In what European countries are American pop culture least pervasive? (cost, Greek)
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I think the answer is that Americans don't take the time to learn other languages.
I agree with this, but I would argue that other than English or Spanish, we have very little use for other languages. In Europe, you're right next door to other countries all speaking different languages, so it just makes sense to learn them. If I took the time to learn French, for example, I would have very little opportunity to use it.
The entire Hollywood scene is very Americanized, or at least Anglo-centric. The fact that the Oscars considers all movies conducted in other language as "foreign" shows how narrow minded it is. basically if a movie is not in English, you can only compete for "Best Foreign movie" award.
The people winning oscars may not the American, but most of its voters are probably English speaking. I can only consider the Oscar award an American film award, nothing more than that.
That's a very superficial view of Hollywood. Do they produce a lot of typically stupid Americanized content? Yes. But who doesn't?
Today, Hollywood is a place where the best in the business from places places like Taiwan and Mexico come and make movies. I agree that "English films only" is a limitation ... but it is not very significant in my mind. Like I had said earlier, Hollywood movies are watched by millions who don't understand English too well.
English is the most spoken language .... so hollywood movies are in English.
Aren't Chinese movies in Mandarin and Indian movies in Hindi?
That's a very superficial view of Hollywood. Do they produce a lot of typically stupid Americanized content? Yes. But who doesn't?
Today, Hollywood is a place where the best in the business from places places like Taiwan and Mexico come and make movies. I agree that "English films only" is a limitation ... but it is not very significant in my mind. Like I had said earlier, Hollywood movies are watched by millions who don't understand English too well.
English is the most spoken language .... so hollywood movies are in English.
Aren't Chinese movies in Mandarin and Indian movies in Hindi?
If you think Ang Lee is the best Taiwanese director, it just shows the problem when you limit your views to English language film only. And it's exactly what the Oscar are doing. Ang Lee's films, which can still be great nevertheless, have nothing to do with its origins. He is making Hollywood formatted films, he could be Jamaican it would be the same thing.
Watch Flight of the Red Balloon, Cape no 7 or Mahjong if you want to see real Taiwanese films.
edit. Btw, I'm just critic of Hollywood and the Oscar. Because the US does have truly international film festivals, they are just overshadowed by the Oscar. Only Sundance begin to be famous, and deserve so. And the US have great independent film makers too.
If you think Ang Lee is the best Taiwanese director, it just shows the problem when you limit your views to English language film only. And it's exactly what the Oscar are doing. Ang Lee's films, which can still be great nevertheless, have nothing to do with its origins. He is making Hollywood formatted films, he could be Jamaican it would be the same thing.
Watch Flight of the Red Balloon, Cape no 7 or Mahjong if you want to see real Taiwanese films.
edit. Btw, I'm just critic of Hollywood and the Oscar. Because the US does have truly international film festivals, they are just overshadowed by the Oscar. Only Sundance begin to be famous, and deserve so. And the US have great independent film makers too.
That's not what I am saying.
When Jean Dujardin won an Oscar for his work in The Artist - did that make him the best French actor? No.
I concede that the Academy and Hollywood have flaws. I am just making the point that they are truly international, i.e. directors, actors, film-makers from all over the world make films here.
English is the most spoken language .... so hollywood movies are in English.
Aren't Chinese movies in Mandarin and Indian movies in Hindi?
Chinese movies are in Mandarin but they didn't claim their film festival is by any means "international".
Language matters. Language defines culture and if you are limited to one language, the cultural projection is very restricted.
A Chinese themed movie will never be good if it were in English (well, except those movies in which human language simply doesn't matter, such as Iron Man, X-man, Batman, etc)
I am not sure Indian movies are in Hindi though, probably not true.
Chinese movies are in Mandarin but they didn't claim their film festival is by any means "international".
Language matters. Language defines culture and if you are limited to one language, the cultural projection is very restricted.
A Chinese themed movie will never be good if it were in English (well, except those movies in which human language simply doesn't matter, such as Iron Man, X-man, Batman, etc)
I am not sure Indian movies are in Hindi though, probably not true.
Most of them are in Hindi or other Indian languages.
If you think Ang Lee is the best Taiwanese director, it just shows the problem when you limit your views to English language film only. And it's exactly what the Oscar are doing. Ang Lee's films, which can still be great nevertheless, have nothing to do with its origins. He is making Hollywood formatted films, he could be Jamaican it would be the same thing.
Watch Flight of the Red Balloon, Cape no 7 or Mahjong if you want to see real Taiwanese films.
edit. Btw, I'm just critic of Hollywood and the Oscar. Because the US does have truly international film festivals, they are just overshadowed by the Oscar. Only Sundance begin to be famous, and deserve so. And the US have great independent film makers too.
exactly.
Many well-known "foreign" directors are famous and won big prizes precisely because they tailor-make movies to pander to American (or so called "international") taste. Many movies are made with the goal to compete in the Academy Award (instead of just trying to be a good movie), examples are plenty.
The Oscars is essentially a US/UK-centric film festival pretending to be "international".
That's not what I am saying.
When Jean Dujardin won an Oscar for his work in The Artist - did that make him the best French actor? No.
I concede that the Academy and Hollywood have flaws. I am just making the point that they are truly international, i.e. directors, actors, film-makers from all over the world make films here.
The Academy nominates and "crowns" films and actors based on its specific frame of reference.
It doesn't cast a wide net to include all films from around the world. And the Academy itself does not even claim to do this, nor does it claim to be the "Global Film Awards".
It's other people (including many on here) who make the claim that the best movies and actors in the world are all represented at the Oscars.
Yes. It's not a question of Americans saying "we won't listen to these guys because they are Swedish/Romanian/German/whatever", it is more a case of "it's not in English so I won't listen to it".
For a lot of continental European pop outfits that sing in English, probably most Americans don't even know or care which country they are from.
I think you're right on the spot.
I've always been a fan of European music. In fact, I don't remember an extended period of time when my favorite artists were from the U.S. I started discovering foreign-language music at about the age of 12, and by 18 music in foreign languages dominated my taste.
This was, of course, in the post-9/11 period. I remember two songs that were really popular in Europe then that I played in public to a negative response. One was "Mundian ke Bach" and the other "Femme Like You". Both were greeted by "I don't like it, because it's not in English". I would often play them out loud in the study lab (one period a day devoted to studying / completing homework, but used more goofing off with your friends) with the full consent of my Spanish teacher, who "caught" the beat of Arash's "Tike Tike Kardi". When I would play Italodance (Master Blaster, Gabry Ponte, etc.), the kids thought it was too energetic, hyper, and upbeat.
This is when artists like 50 Cent, Rascal Flatts, Outkast, Gretchen Wilson, and Ciara dominated my school's listening habits.
I've always been a fan of European music. In fact, I don't remember an extended period of time when my favorite artists were from the U.S. I started discovering foreign-language music at about the age of 12, and by 18 music in foreign languages dominated my taste.
This was, of course, in the post-9/11 period. I remember two songs that were really popular in Europe then that I played in public to a negative response. One was "Mundian ke Bach" and the other "Femme Like You". .
Femme Like You is actually from this side of the Atlantic. I'll let you guess from where...
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