Friday, October 9, 2009

Americanization

So I've learned that in Europe, you can't really run away from America. But in no way does this mean that I feel at home.

The phenomenon is American media. America is the hands down king of all major forms of media, and therefore, it's everywhere that media can reach.

I turn on the TV and there's Wizards of Wizardly Place dubbed in Spanish. I turn it off, only to find that my little brother is playing Lego Starwars. I run outside to see girls walking to school with Hannah Montana backpacks, cars whizzing by blasting Brittney Spears, business men hurrying past with Obama spashed on the front page of their newspapers, and even in Madrid, one of the utopias of European and Arabic cultures, I see a McDonald's.

The problem with this is that Europe knows of America very well; but not the good things. In gym class, my teacher decided to make a point about the adverse effects of eating poorly, namely, by asking me, "And all the people in America are fat, aren't they, Patrick?" I wanted to say "Not as fat as you," but I held it back. (surprisingly)

Because of our strong media monopoly, America is very very well known, but ONLY through the media. Nobody here as heard of Connecticut, but they all know New York City (but of course not New York state)
It's frustrating that my entire culture has been summed up into a few movies and pop stars. Mariah Carey, Katie Perry, hell yeah! John Cage, Langston Hughes, who?

I've been asked so many times, "Are the parties in America really like in all the movies?"
Go to America and find out yourself.

1 comment:

  1. Pat, I agree.
    I saw this when I was in Spain, and, it was worse in Germany.

    Americanization is evident in China too, but definitely not to the extent that I witnessed in Europe. In China it is more like...Westernization....and to a slightly lesser degree.

    But yea, while I sort of (keyword: sort of) appreciate somewhat sorta kinda these American references, it does get....annoying after a while.

    I mean, in the good ol US of A there is hardly "Spanification" or "Gemanification" or whatever...

    It's also kind of depressing.

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