LIFESTYLE

The Advertised American Isn’t Average

The fictional standard we’re all comparing ourselves to

Friends provides the supreme example of characters being able to afford to live well on jobs that in reality would have them living in squalor. Photo by Mahrous Houses on Unsplash

The “average American” does not exist.

We live in a big country with lots of different people living lots of different lives, yet we’ve all heard plenty of references to “the average American.” It’s a phrase I’ve been guilty of using myself.

What we really mean when we say “the average American” is the sort of person we see represented in advertising, mixed in a bit with whatever we see in our own bubble.

That is not the Average American. That is the Advertised American.

And the Advertised Americans have really good lives! They live in beautiful homes and they’re always fashionably dressed. Their hair is perfectly styled and looks great. They appear overjoyed when shopping. Their children are well-groomed and well-behaved. Oh, and they always drive expensive cars in mint condition.

They have a dog that doesn’t shed, bark at strangers or try to hump your leg.

Best of all, these Advertised Americans have free time. You’ll see them hanging out with a cast of impossibly attractive and racially diverse friends. They’re typically either hiking, partying on the beach, or drinking coffee or wine at some…