1.  O.J. Simpson used to be an American "hero".  Do you think he will
    eventually get this status back; will people forgive and forget (as
    the case has been with some Finnish politicians, e.g., Kauko Juhantalo
    and Pekka Paavola), or will people keep hating him for "what he didn't
    do according the verdict"?  I know some people hate him deeply and
    boycott everything associated with him (golf courts where he's been
    allowed to play etc.), while others considered him the good guy even
    when he was trying to escape from the police the day after his ex-wife
    and her boyfriend were murdered.

2.  We talked about the Super Bowl and how much it costs to advertise
    during the broadcast.  What about the tickets?  How expensive are
    they, and how many months before the game they have to be purchased in
    order to get the tickets?

3.  A couple of black basketball players have had to leave Finland because
    of racist Finns.  Are Mexicans, Europeans and other non-Americans
    treated badly in America when it comes to sports?  Or is it enough
    that they are good at doing a sport, no matter their nationality or
    skin color?

4.  I used to go to football matches to see how my school did when I was
    in the USA.  I also went to a baseball game, though I didn't know (and
    still don't) the rules.  Is it common that people go to matches "just
    for fun"?  I think in Finland only real fans go to the matches (I'd
    never go to a match here), whereas in the USA the matches are more
    like social events, not necessarily so serious (except for the teams
    and their coaches, of course!) and all the family can go there
    together. Any truth to this idea?

5.  I read in a book that they once tried to change the formula of Coca
    Cola, but people got so angry that the company had to bring back the
    good old taste. I think that happened some ten years ago. Do you know
    anything about it? How is it possible that Coca Cola is much sweeter
    in India (like you told us in class); I thought it was supposed to be
    the same everywhere?
    ===============================================================

1.  I have begun viewing "accidental" glimpses of known brand products
    (Coca Cola, Sony, etc) in movies quite cynically. How often is it
    "accidental" and how often has the movie been sponsored by the company
    in question?  Any information on "product placement" in movies would
    be interesting.

2.  What is the general attitude of U.S. television channels when
    contrasted to the situation of Finnish TV channels (ie. how much
    emphasis in put on pure entertainment and how much on "educational"
    and otherwise "better" programmes)?

3.  I'm a little unsure about U.S. TV channels in general.  How are they
    owned, and which ones are broadcast throughout the States, and
    received via antennas, and which ones by cable? Which ones (if any)
    would you say are closest to TV1 and TV2 in Finland?

4.  In Finland, TV programmes and video rental shops - in addition to high
    admission prices in cinemas - are to blame that people don't go to see
    movies very often. What's the situation in the States, is going to the
    movies relatively more popular than in Finland, do ticket prices vary
    a lot etc? Also, what's the ratio of movies produced for the silver
    screen and "direct-to-video" releases?

5.  I have often heard the terms "on-" and "off-Broadway" in reference to
    theater and musical plays. What do they mean?
    ===============================================================

1.  Why do Americans use brown paper bags for their groceries? They seem
    quite unpractical. Also, you got the oil and we got the forests, so
    why is it the other way around?

2.  How does an average American see European culture? Is the stereotype
    of an American speaking of the world, but meaning the U.S., true? Do
    many Americans think of Europe as a big, single country? "Next week,
    we'll go to Europe with dad." (a recent quote from a TV-series)

3.  If blacks really are in the minority (which I find hard to believe
    from a TV watcher's point of view) then why does the media have to be
    so boringly politically correct and represent America to be 30% white,
    30% black, 30% Asian and 10% other?  Who would complain about
    representing the truth?

4.  Is the really true 'globality' of the internet affecting pop culture?

5.  How long will Jay Leno make jokes about O.J.? Has the trial had a
    serious impact on the media coverage of crimes, or was this a single
    incident?
    ===============================================================

1.  If I am selling a Russian product to the Americans what are the
    things/images that I should try to avoid creating?  What ideas are
    likely to come to the minds of Americans when they hear about Russian
    products or about Russians themselves?

2.  What is considered as sacred or valued higly in nowadays America? is/
    /are there such a thing(s)?

3.  Is there something that is known as "a Finnish thing" in the States?
    (for ex. do they think that Santa Claus comes from Finland or from the
    north pole?  What about saunas?)

