Following are additional chapter notes for "The Average American"
(For Chapters 1-7, please click here)
CHAPTER 8: GOING COASTAL
118-119 "attended church weekly... 2002 to 2004": Helliker, Kevin, Wall Street Journal (via "Health concern? Get thee to church," Desert News, May 4, 2005), cites National Opinion Research Center study.
122 “‘to correct their vision’”: Henderson, Diedtra, Associated Press, September, 2004.
123 “A landmark 2003 study by Harvard and Oxford scholars”: Wade, Nicholas, and Wilford, John Noble, “New World Ancestors Lose 12,000 Years,” New York Times, July 25, 2003.
123n “I could not apply statistics that expressed inaction”: The problem with such an approach can also be illustrated with a criterion that would advance candidates for not being born in a precise geographical location. If all locations were applied, as consistency would demand, all candidates would be eliminated.
124 “an unseasonably hot afternoon”: August 6, 2003. The next day, CNN International reported that the 6th was the hottest day ever recorded in London.
125 "a vast number of laborers... city to beg"/"Half of what they had been"/"at least 375 distinct languages": Taylor, Alan, American Colonies, Penguin, 2001.
126 “the ability to speak it fluently”: Incidentally, a 2005 Census Bureau analysis determined, as reported in New York Times, “21 percent of all women who gave birth in California in the last year and 14 percent in Arizona, Nevada and Texas either did not speak English well or did not speak it at all.” Lewin, Tamar, “Data on Marriage and Births Reflect the Political Divide,” New York Times, October 13, 2005.
128 “63 percent of Americans… 72 percent of these cases”: Faces & Voices of Discovery press release, “Poll Finds Addiction has Impacted the Lives of 63 Percent of Americans,” May 14, 2004.
129 "two-thirds of Americans": And in 2003, when Gallup asked broadly if marijuana should be legal or not, 64 percent of Americans were opposed. Two years later, the Gallup percentage was at 60.
131 “how far most of the population lives from the ocean”: Grassle reported 50 miles and New York Times article reported 100 miles. Reported HBO's global-warming documentary "Too Hot Not to Handle," which debuted on April 22, 2006, "Over half of U.S. residents live within 50 miles of the ocean."
CHAPTER 9: FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN
133 “you have some well-known competition”: Of course, it’s not just males. In its September 13, 2004 issue, People magazine included this quote from Jenna Bush, who was describing her mother, First Lady Laura Bush: “She’s a normal woman.” Tennis magazine, in its May, 2004 issue, included this quote from tennis star Venus Williams: “I’m just a regular girl, I really am.” Williams was commenting “on her need to accessorize, after showing off her diamond-encrusted earrings in Australia.” The wife of musician Rob Thomas, speaking of her and Thomas’ new New York suburban home, told the television show EXTRA, for the February 17, 2004 episode, “Doing normal things, to us, is very exciting.” Reported In Style magazine: “After a couple years of boisterous big-city living, musician Rob Thomas and his wife, model Marisol, discover nirvana in the suburbs of New York.”
133 “with celebrities, ordinariness is in”: Not that this is a new development. John Wayne once declared, “I’m just an ordinary goddamn American and I talk for all the ordinary goddamn Americans, the butchers and bakers and plumbers. I know these people; I know what they think.”
135 “142 votes across the nation”: reported by thegreenpapers.com.
136 "each year on beer advertising": The advertising helped lead to an average expediture of $285 per person on alcoholic beverages in 2002, or more than $100 more than the average expenditure for "life and other personal insurance." CB.
136 "a 2004 study": The source is Canadean, an international beverage research company. Others the U.S. trailed: Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium and Slovakia.
137 "tolerant of gay and lesbian relationships": This continued into 2006, as Gallup research conducted May 8-11, 2006 shows that 54 percent of Americans are so tolerant.
139 “the average number of television channels in U.S. homes”/"15 of those channels": In 2004, Variety reported that “the average viewer” has 100 channels and views a minimum of 15 on a regular basis. Lowry, Brian, “Games nets play obscure hunt for bigger prize,” Variety, July 24, 2004. Based on households and the growth in channels, the above numbers have been eclipsed.
139 "27 in 1994": The source is Jim Stengel, global marketing officer, Procter & Gamble.
