Easy American Girls!

Did you know that American girls currently hold the title for being the easiest girls on the planet? Haha! Actually when my Italian friend Giovanni told me this I was not so surprised. The image of the drunken and easy Americana is now a universal truth and American girls constantly enhance the stereotype.

Before going to Rome I never really thought of American girls as easier than all other girls on the planet. We were warned by our program-officials that we were considered promiscuous and flirty. We were even warned that if we smiled at Italian men on the street that stared at us they would think we were interested in them and might even proceed to follow us home. I did not realize that American girls had this sort of reputation, but then I saw how my friends in the program were behaving and I witnessed the stereotype play out right before my eyes. By acting as if they are constantly on a Girls Gone Wild: Spring Break edition, drinking shot after shot at the bar, and yelling at a deafening volume what little Italian they know (Meee peee-ahh-chay-beee-raah.) they not only embodied the ideal Americana, but they also displayed the typical image of the Ugly American Tourist.

I have never really been the type to drink to get drunk. I would drink occasionally with friends at parties, but I was usually smart about it. It grew apparent that they thought the only way for an American college girl to have fun was by holding an alcoholic beverage in one hand and a persistent, slightly sober, horny, Italian holding the other. It was scary for me to see so many of my girlfriends drunkenly take shot after shot, leave with random Italian guys, and not remember how they got home. Don’t get me wrong. I have done a few stupid things too when it comes to this stuff, but not repeatedly every weekend for 5 months!

What was going on with these girls? I think by being American, the girls initially thought they were desirable because they were different. They knew that American girls are a sex symbol all over the world and they wanted to live up to it. This attitude only inspired the Italian men to constantly molest us at clubs. It was as if they could tell we were American from a mile away. Right when we got onto the dance floor within 10 seconds, we would be surrounded. Without asking or even attempting to speak to me random Italian guys started groping my ass and rubbing everything against me. I felt like Molly Shanon in the old "A Night At The Roxbury" skits on Saturday Night Live. One guy was so persistent that even after I moved away from him and started dancing with one of my girlfriends, he kissed me on the neck. He did not even greet me or ask me my name! It was as if he thought that the kiss would instantly seal the deal and I would be his for the night. I kept wondering if that tactic actually worked with Italian girls, but I had a feeling it was reserved for American girls who might actually reciprocate. I went to the clubs just wanting to have fun, dance to my heart’s content, and maybe talk to a nice guy, but the only thing that came out of the night was the overwhelming urge to take a shower.

What was totally shocking about the study that Giovanni told me about was that Asian girls ranked second highest in easiness! WHAT?! This actually makes sense because Asian culture is so restrictive that sexual promiscuity seems like an easy way to rebel. After hearing the statistic I thought, “Wow… No wonder that guy kissed me on the dance floor! I’m Asian American…All systems go!” I guess the neck-kissing-guy was not a jerk after all… he was just a good statistician! hehe