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Originally Posted by tore
A few of us members here live in countries where English is not the first language. Something that our countries are likely to have in common is that they probably recieve a lot more culture from English speaking nations than they give back.
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But you have admit English speaking countries recieve cultural influence from
other countries. I can't really agree that Norway had no influence, even though it might seem they do not contribute to world culture now, Norway had in the past an effect on countries like Ireland, England, France, Spain, Italy, and Russian to name a few. America has many regional accents, the rhotic American accents found in the Mid-Western and Mid-Atlantic can be trace back to Scandinavian influences, as opposed to the non-rhotic Southern and New England accents.
I'm always supprised and fascinated by two things, one is when I see something that is fimilar from non-English speaking country, and another is when I see something unfimilar from an English speaking country. Sometimes I'm impress that Scandinavian bands sing in English but sometimes I really wish they sang in their own lagnuage. I love watching programs and movies from the UK or Australia because it's so different from what I see in America.
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Originally Posted by Tore
For example - because english is a world language, you get english speaking TV shows here like CSI, Cops, Keeping Up Appearances, Allo Allo and many, many more. These shows are mainly from USA, England and Australia. Most of them give us some kind of picture on what life is like in these countrues and they have an effect on culture in Norway. However, norwegian is not a world language so while we recieve a lot of influences from outside, we don't really export it. Culture and media wise, it's almost like a one-way communication where we recieve influence and give none.
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One way communication is called "simplex."
And what do you mean give none? What about ABBA and Death Metal??
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Originally Posted by Tore
I think here, it has had a profound effect, even over a short period like the last decade. Although it's not exactly something that keeps me up at night, I do worry somewhat about negative cultural influences. Note that negative doesn't have to mean that they are negative in the english speaking countries they come from, but that I think they would be negative here  It can be little things, like the excess people recieve from Extreme Home Makeover. Families recieve charity houses that are bigger than what most norwegian millionaires have. Where America might have a culture where bigger and better is cool, we have a culture where down to earth and modesty has traditionally been cool. Many such things are changing now and will in the future as young people growing up are influenced by events, ideals and thoughts from outside our nation's borders. |
There are a lot of Americans who have a down-to-Earth attitude; and there are a lot of snobbish pompous Americans too. There is no generalization of America that can be entirely true because in America you can find both extremes.
Hollywood doesn't accurately protrait America anyway, its main purpose is to present a highly polished commercial product. I heard a guy had to sell his house after he had a make over because he could afford the taxes, those shows aren't always a perfect fairy tale. American don't all live like kings in giant castles. Some American live in Trailor Parks, some live in their RVs some are trainsient that live inner cities and abandon house and tents in the woods, and parks. But if you take those who live in RVs some of them can cost up to a million dollars.
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Originally Posted by Tore
Is it much the same where you're from or do you perhaps recieve culture from nations speaking a different language? Do you think stuff like this can over time homogenize the western world until it's culturally basically the same? What do you think about it?
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I can't imagine a homogenize Western world when there is so much difference within America let alone between America and the UK, Canada, or Australia.
I would hate to see a culturally homogenize West. I love the differences in all the European countries, I hate to see Europe become some sanitized PC world where a countries looses it's own cultural identity.