American Title: Difference between revisions
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Compare [[It Came From Beverly Hills]] |
Compare [[It Came From Beverly Hills]] |
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Contrast [[Eagle Land]] - this trope refers to titles that try to induce that American idea...''in America''! |
Contrast [[Eagle Land]] -- this trope refers to titles that try to induce that American idea...''in America''! |
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Not to be confused with [[Market-Based Title]]. |
Not to be confused with [[Market-Based Title]]. |
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{{examples}} |
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= American Examples = |
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== Of the straightforward variety == |
== Of the straightforward variety === |
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== [[Film]] == |
=== [[Film]] == |
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* ''American Cousins'' |
* ''American Cousins'' |
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* ''[[American Graffiti]]'' |
* ''[[American Graffiti]]'' |
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* ''Made In America'' |
* ''Made In America'' |
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== [[Literature]] == |
=== [[Literature]] === |
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* ''[http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=244 American Romance]'' |
* ''[http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=244 American Romance]'' |
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== [[Live-Action TV]] == |
=== [[Live-Action TV]] === |
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* ''The American Embassy'' (which was set in London - ironically, the series was never screened on British television) |
* ''The American Embassy'' (which was set in London - ironically, the series was never screened on British television) |
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* ''The American Girls'' (about two correspondents for a newsmagazine called ''The American Report'' - this series aired in the UK as ''Have Girls, Will Travel'') |
* ''The American Girls'' (about two correspondents for a newsmagazine called ''The American Report'' - this series aired in the UK as ''Have Girls, Will Travel'') |
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* ''Love, American Style'' |
* ''Love, American Style'' |
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== [[Music]] == |
=== [[Music]] === |
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* ''American Beauty'' (the Grateful Dead album) |
* ''American Beauty'' (the Grateful Dead album) |
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** One presumes the pasta brand and the flower (a type of rose, and the ultimate namesake of all the others) are also intended to be interpreted in a straightforward fashion. |
** One presumes the pasta brand and the flower (a type of rose, and the ultimate namesake of all the others) are also intended to be interpreted in a straightforward fashion. |
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* "American Girls", a single off of the [[Counting Crows]] album ''Hard Candy'' |
* "American Girls", a single off of the [[Counting Crows]] album ''Hard Candy'' |
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== [[Radio]] == |
=== [[Radio]] === |
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* ''[[This American Life]]'' |
* ''[[This American Life]]'' |
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* ''Letter From America'' |
* ''Letter From America'' |
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== [[Western Animation]] == |
=== [[Western Animation]] === |
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* The civics parts of [[School House Rock]], "America Rock" |
* The civics parts of [[School House Rock]], "America Rock" |
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== Real Life == |
=== Real Life === |
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* ''American Greetings'' |
* ''American Greetings'' |
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== Of the subversive variety == |
== Of the subversive variety == |
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== [[Comic Books]] == |
=== [[Comic Books]] === |
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* ''American Century'' |
* ''American Century'' |
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* ''American Flagg!'' |
* ''American Flagg!'' |
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* ''[[American Vampire]]'' |
* ''[[American Vampire]]'' |
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== [[Film]] == |
=== [[Film]] === |
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* ''[[American Beauty]]'' (the movie) |
* ''[[American Beauty]]'' (the movie) |
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* ''[[An American Carol]]'' |
* ''[[An American Carol]]'' |
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* ''Team America: World Police'' |
* ''Team America: World Police'' |
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== [[Literature]] == |
=== [[Literature]] === |
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* ''An American Tragedy'' |
* ''An American Tragedy'' |
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* ''[[American Psycho (Literature)|American Psycho]]'' |
* ''[[American Psycho (Literature)|American Psycho]]'' |
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== [[Live-Action TV]] == |
=== [[Live-Action TV]] === |
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* ''[[American Dreams (TV)|American Dreams]]'' |
* ''[[American Dreams (TV)|American Dreams]]'' |
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* ''[[American Horror Story]]'' |
* ''[[American Horror Story]]'' |
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== [[Music]] == |
=== [[Music]] === |
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* ''American Idiot'' |
* ''American Idiot'' |
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* ''American Jesus'' |