139 "below one-third of the national population": And when counting those who watch only a small fraction of the Super Bowl telecast, the percentage is still below 50 percent. Richard Sandomir reported after the 2006 telecast that "ABC preferred to publicize that the game attracted a total of 141.4 million viewers (a measure of how many people watched at least six minutes of the game, even if they were not viewed consecutively). It is a bloated figure. Nielsen computes it but does not use it much. Networks and the league use it to highlight viewership at its absolute peak." Sandomir, Richard, "Sloppy or Not, Big Game Is Smash Hit," New York Times, February 7, 2006.
140 "would rather spend": "Hail, Hail Chief!" Milwaukee Journal, February 17, 2003. An earlier report, citing ABC News research, simply places the percentage in "the majority." Hough, Lory, "Profiles of Success," Innovations in Public Service (JFK School of Government), May 25, 2001, cites ABC News research.
140 “a middle-income household”: In 2003, the Washington Times reported a larger span: “One way economists define the middle class is to divide American families into five equally sized groups, with 20 percent of families in each group. The lowest fifth includes families who earn less than $24,000 a year, and the top fifth covers families who earn more than $165,000 annually.” Baker, Chris, “What is middle class?” Washington Times, November 30, 2003.
140 “In 2003, this middle-range stretched”: CB, August, 2004 report, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003.”
141 "the highest level of inequality": The CIA has pegged the 2007 Gini number at 450, ranking it among the 50 highest-scoring countries, significantly below leaders Namibia (707, from 2003 data) and South Africa (650, from 2005) and above its lowest-scoring nations, Sweden (230, from 2005) and Norway (250, from 2008).
144 “This seeming incongruity”: Writes former White House counsel John W. Dean, “In short, the data show that that the culture war is not arising from a genuinely divided America. Rather, it is a tool of those political and cultural activists who seek to keep things stirred up, and a creation of a news media more interested in conveying conflict than sorting out facts from fiction. In short, the cultural polarization of America is a myth." Dean, John W., “A Closer Look At the Red State/Blue State Divide: It Is Mostly Hokum,” FindLaw, December 3, 2004.
144n “Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy”: And outside the U.S., such appeals go back much further. In 343 B.C., Greek philosopher Aristotle noted, “The most perfect political community must be amongst those who are in the middle rank.”
145 "House representative would need to be from the Republican Party": With the 2006 midterm elections, most Americans shifted to being represented by a Democrat, as did the Average American. But it was a centrist outcome. As New York Times writer Jennifer Medina reported on November 16, 2006, about the Republican and Democrat vying for the House seat in the Average American's district, "In the end, the race... proved to be one of the tightest contests in the country."
146 “an average of at least 500 a day”: some studies have even placed this number in the thousands – for example, “3,000 ads a day through different forms of media”: Jeon, Arthur, City Dharma, Harmony Books, 2004.
147 "classic tune": The song is "Pink Houses."
148 "consume ice cream at least once a month": Each year, 1.4 billion gallons of ice cream is produced in the U.S., enough to fill the Grand Canyon. Some 98 percent of U.S. households purchase ice cream. "Test Your Ice Cream I.Q.," Christian Science Monitor, June 29, 2005.
CHAPTER 10: AVERAGE AMERICAN VOTER
154 “the majority of local politicians are Democrats”: This Democratic lead is expected to remain in part because of the growing Hispanic population. Reported Campaigns & Elections in September, 2002, “Nearly 90 percent of the nation’s 5,170 Hispanic elected officials are Democrats.”
154 "19,429"/"16,504"/13,506": 2002 Census of the Governments, CB.
155 “more than 60 percent of the population reads books”: this figure was extrapolated from the NEA report figure of 56.6 percent of U.S. adults having read a book in the previous year. The 2004 NEA report chronicled figures from 2002.
155 “on average, Americans have nine friends”: ABC’s “Good Morning America.” However, don't expect all friends to be extremely close. In 2006, New York Times reported, “A recent study by sociologists at Duke and the University of Arizona found that, on average, most adults only have two friends they can talk to about the most important subjects in their lives – serious health problems, for example, or issues like who will care for their children should they die.” Fountain, Henry, “The Lonely American Just Got a Bit Lonlier,” New York Times,
157 “dental appointment”: According to the Centers for Disease Control, those 2 years and older who went to the dentist in the past year went from to 64.9 percent in 1997 to 65.2 percent in 1999 to 64.5 percent in 2002.
