#american-culture

#american-culture

Someone looking to understand America might do well to study the nation's embrace of football. N.F.L. games regularly outperform anything else on television, and, in 2025, some hundred and twenty-seven million viewers tuned in to the Super Bowl - more than ever before. As this year's championship approaches, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz are joined by their fellow New Yorker writer Louisa Thomas to unpack the sport's allure, which has persisted despite increasingly dire evidence of the danger it poses to players' health.

Motorcycles have long held a unique place in American culture, blending transportation, recreation, and a sense of freedom. Their popularity surged after World War II, when returning veterans adapted military bikes for day-to-day riding. Motorcycle clubs and cross-country touring became iconic parts of American culture. Over the decades, motorcycles became symbols of rebellion and individuality. They were further popularized by films like Easy Rider and associated with cool brands like Harley-Davidson.

you kind of feel the boominess of the place, right?

A Yeti cooler in Death Valley, a Yeti bucket in Wisconsin, or a Case Trapper anywhere something needs to be cut, I find these to be truly beautiful concepts.

Fig Newtons are soft-baked cookies with a filling of fig jam, providing a less sweet but satisfying snack. While divisive in opinion, they have been enjoyed for over a century.

Tool sales in this country have been on the rise in recent years, although at a slower rate of increase from years prior.

Frito-Lay chips have been a quintessential American food for nearly a century, becoming a staple in school lunches and barbeques despite rising prices and smaller portion sizes.

When this idea began, it was really about liberty; it wasn't about immigration. The United States had ended slavery, and that's why, if you look, she's standing on the chains and shackles.

Harry Burt's creation of the chocolate-covered ice cream bar on a stick in 1920 revolutionized frozen desserts, combining convenience and enjoyment, setting the stage for ice cream trucks.

The popup, 'Putt Across America', featured holes representing various U.S. landmarks, humorously combining nostalgia with ironic commentary on contemporary American culture.

The first-ever Girl Scout cookies were buttery sugar cookies, handmade by young Girl Scouts with the help of their mothers, sold as treats in schools.

Johnson's obsession with health led him to extreme dietary practices, focusing almost exclusively on raw meat, particularly from various bovine organs, as a means to achieve personal strength and health.

Making an adult child pay rent in their parents' home. They're not contributing to the total rent of a rented house or towards bills, which would be reasonable if they have a job, etc., but are paying rent on an owned property. I'll never understand that.

Gun sales have declined significantly from peaks during the pandemic, with Americans purchasing only 15.3 million firearms in 2024, down from over 20 million in 2020.

In 2009, McBride teamed up with his friends and collaborators from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, namely Hill, Green, and Ben Best to create Eastbound & Down.

The Rockettes began in 1925 in St. Louis, where they were a company of 16 dancers called 'The Rockets.' Precision dance was considered 'new-fangled' and 'cool.'

The NEH has funded over 70,000 projects in all 50 states, enabling significant advancements in humanities research and cultural understanding for vital self-knowledge.

"The Japanese have such skill when it comes to denim...They've got a great understanding of how to create beautiful fabrics, and an amazing capability when it comes to washing and construction."

For decades, the conflict in Vietnam lay at the heart of America's discussion about itself, ... and that viscerally divided a generation.

Hunter S. Thompson's legacy of gonzo journalism reflects a unique blend of subjective narrative and structured reporting, raising questions about the interpretation of facts.

"Barack Obama's beer brewing project started in the White House kitchens, with a home brewing kit from a local brew shop and support from his team of chefs."

L.L. Bean Japan Edition takes from the true DNA of L.L. Bean - it's the classic '90s design codes that so many people are familiar with, but through the Japanese lens.