4.  Is it common for women to stay at home and be housewives?

5.  The following incident happened in a programm called Melrose Place:
    the mother was denied the right to keep her own baby (yet unborn);
    custody of her child was given to the parents of her boyfriend (who
    was dead) on the basis that she would be a bad mother (she didn't have
    a steady job) and the child would get better treatment in the hands of
    the boyfriend's parents (they were said to do a lot of charity and be
    "good" people). Is such a thing possible, or is it just some kind of
    "this happens only on tv"-thing?
    ===============================================================

1.  How popular are TV preachers? Do people really donate large amounts of
    money to religious organizations that have shows on TV?

2.  Are there any authorities that regulate all the different religious
    organizatons? I mean, is there any way for the police, for example, to
    stop the organizitions that are obviously just cheating money from
    people?

3.  Is it true that Americans, especially young people know just about
    nothing about, for example, Europe and generally the things that
    happen outside the U.S.? If it's true, is it because the education is
    inefficient, or just because they are not interested?

4.  Since there are so many films made each year in the U.S. is going to
    movies a thing that usually only young people do, as in Finland, or
    are movies popular among all people?

5.  Who are the most popular people in TV in the U.S. at the moment, and
    which are the most popular shows?
    ==============================================================

1.  Is U.S. popular culture every man's property?  Could it be seen as an
    "equal field" where black and white cultures are mixed? For example,
    rock'n'roll or rap originate from black culture, but both of them have
    become a part of mass culture.

2.  Is popular culture a religion? At least it seems to have god(desse)s
    like Elvis, Marilyn, Madonna...

3.  Personality cult is an essential part of popular culture. How does the
    modern personality cult differ from that of any ancient culture?

4.  Why are money, mass media and mass culture so closely connected?

5.  Will mass culture eventually take over and destroy elite culture?
    =================================================================

1.  Who is the latest American hero? Is he/she a political figure,
    sports-hero or something else?

2.  Are shopping malls the only places for youngsters to hang out and meet
    one another?

3.  Would the Benny Hill-type of humour get an audience in the U.S.?

4.  Gene Kelly died just recently. Is he likely to get some recognition
    from the broadcasting companies? (Have his films showed or the sort?)
    Would that be done in the U.S.?

5.  Do the newspapers expand or are they dying out as a result of the
    growth of the internet and the importance of television to the average
    American?
    ==================================================================

1.  "Apple" seems to be a word that often comes up in American language:
    Apple computers, the Big Apple, apple butter, apple-jack, upset the
    apple-cart, apple polisher, Grandma's apple pie, an apple a day keeps
    the doctor away, apple of one's eye, and so on -- not to forget Johnny
    Appleseed.  What might be the reason for this?  Could it be compared
    to 'mustikka' in Finland:  mustikkapiirakka, "oma maa mansikka, muu
    maa mustikka"?

2.  Groundhog Day is celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on the 2nd
    of February.  Is it a widespread celebration, or does it only take
    place in that part of the country?  What is its origin?

3.  Bridal showers are widely organized among American women. What is the
    origin of this?

4.  Halloween is not celebrated quite as elaborately anywhere else as in
    the U.S.  Why has it become so popular?

5.  The W.W.F., with its icons like Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Bret
    the Hitman Hart, and the Million Dollar Man, is blatantly staged.  Do
    people actually believe that it is a real sport, and why are people so
    attracted to it?
    ==============================================================

1.  A few weeks ago there was a small piece of news featuring New York's
    most popular musicals right now.  I was surprised to see that the most
    popular was "Les Miserables".  To me it would seem that such a gloomy
    tale could not possibly appeal to Americans.  Is it Americans who go
    to see it?  Have you?

2.  Aren't parades a form of popular culture in the States?  I'd be
    interested to hear of your experiences with parades (have you attended
    any special ones, like the Baby Parade in Ocean City, New Jersey?).
    What do you know about the historical backgrounds of parades?

3.  Why do Americans pledge allegiance to the flag?  Where does the
    practice come from?  Does everyone do it?  The pledge (as I've heard
    it) contains the phrase 'under God'.  Doesn't this cause controversy
    in a multiethnic and -religious country?

4.  Does anyone know which American soap opera is the oldest?

5.  Are there special connotations to the brand names of children's
    clothing, such as Izod Kids, Osh-Kosh, Baby Gap, Benetton or Rachel's
    Kids, or from catalog sources such as Storybook Heirlooms or Wooden
    Soldier?
    ===============================================================

1.  Are Americans generally more oriented toward popular culture than
    Europeans?

2.  The public is not usually very aware of pop artists.  What do you
    suppose made people interested in Andy Warhol?

3.  Was bubble gum an American invention?  If so when, and why?

4.  To what extent does the U.S. government decide what is shown in
    cinemas and released on video?  Do more films end up in the censor's
    trash than in Europe?  Are there differences in the censoring of
    American and non-American films?

