Today I met with a Korean friend and a Japanese friend to be social and practice our language skills. Near the end of our time together the question was brought up by my Korean friend. Are shows like Cheaters and Jerry Springer representative of American Culture? I told her no of course and had to explain the reality of these shows is that they are on the edge shows that show an extreme side of American culture and that most Americans like most Koreans are hard working family oriented people who live lives not much different than Korean families. Who work long hours and enjoy time with their immediate family throughout the year and their extended families during major events throughout the year like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving.

As Americans we have a choice of how we are represented to the world and what we can watch. If this is what is being exported then this may be one of the reasons we are viewed so poorly. Ah, the phrase ugly American rings loud through these shows. I believe it rings "look at what idiots we can be" and tells people that there is a whole country full of us. We need to speak up as Americans and let the networks know that this is not what we want to be portrayed as. I am saddened to think that this is what we are viewed as. People who can not keep to one relationship or who want to have their "dirty laundry" so to speak aired across the world. We need to find a way to show the normal side of family life to the rest of the world and the good nature of Americans as a whole.