* ''American Jesus'' |
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* ''American Woman'' |
* ''American Woman'' |
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== Other == |
=== Other === |
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* ''American Television'' |
* ''American Television'' |
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* ''Americano'' (the implication of the name is that Americans can't handle espresso unless it's watered down) |
* ''Americano'' (the implication of the name is that Americans can't handle espresso unless it's watered down) |
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== [[Theatre]] == |
=== [[Theatre]] === |
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* ''American Dream'', play by George O'Neil |
* ''American Dream'', play by George O'Neil |
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=== [[Video Games]] === |
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* ''[[Alan Wake|Alan Wake's American Nightmare]]'' |
* ''[[Alan Wake|Alan Wake's American Nightmare]]'' |
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== [[Western Animation]] == |
=== [[Western Animation]] === |
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* ''[[American Dad (Animation)|American Dad]]'' |
* ''[[American Dad (Animation)|American Dad]]'' |
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* ''[[The Adventures of the American Rabbit]]'' |
* ''[[The Adventures of the American Rabbit]]'' |
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=Examples where the name only describes a nationality= |
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== Art == |
== Art == |
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* ''American Gothic'', a painting named after the architectural style American Gothic, which is the style of the house featured. |
* ''American Gothic'', a painting named after the architectural style American Gothic, which is the style of the house featured. |
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== [[Comic Books]] == |
== [[Comic Books]] == |
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* ''American Virgin'', in the later issues |
* ''American Virgin'', in the later issues |
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== [[Film]] == |
== [[Film]] == |
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* ''[[An American Werewolf in London (Film)|An American Werewolf in London]]'' |
* ''[[An American Werewolf in London (Film)|An American Werewolf in London]]'' |
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* ''American Hardcore'', a documentary of the American punk scene |
* ''American Hardcore'', a documentary of the American punk scene |
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== [[Literature]] == |
== [[Literature]] == |
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* ''[[American Gods (Literature)|American Gods]]'' |
* ''[[American Gods (Literature)|American Gods]]'' |
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* ''The Ugly American'', in which the title character is physically unattractive but one of the nicest people (not to mention Americans) in the book |
* ''The Ugly American'', in which the title character is physically unattractive but one of the nicest people (not to mention Americans) in the book |
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== [[Live-Action TV]] == |
== [[Live-Action TV]] == |
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* [[The Office (TV)|The Office: An American Workplace]]: when aired in the UK anyway, to differentiate from the original British version. |
* [[The Office (TV)|The Office: An American Workplace]]: when aired in the UK anyway, to differentiate from the original British version. |
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* ''[[Cruisn USA]]'' |
* ''[[Cruisn USA]]'' |
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* ''"Super Mario USA"'' is a subversion since the game describes the version of [[Doki Doki Panic (Video Game)|Doki Doki Panic]] that came out in that country, where it's known as ''[[Super Mario Bros 2 (Video Game)|Super Mario Bros 2]]''. This was to distinguish it from the [[Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels (Video Game)|Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2]]. |
* ''"Super Mario USA"'' is a subversion since the game describes the version of [[Doki Doki Panic (Video Game)|Doki Doki Panic]] that came out in that country, where it's known as ''[[Super Mario Bros 2 (Video Game)|Super Mario Bros 2]]''. This was to distinguish it from the [[Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels (Video Game)|Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2]]. |
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== [[Web Comics]] == |
== [[Web Comics]] == |
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* ''[http://jjrowland.com/archive/20070413.html American]'' ''[http://www.wigu.com/tvnc/?date=20050124 Platypus]'' |
* ''[http://jjrowland.com/archive/20070413.html American]'' ''[http://www.wigu.com/tvnc/?date=20050124 Platypus]'' |
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* ''[[American Elf]]'' |
* ''[[American Elf]]'' |
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== [[Web Original]] == |
== [[Web Original]] == |
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* ''[[David Gonterman|American Kitsune]]'' |
* ''[[David Gonterman|American Kitsune]]'' |
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* There's a [[YouTube]] video called ''American [[Akira (Manga)|Akira]]'', intended as a parody of [[Macekre|what Warner Bros. will do to Akira]]. |
* There's a [[YouTube]] video called ''American [[Akira (Manga)|Akira]]'', intended as a parody of [[Macekre|what Warner Bros. will do to Akira]]. |
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== [[Western Animation]] == |
== [[Western Animation]] == |
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Revision as of 21:37, 10 January 2014
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"I just wanna say one thing: God bless America."