157 “the percentage of the population using the Internet”: The ever-increasing percentage of Internet use has brought an ever-increasing power to average Americans. Indeed, in mid-2006, Wired magazine placed “People Power” at No. 1 on its “Six Trends Driving the Global Economy,” observing, “The tools of production, from blogging to video-sharing, are fully democratized, and the engine for growth is the spare cycles, talent, and capacity of regular folks, who are, in aggregate, creating a distributed labor force of unprecedented scale.” Anderson, Chris, “People Power,” Wired, July, 2006.
159 "39 percent... 7 percent": And in a 2005 poll - conducted by Gallup for CNN - these two percentages were at 40 percent and 8 percent.
160 "[on average,] Americans own seven pairs": Malone, Scott, "By the numbers," WWD, May 9, 2002.
163 “‘I am not, as they say, in the loop’”: In character, Tomlin went on to say, “I am here to represent the millions of average Americans who helped to make up Oprah’s audience. We provide her with most of her subject matter. On many shows, I could have been an expert. My family, like all others, is dysfunctional.”
163 "more female than male U.S. residents": However, more males than females are born in the country. Roberts, Sam, "Come October, Baby Will Make 300 Million or So," New York Times, January 13, 2006.
163 “Most teachers are female”: Seventy-one percent of teachers are female, CB reported in an April 22, 2004 press release on May’s Teacher Appreciation Week.
163 “at least as well off financially”: A Time/CNN poll reported 70 percent were better off than their parents.
164 “compared to their parents”: “Where Do You Fit In?” New York Times, May 15, 2005
164 “their social class when they were growing up”: “A Land of Opportunity,” New York Times, May 15, 2005.
164 “1999 survey found”: From the report "Building Strong Families" by the nonprofit Search Institute, which notes that the survey and its 53 percent majority is from "Kids These Days '99," a 1999 Public Agenda study.
164 "average U.S. life span": Separately, Loyola University philosophy professor Al Gini reported that by 2050, "the average life expectancy of men and women" will hit 89. Gini, Al, The Importance of Being Lazy, Routledge, 2003.
164 “nearly 45 percent of American sixty-year-olds”: 44 percent, according to a 2001 AARP survey. In 1960, the percentage was 24 percent.
166 "planting 3 million trees": "Depression-era jobs still appreciated today," Associated Press, September 4, 2001.
166 “roughly 65 percent of Americans”: Survey Sampling International reported 65 percent.
167 "thirteen vacation days": Manuel, Marlon, "Warped speed: Where has all the time gone?" Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 12, 2002.
167 "70 percent of Americans plan": "Long road trips call for road stops and tethering," Charlotte Observer (via Knight Ridder), July 15, 2003, cites AAA research.
169 “Wal-Mart, where more than 80 percent”: BusinessWeek reported that in 2002, “82% of American households made at least one purchase at Wal-Mart.” Bianco, Anthony, and Zellner, Wendy, “Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?” BusinessWeek, October 6, 2003.
170 “5 feet 4 inches…5 feet 9-1/2 inches”: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on 2002 findings. The CDC also reported that on average, women and men in the U.S. grew about one inch from 1960 to 2002.
170n “the nation’s five largest employers were”: Dallas Morning News, May 18, 2004
CHAPTER 11: SON OF THE FATHER OF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN
173 "the longtime chairman... now head of the nonprofit": To further clarify, Gallup was former chairman of the Gallup Organization and was serving as the head of the Gallup Institute.
180 “if he held some kind of secret”: Harvard psychology professor Daniel Wegner noted, “In a very deep sense, you don’t have a self unless you have a secret, and we all have moments throughout our lives when we feel we’re losing ourselves in our social group, or work or marriage, and it feels good to grab for a secret, or some subterfuge, to reassert our identity as somebody apart.” Carey, Benedict, “The Secret Lives of Just About Everybody,” New York Times, January 11, 2005. A survey found that 75 percent of Christian men “have secrets they won’t share with anyone.” Lackey, Terri, “Christian men urged to beware of falling into sexual sins,” The Baptist Standard (via BP News), October 3, 2003. And then there's lying. Robert Feldman, a professor, psychologist and expert on lying, will reveal in his book about lying, published by Twelve, that the average person lies two to three times during a ten-minute conversation. Publishers Marketplace, October 17, 2007.
182 “stupid oafs”/”big defender of the average American": Luther, Claudia, “Burns ‘Bud’ Roper, 77: Pollster Who Changed Focus of Questions,” Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2003.
184 “eight established towns in the Gold Coast area sport a median combined household income of $155,655”: This was based on Census 2000 findings for Darien, Easton, Greenwich, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton. “Study fails to find ‘average’ Connecticut town,” Associated Press, June 18, 2004.
