What Americans Like

How Much Whiskas Do Americans Buy?

(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.

[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.

[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.

[donnie900]

THe only reason I get starbucks coffee is cuz''a their crum cake.

Toyotas biggest thing is when ya drive down the street after owning one for a month, it doesn''t creak and make funny noises.

And coke is a red thing, pepsi a blue. Which means there''s room fer one more: white.

[cvernon5]

I drive Dodge myself, but, I have owned several Ford's and they are great vehicles. I had a '77 Granada in high school and drove it for NINE months with a blown motor. Try doing that with a Toyota! I currently drive a 2000 Intrepid with 100,000 miles on it. If you looked under the hood, you would think it maybe had 500 on it. America makes great cars. The main problem is the union workers needing to get paid $30 an hour or more to stand and push a button for 6 hours (8 hours minus breaks). For what these people pay to the union, they could make $20 an hour and take home just as much, plus, our cars would cost about $5000 less. Think about it.

[t75jah4]

Found On Road Dead

regarding Andy's comment on why there are not more Fords in the driveway

In 2003 I bought the Ford Escape biggest investment I ever put in a car (The price wasn't much less than my first home in 1974)

I did not purchase the extended warranty (I had faith in Ford) besides I am a member AARP I don't abuse my cars 2005 the transmission was gone

My next car will be a Toyota Camry

[sharncedar]

Time says Americans buy 35 million cans of Bud Light every day. -

Yeah but only 5 million Americans are buying the Bud Light - you do the math - my neighbors are about 5 of them

[pendragon679]

cbscrash07: How much did Ford Motor Co. pay you for that commercial?

Having said that, I have to own up that the 3 most reliable vehicles I've owned since 1976 have been, in order, a 1980 Escort, 1988 Bronco II, and a 1991 Ranger pick-up.

As for Starbucks coffee, I haven't set foot inside one of their stores since 9/11. Check out snopes.com to find out why.

[Syndicate]

The new Fords are rated better than the Toyotas on quality. They are cheaper two. If only the news media would notice. I saw a couple articles last week on this. But I have seen a lot of people talk american cars down on tv. These people have no idea what they are talking about. Ford is coming out with some very exciting designs. What do you see from Toyota? The same old boaring thing. I liked the Nissans until I saw inside. If you are looking at a Nissan go look at a Ford. The interiors are much nicer and the cars cost about the same or less. Andy go test drive some Fords. You will be surprised.

[corroder1]

Mr. Rooney, Starbucks burns their coffee so that you cant taste the fact that it is stale and so you cannot decifer where the blend is from.

They also dont want you to know that they are ripping off the coffee farmers for $1.85 per bag by paying them 15 cents instead of the market rate of $2.

Here in Ontario where I live, they just raised the price of a pound of coffee 50 cents and notified everyone that they would be helping(?) the tsunami farmers over the years to come.

With friends like that...who needs enemies?

[peacethinker-2009]

35 millions cans of Bud a day, wow the Nascar crowd keeps AB rich enough to make those cheesy commercials over and over.

[peacethinker-2009]

American cars, I guess they've improved the past decade, but I have a bad taste in my mouth because for many many years Detroit took the American car buyer for granted and produced junk. So I haven't bought a US car in 20 years and in that time I've bought maybe 10 Japanese cars, all good long lasting cars too. I get tired of them every few years and buy another. I've bought Nissans and Hondas so far.

[peacethinker-2009]

Starbucks coffee, I tend to agree, they roast it a bit too much for my taste, but I still occasionally get a venti.