It's probably related to the reason American banking is so backwards: it wouldn't surprise me if we got showers first, before handheld showerheads were a thing,

It's probably related to the reason American banking is so backwards: it wouldn't surprise me if we got showers first, before handheld showerheads were a thing, while Europeans were still taking baths (it's amazing when I travel in Europe how many places still are bath-only!). That said, I'd rather have a fixed showerhead than a handheld showerhead that I must pick up to use (i.e., some handhelds can be fixed in place): half the fun of a good shower is just standing there in the heat and steam, water running down one's head, not having to do anything. Waving a showerhead over oneself might clean better, but it's too much like work.