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Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> In lugnet.loc.au, David Low writes:
> > In lugnet.loc.au, Benjamin Whytcross writes:
> > > Strange isn't it how 'international' now seems to mean 'US and maybe
> > > elsewhere if you're lucky', isnt it.
> > >
> > > [Maybe it's the way I was brought up, but I can't stand the way that
> > > american spelling [and culture (or lack of :) )] is replacing the Australian
> > > [and probably most other nations]].
> > >
> > > >
> > > > <snip>
> > > > As a whinging pom, I don't feel particularly 'alienated' by US references
> > > > though, how about you Aussies? :)
> >
> >
> > The main reason we don't feel alienated by US cultural dominance is because
> > we're raised on it. When 75% of our world view comes from America, and has
> > done so for the past couple of generations, it's not surprising that we are
> > fairly comfortable with their culture -- even if our own perspective is
> > narrowed as a consequence. For a brilliant exposition of the Australian
> > postcolonial predicament read "The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith" by Peter
> > Carey (the guy who wrote "Oscar and Lucinda").
> >
> > On the other hand America gives us:
> > a) some measure of military security (allegedly)
> > b) technology like Lugnet
> > c) some worthwhile entertainment
> >
> > Still, I'm not sure how deeply we want to go into geopolitics, when we can be
> > distracted by a cool (non-American) toy.
>
> Ahhhhh! Cultural imperialism. It's good to be king! Now forgive me while I
> drive home in my Mazda and play Nintendo games on my Panasonic TV and play
> Pokemon cards with my son. :-O
That's the root of my rant about Americanism--it's actually a hybrid culture
that's gravitated towards the US because of economic power and demographic
strength. The insidious part of Americanism is actually its functioning--its
corporatist nature. 'Tis not the Americanisation to me, 'tis the Disneyfication
that's new. Americanisation has been around since the 1890s, after all--the idea
that the new and odd is American, but the traditional and wholesome is entirely
home-grown. The equations both that American=New/Alien and
American=Degenerate/Inferior is a venerable bugaboo.
And, of course, calling it "Americanization" makes it an easy target for local
conservative nationalists (witness France). It's much harder to admit one's own
people's complicity in its creation and advancement.
By the way, for the .au folks, have you heard any of these awful "Outback
Steakhouse" commercials they have up here in the eastern US? The supposed
"essence" of Australia--Paul Hogan, wallabies, and Men at Work, mostly--has been
canned and parleyed into a good-sized STOW-restaurant (STOW=Stuff* Tacked On
Walls) empire up here. It's depressing, and IIRC it was started by an Australian
emigre catering to US myths about Australia. Perhaps it's indicative that there
aren't any in Australia, but there's one in Guam and a bunch on the Pacific
Rim--and they have a partnership with NASCAR, a US stock-car racing syndicate
usually associated with country bumpkins.
http://www.outback.com
I weep for the future.
best,
Lindsay
*Not the real S-word used.
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