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- [00:02]
A
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- [00:27]
B
All right, so as some of you guys might know, the FIFA World cup starts tomorrow on June 11, and the US is hosting it along with Canada and Mexico over the next week and a half or so. And anyway, you guys know me. You know I am not the biggest sports fan. I get most of my sports information from my husband and listening to part in my take playing in the background of our life 24 7, that's kind of where I get all my intel. And unfortunately for this specific moment in time, and unfortunately for me, because I need to be kept in the loop on these things. Alex is not, not the biggest football fan, American soccer fan. So I have been having to rely on social media for information about this big global event. And let me tell you, I have been being served content. For the last five days, my timeline has exclusively been World cup fans traveling to the States. And guys, this episode really is not gonna be about sports. It is going to be about this. Because that right there is the best PR America has gotten in years. And I, like the rest of the Internet now, am obsessed with with Freddie the German football fan who is road tripping across Southern America and documenting his experiences on X. Like, this might be more genuinely unifying and patriotic than anything coming out of America. 250. Sorry, Trump, I'm just being honest here. And it is also such a great rebuttal for people who look down their noses at our country and claim that we have no culture. All right now going into the World Cup, I feel like Americans at large thought that the next two to three weeks we're just gonna be filled with people crapping on us because. Because like, what's new? That happens all the time. We're not good enough. Our history is not rich enough. We have no culture. We are not interesting and elite, like the whatever fricking European person is talking. And just to give you guys a visual example of this so we can all be on the same page, back in 2025, there was that brief moment in time where there was a US TikTok ban and a French tiktoker got on camera to celebrate Americans not being on the platform because obviously we're so terrible. And she said this.
- [02:14]
C
You know what it reminds me of? The Euro talk and world talk, the non US talk, but especially Euro talk,
- [02:23]
B
meaning TikTok Euro talk, which does not have us in it. Global Talk without American TikTok is what she's saying.
- [02:30]
C
Okay. Having been exposed to it for a few days, it's like having left a very tumultuous, trauma, bonded relationship with a lot of drama and a lot of passion and a lot of ups and downs and maybe some narcissistic abuse, codependency, emotional rollercoaster, and suddenly finding yourself in a healthy relationship.
- [03:02]
B
All of this over TikTok just because Americans were no longer on the platform for 4, 48 hours, that impacted you so much because you despised us that much. Like, it's pretty impressive that normal American girls doing get ready with me videos on TikTok had that much of an impact. Had that much of a trauma, bonding, narcissistic, abusive impact on her life. So I guess good for us because we're that impactful. Anyway, moving on from that, you guys get the gist of it? I just wanted to give an example of that kind of disdain. And to be fair, there were some people online who did immediately cause a ruckus. For example, some Spaniards and other football fans from around the world were not happy that Spain's practice field was at a high school. In my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee high School, the number two team in the world was having to practice at a high school. However, the important thing to note is that the high school in question is a school called Baylor, which is one of the best private schools in the country. It's also the second best private boarding school in Tennessee, only behind Macaulay, of course, which is where Alex and my brothers went. Sorry, they're rivals, so I had to throw that in there. But look at this photo. Baylor is stunning. It is huge. The facilities are incredible. They literally have rolled out the red carpet for the Spanish team. And in my personal, very obviously unbiased opinion, Chattanooga is one of the most beautiful, incredible smaller towns in the country. But some people, the Europeans, didn't think that it was good enough for the number two men's soccer team in the world. And here was Chattanooga's rebuttal.
- [04:29]
D
All I needed. That's all I needed for him to do that. And it became personal with me. We'll have a look.
