There is a certain kind of American who, when overseas or in the presence of foreignersâ??especially Western Europeansâ??goes out of his way to advertise that heâ??s not at all like his ignorant and reactionary countrymen. Usually he does this preemptively. A well-timed joke about George W. Bush could do the trick. So could an ostentatious roll of the eyes at the sight of the fat Yankee tourists in their obnoxious yellow pants, baseball hats, and windbreakers.
The point of this signaling is to acknowledge the intense shame that goes along with being a default member of a detested class. There is probably a charitable term for this kind of behavior. The only one I can think of is â??self-loathing.â?
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