—Biff Tannen, Back to The Future
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The United States is somewhat popular.
There is a certain hard-to-describe quality in the idea of something being "American". It means wholesome values, hard-working Protestantism, apple pies and soda shops. So, it's only natural that some American works will put "American" in their title as a way to signify what they are all about.
But, as some people would notice later, there are some Unfortunate Implications in including the word "American" as some sort of superlative. So, nowadays, it's more likely that you'll see an American Title in an ironic fashion than not, subverting the original meaning.
Of course, there's always the less popular American idea that the term "American" refers only to the place of origin of the described term, and is not related to a truckload of ideology, but thanks to Misaimed Fandom, it might be hard to convince others of this. It also raises the question of why no-one else does it.
Compare It Came From Beverly Hills
Contrast Eagle Land -- this trope refers to titles that try to induce that American idea...in America!
Not to be confused with Market-Based Title.
Examples of American Title include:
American Examples
Of the straightforward variety =
= Film
- American Cousins
- American Graffiti
- American Movie
- The American President
- Coming to America
- In America.
- Once Upon a Time In America
- Made In America
Literature
Live-Action TV
- The American Embassy (which was set in London - ironically, the series was never screened on British television)
- The American Girls (about two correspondents for a newsmagazine called The American Report - this series aired in the UK as Have Girls, Will Travel)
- Love, American Style
Music
- American Beauty (the Grateful Dead album)
- One presumes the pasta brand and the flower (a type of rose, and the ultimate namesake of all the others) are also intended to be interpreted in a straightforward fashion.
- Don Mc Lean's "American Pie" (Song and LP)
- American Spirit
- American Recordings (Record label)
- "American Secrets", a song off of the Parachute album The Way it Was
- "American Girls", a single off of the Counting Crows album Hard Candy
Radio
- This American Life
- Letter From America
Western Animation
- The civics parts of School House Rock, "America Rock"
Real Life
- American Greetings
Of the subversive variety
Comic Books
- American Century
- American Flagg!
- American Splendor (both the comic books and the film adaptation)
- American Virgin, in the first issues
- American Vampire
Film
- American Beauty (the movie)
- An American Carol
- American Dream
- American Dreamz
- American Gangster
- American Gigolo
- American Gun
- American History X
- American Me
- American Pie (Movie)
- American Pimp
- American Psycho
- American Wedding
- Angels in America (The subversion is of the whole title.)
- Wet Hot American Summer
- Team America: World Police
Literature
- An American Tragedy
- American Psycho
Live-Action TV
Music
- American Idiot
- American Jesus
- American Life
- Simon and Garfunkel's "America"
- And Paul Simon's "American Tune"
- American Woman
Other
- American Television
- Americano (the implication of the name is that Americans can't handle espresso unless it's watered down)
Theatre
- American Dream, play by George O'Neil
Video Games
Western Animation
Examples where the name only describes a nationality
Art
- American Gothic, a painting named after the architectural style American Gothic, which is the style of the house featured.
Comic Books
- American Virgin, in the later issues
Film
- An American Crime
- American Ninja
- An American Werewolf in London
- American Hardcore, a documentary of the American punk scene
Literature
- American Girl
- American Gods
- The Ugly American, in which the title character is physically unattractive but one of the nicest people (not to mention Americans) in the book
Live-Action TV
- America's Got Talent
- America's Next Top Model
- American Gladiators (But both British series have managed to get away with just been entitled Gladiators)
- American Idol, to contrast with Britain's...Pop Idol
- Hells Kitchen USA
- The Office: An American Workplace: when aired in the UK anyway, to differentiate from the original British version.
Video Games
- Cruisn USA
- "Super Mario USA" is a subversion since the game describes the version of Doki Doki Panic that came out in that country, where it's known as Super Mario Bros 2. This was to distinguish it from the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2.
Web Comics
Web Original
- American Kitsune
- There's a YouTube video called American Akira, intended as a parody of what Warner Bros. will do to Akira.