5.  What is the origin of sitcom shows?  Was "I Love Lucy" one of the
    first, or maybe even 'the first'?
    =================================================================

1.  Is elite culture a subdivision of mass culture or can it sometimes be
    even popular culture, or is it just a division of its own?

2.  Is the U.S. ever really influenced by the popular cultures of other
    countries in the same way that most countries are influenced by U.S.
    popular culture?

3.  Are the people in the U.S. generally aware of the extent to which
    their popular culture influences other countries, and do they think
    that it's good?

4.  Where exactly does the line go between popular art and high culture
    art?

5.  Which is more popular in the U.S., baseball or (Am) football?
=================================================================

1.  What things to Americans consider taboo?

2.  What is the etymology of the expression 'read my lips'?

3.  What is an American approach to a President?  How do people see him?
    Is there a difference between an American and Finnish point of view in
    this matter?

4.  How would you explain the popularity of American football over other
    sports (for example, ice hockey)?

5.  Is the Ricki Lake show popular in America?  What kind of people go
    there?  Does the show give any real idea of the way Americans think?
    ================================================================

1.  There are many famous Finnish ice-hockey players (Jari Kurri, Teemu
    Sel„nne, etc.) who play in the NHL.  Do American people really know
    where they originally come from?

2.  In Finland the trend among young people, for example students, seems
    to be very 'natural'; green values are important and there the number
    of vegetarians is increasing, etc.  Is anything like this going on in
    the U.S.?

3.  Are bridal showers and baby showers old traditions?  What was the
    actual meaning and purpose of them?

4.  Do people still, in spite of the recession and high rates of
    unemployment, believe in the American Creed and Dream?

5.  Where does the stereotype of the perfect Beverly Hills women originate
    and how old is this stereotype, actually?
    ================================================================

1.  Are there any national heroes nowadays in the U.S.?  If so who are
    they and why?

2.  I read an article about John Kennedy Jr. and his life in the
    continuous spotlight of the media.  Are people still so interested in
    the Kennedys that everything they do can be seen in the headlines the
    following day?  Why?

3.  Where does the image of California Girls come from?  Has the
    Barbie-doll image something to do with it?

4.  There seem to be many different talk shows in the U.S.  Why are they
    so popular?  I have watched the Ricki Lake show and wondered what it
    is that makes people go up in front of all the audience and talk about
    all the private things happening in their life.  Do they get a lot of
    money to participate?

5.  Do many young girls and runaways still go to Hollywood without money
    or a place to stay with only the hope of their dreams of success
    coming true?  Is the myth of Hollywood so strong that they don't
    understand the reality?
    =================================================================

1.  Have any particular minority groups had an influence on popular
    culture?

2.  What does the average American read?

3.  Why is soccer not very popular in the U.S.?

4.  What are the most popular comics?  Do adults read comics too?

5.  Are there any topics to be avoided when talking to an American one
    does not know well?
    =================================================================

1.  Why is peanut butter so popular in the U.S.?  Is there a story behind
    it?  Was it used already in frontier days?

2.  "Ren and Stimpy" animated films are really different.  Do you know
    more about the creator of the series?  I've seen some videos.  Is the
    program shown on TV in the U.S.?

3.  Why did Jay Leno become so popular?  Was there a special program he'd
    done well on before?  When he started he didn't get very good ratings,
    if I remember correctly.

4.  I've noticed in the U.S. that stores with French names tend to be more
    exclusive and expensive.  Do average Americans look up to French
    culture and people?

5.  Is religion considered as a part of popular culture?
=================================================================

1.  Is there a typical building model in the U.S. called a "white
    clapboard house"?

2.  Was Nixon in China a popular opera in its day?  What was the basic
    idea of it?

3.  Do people still go to drive-in movies, or was it just a 50s thing?

4.  Why is Barry Manilow so commonly picked on?  Didn't everybody dress
    like he did in the 70s?

5.  Is Carl Barks an admired cartoon artist in America to the extent that
    he is in Europe for the duck adventures he drew in the 50s and 60s?
    =================================================================

1.  How equal is American society at the moment?  Do women get equal pay
    for equal work?  What is the percentage of women in Congress?