- [04:38]
B
Of course we'll have a look. Shh. Game's gone. The game's gone. The game's gone. I'm being shadyish. I'm being shadyish. He may have actually picked the wrong club. I mean, it's a fire edit and it is a fire town in my personal opinion. Sorry, just had to throw that in there because I love it. Anyway, back to to the real point of this episode. Amidst all of that grumbling in the comments about players having to train at high schools, staying at embassy and in suites versus I don't even know where they'd be staying in Europe. Somewhere without air conditioning, I can tell you that. But there is something that is far more joyful and unifying that has come out of this World cup. And his name is Freddy. He is a German fan who is spending the next month or so traveling around the US and Canada to catch as many World cup games as possible. And his infectious excitement about experiencing America just like normal, everyday America might be the greatest thing to ever happen on X. So he landed just last week from Germany in Atlanta. And just look at these posts from his road trip. He said, atlanta is so green, it's crazy. It feels like you're in a forest the whole time. Yeah, Freddie, prepare to have your mind blown because it is a forest. Literally is a forest. He also traveled up to North Georgia. He found something perfect for him. He said, we found a German village in the mountains of North Georgia. Lol. I feel right at home. The next thing you know, he's then hiking up Stone Mountain. He's floating down the Chattahoochee river, which is amazing. And then at night, he goes on drives as they move into the next town and into Gainesville. And in Gainesville, Georgia, he discovered the American suburb writing. Just passing through a town called Gainesville. And this place looks beautiful. The houses are insane. Wow. And it's just so perfect and hilarious that he is loving that. Because little does he know those are the antebellum homes that the angry white liberals are desperate to have torn down because. Because of black people. Because we need to save the black people. If you get married at one of those antebellum homes, Freddie, prepare your apology. So shield your eyes and look away. Anyway, I won't go on a tangent, but I will actually go on a tangent about Grand Canyon University. You guys should know that a worthwhile college degree does not have to be expensive when you choose gcu. Now, here's the thing about higher education. Obviously you guys know this, but most of it is a scam. In 2026, you take on this huge mountain of debt, you get a degree in something that doesn't actually translate to a real job. And then four years later you are broke, you're confused, and you're wondering what happened. And I've been saying this for years, but Grand Canyon University is genuinely different. And that is why I keep working with them and talking about them. Now, you guys might not know this, and this is so incredible, but GCU has frozen their tuition cost since 2009. That is not a typo. Literally since 2009. And while every other university out there has been hiking costs year after year, exploiting you, profiting off of your confusion and your lack of jobs, GCU decided that they were going to make affordability a foundation of the school. And with GCU funded scholarships on top of that great cost, the average student this year is paying only around $8,900 for a private credit Christian university, which is so remarkable and so is the education. With hybrid online and in person classes, GCU offers over 380 academic pathways. That's degrees, embassies and certificates. And they are built for the real world, actual jobs. Plus, 90% of GCU students report that their faith deepened in college. So it is no wonder that while so many colleges are bleeding money and going under and leaving students jobless and confused, GCU is one of the fastest growing universities in the country. It is private, it's Christian, it's affordable, it's non profit, and it truly has something for every kind of student. So find your purpose today at GCU Edu. Again, that's GCU Edu. And if you'd decide to attend in person, I have the perfect thing for your skin while you are in that Arizona heat or anywhere for that matter. And that obviously is beef tallow. Now, I have been using a mallow beef tallow for years. I am genuinely never going back to conventional moisturizer after this. Because listen, I tried beef tallow about four years ago. I got hooked and now half of you guys are hooked as well. And here's the thing about beef tallow that nobody in the mainstream skincare world wants to admit. Your skin already knows what it is. 