All-American Face: Difference between revisions

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''Fight for what's right, Fight for your life!''|Rick Derringer, ''Real American'' ([[Hulk Hogan]]'s entrance music)}}
 
The All American [[Face]] is one of the major stock characters of [[Professional Wrestling]]. He [[Wearing a Flag Onon Your Head|drapes himself in the flag]], fights for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and is as wholesome as Mom and Apple Pie (well, if Mom started using steroids, anyway.) He's proud to be an American, and expresses it at every opportunity he gets, even when wrestling in foreign lands. His entrance theme usually has references to being an American, his wrestling gear is in red, white, and blue (if it's not an actual American flag print); he may even go so far as to wave an American flag as he walks down to the ring. Before he became a wrestler, he was either a collegiate All-American in some sport, or a soldier; if he's a soldier, he'll pepper his speech with military lingo in between proclaiming how much he loves America.
 
The All American Face is the natural enemy of the [[Evil Foreigner]], and thus they often find themselves paired in feuds. The traditional climax to such a feud is a Flag Match, where the flags of the two nations are placed on opposite turnbuckles, and the winner is the first wrestler to recover his nation's flag and wave it. When the All American Face is getting his ass kicked, especially by the [[Evil Foreigner]], expect the crowd to start in with the chant of "USA! USA!"
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* There is also a subversion in a famous match for Mexican-based promotion AAA that took place in Los Angeles, between the heel team of [[Eddie Guerrero]] and Art Barr and the face team of El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon. Guerrero and Barr (the Americans) took delight in insulting the mostly Mexican-American crowd, drawing massive heat and resulting in the LA crowd booing the Americans and cheering the Mexicans.
** In Mexico, however, Barr and Guererro were really [[Evil Foreigner|Evil Foreigners]].
* Yet another subversion is [[WWE (Wrestling)|WWE]]'s [[John Bradshaw Layfield]], a [[Self-Made Man]] who constantly talks about how proud he is of his country and he is the personification of the American Dream -- but his America doesn't include "foreigners" like [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Rey Mysterio, Jr.|Rey Mysterio]] (both native-born Americans), or "miscreants" like [[John Cena]] and [[CM Punk]].
* "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan is probably the purest example of the trope. If it weren't for him entering the ring to the tune of "Stars and Stripes Forever", waving the flag around, and chanting, "USA! USA!", he wouldn't have a character at all.
** That was, until [[Shocking Swerve|he became a Canadian]]!
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** And later Green Ant of [[CHIKARA]], after [[Evil Foreigner|Tursas]] began to write derogatory blog posts about America. He even got the endorsement of Lex Luger!
* [[The Undertaker]] during his [[Badass Biker|Big Evil]] phase, from mid-2002 to late 2003.
** There was also a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4EyNRexxwA Survivor Series] where he filled out the final slot of an [[All-American Face]] team, when one of their members was injured. To show he was serious, since this was rather unexpected, [[Wearing a Flag Onon Your Head|he even had an American flag replace the normal lining of his]] [[Badass Longcoat]].
* Sara Del Rey from [[SHIMMER]] was this in her American Angel gimmick before her [[Face Heel Turn]].
* Inverted when the WWE brought in Kenzo Suzuki. He happily announced his love for the United States whenever he could and even went as far as dressing like Uncle Sam but got booed anyway because he always cheated and was lecherous.
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{{smallcaps|[[Anime]]}}:
* [[Kinnikuman]] character Terryman (based on real life wrestler Terry Funk) has been the epitome of this in fiction for decades. Interestingly enough, he started off as the same type of character as JBL (Representing the big business side of America that other countries sees as [[Evil Foreigner|evil]], but then mellowing out and playing this trope to the highest degree ever since. His son, [[Kinnikuman Nisei|Terry the Kid]] also plays this trope to a T. ...tK.
* America from [[Axis Powers Hetalia (Manga)|Axis Powers Hetalia]]. 'Nuff said.
* Keith Goodman of ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]''. Whether or not Sternbild is actually in America is up for debate, however.
 
{{smallcaps| [[Live Action TV]]}}:
* Stephen Colbert of ''[[The Colbert Report (TV)|The Colbert Report]]'' bleeds red white and blue.
* Carter Grayson from [[Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue|Lightspeed Rescue]] has an absolutly perfect American face. Fits with the show, as it's probrably the most "American" season to date.
 
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** Finishing the story unlocks the soldier as a playable character, but his default moveset is just copied from Cena's.
** Of particular note is the [[Narm]] in Cena's patriotic gestures; the soldier, though quite likable and friendly about it, ''tells him to stop saluting.''
* Statesman of ''[[City of Heroes (Video Game)|City of Heroes]]''.
* Super Macho Man in ''[[Punch Out]]'' (Wii version) is a subversion: He certainly looks and acts like one, but everyone of the (American) audience hates his guts, and he's one of the worst [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy|Arrogant Kung Fu Guys]] you'll ever see. It helps that he bears a resemblance to a (moustacheless) [[Hulk Hogan]].
* Dixie Clemets' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIHpXitrPgs superstar persona] in ''[[Rumble Roses]]'' XX.
** Reiko Hinomoto is the Japanese version of this gimmick, dressing in red & white and has that underdog feel.
* [[Street Fighter|Guile]]. Though he's a good guy, his major trait isn't his nationality, so much as his want to get answers about the death of his friend.
** Not sure if it's necessarily something that fits Guile. However, [[Final Fight (Video Game)|Mike Haggar]] is a more straight example as he's a beloved ex wrestler and patriotic to the core.
* Tina Armstrong in ''[[Dead or Alive]]'' (Her dad happens to be a [[Captain Ersatz]] of Hulk Hogan, too).
* One of the characters from the webgame Soccer Star has her wearing a bikini with soccer balls as her top, red and white stripes on her bottom, and using an American Flag as a coat.
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Major Glory, from the ''[[DextersDexter's Laboratory]]'' series, who is obviously a parody of [[Captain America]] and Superman.
* [[Kim Possible]] tends to lean to this at times. Check out Monkey Fist Strikes (pro American army?), Royal Pain (pro democracy), Queen Bebe (dancing at the Statue of Liberty) and Rappin Drakken (her Idol outfit includes a USA top).
* ''[[South Park]]'' parodies this on the episode on Pro Wrestling, with Stan becoming a "8 year old Nam Vet who isn't accepted back in the homeland."
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== [[The Abridged Series]] ==
* Subverted by ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series (Web Video)|Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series]]''' Bandit 'In AMERICA!' Keith, who '''wears an American flag on his head'''! In America! {{spoiler|Although he's actually Canadian}}. The subversion is that he isn't a good guy, but a cheating, condescending Jackass. [[National Stereotypes|Like every other American on Yu-Gi-Oh.]]
 
== [[Film]] ==