American Culture & European Hypocricy

I bet you have all realised that theres an antiamericanism lately...with the war, politics in general, the hatred towards hollywood lame ass films, commerciality in everything, huge pop stars and all that hussle about them...

I share those ideas in many things but still i'm being carefull on how to express that...the point is that if you lived somewhere else and you saw what comes from america as culture you'd find (for the most part):

*Music:

-Thug niggers that talk about their self, beef and bitches 24/7

-Dumb 17 year old girls that carry a 'rape me' innocence as part of their profile

boy/girl bands that i wont even comment

*Films:

-Patriotic crapola awesomely filmed that say how cool it is to fight wars you dont know shit about.

-Lame ass comedies with great actors making clowns of their self for the money

-Drama, drama, drama

Now, i know you're starting to get pissed already so its time for a clarification. Thats NOT all there is, i'm talking about what is massivly exported!

So, at the same time, europeans are suposed to have higher standards, and they do at some cases...and they judge the 'american way' with an iron tongue...still all the kids watch american films, all the kids talk about britney's boobs and theres a bunch of fubu wearing wiggers everywhere....

If watching patriotic films is lame, watching patriotic films that dont concern your country is ridiculous...

If you're a wannabe thug, you might aswell dress and talk like thugs dress in your own country...

What i'm really trying to say is that i think the pop culture does great damage to both....

Are your exports bad,yet profitable, representation for the states?

cause they sure are bad influence for europe.

I just dont get that, all your good film directors and actors are more respected in europe than in their own country, ex. Jim Jarmuch, woody allen, johnny depp...i've read a bunch of interviews from american filmakers, actors and musicians where they thank the journalist for not asking them about their personal life and the chicks they fuck, but about their work. One would expect that the majority of european kids are more 'cultural' but they're not...they watch jackass and they'd love to have a mall to act like retards...

The reason i made this post is to underline that i think both euros and americans have a fake impression about eachother, based on media for the biggest part, if you think that you are better than Bush politics, better than britney's tits, more interesting than american pie...and more educated than nelly, be sure that you're not represented right.

If you think americans are dumb cocky retards be sure that you dont know much.

Another thing is that although european filmakers are known for more quality shit, after 1 or 2 movies they sign for Hollywood and totally destroy their style by adding a bunch of stereotype scenes, obligated by the contract they signed for money, drugs and bitches....i find all that stuff ironical, pretentious and ridiculous from both sides...comments?

Originally posted by Tesseract

-Patriotic crapola awesomely filmed that say how cool it is to fight wars you dont know shit about.

 

If watching patriotic films is lame, watching patriotic films that dont concern your country is ridiculous...

Haha. Classic.

good to see we are having a positive influence around the world..

i simplify it all to this:

its like my friend james...he can tell the dumbest joke in the world (like making the most retarded music, or shitty movies) but he can crack a grin at the end of the joke that makes everyone laugh. so the question is, who really is the idiot here? the one making the joke (or the song or music) or the sucker whos laughing (the ones buying into this shit)?

hope i didnt lose any of you too bad on that..

your example isnt the best but good enough for the answer: BOTH

T minus 4

i know exactly what youre saying. i think europeans easily have just as much, if not more arrogance in proportion to the americans. but a lot of people around the world that ive met have a lot better insights on the shit thats going on in the world than a lot of americans youll talk to. but its true, all the shit that other countries see about america are shows like jerry springer, ricky lake (all those type shows), late night talk shows, game shows, the news, shitcoms, dramas, all the shitty chart music, etc..... basically they see the worst of it for the most part. but all that shit influences everywhere. im now too stoned to think of anything else to say.....

im now too stoned to think of anything else to say.....

To bad cause it was going good:dazed:

anyway, i agree non americans have greater knowledge on just how the rest of the world affects them, therefore they care to know...as far as shows go, i agree but at the same time believe that 99% of US TV sucks...thats exactly the problem, i believe that americans are better than their television, still they only distribute shit like that. And i also believe euros have a better taste than watching that shit, but they keep on watching...weird, weird, weird....Majorities are known for being controled and manipulated in general, what bugs me the most is that 'ghost dog' was first played in europe and then in the states and, in europe, american pie was played in more theaters than it....

I hate to burst your bubble guys, but this isn't a recent thing at all.

I was in college a few weeks ago, and my lecturer started giving me shit about being american

L: what's the difference between America and yoghurt

bodice: hmm?

L: a yoghurt can grow its own culture

bodice: ah yes, but that culture wouldn't rampage across europe destroying native traditions in its wake, would it?

Being an american ex-pat right now sucks. You find yourself saying "I'm american, I'm sorry. No, I didn't vote for bush, no I don't agree with american foreign policy. Yes, I know america has hundred of times more Weapons Of Mass Destruction than Iraq etc etc etc " a great deal

hahaha, funny dialogue there...

i know the story is old, i decided to start that thread here, now, cause i sense that antiamericanism is starting to kick off in the states massivly aswell...anyway another example, take the brits, they blame americans for everything and at the same time snob out the EU and be 'Americas greatest friend' uh...

