What's wrong with "mom, apple pie, and the girl next door"?

Question: What's wrong with "mom, apple pie, and the girl next door"!?

Those were the classic American ideal: familiar things that you could see, touch, hear, taste, smell--real things that were a delight to every sense!.!.!.
By contrast aren't modern ideals such as "freedom, equality, tolerance, etc!." just vague abstractions!? How can creatures of flesh and blood respond to things that make absolutely no impression on the senses!? Aren't "freedom" and the other big words too metaphysical to be taken seriously!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The things you named are tangible objects that represent so-called American ideals!. Mom = comfort of a nurturing family, apple pie = again, wholesome nurturing, pleasantness!. Girl Next Door = again, wholesomeness, beauty, etc!.

Obviously, to some people these actual objects wouldn't conjure very good feelings!. For instance, if mom was a neglecting alcoholic !.!.!. so them being an "American Ideal" is still more about their abstract qualities than the things you could touch/see!.!.etc!.

Kind of like the flag is used as a symbol of freedom !.!.!. people who go to war for "the flag" don't actually go to war for a piece of cloth !.!.!. its for what it stands for!.

Sorry, I keep adding to this, but this is an interesting question: you're right about the abstraction!. Language is tough that way !.!.!. ideas are hard to capture with words, but objects are nothing without the emotions they cause us to feel!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

no they were illusions of the 'american dream' just like freedom equality and toleranceWww@QuestionHome@Com