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I agree America in the 20th Century is one reason why English has become the 'worlds' dominant language but American culture? American culture is English culture with a lot of other cultures mixed in! English culture is Greek culture with a lot of other cultures mixed in. Why oh why do 'some' Americans have this tendancy to believe that everything in the world is 'American'!! From Denim (French) to Computers (British) to Pizza (Italian) to cars (German) Americans seem to think they invented it all!!
Well, I am not one who thinks that everything is "American", but regardless of where certain things originated, who the immigrant groups were that brought it here or who invented what; the amalgamation of all of that has spawned an American "culture" at least in the popular sense and made many of those things like denim, computers, pizza and cars cool. I fully agree that "American culture" is simply an extension and part of the general culture of "Western Civilization", however American pop culture and it's influence are certainly uniquely identifiable in the world today.
The influence of American popular culture is ever present globally. This position has made the US sort of a clearing house for popular culture. Things that become popular in one region or country tend to only become truly international sensations by receiving the American stamp of popular culture approval. There are few global pop culture trends which don't involve the US. While I'm sure this statement will ignite a war...Even The Beatles would have most likely remained a uniquely British phenomenon had they not caught on so wildly in the US whose culture has long set the global standard for "popular music".
Well, I am not one who thinks that everything is "American", but regardless of where certain things originated, who the immigrant groups were that brought it here or who invented what; the amalgamation of all of that has spawned an American "culture" at least in the popular sense and made many of those things like denim, computers, pizza and cars cool. I fully agree that "American culture" is simply an extension and part of the general culture of "Western Civilization", however American pop culture and it's influence are certainly uniquely identifiable in the world today.
The influence of American popular culture is ever present globally. This position has made the US sort of a clearing house for popular culture. Things that become popular in one region or country tend to only become truly international sensations by receiving the American stamp of popular culture approval. There are few global pop culture trends which don't involve the US. While I'm sure this statement will ignite a war...Even The Beatles would have most likely remained a uniquely British phenomenon had they not caught on so wildly in the US whose culture has long set the global standard for "popular music".
There you go again!!! In what way did 'Americans' make computers or cars cool!!! Do you honestly think that the rest of the world would still be travelling around in 'horse and carts' if it wasnt for the US making cars 'cool'!!? Can't you understand that cars, computers, pizza and denim would have developed the way they have developed whether there was such a thing as the USA or not?? If anything I would say the Italians have done the most to make the car 'cool' (Ferrari anyone!?). This kind of statement is exactly the kind of thing I mean, of course the US has given the world many things but why oh why do 'some' of its citizens think that the world revolves around the US? Ive also noticed that this is something that seems to be getting worse with time. And to cap it all not only do 'some' Americans claim to have one the war 'single handed' theyre now trying to lay claim to the Beatles!!
Is this Chairman Mao drinking a coke...I think it is.
Cool gadget of choice?
Check out these cool cars...in Japan.
Visiting the Great Wall? Don't forget your cowboy clothes and Marlboro's...
Heading to Vietnam and not sure you're in the mood for bo bay man...have some KFC.
Whose this at the Berlin Wall? Oh, it's David Hasselhoff.
What are these people in Dubai doing? They're going to Comic-Con and checking out Captain America.
Heck, we're even corrupting the youth in other countries. Check out these Russian rappers, yo.
Ask the people of the world to name the British Prime Minister, Chancellor of Germany, President of China and the President of the US. Guaranteed the one everybody gets right is this guy:
Though he's not nearly as popular as these guys...
Walk into a club in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mexico City or Rio. What do you hear?
Finally, just for my own amusement, one of the great characters from the movie seen round the world with an important public service announcement...
All fun and humor aside. I never intoned that America was so "star spangled awesome" that the rest of the world waits for us to decide if things are cool or not. What I said is that America has long been a popular culture clearing house amalgamating various pop culture phenomenon and then spreading them globally. I'm not standing up here going "rah rah America" merely pointing out the obvious that American cultural influence has a HUGE impact on the rest of the world and yes, plays a decidedly strong role in why English has become a global language.
America's political and military influence might decline - but its culture remains a global point of reference. Hollywood came before the US Army set foot on foreign shores, and it will remain long after military bases have been relocated. Culture gives meaning to our lives - even when that meaning was originally borrowed from America.
