What Americans Like

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney. The segment was originally broadcast on Nov. 19, 2006. It was updated on Sep. 4, 2007.

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Time Magazine has a feature story about where Americans live, how they vote, what they believe and what they buy.

For example, Time says Americans buy 35 million cans of Bud Light every day. I'm not one of those millions because I drink an average of two beers a year and neither of them is Bud Light. I don't like anything called light and Anheuser Busch doesn't make a Bud Heavy.

Time says Americans buy 150,000 toy cars every day. I'm not in on that either. I have my toy car, a Sunbeam Tiger with a Ford V8 engine in it. I bought my toy in 1967.

Time says Americans drink 50 million cans of Pepsi every day. Pepsi's okay but I drink Coke out of habit. I used to think of Pepsi as imitation Coke. Then I was surprised to find out that both Coke and Pepsi were first made before 1900. I think Coke's success had something to do with that great little bottle it came in.

Time says we eat 2.4 million Burger King hamburgers a day. I've never understood how you're supposed to get you're mouth around one of these so you can take a bite.

They sell almost 25,000 bags of Whiskas cat food a day. They don't sell any of that to me either because I don't have a cat. If I had time to take care of a cat I wouldn't get a cat. I'd get a dog.

Hostess Twinkies are big sellers, half a million a day. Would a real man get caught eating a Twinkie?

Starbucks sells more than 150,000 pounds of coffee every day. I drink Starbucks. It's good coffee but the beans are over-roasted for me. The coffee has a burned taste.

Toyota Camry. They sell 628 of these cars a day. Whatever a Camry is. I can't figure out how Ford Motors dropped the ball. For about 50 years Ford was the all-American car. Almost everyone bought one at some time or other. Toyota isn't all-American, it's part-Japanese but Americans buy a lot of them now.

One last statistic. More Americans read Time than Newsweek.
By Andy Rooney

[hypnotoad72]

I''ve always loved Andy''s segments, and always will. This one "What Americans Like" is no exception.

I had no idea Americans drank that much carbonated caffeine caramel sugar water that rots tooth enamel. Then we wonder why the dentist charges so much... :)

[berhsu]

Mr Rooney,

You are a nice guy but I''m sorry to say that everytime I watch your commentary its a big dissapointment. This was especially true on your latest "What Americans Like". Can you tell me how is it that reading off a news magazine compelling journalism? Did you do any investigation or research? Or did you simply rehashed someone else''s material? Was this a 3rd grade book report? And who cares if you don''t drink Bud Light or can''t put your mouth around a Whopper? How is that important to anyone?! What value did you add to this topic? Please, your not even funny! There must be someone else on the staff that can use your 2 minutes to do some orginal reporting that is important. Enough is enough. You have to go!

[ginaconklin]

I don''t understand how you can tell the rest of us Americans it''s not okay to buy a Japanese car as opposed to a Ford when your toy, the Sunbeam, is a British automobile. That''s a little like calling the kettle black, isn''t it Mr. Rooney? For shame.

[Brian Daly]

Sunbeam TIGER, is a British automobile with an AMERICAN engine. So was the MGB-GT/V8, Truiumph TR-8, and the Allard of the post-war 1940s (Ford, then Cadillac engine). Our two economies and cultures seem so joined at the hip, one wonders about the need of a passport to travel between the two countires.

[prairiefox1]

Talking about FORD, i have a ford pickup and it lost reverse gear! the part would cost about $79.00! would ford sell me the part? NOOOOOO!
BUT THEY WOULD SELL ME THE SECTOR FOR ONLY $749.00 AND IF I DID NOT WANT TO PUT THE PART IN THEN THEY WOULD GLADLY DO IT FOR ONLY $1200.
WHAT A DEAL!
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER WILL I PURCHASE A FORD PRODUCT AGAIN!

[oleander8]

I''d like to go in a restaurant and order a coke and not be told they only sell pepsi - or, ask for a pepsi and be told they only sell coke. I remember when you COULD do that.

[zebulum1]

yup au hu yup au ha most fun automobil i had buick electra 225 paid 400 4 it and never changed the oil 4 over 8000 miles it was a 1974 broke doewn after driveing over a curb withe an itlian girl in the front seat food and beverages yap like them all but i dont drink alcohol maybee a little champain withe my steak on a great once in a while i drink soda pop like its goin outa styel i have two cats apartment life suites us we have traveld together my cats and i all over the entier north western contnint at 40 years old iam as and more healthy then a horse or any outhe man or creatcher i know or dont brok my hand last monthe and went to work the same day and every chance i got since the brake didint need pain piels or asprin just coffee food and soda pop

alexander usa alaska hay andy tell ur buds love the geek stuff im one my self proud too say

[michellem99-2009]

What Americans like
By Barbara Ann
Ye ask each and yer get
a different answer.
Somes like cars.
I use mass tranit.
Some like pop.
I don''t care for it.
Some like a cup of coffee.
I will have a cup of tea.
Some yak on a mobile phone.
I woulg rather use computer.
Some ride a bike.
I would rather walk.
Some would perfer their gun.
I don''t belive in gun ownership.
Some attend church.
I don''t for personal reasons.
Yet I belive in Jesus.
Some are rich and greedy.
I am poor and happy.
Whan all said and done
What Americans care most.
Freedom.
Amreica what do you like.
Think about thet,Madam.

Please give Barbara Ann credit as I wrote this. thank you.

[socrates392]

You are an old ***. Retire now and save some shred of dignity.

[tomflint69]

Coke is the best since you need not paste your teeth. Just take a few sips and it would dissolve your teeth! lol.

[hvmom1]

Andy, I do respect you. But tonight I thought you came across as just a grumpy old man. (Sorry!) Besides, are you kidding me? You don''t know what a Camry is?! Tsk, tsk.