Nothing is more American than an enormous refrigerator, or dishwasher, an energy-guzzling monstrosity performing the basic service of making our lives a little easier, because we. Are. Americans. Is it time to panic over the decline in the American way of appliances?

Yes, in my professional opinion, it is time to panic, because any change is strange and threatening to us, a simple people. I am sad to report to you that decline may be coming for your big old American fridges, the ones full of "RC" brand cola beverages and mold-encrusted Tupperware containers. Businessweek notes that both GE and Siemens have sold off their appliance divisions recently. Not enough profits! In the past ten years, sales of major appliances in the US have dropped by almost one fourth. What is going on America??? Too good for washers, dryers, dishwashers, and enormous refrigerators now? Yeah right! Can we please blame the usual suspects, here? From BW:

Appliance sales are hugely reliant on the economy at large. If recent college grads don't get jobs and new houses, they probably won't buy new washing machines. Low rates of household formation give a huge advantage to a cheaper brand: Mom & Dad's Appliances. For those who are already living on their own, a fancy new dishwasher is easy to pass up when the household budget gets tight.

MILLENNIALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSS!!!!! [Shaking fist at u kids]

If our young generation will not purchase millions of Electrolux dishwashers then the U.S. government must.

[Photo: Flickr]