The US has more strict TV (especially TV, and especially programs supposedly viewed by youngsters), film, book, music, magazine...etc censorship than most other Western countries, and Japan, and countless others. The US has higher legal drinking age, practices drug enforcement harder, than most other countries. The US has a very low tolerance to public use of profanity and cursing. I am sure there are other such things I fail to come up with.

The point is, despite of all this, in my experience, most non-Americans today who have never been to the US seem to still think America as the "wild" country, where "the people are really open minded" and "extremely non-conservative" Sometimes this image can be so far off, consider how little censorship go on in some other countries. I remember being shocked when I first moved to the States how sensitive people are to hearing cursing in the public. I was amazed. I look at the acceptable level of sex and violence and "mature themes" for America's cartoon and comics and compare that to that of Japan's, and there is an unbelievable gap too.

Big question: How is it that non-Americans form a way-off image of America concerning, what do you call it, degree of acceptance to these things (anyone can come up with a good term)?

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Originally posted by Dio Seijuro

The point is, despite of all this, in my experience, most non-Americans today who have never been to the US seem to still think America as the "wild" country, where "the people are really open minded" and "extremely non-conservative"

I think the important words in your sentence are "who have never been to the US". I would add : "who are not really interested in what the US society is but just knwo it though its pop culture (TV, movies, bands)".
American movies and TV shows are the main representants of the USA abroad. They give the image of a country where everything is possible - in the bad way as well as in the good way. They often support various, more or less relevant, myths, such as the lone cowboy, the californian beatnick or the self-made man. These myths are so strong in the american identity, both for american people and for foreigners, that they still maintain this "wild country" image - "the american dream"

But, for 30 years, fiction has been showing people whoe are more interested into author's movies and off-the road shows a very different image of the USA. A country with its many social and racial problems, where the law and the lawyers play a major part, and most of all a very violent and conservative country. This is starting to turn into a new myth - the "american hell".

Both myths have their part of truth, of course - we all decide which one is the most accurate, depending on our own story !

Does this mean Japan does not really have Godzilla?

The question is does Godzilla swear?

Originally posted by astrapol2

But, for 30 years, fiction has been showing people whoe are more interested into author's movies and off-the road shows a very different image of the USA. A country with its many social and racial problems, where the law and the lawyers play a major part, and most of all a very violent and conservative country. This is starting to turn into a new myth - the "american hell".

The conservative part doesn't look like myth to me, though, now that I've lived in the US for 8 years. Refer to my original posting, censorship in the US really is extremely conservative compared to most other countries. Drinking age and its enforcement, drug laws and its enforcement, and many other such laws and strict enforcements are out there that most other countries don't really have or practice seriously. Now, since it doesn't seem myth to me, I'm very curious about how Americans today are so conservative compared to other countries. Could be because there are too many lawyers waiting to sue somebody for anything, like you said. Yes, that could very well be the reason. :)

Perhaps tomorrow I'll go and intentionally fall down in the local super market and sue them for 1 million dollars, I've seen this in a book that teaches you how to sue people for everyday little things.

Okay, then new question. Why aren't people suing each other like crazy in other countries?

Just by curiosity : from what country do you come ?

When I talk about "myth", I do not mean that these things are not real. I mean that som aspects of the US society have becomen mythic - archetypal, if you prefer.
I also believe that the "open minded" aspects of american is not incompatible with the quite normative and conservative american society. From my small experince of the USA (which happen to be in Florida) and from the american people I have met, I got the feeling that most american are quite enthusiast people, optimistic and supportive, and that it is easier to talk to strangers in the USA than in Europe (at least France or UK). But on the other hand, it is true that the american people often are much more conservative than European.

About lawyers - I think the legal system makes a part of the difference, and culture makes the other part. For example, in France, the legal system does not make it possible to get huge sums of money if you sue anyone for responsibility. And trial is often a long and complex process, so people don't even try it. Plus, for the cultural aspect, people are not comfortable with trying to get money from their problems, there is a feeling of guilt associated to money in catholic countries. But these things are changing, since both law and culture are influenced by the anglo-saxon way of life.
In France many people have seen trials only in american movies and believe that the french system and "ritual" is similar, while it is in fact quite different (we do not refer to the Bible, we do not call the judge "your honor"…)