exporting cultural garbage
- connecticuter
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exporting cultural garbage
Why does it seem that the worst cultural garbage from the West gets exported to developing nations as opposed to quality. Granted we can disagree about this or that film, tv show, or music being quality. Yet, wouldn't most agree that the material that does filter out is usually subpar?
You can find crap low budget b sci fi films but never a film by Lynch or Cronenberg.
You can find Swat on cable but not Reservoir dogs.
You will see awful romantic comedies but never Annie Hall or the Breakfast Club.
Why does the world love Baywatch, the Titanic, Brian Adams and Celine Dion?
Is Monty Python only funny to England and a handful of her former colonies?
One could argue that it is a matter of economics. This just is the stuff that the west chooses to export on the basis of profit projections, or this just is the sort of stuff foreign media can afford. But in our interconnected world, the elite in the developing world are no longer shut out. It is now all out there for the taking via the internet. So is it possibly a matter of taste, or maybe a problem of "cultural translation"?
Of course, I am not unhappy with all the western cable programming in PP: the walking dead, game of thrones, etc... But the good programming seems the exception. Yes I know, I am in a foreign country, I should get off of my ass and stop wasting my time watching tv. This is not intended as a rant or a complaint. I am truly interested in the decision process in the selection of western cultural products.
let the flaming begin
You can find crap low budget b sci fi films but never a film by Lynch or Cronenberg.
You can find Swat on cable but not Reservoir dogs.
You will see awful romantic comedies but never Annie Hall or the Breakfast Club.
Why does the world love Baywatch, the Titanic, Brian Adams and Celine Dion?
Is Monty Python only funny to England and a handful of her former colonies?
One could argue that it is a matter of economics. This just is the stuff that the west chooses to export on the basis of profit projections, or this just is the sort of stuff foreign media can afford. But in our interconnected world, the elite in the developing world are no longer shut out. It is now all out there for the taking via the internet. So is it possibly a matter of taste, or maybe a problem of "cultural translation"?
Of course, I am not unhappy with all the western cable programming in PP: the walking dead, game of thrones, etc... But the good programming seems the exception. Yes I know, I am in a foreign country, I should get off of my ass and stop wasting my time watching tv. This is not intended as a rant or a complaint. I am truly interested in the decision process in the selection of western cultural products.
let the flaming begin
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- Felgerkarb
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Stupidity knows no cultural or economic bounds...
====================
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
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they love rambo and tomb raider, byran adams and angry birds.
but then again, so do (or did) people in the west. nothing has changed-except the decade. i think what you are experiencing is akin to what jay-z references on the blueprint 3: "we off that".
"you bought it cause i sold it...whatever you about to discover we off that, you about to tell her you love her we off that...Timbs we off that, rims we off that"
on top of that, people removed from the culture which created said pieces of pop art have a different (a Schatentrop coined term) "ironic reference point", permitting them to enjoy art which, back home, is only guiltily enjoyed by nerds or rebelliously touted by hipsters.
but then again, so do (or did) people in the west. nothing has changed-except the decade. i think what you are experiencing is akin to what jay-z references on the blueprint 3: "we off that".
"you bought it cause i sold it...whatever you about to discover we off that, you about to tell her you love her we off that...Timbs we off that, rims we off that"
on top of that, people removed from the culture which created said pieces of pop art have a different (a Schatentrop coined term) "ironic reference point", permitting them to enjoy art which, back home, is only guiltily enjoyed by nerds or rebelliously touted by hipsters.
- vladimir
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It could just be that the majority of people have bad taste...
Witness the colour scheme on some houses/ the music they listen to/ the hairstyles/ local tv programmes, and that they actually choose crap over quality.
Witness the colour scheme on some houses/ the music they listen to/ the hairstyles/ local tv programmes, and that they actually choose crap over quality.
ירי ילדים והפצצת אזרחים דורש אומץ, כמו גם הטרדה מינית של עובדי ההוראה.
They have their own taste. Has nothing to do with stupidity or bad taste. I think C could argue that best of all.
They like what we (some of us anyway) don't. That's why they import it.
They like what we (some of us anyway) don't. That's why they import it.
- badboybubby
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but you're assuming that the elite may want or demand quality...why would they? how does it serve their interests?connecticuter wrote:the elite in the developing world are no longer shut out. It is now all out there for the taking via the internet.
at best they may want it for their private consumption but god forbid should the masses get hold of it...don't you know that quality can
be subversive....
