Protest in America - Term Paper Example

Protest in America American popular culture has spread to the countries all around the globe like a tornado, this rise in the spread of the American Pop Culture throughout the world has been seen since the World War II. Such massive influence of the American pop culture is attributed to its mass freedom which other countries have strived to achieve moreover the economic and financial stability in the country has allowed its people to live a better life, it is due to these reasons that the American pop culture has seen great spread in other countries. Over the time period, the influence and the scope of the American pop culture on other countries has been spreading greatly. The categorization and classification of elements under Pop culture are very vast. Generally Pop Culture is referred to as the “mass culture” or a “common culture” and typically includes the lifestyle of the western society, their customs and norms, food and entertainment, advertising, technology, religion, attitudes etc. all these also makeup the American pop culture (Osborn) The culture of a society develops over a course of time; similar has been the case of the American pop culture. In the earlier days man used different means to communicate, share, eat and live a life. They used drawings, to document their life styles and methods of hunting, clothing travel etc. In the later stages the explorers and the settlers brought about new means of communication and documentation with them, then came the age of paper and pen, documenting in a language of words and writings making English the new language for the world. With the passage of time growing human needs, influenced the practices and led to new attitudes and development of cultural norms and practices. Hence, the inclusion of various classifications of a culture kept adding to the American pop culture with the passage of time. Soon the American Culture was entering the phase of western expansion based upon the idea of Manifest Destiny. It was in this time that different tradition and lifestyles were being created in the society. The time when the cowboy was portrayed as being the horse rider, given the responsibility to tame the Wild West. This whole transition and spread of the American culture is very beautifully portrayed by Sara Quay as: “One of the most challenging aspects of western life was the maintenance of law and order in a land where population surged before formal systems of justice were fully in place. As gold seekers, land rushers, and other emigrants traveled quickly to the West, crime, theft, and other dangers to life and property traveled with them. Main-street shoot-outs, train robberies, Indian attacks, and bar brawls were among the most familiar western scenes, and they have provided popular culture with enduring images of the risks involved in western life. From this era evolved once again new ideas on clothing, music, dance, entertainment, advertising, food and the preparation of it, hunting, hierarchy, means of documentation, education, methods of communication, transportation, body image, medicines, attitudes government and religion” (Quay). After the World War II, America emerged as a powerful state in view of the other countries and was seen as a country possessing leadership qualities. This was mainly because the European countries standing had deteriorated while American culture remained steady. According to the author Richard Pell, it was not the people of the European nations like France that feared American invasion rather it was the government officials, intellectuals and the people from the elite class that opposed this spread of the American pop culture. The European elite blamed the American film industry for cornering the international film market (Pells). The massive increase in the American pop culture was witnessed in the twentieth century. This increase in the influence of the American culture can be attributed to the technological advancements during this period in the form of television, CD’s, movies, computer and the internet. With the increase in the usage of technology all around the globe, American pop culture’s components have been exposed to masses worldwide. Media has played a role in serving as an influencer by portraying the images of cultural diversity and promoting the American pop culture in other countries. The amalgamation of globalization and westernization is slowly overpowering other cultures and the source that is helping in the spread of information all around to the societies is Media. Because the media, the American pop culture is now commercialized and due to this its visibility and familiarity has been increased. It is because of the “mass media” that American pop culture has been spreading so fast in other societies (Petley). Dr. Jim Taylor describes this as: “The nature of procedural crime shows, for example, the Law & Order and CSI franchises, is that there are bad guys on the loose-murderers, kidnappers, rapists-and a crack (and very attractive) team, of good guys…of principle and wisdom …who persevere against immense odds to solve the mystery and catch the bad guys, all in a neat and tidy 60 minutes…Whether from the threat of terrorist attacks, catastrophic natural disasters, or economic uncertainty, many Americans feel great doubt and fear… television shows that have gained popularity are those in which the good guys not only win every time, but… they are endowed with special powers that guarantee their triumph over the evildoers, for example, Smallville, Medium, and