This week saw – according to breathless promoters of Britishness – a great cultural triumph for the land of tea and biscuits. Yes, the Oscars were invaded by our directors, our actors and our royal history, courtesy of the success of The King's Speech. But wait ... Why are we so chuffed? Because we got some recognition from America! It was the popularity of the film there that made it famous, and it was the approval of Hollywood, USA that confirmed its glory.
So we don't respect America any more? Phooey. We revere America, imitate America, lap up its inventions. The last time I looked, Apple was a US company. And as The King's Speech has proved, our little British culture never means more to us than when it gets a bit of acclaim in Big America. No wonder, for America becomes more culturally influential all the time.
The globalization of American popular culture has been the subject of much critical attention in recent years - particularly in debates questioning whether American culture bears primary responsibility for increasing global cultural homogenization or whether, on the contrary, it has facilitated the development of a fascinatingly complex global cultural heterogeneity. American cultural influences have had a major effect on other cultures and they continue to play a crucial role in the cultural dynamics of globalization.
But since then, the media companies have gotten what they wanted, even if the White House has not. In the last eight years, American pop culture, already popular, has boomed around the globe while opinions of America itself have soured.
The television program “CSI” is now more popular in France than in the United States. Hollywood movies routinely sell far more tickets overseas than at home. A Russian remake of the TV show “Married With Children” has been so popular that Sony, the producer of the show, has hired back the original writers to produce new scripts for Russia. Even in the Muslim world, American pop culture has spread.
As for the Beatles, they are most certainly British. The only point I was making there was that the Beatles were wildly popular in the UK and had some European success before most in America even knew they existed. However, once they came to the US and appeared on Ed Sullivan they became an overnight sensation in the US. That popularity in the US (long the arbiter of popular music internationally "Swing Heil!") is what propelled the Beatles to be the truly global sensation they were. If I wanted to be snark I would also point out who the Beatles claimed were their greatest influences...Harry Nilsson, The Beach Boys and Chuck Berry...all American. Wait, you mean *gasp* the Beatles were playing "American" music.
As for WW2, we didn't do it single handedly, the Russians deserve most of the credit.
How do you make a Porsche Spyder even cooler? Put James Dean in it.
For a more modern reference, how do you possibly make a Bugatti Veyron even cooler and more popular? Have Beyonce buy Jay-Z one for his birthday.
"Denim" aka "jeans" came into the form they are now (yes I am well aware of the Genoese root of "jeans" and the fact that the French invented "denim") when an American by the name of Leob (aka Levi) Strauss started making durable clothing for miners in California during the gold rush. The clothing became popular nationwide in the US in the 1930's with the rise of western's (which were also popular in Europe). Take for example this image from Montana Moon in 1930, they're all wearing jeans.
The love of jeans was spread globally by US servicemen in WW2 who would often wear their "denim work clothes" while on leave in civilian areas.
The popularity and "cool" factor was majorly reinforced by Hollywood in the 1950's. Here we see James Dean again making jeans "cool" in Rebel Without a Cause.
It was the popularity of the image of the teen rebel in jeans promoted by Hollywood that made them popular all over the world as the casual garmet of choice. By the 1960's jeans were inextricably linked with youth culture throughout the western world with the US being ground zero. It became such an indomitable image of western culture that non-western countries and communist bloc nations took to banning them as symbols of "western decadence". American jean manufacturers actually received letters from nations where jeans were banned, mainly from teens and young adults, begging to be mailed a pair. So, the next time you slip on your jeans to head out for a pint at the pub; thank Levi Strauss, thank James Dean, thank Hollywood, thank America...or as we like to say, Amerricuh.
How do you make a Porsche Spyder even cooler? Put James Dean in it.
For a more modern reference, how do you possibly make a Bugatti Veyron even cooler and more popular? Have Beyonce buy Jay-Z one for his birthday.
"Denim" aka "jeans" came into the form they are now (yes I am well aware of the Genoese root of "jeans" and the fact that the French invented "denim") when an American by the name of Leob (aka Levi) Strauss started making durable clothing for miners in California during the gold rush. The clothing became popular nationwide in the US in the 1930's with the rise of western's (which were also popular in Europe). Take for example this image from Montana Moon in 1930, they're all wearing jeans.