2.  Is the O.J. Simpson case still popular?  Do people still think of him
    as a 'national hero' or was his reputation 'ruined' because of the
    negative publicity?

3.  The drive-in ability is taken further in the U.S. than in Europe.  Is
    there any limit to what Americans will be able to 'drive through' in
    future?  Is there any time limit as to how long an American is willing
    to spend looking for the best possible parking space?

4.  What is Ash Wednesday?

5.  Does racism still show in American society?  If so, how?
=================================================================

1.  An American TV series shown here every Sunday is called "Picket
    Fences".  Where does the name come from?  Are such fences a concept in
    the U.S.?

2.  What is the 'status' of Indians in popular culture?

3.  How does American food differ from Finnish food?

4.  My friends who were exchange students in America told me that their
    schoolmates changed clothes every day.  This sounded weird to me.
    Could you give some kind of explanation?

5.  What kind of people read Marvel Comics in the U.S.?
=================================================================

1.  Are workers generally associated with Trade Unions?

2.  What about the Amish?  Where are they; are there still many?

3.  Do people generally support the English-Only Act?  What would you
    consider the minor languages to be?

4.  How much political influence does big business have?

5.  How are American Indian living conditions nowadays?
================================================================

1.  Affirmative action programs of the U.S. government seem to have made
    WASP males feel increasingly threatened.  Apart from legal action, is
    there any other way in which they protest this trend?

2.  Given the wide variety of ethnic groups living together in the U.S.
    for generations, it must be increasingly difficult to categorize
    hyphenated-Americans.  Is there a standard system to register one's
    origin, such as for third-generation Americans?  Would a Black person
    from the Caribbean belong to the African-American group?

3.  Which are the most powerful lobbies in the U.S.?

4.  Race, sex and creed are the main criteria to mark minorities. What
    other disadvantaged groups benefit from Affirmative Action policies?

5.  Affirmative Action initiatives are intended to give access by
    minorities to prestigious, highly-paid jobs.  Is there a similar
    policy to recruit white males as, say, janitors or assembly-line
    workers in factories?
    ===============================================================

1.  What is the perctage of minorities in the U.S. government?

2.  Do Affirmative Action programmes have real power, i.e do politicians
    take them into account when making their electoral programmes?  Which
    is the party that takes them more into account?

3.  About morals, I've noticed that films which in Spain are considered
    'normal', for instance Almodovar's film "Kika", in the U.S. are
    labelled 'pornographic'.  Do Americans consider themselves
    conservative?

4.  In U.S. electoral campaigns, candidates are always surrounded by their
    families, which is something that does not happen in Spain, where the
    private lives of politicians has no real importance.  Why is it so
    important for Americans what their leaders do at home?

5.  I've also noticed that in the U.S. cheating on exams is very bad even
    as regarded by classmates, whereas in Spain it is a very common
    practice.
    =================================================================

1.  I've sometimes watched "Inside Edition" on NBC Super Channel. Who's
    behind this program and what is its purpose?

2.  What do Americans think about the name Randy?  I remember that Mac
    once wondered how Americans can give their sons that name, because it
    means just about the same as "horny".

3.  My friend had seen the Tonight Show on Super Channel on 30 January,
    when Emmett Smith of the Dallas Cowboys apparently said that he
    planned to take part in the Olympics, without mentioning in which
    sport.  Is this so obvious for Americans that it was not necessary to
    mention it?  For Finns it would not be obvious at all.

4.  How many copies must an LP (or rather a CD nowadays) sell before it
    becomes a 'gold' or 'platinum' record?

5.  What was Kurt Vonnegut's breakthrough work and when was it published?
    How popular is he in the U.S.?
    ================================================================

1.  There are few foreign tv shows on 'ordinary' American television.
    What is the general attitude toward foreign shows; for example
    European tv series?  Have any of them been shown in the States, and
    how have they been received?

2.  I've heard comments about some things "looking like they've been
    bought in K-Mart", "sold in every K-Mart", etc.  What is the concept
    associated with K-Mart?

3.  What are the most popular and respected U.S. rock magazines?

4.  What was so special about the tv show, The Brady Bunch?

5.  In high school Americans always seem to read a book called Ethan
    Frome.  Is it some kind of legend, or what is it about? How about the
    story of the figure called Rip Van Winkle?