British classmate called ‘all Americans’ stupid for thinking Scotland is a state in England — until peer from Alaska turned the stereotype back on him
Stereotypes can spread quickly, even when they are based on exaggerated or inaccurate ideas. A Reddit user (u/TragicallyTrue), an Alaska-based American student studying in the United Kingdom, was tired of the stereotype "Americans are so stupid." He had had enough when a British student from his class mocked Americans for thinking Scotland is a state in England, so he turned the joke back on him. Sharing the hilarious incident on Reddit on December 20, 2025, the storyteller revealed how his one question proved the classmate wrong.
During one of the classes, the user's classmate said, "Well, all Americans are so stupid. They think that Scotland is a state in England." The then 18-year-old politely requested a rebuttal and asked the classmate if he had ever traveled to the US, to which the student shared that he had visited Orlando twice. The American explained that, while his classmate had spoken with a dozen Americans during four trips to the States, he had been living in the UK for over two years and had often heard people assume that Alaska was in Canada. "How about you not judge my entire country based on 12 idiots you met on vacation in Florida," the user said, which instantly shut the student down.
He revealed that his response made the professor chuckle while other students in the class remained silent. It's very easy to stereotype something simply because it has become a widely discussed idea among the general public. However, these repeated jokes often stem from exaggerated claims that label an entire country or community with a single stereotype. Such assumptions can reduce people to one narrative while ignoring the achievements of many individuals from the same community.
Although the storyteller could have stayed quiet and continued being targeted by a stereotype that is popular among some non-Americans about his country, he refused to be the subject of the joke. With the right comeback, the American not only silenced his classmate but also highlighted the problem with quickly judging an entire group of people.
The user also noted the common expectation held by Europeans that Americans should be aware of European geography, while many remain unfamiliar with American geography themselves. However, he also acknowledged the fact that it was not his intention to mock any specific community, but to challenge the stereotypes surrounding both sides.
Soon after the post gained massive attention, many users shared their thoughts on it. u/largos7289 mentioned, "Yeah we got all kinds.... It's like those street interview shows. Of course they only pick out the complete morons to air, makes you feel better about yourself." u/Zib559 remarked, "Not only people in the UK have the same stereotype about Americans. Just saying." u/hollahollahollah0lla expressed, "Alternative title: there are idiots living everywhere."