Women will look around all confused, but every single male that hears it will instinctively start looking around because it means that pretty shortly there's going to be an elephant stampede and that is simply that.
There's a lot more truth to that than a lot of people may think. I know this for a fact. I've tried it near elephants and it gets their attention. I was at the zoo last spring near the elephant cage and curiosity overwhelmed me. I had the Tarzan yell on my cell phone as a ringtone and played it.
The first time the elephants looked to see where it came from and the second time a couple of them started trumpeting. I didn't play it a third time because I was afraid that there might very well be a stampede.
Still, I wonder if there is anything more recognizable as being American the world over like the good old fashioned Western movie.
Even a lot of people living in mud huts in the middle of nowhere know what a Western is and in a lot of parts of the world people that meet their first American face to face are surprised that he is not wearing a Stetson and carrying a six-shooter.
Seeing how the Good Old United States Cavalry comes to the rescue in a lot of Westerns I can't think that there are a lot of Third World people out there that hear 'Charge!' played on a bugle would start looking for a place to hide because they just KNOW that the US Cavalry is about to come boiling over the hill and that someone's going to get a pretty good whuppin'.
Of course, even back before WW2 the idea of the US Cavalry coming to the rescue was seated deep in our hearts to the point where it was mentioned in a Three Stooges short, 'Out West'. The Arizona Kid escapes his cell and gets to the Cav outpost and asks for help. He says to the colonel that he hopes they won't be too late.
The colonel replies, "Son, never in the history of motion pictures has the U.S. Cavalry been too late."
It really is that much a part of the American soul as is the lone gunman, either bad or good. I guess more often than not it was a good guy chasing a bad guy, but there are a number of variations.
Still, one kind of western that still makes the rounds is the good old fashioned Oater with plenty of "Head 'em off at the pass" chases and plenty of shooting. While these haven't been made in a while it is likely they are still shown in third world makeshift bijous from time to time.
Incidentally, because of Westerns an awful lot of people know what a tomahawk is. For example, in Afghanistan a few Rangers carried them as Rangers are sometime apt to do. I have heard from a couple of reports that the Afghanis recognize them on sight as being Native American weapons.
Seeing Afghanistan has somewhat of a blade culture, the bearers of these tend to be well respected as fierce warriors.
Still I suppose if I had to make a list of things that are pure, 100% American and are world known I would probably put the American Western pretty close to the top of the list.
To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html
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