Average Joe
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
The terms Average Joe, Ordinary Joe, Joe Sixpack (for males) and Ordinary, Average, or Plain Jane (for females), are used primarily in North America to refer to a completely average person, typically an average American. It can be used both to give the image of a hypothetical "completely average person" or to describe an existing person. Parallel terms in other languages for local equivalents exist worldwide.
Today, statistics by the United States Department of Commerce provide information regarding the societal attributes of those who may be referred to as being "average". While some individual attributes are easily identified as being average, such as the median income, other characteristics, such as family arrangements may not be identified as being average.
In 2000, for example no single household arrangement constituted more than 30% of total households. Married couples with no children were the most common constituting 28.7% of households. It would nonetheless be inaccurate to state that the average American lives in a childless couple arrangement as 71.3% do not. Other "average" characteristics are easier to identify.
In terms of social class, the average American may be described as either being middle or working class. As social classes lack distinct boundaries the average American may have a status in the area where the lower middle and working class overlap. Overall the average American, age 25 or older, made roughly $32,000 per year, does not have a college degree, has been, is, or will be married as well as divorced at least once during his or her lifetime, lives in his or her own home in a suburban setting, and holds a white-collar office job.
"Average Joes" are common fodder for characters in television or movies, comics, novels or radio dramas. On television, examples of "average Joes" include Doug Heffernan (King of Queens), Archie Bunker (All in the Family) and Homer Simpson (The Simpsons). In the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, the protagonist, Peter, owns a gym for those who don't want an intensive workout, and the patrons of the gym are all somewhat overweight. The gym is named Average Joe's Gymnasium.
In real life, as chronicled in his bestseller The Average American: The Extraordinary Search for the Nation's Most Ordinary Citizen, Kevin O'Keefe successfully completed a nationwide search for the person who was the most statistically average in the United States during a multi-year span starting in 2000. Newsweek proclaimed of the book, "The journey toward run-of-the-mill has never been so remarkable."
Variants in other countries
Albania | Filan Fisteku |
Argentina | Juan Pérez, Fulano (de Tal) (likely from Arabic Fulan), Mengano, Menganito |
Australia | Fred Nurk, Joe Farnarkle, John (or: Jane) Citizen, Joe (or: Jane) Bloggs, Joe Blow, Norm |
Austria | Hans Meier, Hans Maier, Hans Mayer, Herr und Frau Österreicher (Mr and Mrs Austrian), Max und Martha Mustermann, Otto Normalverbraucher, the Jeti-Tant' from Apetlon |
Azerbaijan | Filankes Filankesov |
Basque Country | Iñaki, Patxi |
Belgium | Jan Janssen, Piet Pietersen, Jos Joskens, Jan Modaal, Jef Klak, Jan met de Pet |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Marko Marković, Petar Petrović, Sima Simić, Niko Neznanović, Kokalo Ibrahim |
Brazil | Fulano (de Tal), Sicrano, Beltrano, João da Silva, Zé da Silva, Zé Ninguém |
Bulgaria | Иван Иванов (Ivan Ivanov), лицето Х (Person X) |
Canada | Joe Blow, G. Raymond, Pierre Jean Jacques |
Chile | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Perico de los Palotes, N.N. (Ningún Nombre, i.e., No Name, a nobody) |
China and Taiwan | Template:Zh, Template:Zh, Template:Zh, Template:Zh, translated Somebody, sometimes used with a person's name, Template:Zh) |
Colombia | Fulano de Tal, Pepito Pérez |
Costa Rica | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sutano, Mengano, Perencejo, Juan Vainas, Perico de los Palotes |
Croatia | Ivan Horvat, Pero Perić |
Cuba | Fulano, Mengano, Ciclano, Esperancejo (female versions: Fulana, Mengana, Ciclana, Esperanceja.) Optional family name: de Tal ("of something or other") |
Czech Republic | Jan Novák, Pepa Novák (Josef Novák), Karel Vomáčka, Franta Vomáčka, Pepa Vomáčka (Josef Vomáčka), Anna Nováková |
Denmark | Hr. og fru Jensen (Mr and Mrs Jensen), Morten Menigmand (Morten Simpleman) |
Ecuador | Juan Perez, Fulano, Sultano, Mengano, Juan Piguabe |
Egypt | Folan (Arabic: فلان) (female: Folana, فلانة); Elan (علان), as partner. |
Estonia | Jaan Tamm (male), Tädi Maali (old woman, literally "Aunt Maali") |
