We have a certainje ne sais quoi .
As an American who’s lived abroad, we sometimes have a certainje ne sais quoithat immediately clocks us as Americans. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, sometimes it’s somewhere in between. But coming from a country as diverse as the United States, it’s always fascinating to explore what makes us so recognizably American.
That’s exactly what happened toMaralee Bell,a 29-year-old American living in Paris. She recounted a story when someone said they could tell she was American just by her appearance, describing her features as “Hollywood” and distinctly American. Curious about what made that perception so instant, especially given the US’s blend of backgrounds, sheaskedher followers: “What features make someone LOOK ‘American’?”
She laughed, “I knew exactly what they meant, too. This is what I’m talking about,” pointing to an example of the handwriting. “Every cheerleader in the US seems to write like that, so that one gets an honorable mention.”
While that was more of a joke, she went on to highlight more consistent patterns in how people spot Americans. First: posture. “A lot of people said that Americans lean a lot when they’re standing. They lean on something, or they kind of stand on one foot instead of both,” she explained.
Next, Maralee said, “They wear heavier makeup than most people. They also wear clothes that are more casual than the other people around them, especially athleisure and loungewear.” And, “They carry a huge water bottle with them everywhere they go. That’s typically American.”
She also noted that some commenters said Americans seem “obsessed with being blonde.” “The blonder they can be, the happier they are,” Maralee said. The commenter referenced also mentioned having super white teeth, a specific fashion sense, and the volume of Americans' voices.
“And generally, a lot of Americans tend to look like they’re posing for a photo, even when they’re not,” Maralee continued. One commenter described it as looking like they’re “waiting for a timer to go off” — but that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. “You spread joy and it’s often gorgeous. I love you guys,” they said.
And then there’s the way Americans physically carry themelves. “When they’re just standing in a crowd, they kind of command attention,” Maralee shared. “The look is unnatural and exaggerated,” a commenter wrote. “Clothing often too casual. The walk. The innate ability to be very visible in a crowd. The leaning… not being able to stand without leaning [on] something.”
When it came to visual appearance, Maralee shared a list of common physical attributes people shared that make Americans identifiable. First: facial expressions. “Americans move their mouths. They tend to move their mouth a lot more and smile a lot when they’re talking,” Maralee said.
“This person also said, we raise our eyebrows a lot when we’re talking. I’m doing it right now,” Maralee continued.
“In general, people are saying that Americans are very expressive with their movements, with their expressions. It’s all just very big,” Maralee said.
But above all, “probably the number one thing people commented on was teeth,” Maralee said. “Having really big, white, straight teeth and showing them off a lot when they speak.”
“People generally were saying that Americans have kind of an amalgamation of features from all over the place. So generally, people said if you can’t quite place where they’re from, they’re often American. Because America is such a melting pot,” Maralee continued.
And while some features were attributed to America’s diversity, Maralee said others described an “almost too-polished,” “uncanny valley” look. “One person said that Americans all tend to have iPhone face. Like in period dramas, when somebody is cast with a face that you just think, that couldn’t be from that time period,” she said. Think: lip filler, flawless skin, perfect teeth, and a general look influenced by modern beauty standards.
Maralee, who’s made a home for herself in Paris, told BuzzFeed it’s common for her to be identified as American at a mere glance, but it’s not necessarily something she minds. “I’ve put in a great deal of effort to assimilate as seamlessly as possible here inFrance,” she said, explaining that as an immigrant, she feels a responsibility to learn and follow both the spoken and unspoken cultural norms. “To me, that’s a way I pay my respects to the community that has welcomed me as one of their own.”
Initially eager to fit in, she says, “Now, ‘looking American’ isn’t something I stress about too much, as long as I’m not being disruptive or making a spectacle of myself.” Still, she finds it fascinating how easily people recognize her as American, often pointing to her teeth, her curled or straightened hair, shoes, or “just my facial features.” She said sometimes she’ll be told she “looks French” when she wears certain clothing, like long neck scarves or a trench coat.
To her, though, since taking this conversation online, the most thought-provoking observations came from those who said Americans seem to behave as if they’re always on display, or “as if they feel they are constantly being watched by others.”
“I talk often about differences between France and America. I don’t do this to declare a winner or to perpetuate stereotypes,” she ended. “But instead to make people aware of how our differences allow us to better understand each other. In many ways, connecting over these topics bring us closer together.”
So, what areyourthoughts?