He's been in his room 35 years...time to let him out!
- connecticuter
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badboybubby wrote:but you're assuming that the elite may want or demand quality...why would they? how does it serve their interests?connecticuter wrote:the elite in the developing world are no longer shut out. It is now all out there for the taking via the internet.
at best they may want it for their private consumption but god forbid should the masses get hold of it...don't you know that quality can
be subversive....
This is what I am getting at. When I was in India, every guy I new who had net access was downloading huge quantities of western media. But it was all garbage. Do you have any idea how big brian adams, celine dion, titanic and baywatch are there? It is absurd
They were only interested in bubblegum pop/rock. The only movies they seemed to like were awful romantic comedies, or movies with no plot but huge amounts of skin.
Of course, I once did a screening of the Film 300. A few guys did love it. One guy, Hemant, shouted: "this is the best fucking movie ever, why don't we make movies like this?" For weeks you could find him stomping around the university yelling out "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "Only spartan women give birth to men!" But such reactions, were few and far between.
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- Playboy
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The 'elite' here have no idea and no class.
I drive past a Lexus today that had 'Angry Birds' as a decal on the sides and rear ...
Lord Playboy hits the ground running; using Tapatalk on his LG Optimus Black
I drive past a Lexus today that had 'Angry Birds' as a decal on the sides and rear ...
Lord Playboy hits the ground running; using Tapatalk on his LG Optimus Black
"We, the sons of John Company, have arrived"
- connecticuter
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Playboy wrote:The 'elite' here have no idea and no class.
I drive past a Lexus today that had 'Angry Birds' as a decal on the sides and rear ...
Lord Playboy hits the ground running; using Tapatalk on his LG Optimus Black
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- vladimir
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I think you're right, I never thought of it that way.SunSan wrote:They have their own taste. Has nothing to do with stupidity or bad taste. I think C could argue that best of all.
They like what we (some of us anyway) don't. That's why they import it.
ירי ילדים והפצצת אזרחים דורש אומץ, כמו גם הטרדה מינית של עובדי ההוראה.
- badboybubby
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i was probably more pointing to chomsky's manufacturing consent thing...not because i think there's anything particularly conspiratorial about it...just the way interests play out...connecticuter wrote:badboybubby wrote:but you're assuming that the elite may want or demand quality...why would they? how does it serve their interests?connecticuter wrote:the elite in the developing world are no longer shut out. It is now all out there for the taking via the internet.
at best they may want it for their private consumption but god forbid should the masses get hold of it...don't you know that quality can
be subversive....
This is what I am getting at. When I was in India, every guy I new who had net access was downloading huge quantities of western media. But it was all garbage. Do you have any idea how big brian adams, celine dion, titanic and baywatch are there? It is absurd
They were only interested in bubblegum pop/rock. The only movies they seemed to like were awful romantic comedies, or movies with no plot but huge amounts of skin.
Of course, I once did a screening of the Film 300. A few guys did love it. One guy, Hemant, shouted: "this is the best fucking movie ever, why don't we make movies like this?" For weeks you could find him stomping around the university yelling out "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "Only spartan women give birth to men!" But such reactions, were few and far between.
He's been in his room 35 years...time to let him out!
- connecticuter
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Before AiA gets on me for snobbery I should make the following note. At first sight, typical Indian cinema comes across as nothing more than lame love stories and/or 3 hour soap operas. But that is only a surface reading.
Standard bollywood films are actually very culturally syncretic in terms of language, music, dance, and culture. Also, they actually take melodrama very seriously and do it quite well. Hollywood formerly made such films, but US audiences are a bit too jaded for it. Taken, within its own genre, bollywood films tend to be very good, if given a chance. Which is why I am so confounded by their choices in US film.
Standard bollywood films are actually very culturally syncretic in terms of language, music, dance, and culture. Also, they actually take melodrama very seriously and do it quite well. Hollywood formerly made such films, but US audiences are a bit too jaded for it. Taken, within its own genre, bollywood films tend to be very good, if given a chance. Which is why I am so confounded by their choices in US film.
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- badboybubby
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snobbery would imply jealously guarded...connecticuter wrote:Before AiA gets on me for snobbery
i think you're safe..
He's been in his room 35 years...time to let him out!
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