Ghost Whisperer…Last, but far from least, reality TV (e.g., American Idol, Survivor) offers viewers an alternative universe vastly different than the reality in which Americans live. In the real world, many people are old, unattractive and overweight, but on reality TV most everyone is young, attractive, and slim. In the real world, success takes time and comes from talent, hard work, and perseverance, but on reality TV, people become rich and famous quickly and with little ability or effort. In the real world, life can be routine and boring, but on reality TV, life is a whirlwind of excitement and drama…” (Taylor) People’s perception about Americans is based upon the messages and images they see or experience, the major role in this transmission of the messages is Media, which transfers the cultural norms in the quickest way. It still is very confusing that why people take so much interest in American pop culture. It can be attributed to the America’s being a melting pot for other countries and people of different ethnicities live in its major cities. The immigration rate of America has been quite steady and many foreigners try to enter the country to become its citizen. This is why America is the 49th largest country for housing immigrants. This greater interest on being an American citizen is due to the appealing lifestyle of Americans. Once a foreigner enters the country they are instantly connected to the American pop culture. Resultantly it gets difficult for the foreigners to fully follow their own customs and practices of their own culture. Although the foreigners get inclined to the American pop culture nut those who are living in their own countries are not also shielded from the American pop culture either. American pop culture witnessed a shift in the aftermath of 9/11 when the culture and politics became intertwined. As mentioned earlier the pop culture is the practices that are acceptable widely and are also accessed by greater number of masses. The popularity of the culture of a nation is dependent upon its usage by the people and it becomes popular when the number of users increases in volume and they try to fulfill their need both social and psychological with the practices of the pop culture (Tackas). American pop culture reaches out to a mass audience not only in the form of communication but also through music, games and the television. America’s pop culture is covered throughout the world through its television network. For example: CNN is broadcasted in more than 200 countries while MTV and Nickelodeon cover 176 and 162 territories respectively. American music is also a popular means of transmitting the American pop culture to the world (YTV Trend Report). It has been observed that since 2001 the media that is the main source to promote culture has undergone a massive change. There has been an extensive shift towards digitalization of television networks, extensive usage of cellular phones and the Internet. It is now very convenient for the consumers to gain access to the cultural material and hence with the wide accessibility the American pop culture’s dominance and influence continues. Also, with a number of social websites like Facebook and twitter and media sites like YouTube have given access to the consumers to develop their cultures and promote them (Tackas). According to the 2002 Pew Research Survey, it was reported that American pop culture was admired by thirty eight thousand people from forty for countries. However the majority of the US customs and ideas are disliked by the majority of people in different countries according to the survey. Many of the countries fear this massive spread of the American pop culture in the form of its films, books, music, television, and technology and consider it as a threat to their own cultures and lifestyles. It was also revealed in the survey that the English language that is promoted through the American media is also the reason for the gradual extinction of the native languages of the societies of the world. The perception of the American influence on the world is often referred by the intellectuals as “McWorld” (Gale). Conclusion The American pop culture is expanding throughout the world massively and is also the means of capital. Although globalization seems good however such influence of one culture on the world has certain drawbacks as well. Some of the underdeveloped countries are being forced to follow the American business practices just because of the influence the American pop culture has on these countries. The American companies use the media in every form to promote its products internationally. Hence there needs to be a legislation regarding so much influence of a culture on other societies that the foreign cultures seem to be at the verge of breakdown (Osborn). Works Cited Gale, Thomas. Popular Culture. Farmington Hills: Bonnie Szumski, 2005. Osborn, Rebecca L. "The Influence of American Popular Culture in the Global Media ." Degree of Master of Arts in Media Communications Emphasis in Communication Management, Unpublished (2006). Pells, Richard. Not Like Us. New York: Basic Books, 1997. Petley, Julian. The Media-the Impact on Our Lives. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2001. Quay, Sara E. Westward Expansion. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 2002. Report, YTV Trend. 2005. YTVMedia.Com. . Tackas, Stacy. "POLITICS, PERCEPTION AND POPULAR CULTURE: The Shaping of 9/11." 2011. Taylor, Jim. "Popular Culture: Tv and America on the couch." The Power of Prime 03 August 2009. Read More