The first time this phenomenon showed up for Americans was “the Ugly American” phase of the late 1950s. The book “The Ugly American” was written in 1958, when

The first time this phenomenon showed up for Americans was “the Ugly American” phase of the late 1950s. The book “The Ugly American” was written in 1958, when America’s wealth and prestige was at its zenith as compared to Europe. American tourists to Europe had been perceived as loud and boorish for 100 years prior, as evidenced by travel writing of the period. But the disparity between America and Europe had never been as lopsided as the late 1950s, in terms of wealth, social influence, military power and even moral weight, since many tens of thousands of young American lives were selflessly lost on European soil because of the moral failings of European governance. And so labeling Americans as “ugly” (couldn’t call them poor, weak, dumb, immoral, etc.) provided a particular release to Europeans and guilt-addled wealthy Americans alike. I guess the US has reached that same degree of imbalance with most of the rest of the world in 2025 as we had in 1958, for this sort of article to be published in the WSJ. Americans are naturally loud, boorish and insular and always have been…part of our unique charm. This cautionary article could have, and probably has, been written in various forms since the 1880s for American tourists crossing the pond by sail, steamship, and air.