184 “the national median”: Between 2004 and 2005, the national median household income rose 1.1 percent – to $46,326. From CB report, August, 2006, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the
184 “the nation’s most profitable cable television network”: Variety.com, March 16, 2005.
184 “in danger of closing”: In May, 2005, the Pentagon recommended the closing of the sub base. The Pentagon recommendation was rejected by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and the base remained open.
185 “twenty-eight of the state’s rural towns”: “Study fails to find ‘average’ Connecticut town,” Associated Press, June 18, 2004.
CHAPTER 12: THE AVERAGE AMERICAN
188 "begun to call 'Averageville'": No longer a preliminary match, Averageville hit all the community criteria.
189 "aging private airport": It is open to the public, but only for private and chartered planes.
189 “a number of fast-food restaurants”: Among the outlets in the town of the Average American: the four “limited service restaurants” with at least five percent of U.S. market share. According to the Advertising Age 2005 Fact Book, these four restaurants are McDonald’s, with 19.5 percent U.S. market share; Burger King, 7.0; Wendy’s, 6.5; and Subway, 5.0.
190 “roughly equaled the number,” Hall, Dan, Associated Press, September 13, 1980. Hall reported that there were “more than 100 anti-Klan demonstrators” and “about 100” at the rally.
192 "the nearest McDonald's": A curious image - a full-page photograph of the town's only McDonald's - appears with theTime magazine cover essay on American averageness which features this book. Athough the photograph is the only one that appears next to the article, there aren't any references in the magazine to where the search ended, not even which region of the country. Also unaware of the search's destination: the Time editor who chose the photo from a collection of 13,963 photos, taken by nine photographers at various places across the nation. "Incredible!" a Time editor on the piece wrote in an email after she realized the connection. "What are the odds... ?"
195 “his will bequeathed”: Bayles, Richard M., “History of Windham County,” W.W. Preston & Company, 1889.
197 "the national average": The rate may be quicker for paramedics, as the Chicago Daily Herald reports "the average national response time for paramedics is about 10 minutes." Grusich, Kate, "Paramedics push defibrillator use," Chicago Daily Herald, February 4, 2004.
206 "my class silk-screened shirts"/"The shirt was one of the items sold": The silk-screened artwork was created by Renee Allie, a student in my class and now of New Orleans. Renee sold the t-shirts at the school's Spring Festival.
209 “dark hair, as do most Americans”: only about 9 percent of Americans have blond hair. Washington Times, June 6, 2002.
209 "has always, consciously, only purchased American-made vehicles": Interestingly, Gallup research would reveal, "Overall, 59% of Americans [18 and older] say they mainly drive a domestic brand car." The Gallup Poll, June 7, 2006.
209 "Like most American homes... did not have a separate dining room": "Occupied Housing Units - Housing Indicators by Selected Characteristics of the Householder: 2003," CB.
211 “satisfied…in their local community”: In January, 2005 Gallup reported that 76 percent are satisfied with the way things are going in their community. Also of note is the 1999 American Housing Survey, which found that on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best), 87 percent of home owners and 73 percent of renters “gave their neighborhoods a rating of 7 or better.”
211 “study on happiness”: “Just How Happy Are We?” Time, January 17, 2005.
213 “fishing, which 58 percent of Americans have experienced”: Free-Lance Star, January 12, 2001. The same percentage was later reported by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
221 "the birds were singing when I knocked": It is probably worth noting that the residence is not in a gated community, with gated Americans indeed in the minority. Interestingly, in Suburban Nation, authors Duany, Plater-Zyberk, and Speck (they are from Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., a community-revitalization and design firm noted for Seaside, Florida and Kentlands, Maryland) report of gated communities, "The unity of society is threatened not by the use of gates but by the uniformity and exclusivity of the people behind them. Unfortunately, the segregationist pattern is self-perpetuating. A child growing up in such a homogeneous environment is less likely to develop a sense of empathy for people from other walks of life and is ill prepared to live in a diverse society. The other becomes alien to the child's experience, witnessed only through the sensationalizing eye of the television."
A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY
224 “a routine physical over the past year”: 69 percent according to “News Hour with Jim Lehr” (PBS), January, 2000. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2002, 54.1 percent of all residents visited primary care physicians.
NOTES
233 “‘more upscale and younger’”: The headline of the article is “How Will TV Survive Its Own Reality Show?”
237 “Wal-Mart saved Americans”: The headline of the article is “Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?”
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