The love of jeans was spread globally by US servicemen in WW2 who would often wear their "denim work clothes" while on leave in civilian areas.
The popularity and "cool" factor was majorly reinforced by Hollywood in the 1950's. Here we see James Dean again making jeans "cool" in Rebel Without a Cause.
It was the popularity of the image of the teen rebel in jeans promoted by Hollywood that made them popular all over the world as the casual garmet of choice. By the 1960's jeans were inextricably linked with youth culture throughout the western world with the US being ground zero. It became such an indomitable image of western culture that non-western countries and communist bloc nations took to banning them as symbols of "western decadence". American jean manufacturers actually received letters from nations where jeans were banned, mainly from teens and young adults, begging to be mailed a pair. So, the next time you slip on your jeans to head out for a pint at the pub; thank Levi Strauss, thank James Dean, thank Hollywood, thank America...or as we like to say, Amerricuh.
So because James Dean is photographed in a Porsche thats what makes it cool eh!? T-shirts and Jeans are only worn the world over because Americans wear them eh?! I suppose you think that the world would still be dressed in horsehair shirts if it wasnt for the Americans would you? You think America is the home of all things 'cool' because there are Kentucky Fried Chickens in Singapore but completely ignore the fact that the USA is awash with Italian food! Not only that you have the audacity to claim that the Beatles werent 'big' until they cracked the US!!!!!!!! Stop trying to claim that everything in the world is American!! Your attitude is a very good example as to why some people in the world dislike Americans, the only nation of people that are more 'brainwashed' than Americans are the North Korean's! I bet you are one of those Americans that thinks the world watches the superbowl!! lol
Do you think New York City would be significantly different today if the English had not taken it over from the Dutch? How do you think it would have been different? Would the differences be positive or negative?
It wouldn't have taken until the Lindsay years to get the dog crap off the sidewalks.
[quote=musicislife.glee;20795727]Do you think New York City would be significantly different today if the English had not taken it over from the Dutch? How do you think it would have been different? Would the differences be positive or negative?[/quote
No, I really don't. There would be more Dutch names for things, but Dutch names are still a part of NYC, although it was overtaken by the British, they still remain - Harlem, Bowery. and Bronx are but three examples.
Dutch architecture still remains in NYC and in the surrounding areas. Dutch Reformed Churches are still there and many native NYers have some Dutch ancestry. Myself included. Also Bruce Springsteen who was raised in NJ but whose ancestors came first to NYC.
I think NYC is what it is today in a large part to the influx of immigrants that began arriving in NY in the 1840s - through 1900s. These are the people who made NY what it is today. The Irish, Jewish, Italian, Eastern European, German,African American, Scandinavian and Latin Americans who arrived in NY really shaped the city.
I don't think it would have been significantly different. NYC it's culture, cuisine, dialect and attitude was shaped by immigrants and it is still welcoming new ones - now from Asia, the former Soviet Union, Central America, India, Turkey and a veritable polyglot of other places.
So because James Dean is photographed in a Porsche thats what makes it cool eh!?
The picture was a symbol of American car culture and that car culture pervades our primary means of cultural globalization, music and movies. It's not that cars are cool because American's drive them, but American car culture had a large influence on the perception of cars and yes, making them cool to youth via music and movies.
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T-shirts and Jeans are only worn the world over because Americans wear them eh?! I suppose you think that the world would still be dressed in horsehair shirts if it wasnt for the Americans would you?
No, not horsehair shirts, but you might be wearing a lot more khaki. If you don't believe me, google the "history of jeans" or "how did jeans become popular the world over" and they all point back to the WW2 era where American servicemen would wear them on leave while overseas. The image was then heavily reinforced by Hollywood in the 1950's with the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando. Jeans became popular among youth in Europe in the post-WW2 years as a symbol of freedom and youth culture.
Go back and look at pictures of Europeans in the 1930's, no jeans. Pictures of Americans at the same time, jeans. Then look at pictures from the 1950's and you start to see jeans, especially on young people. By the 1960's they were even more popular and widespread.