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So if you have been curious, stop wondering, stop waiting and just go to amalo.com cooper use code cooper15 for 15% off and your skin will figure out the rest. Again, that is amalo.com cooper code cooper15 for 15% off. Anyway, back to Freddie and back to the story. The point is people are obsessed with him. They're obsessed with him, they're obsessed with this. Every one of his posts, it's like the most random sweet thing. It's just like a sort of ugly photo of a street in Atlanta and he's like, this is amazing. And everybody's like, yes it is. It's so amazing. It's racking up millions and millions of impressions. He's been trending for various things literally every single day, at least in my algorithm. And in my opinion, there's one common reason why that I'm seeing in the comment section and it's because we are just not used to that kind of unbridled excitement. Like somebody commented and said, I've gotta say, it's been really refreshing seeing somebody just trying to enjoy what America has got to offer and not constantly shitting on it for views. Hopefully your experience has been and will be amazing. Another guy echoed the sentiment on another one of Freddie's posts and said, so happy to see a European actually visit America and enjoy it. While the snobbish homebody ones who have never set foot in this country derail it like they are experts. Exactly. Now the other thing that has been so special to see, at least from my opinion, is to see people online, see Americans reveling in this and enjoying the parts of our culture and country that we also usually crap on. Like all of our fast food, for example. That obviously is not our healthiest or honorable commodity, but it is also very American. Like one woman commented on an article about Freddie and she said to every international visitor coming to discover why we are so fat, now you have seen behind the curtain also welcome and bon appetit. But let me tell you, Freddie is having a time when it comes to the food. I mean, he is going to Taco Bell, Waffle House, Wendy's, he's going to Chili's where he got the quesadilla explosion salad like the man is having the time of his life. Except. Except this is an important caveat. Except when he tried to get on the Atlanta metro, he quickly learned that that is not the place to be. He commented on his post about it and said it's like a GTA lobby. One person is next to us taking off his sh, declaring war on Donald Trump while another person is moonwalking across the platform. Which honestly is the best description of American public transportation I have ever heard. We have a lot of things. We have a lot of great things that we should be proud of. Public transportation unfortunately is not one of them. Just saying. What's fun is that while Freddie is now this beloved OG and again, he's trending literally every single day. It's like what's the German up to today? What river is he floating down? There are now a bunch of other accounts that are blowing up. Like this girl from Sweden whose name is Elsa. She's actually livestreaming her entire World cup trip. She just to decided discovered ranch at a local American diner that she went to. She posted why did no one tell me that ranch sauce is like crack Europe? We need ranch asap. There's also this fan who just discovered the big gulp from 7 11. He said not gonna lie, big gulps from 711 are easily one of my favorite things I've discovered in America so far and this comment was so perfect. This guy Hildebrandt said somebody's gonna come to the US to see the World cup and stop at a buc EE's and that tweet is going to do like 8 million views. Like Freddie better have that on his to do list. He posted the map of where he's going from Tennessee all the way down to New Orleans. Like Budd know that there's a BUC EE's on the way so you better be stopping because it will certainly blow your mind. But seriously, even though I love the buc EE's and the quesadilla Explosion salad from Chili's, this might be my favorite post so far because all the fast food and super sized portions aside, this really is America and this really is special. Just watch this guy posted and he said I finally got to experience the flyover thing Americans do before big sporting events and I have to say it kind of goes hard and just watch. And they say we have no culture and they say so good, so good so good. New markdowns up to 70% off are at Nordstrom Rack stores now stock up and save big on shoes, tops, dresses, accessories and more must haves for summer. Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. 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- [13:10]
D
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- [13:38]
B
We don't do anything cool. Like buddy, that's not even the most badass flyover we have. Like come back, go to an SEC game, go to a big NFL game. You will see something that will absolutely blow your mind. But what is so special is that they don't even need to see the most insane, badass stealth bombers, you know, Dorito chip plane flying over a football field. They are just as enamored by, you know, the Big Gulps and the forest in Atlanta. And so all over X people are now waiting with bated breath to see where Freddie and these other tourists are going to go because it's so reinvigorating to see our country through fresh, positive eyes. Like somebody said, watching America adopt a German tourist named Freddie has been the best thing to happen on this website since Mudang. I love Mudang. Could not agree more. Another person posted and said, I'm not getting the US Travel Tourism Board, whatever that is at the federal level should sponsor the rest of that German guy's trip through the US the dude is doing insanely good PR for the South. And I agree. I agree he should be compensated because he' great work. But also, I do not at all want the federal government to get involved with this. I do