Academic

The Origins of America?s Love Affair with the Oversized?

By Adam Benforado

Ask a European to describe America and Americans and they will inevitably talk about size. 

Americans love big gas guzzling cars.  They build ridiculous McMansions.  They wear gigantic hats.  They supersize their meals.  They lift weights and inject steroids until their biceps are bulging pythons.  They always seem to be shouting.  They all have humongous egos and big white perfectly-aligned teeth.    

Some of this is, of course, true, but what?s interesting is that Europeans used to have quite a different view of the home of the free and land of the brave.  And this earlier view may itself have encouraged the excess and enormity that those on the Continent love to hate.

According to an interesting new article by Richard Conniff, in the 18^th century,

[t]he great French naturalist Buffon had argued that ?a niggardly sky and an unprolific land? caused species in the Americas, including humans, to become puny and weak.  This ?theory of American degeneracy? was a sore point for a new nation, and not just on account of wounded pride. 

It also made it difficult for early American political figures, like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, to gain credit, support, and respect from European leaders.  As a result, Jefferson became intent on refuting Buffon?s theory and collected American specimens?including panther skins, moose antlers, and mastodon bones?to offer as proof of America?s true nature.

So that Escalade in your driveway and Big Gulp in your hand may come down to a Frenchman several hundred years ago calling Uncle Sam a ?shrimp.?

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on May 26, 2009 (boomark / email).