In what European countries are American pop culture least pervasive? (theory, influence)

[Neuling]

Originally Posted by botticelli

Here in English speaking Canada, American pop culture runs rampant. From radio, to TV or movies, everything is from the US (or nearly everything). Majority of talented Canadian entertainers simply move to the US as a default career choice and probably "visit" Canada a couple of times a year.

But Canada never had a strong national culture and identity.

What about Europe? Is there any European country where you don't see as many McDonalds and Starbucks, and American pop music and TV series are limited in their influence and local cultural content still remains strong? For example, do young Spaniards listen to Laday Gaga etc more than Spanish singers? Do French people enjoy French movies more than Hollywood Blockbusters (all that summer garbage)? Do the Italian still take price in domest culture rather than think everything American is "cool" and fashionable?

Just go to Europe and you will notice that American culture is just an add-on, an option to the main culture, one of several options. The older people get, the more likely they are to resort to national alternatives, which are usually better, anyway. It is mostly young people who like to think stuff from abroad (not just the US) is better. But eventually they get older and wiser...
Here for instance people eat their traditional food, they make their own music, American TV shows are usually after midnight, there are radio stations playing only music of our language, etc.
If someone wants to be exposed to US culture, they can do that, but if they don't want to, they can completely avoid it because it is not pervasive at all.

Indeed, Canada is a different story because it is so similar to the US anyway, and is also based mostly on British culture. There was no other culture in between so to speak. The French part of the country is an exception of course.

[forgotten username]

Originally Posted by Ariete

Hey hey hey, don't exaggerate! We might get 7-week summers, or even eight! If you come here to the south, the forests are mostly mixed, like 40% deciduous and 60% conifers.

But yes, take your bug spray with you...


Who wouldn't like this?

that's pretty nice. Actually it's the type of landscape you find under my latitude when you go at around 1000 m altitude. No wooden houses round here though. Too easy to break in.

[improb]

Originally Posted by forgotten username

that's pretty nice. Actually it's the type of landscape you find under my latitude when you go at around 1000 m altitude. No wooden houses round here though. Too easy to break in.

Really like those wooden houses, they seem quite a unique feature of the Nordic countries. Yeah, you'd find that landscape here but only at really high altitudes on the Appennines

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Ariete

Hey hey hey, don't exaggerate! We might get 7-week summers, or even eight! If you come here to the south, the forests are mostly mixed, like 40% deciduous and 60% conifers.

But yes, take your bug spray with you...


Who wouldn't like this?

Ahhh, home sweet home!

[forgotten username]

Originally Posted by improb

Really like those wooden houses, they seem quite a unique feature of the Nordic countries.

I think it's also quite common in North America.

[Ariete]

Those houses are from the interwar period and nowadays a museum. Very typical for that era.

Houses from the 2000's:


1960's-1970's:


1945-1950:



Houses from the 1900-1910's:


Same era:


Late 1800's:


Left one from 1850's, red one from 1700-1710:


A slum from the late 1700's:




Sorry for the off topic.

[Homesickness]

Eastern Europe over in Ukraine and Romania, Belarus it is probably non existent. Travel between America and those countries is very limited.

[Homesickness]

Originally Posted by Acajack

All of the countries in Europe export their culture globally. The UK is the largest but countries that were major colonial powers like France, Spain and Portugal have significant global cultural impacts within their respective language zones (former colonies). Within these areas their influences are bigger than the UK's by a longshot.

Um what?? I don't listen to music from any of those countries.

[Homesickness]

Originally Posted by Ariete

Yeah, I know. I was only talking about the US.

The immense British music scene obviously just wipes out much of the competition. I think it's quite natural.



Define 'American' and 'similar', and we'll continue from there. Why would small mean less strong? You don't think Serbia has a visible culture because it's small? Have you read any of my posts in this thread?

---

Last week's single chart here:

Major Lazer (USA)
Kygo (Norway)
Deorro & Chris Brown (USA)
Ellie Goulding (UK)
Martin Tungevaag (Norway)
Alfons (Sweden)
Sanni (Finland)
Skrillex & Diplo (USA)
Zedd (USA)
Carly Rae Jepsen (Canada)

Never heard any of those names except for Chris Brown and Ellie Goulding.

[Homesickness]

Originally Posted by Ariete

So you're falling into the same trap as Americans. Our music and literature aren't popular in France or Italy -> we don't know them -> they might not exist -> they're probably listening, reading and watching Americans stuff.

You're wrong. We don't try to be like Americans, we don't want to be like Americans, we have no special love for Americans just because we speak English. Our cultures are definitely not American.

Ariete you speak Finnish lol.