not want it to be made partisan at all. The joy is just too good, it is too unifying for that to happen. So no, Trump, do not touch it. It's like when we were like, don't endorse Spencer Pratt. Don't talk about him. Just like, let him be. Same thing goes for Freddie. Now I will say if somebody were to make a television show out of this, that could do numbers. Just an idea putting that out there, that would be sick. Because clearly all of the politics aside, all of the vitriol and the anger, Americans do want to celebrate our country. We want to be proud of it and laugh at our eccentricities and marvel at the beautiful landscapes. It's just that we have literally spent a decade being told that we are crap, that we are all colonizers, that we offer the world nothing, that we have no culture, that we are just materialistic, whatever it is. And I think that got to a lot of people that we that we're abusers in a narcissistic, codependent relationship, whatever that Tiktoker said. Or according to this commenter on a substack article, that we are just a product to be consumed rather than a way of life. Or according to this commenter, that we are simply just an economic system with no culture to speak of, where there is nothing here for men and nothing for Europeans. Oh, nothing that could tickle the fancy of you elite Europeans. I'm so sorry, Like, I'm sorry Tom random subset commenter, but Freddie here from Germany is obviously proving you wrong. And remember, the same people out there who dismiss American culture as shallow or just products, just an economic system. They consume American movies, they consume American music, they celebrate American celebrities, they revel in our sports, and they simultaneously mock American enthusiasm as gauche. But then they travel here to experience it. They then tune in from across the globe to watch our sports when the NFL goes over there to God knows where in Europe to put on a big game. Even though I think that that's so weird that the NFL wants to go global, guess what? The Europeans show up because they want a piece of this. And so I'm kind of out of one side of my mouth talking to the Europeans, being like, no, we do have a culture. But I'm also talking to Americans to say, no, we do have one. And it's something, yes, to sometimes giggle at and roll our eyes at, but it's something that we should love and be excited. And it's also important to note the size difference between Europe and then just the US as a country. Like obviously our culture is not going to be as homogenous as a tiny country within Europe where there is barely any immigration, where they all live within 100 miles of each other and they all speak the same language and look the exact same. Like, I mean, it would be great if America had that kind of tight knit shared culture, but just due to our sheer size, that's not the case. And while I would argue that yes, America should take more pride in our culture, we should share more values, the majority of our vibrant American culture is all regional. It is community based it is state by state. And so often much of middle America gets overlooked in favor of places like New York or Los Angeles. And so seeing our new friend Freddie delight in Georgia, delight in Tennessee, be so excited about things like Waffle House or the Chattahoochee River. It's just good for the soul. And after doing an entire video last week where I was black pilling and lamenting about Nashville losing its culture and its identity, feeling hopeless with America's culture, like, this really is nice. It's made me really happy. And so on that note, I will leave you with this one last comment. This was on a buzzfeed article that was about Freddie and this woman commented and she said, I was six when my European family and I temporarily moved to Michigan. My mom kept a journal blog that she would email to friends and family back at home to keep them updated, and she still has a printed version of the complete saga laying around at home. Sometimes I like to go back and read it, just to feel that feeling of almost magical wonder and amazement that we had at just about everything. Just like this guy, she goes on, and she says, last year I had the privilege of showing my best friend around Canada. Please don't kill me for making this comparison. But she behaved exactly like this guy too. And it just made my heart all warm and fuzzy seeing her discover a whole new world and its everyday marvels, just like a kid would like, I got so happy when I read that comment. Like, there is so much in this country that we take for granted here, whether that is our varying landscapes that you can get on a plane, come from Tennessee, go to Utah and see the most wildly different incredible landscape. The myriad of subcultures that are so uniquely American but are also so different from one another, whether that is, you know, Western cowboy culture or New England culture. In New Hampshire, we obviously take our wealth for granted. Even though I know the economy's not great right now, we are still doing better than a lot of people. Our health, our convenience, and so much more. So thanks to Freddie. It's really nice to be reminded of how special that is, especially as we're going into our 250th birthday. So thanks Freddie for this. It made my week.