Faroe Islands | Miðalhampamaður, Palleba (male), Marsanna (female) |
Finland | Matti Meikäläinen (male, literally "our Matti"), Maija Meikäläinen (female, literally "our Maija") |
France | Beauf, Jean Dupont, Paul Martin, Monsieur Durand, Monsieur Tout-le-monde, Madame Michu (female) |
Germany | Otto Normalverbraucher, Max Mustermann, Erika Mustermann, Lieschen Müller, Hinz und Kunz |
Greece | Γιάννης/Γιώργος/Μαρία Τάδε (Giannis/Giorgos/Maria Tade), o/η Δείνα (his partner), Γιάννης/Γιώργος Καραμήτρος (Giannis/Giorgos Karamitros), Ένας Κάποιος (Enas Kapoios - Somebody), Α. Β. Κάτοχος (A.B. Katohos, A.B. Owner, used on sample credit cards) |
Guatemala | Juan Pérez, Fulano, Sutano (or Zutano), Mengano, Perencejo |
Hongkong and Macao | Template:Zh (male), Template:Zh (boy) |
Hungary | Gipsz Jakab, Kiss Pista, Kovács János, Jóska Pista |
India | Aam Aadmi (Template:Lang-hi, ordinary citizen); Kuppan Suppan (Template:Lang-ta) (common Tamil Male names) |
Indonesia | Si Polan |
Israel | Mrs. Cohen from Hadera, Hebrew גברת כהן מחדרה |
Iran | Folani (Template:Lang), Felani (Template:Lang), Yaroo (Template:Lang) |
Ireland | Seán and Síle Citizen; Irish: Seán Ó Rudaí, from rud = thing(s) |
Iceland | Meðal-Jón, Meðal-Jóna, Jón Jónsson, Jóna Jónsdóttir |
Italy | Mario Rossi, Pinco Pallino, Tizio, Caio, Sempronio |
Japan | Template:Lang (Yamada Tarō), Template:Lang (Yamada Hanako), Template:Lang (Nanashi no Gombei), Template:Lang (Nanno Nanigashi) |
Kenya | Wanjiku (female) |
Korea | Template:Lang (Hong Gil-dong) |
Latvia | Jānis Bērziņš |
Lebanon | Majhoul (Arabic: مجهول), Folan (Arabic: فلان) (female: Folana, Arabic: فلانة), Elan (Arabic: علان) as partner. |
Lithuania | Vardenis Pavardenis, Jonas Jonaitis, Petras Petraitis |
Macedonia | Петар Петровски (Petar Petrovski) |
Malaysia | Si Anu, Si Polan, Si Polan Bin Si Polan |
Malta | Joe Borg |
Mauritius | Sa Nation la, Sa boug la (males); Safame la, Sapitin la (females) |
Mexico | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Mangano, Perengano, Zutano |
Nepal | Ram, Shyam, Hari and other colloquial names such as Chamar, Ram Kumar Deshar, Sigdel, and Jyapu |
Netherlands | Jan Modaal, Harry Holland, Familie Doorsnee, Henk en Ingrid |
New Zealand | Joe Bloggs, John Doe, Bob Smith |
Nigeria | Lagbaja, Baba Bomboy |
Norway | Ola (male) og Kari (female) Nordmann (literally Ola and Kari Norwegian) |
Pakistan | Falana (male), Falani (female). Derived from the Persian equivalents. |
Panama | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sultano, Mengano |
Paraguay | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sultano, Mengano, N.N. |
Peru | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Zutano, Mengano |
Philippines | Juan dela Cruz |
Poland | Jan Kowalski |
Portugal | Manuel Dos Santos, Zé Ninguém, o Outro (the other one), Fulano de tal |
Puerto Rico | Fulano de Tal, Juan Perez, or Juan del Pueblo |
Romania | Ion Popescu, Escu, Gheorghe, Necunoscut, Xulescu, Cutare Cutărică |
Russia | Иванов (Ivanov), Петров-Сидоров (Petrov and Sidorov), Вася Пупкин (Vasya Pupkin), Вася Тапочкин (Vasya Tapochkin) |
Serbia, Montenegro | Petar Petrović, Pera Perić, Marko Marković, Janko Janković |
Singapore | Tan Ah Kao and Tan Ah Beng |
Slovakia | Jožko Mrkvička |
Slovenia | Janez Novak, Janez Pouprečnik |
South Africa | Koos van der Merwe, Piet Pompies, Joe Soap |
Spain | male: Fulano (de Tal), Fulanito (de Tal), Pepe Pérez, Mengano, Menganito, Perico de los Palotes, Menganito de Cual, Zutano, Zutanito, Sultano, Sultanito, Don Nadie, Juan Nadie, Perengano. Female: Fulanita (de Tal), Mengana, Menganita (de Tal) |
Sweden | Medelsvensson, Kalle Svensson, Svensson, Svenne |
Switzerland | Herr und Frau Schweizer (Mr and Mrs Swiss), Hans Meier, Hans Mustermann, Max Muster |
Thailand | Somchai, Sommai, Nai-Gor |
Turkey | Sade Vatandaş; Ahmet/Mehmet, Ali/Veli, Hasan/Hüseyin (male); Ayşe/Fatma (female); Falan (kişi) / Filan (kişi, "somebody"; also female: Filane). |
United Kingdom | Fred Bloggs or Joe Bloggs, Joe (or: Jane) Public, John Smith, the man in the street, the man on the Clapham omnibus, 'Tom, Dick and Harry' in Wales; Dai Jones |
Uruguay | Fulano, Mengano; Juan Perez |
Venezuela | Fulano, Fulano de Tal, Sutano, Mengano, Perencejo, Pedro Perez, Juan de los Palotes, Juan Bimba |
Vietnam | Nguoi La, Người dấu tên, Thường dân (ordinary citizen) |
Zimbabwe | Joe Bloggs, Nyoni, Marabha |
See also
- Joe Bloggs
- John Doe
- John Q. Public
- Joe Shmoe
- Demographics of the United States
- Personal income in the United States
- Educational attainment in the United States
- Social structure of the United States
- Culture of the United States
- Homeownership in the United States
- International