When you're used to prices that hover around $2 and suddenly it doubles, or triples, that's when we start complaining. As for the movies, I think you are getting into the muscle cars due to one simple shitty franchise: Fast and the Furious. As for the trucks, it's probably just seeing them in random TV shows. We take an ordinary pickup, put it on a 6" lift kit, stick some super swampers one it, and tear up the road. But you see that kind of thing more among rednecks than anyone.
And you Brits are still calling us yankees? Come on, it's been 250 years. Get over it.😁