1][15][18] The message of the book was that Americans officials abroad were ignorant of local customs, social norms, and culture, and thereby losing influence to communism in the region, during the period of the Cold War.
As the French franc plummeted in value against the U.S. dollar, some tourists started sticking them on the walls of railway compartments and onto their luggage, as they did with hotel and steamship labels.
[21][22] The term was invoked after Justin Leonard holed a 45-foot putt on the 17th green at the 33rd Ryder Cup held in September 1999, resulting in extensive and adverse media coverage.
[23][24] Later, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the term was widely used after members of the US 4 × 100 relay team pranced around the stadium, flexing their muscles and making poses with the American flag, after winning a gold medal.
[29] John McEnroe was regularly cited in the media as being an "Ugly American" for his on-court tantrums and off-court negative comments about London and Paris.
[30] In contrast, Andre Agassi who early in his tennis career was labeled a "potential ugly American", managed to transform himself into a crowd favourite.
[31] In women's tennis, Serena Williams's outburst at the 2009 US Open semifinal against Kim Clijsters, and again at the 2018 tournament reiterated the "Ugly American" label.
[33][34] At the same Olympics, Gold medalist Ryan Lochte was named the ugly American by media outlets after falsely reporting a robbery at gunpoint during the tournament.
[37][38][39] In 2007, Presidential hopeful John McCain outlined a series of measures to roll back Bush policies and counter the "ugly American" image.
[54] The movie Sex and the City 2 has been cited as a typical portrayal of the "ugly American" image, where Samantha makes fun of Middle Eastern culture and women in traditional dress during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.