New York and their characters are rather successful, young
    and beautiful, who have everything going for them. Why is this? Why
    New York and not some other city? At least on the East coast N.Y.C. is
    sort of a symbol of dynamic, fast lifestyle, but does it have the same
    meaning in the whole nation? And why are these shows also so popular
    in Europe, even though most of the people here do not get the meaning
    of New York lifestyle that these shows are all about?

3.  When I was an exchange student I noticed the stangest ritual with
    Thank you cards. For example when I had a birthday party and got lots
    of presents, my hostmother wrote down what I got from everyone. First
    of all I was surprised that I had to write thank you cards, because
    that is not a custom in Finland when a teenager has a b-day party.
    Then I also had to thank each person specifically for the present that
    they had given me, like 'Dear Seth, thank you for the lovely candle
    you gave me, etc.' Why on earth is this? Is there a hidden, deeper
    meaning that I failed to see? I remember asking this several times,
    but nobody could give me an answer. I thought this was really odd...
=========================================================================

1.  Do the Americans really have their shoes on all the time, even when
    their lying on a sofa or in bed? Doesnīt this cause an awful lot ot
    mess?

2.  I haven't quite figured out what the term "probable cause" really
    means. If the police stop a car without probable cause and find some
    strong evidence against the owner of the car, they can't use this
    evidence. How do they ever manage to catch anyone in the first place?

3.  Is the Thanksgiving Day's Macy's parade THE Thanksgiving Day's parade
    throughout the United States? Why is it named after the Macy's
    department store?
========================================================================

1.  I'm curious about the TV Talk Shows, such as Ricki Lake's show, where
    people go revealing rather private matters. Are they really
    "spontaneous" and for real, or is there some kind of script behind
    them? And how on earth can they be so popular? To me, they seem like a
    rather brutal kind of entertainment..

2.  I've been watching old episodes of "Beverly Hills
    what-was-the-number-again" and it made me wonder whether the American
    high schools really have this strict class distinction. Do these A-,
    B- and so on groups exist in every (high) school? On what basis do the
    kids get into these groups, what is it that makes someone "popular"
    and someone.. well, not popular? Is it looks or the financial status
    of their family or what?

3.  How come the teenage pregnancy rates are so high in the States? Is
    this more the problem of people from "lower" social classes?
=========================================================================

1.  How do Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O`Brien compare in terms of
    popularity, tastesfulness and wages?

2.  Is popart (e.g. Andy Warhol) real art? Is it for the satisfaction of
    the artist, or merely for the questionable benefit of the public?

3.  Are the audiences in laughter-included comedy shows always hired? What
    about tv-shop?
==========================================================================

1.  In many countries the prestige of national products is not as good as
    the "imported ones". How is it in America? For example, is it
    fashionable to purchase "American-made" products?

2.  What kind of role does Advertising play in promoting "American-made
    products?  Could you give an example of a recent campaign?

3.  In America, food serves to define individual and group identities.
    What about social class?  Once in a talk show, I heard someone saying
    something about being a "macaroni and cheese" American. Could you give
    more examples?
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1. I've heard a rumor that says the original 'Marlboro Man' died of lung
   cancer. Is this true?

2. How does the ordinary middle-class American see rap music? Is it just
   ordinary music or does it still contain 'dangerous' elements? Seems
   those modern gangsta rappers could even scare my grandmother....

3. What was the (in)famous "Read my lips" speech by George Bush about?
   I've observed dozens of popular culture references to it. One example
   in Ren & Stimpy: "So read my leeps! Vote for me and the bucks stop here
   een my tightly grasped feests! Ha ha ha ha ha! I got your treeckle down
   theory right here, pal!"