Top Ten Videos of 2009: 3. “Mexican Border Wall”

We’re getting closer to my #1 video of the year… can you feel the excitement building? Of course you can! Try to contain yourselves, and I’ll throw you a bone–one that just happens to be number three on my top ten videos of 2009. I call it “Mexican Border Wall.”

Although I’ve tried to not rely too much on the same sources for this list, astute observers will notice that this is the second video in the top five that comes from The Onion. What can I say? That’s just how the meritocracy of my laughter shook down.

Putting a thumb in the eye of the recent vogue of Hugh Downs-ian, anti-immigrant xenophobia is reason enough for satire, but what I love about this video is how it upends American narcissism. When I travel to other countries I seem unable to avoid running into other Americans, and all too often I’m at least a little embarrassed—if not mortified—by their behavior.

I’m aware that the “assholes abroad” phenomenon is not unique to the U.S. For one example, many will be familiar with the stories about locals in continental Europe bracing for influxes of drunken British louts. Similarly, I’m aware that most popular foreign destinations for Americans don’t end up like spring break in Cancún. There are degrees of douchebaggery.

Here’s a fairly ordinary example: in Munich’s Frauenplatz, a friend and I passed near a foursome of sixtyish suburbanites who griped loudly about their hotel-issued map before agreeing to “just go back to the Starbucks” for something to eat. We put our heads down and gave them a wide berth. It’s little things like that which make me resolve to learn the phrase “I swear to God, I don’t know them” in the language of every country I plan to visit before future trips.

Am I a snob? Do I set too high a behavior standard for Americans traveling abroad? Let me have it in the comments.