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You think America is the home of all things 'cool' because there are Kentucky Fried Chickens in Singapore
No, the KFC in Vietnam was simply an illustration of the pervasiveness of American popular culture. Remember, the debate at it's heart was your assertion that American culture had little to do with English being a global language and everything to do with Pax Britannica. I was merely providing evidence of the penetration of American culture and also articles both entertaining and scholarly discussing the impact of American culture on the globe; all of which seemed to support my assertion. People that don't live in Commonwealth or former British colonies don't sit down for tea and biscuits, but they all enjoy a coke, the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices or a Big Mac.
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but completely ignore the fact that the USA is awash with Italian food!
If you actually read what I said, you would realize that I readily acknowledge that fact. I said America was an amalgamation of cultures, that has then created something unique. If you read the research paper from Salzburg you would see this listed as being one of the main reasons that American culture is so pervasive. American culture is global culture because it is the one nation that houses virtually every culture of the world in one nation. Not only do we have Italian food, but within 20 miles of my house I can find Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Moroccan, etc. Heck we even have English pub food if you really are in the mood for bangers and mash. This amalgamation is also one of the reasons cited for the massive success of Hollywood in the early years globally.
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Not only that you have the audacity to claim that the Beatles werent 'big' until they cracked the US!!!!!!!!
They weren't, at least to the extent that they became as popular as they were. They were extremely popular in the UK immediately before coming to the US, but success in the US sealed their international acclaim. Prior to their appearance on Ed Sullivan and shows at the Washington Coliseum and Carnegie Hall the only place they had played outside of the UK was a 5 concert tour of Sweden, excluding the early pre-Cavern years they spent in Hamburg. After critical success in the US? 37 shows over 27 days across the world before coming back to the US for a 30 concert 23 city tour. People living in Soviet Russia didn't know all the words to Hey Jude because the Beatles were popular in the UK.
As for music, why is it that everyone who sings in English sings in an American accent? Have you ever pondered that? They could have such a thick accent that you need a Cockney to English dictionary when talking to them, but they start singing and they sound like they're from California or Ohio. From Germans to French to Swedes to Italians to Spaniards to Brits to Koreans, when they sing in English, they do it with an American accent. When Bocelli and Brightman sing 'Time to Say Goodbye' in English, American accent. When Psy belts out "Hey sexy lady" in the middle of 'Gangnam Style', American accent. When that horrible boyband One Direction you sent us sings, American accent. When Abba sang, American accent. When Die Toten Hosen sings, American accent. When Arashi (Japan) sings, American accent. When Mumford and Sons sings, American accent. Why is that?
Well, the music industry experts would say that it's because that's how people expect music to sound. Music sang in a more local dialect would sound strange to people around the world as American accents are commonly heard on a daily basis via music and movies. So, everyone sings with a neutral American accent. Now there are of course some exceptions, Oasis springs to mind, but for the most part popular 'pop music' or music made for an international audience all has that neutral American accent.
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Stop trying to claim that everything in the world is American!! Your attitude is a very good example as to why some people in the world dislike Americans, the only nation of people that are more 'brainwashed' than Americans are the North Korean's!
My buddies in Germany like me just fine and I can pretty easily blend-in when I travel. Again though, you're taking my statements in a very literal sense as if I believe that the sun rises and sets when America decides it does. That is not what I'm saying and yes, I am having a little fun with you in this conversation.
Our basic dialogue began when you questioned the impact of American culture on English having become a world language. Whether you like it or not or want to admit it or not, the primacy of English as a world language is largely related to American cultural influence. You conveniently ignored the links and quotes I provided from several sources discussing this phenomenon. You most likely ignored them because talking about the facts of globalized American culture is not nearly as fun as reminding me that we like to eat "Italian" food as if most people in Italy would even recognize most of the things Americans call Italian.
Again, I'm not claiming American supremacy in all things, just stating the cold hard facts related to the primacy of American popular culture and the impact it has on the world.
His prediction: "She will probably become what we are now, the head servant in the great household of the world, the employer of all employed, because her service will be the most and ablest."
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I bet you are one of those Americans that thinks the world watches the superbowl!! lol
lol, I bet you're one of those Brits that thinks we give a toss about footie.
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