Originally posted by jah

all the shit that other countries see about america are shows like jerry springer, ricky lake (all those type shows), late night talk shows, game shows, the news, shitcoms, dramas, all the shitty chart music, etc..... basically they see the worst of it for the most part.

theres nothing wrong with some of the sitcoms (or cartoons even though they werent mentioned). all the rest of the shit is just there so you can appreciate what is good. you cant know whats good if there isnt something to be considered bad, right?

fuck talk shows like springer and ricky...although they can be funny sometimes, they are for the simple minded fucks out there. dramas....like soaps....blah....barf.

shitty chart music....depends on who you are talking about. i can admit i like some shitty music, but NO NELLY.

well of course theres a few good shows but i have to agree with tessereact that about 99% of the shit on tv is a waste of time. its just retarded....

and of course some music on the charts is good too. im just saying in general. there are a lot of other shitty influences like the fast food, mass consumerism, k i blanked out again but theres plenty of influences on other countries like britain and australia and whatnot...politcal and such.

I hear ya fellas

America condones the over sateration of "dumb" media. They always have. It keeps the masses paralized with fear, consumerism, and stupidity. In turn all us free thinkers look like extremest radical wackos. We look like the crazy ones and are ignored by the masses. Thus keeping the majority of Americans poor, stupid, locked-up,....or dead. In the mean time the political fat cats with short arms and deep pockets gain more power an get richer. And the culture is lost.

Most other countries are not like that. Though they may aspire to be so, they're just not capable of such curruption yet. It's not that I hate America, just frustrated with "them" saying one thing and doing another. You must lead by example. The example that's being set for future generations in this country is not pretty. Thats a shame.

FLUFFER IS a silly person

I think that Americas great.But a lot of you act like idiots about things.You need to relax and stop showing off.

You are like the hyperactive rich violent kid at the school disco that wont stop shouting orders.

But all in all I think you have given the rest of the world a lot of things as well.Like

Graffiti

Hamburgers

Coca Cola

Hip hop

talk shows

all of these things make my life worth living so i should shut up.

http://www.iuma.com/images/absig.gif'>

what i cant stand is that everyone in the world other than most tribal cultures like to clasify everyone in one country as opposed to seeing the fact that more than one group of individuals lives there.

in every country in the fucking world there are dumb fucks there will always be dumb fucks and nothing can be done to prevent that.

sure america is a gay country that lives off commercialism and the exploitation of peoples lives and cultures, and thats wrong.

but that doesnt make all of us ignorant fucks even tho the number of ignorance is alot more than usual.

now that i've said that

you are all fags, shut the fuck up and live on with your lives accepting others w/o makin opinions just cuz they're europen, american, canadian, blah blah blah

fags

this isn't high school, so fuck what other countries think and if they want beef, bush is a itchy triga finga nigga... he'll let em have it too..

damn, some of you are stupid...pordido wins though...did you even read that?...

Anyway, answer to this, do you feel like your country is well represented???

Do you know whats goin on in other countries?

well i think its well represented for the wrong reasons

and yes i do know whats going on in other countries.

although when most people ask me i tend to just say no, i dont like to argue about bullshit to people that don't know their ass from their face.

When you say that america is a gay country and then you call everyone fags, it doesnt show much intellect on your behalf - it strictly shows your ability to generate uneducated and ignorant statements.

Maybe if you didn't mix homophobia with your phrasing, you might actually have the chance to be taken seriously.

but see thats the whole thing man everyone takes everything to seriously, those comments there are just to make people laugh.

or maybe just myself cuz i find it funny :)

and just to clarify things up i dont hate homosexuals or white people or heroin users.

i don't need to know...i don't need to know......i don't need to know.

haha james is funny....

no, american subculture is not well represented to the world. and its good that way. like biological evolution, isolation breeds new forms. subculture needs time on its own to evolve before it is bought and sold by the masses.

yes, we condone bad shit in the media, this allows us to do our own thing independent of the masses having any say, and nothing is commodified. its quite fine by me that britney spears is all over the media, because going to basement shows that fit 100 people feels so much better. i wouldn't want to see my favorite bands all over glossy magazines at supermarkets.

don't worry if you're not getting true american subculture across the world, just be assured that there is indeed originality and avant guard shit happening, and that you guys not hearing about it is the best method to preserve it.

Originally posted by Fox Mulder

i don't need to know...i don't need to know......i don't need to know.

 

 

haha james is funny....

different james than the one youre thinking of i believe...

I agree all that shit has taken hold of the weak people here. I know lots of people like that. I still think america rocks though because if you see past the bullshit its really fun living here. Beutiful scenery too.

The American People Don't Get A Choice, OR a Voice

There is a gigantic gap between the purveyors of pop culture, especially the segment of the entertainment industry collectively known as "Hollywood", and the rest of the American people. The average person has no control over what kind of mindless drivel Hollywood produces and distributes around the world, so blaming and bashing "America" for putrid crap that is engineered and produced by a tiny cultural "elite" that has nothing to do with the rest of us.

Their choices are about MAKING MONEY. They don't care if gangsta rap kills 20,000 ignorant young minority men every year. They don't care if glorifying dysfunctional idiots on Jerry Springer and Geraldo! causes a degradation of morals and family behavior. They just don't care.

They do not see the putrid product that comes out of the record companies and film studios as being anything other than a way to line their pockets. "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the ignorant, immoral lowest common denominator of the American consumer."

You guys love all manner of disgusting, low-life, violent garbage entertainment. What can I say? With no rules about what is permissable to put on film or on a CD, and parents just abandoning their role as parents, it won't be long before before fascism is a genuine possibility in the United States.

It won't be imposed. The people will beg for it. This is what happens when a nation just allows it's own culture and social mileau to descend into the very lowest moral pit that is to be found.

I'm tired of hearing people complain about the United States and the American people. Nobody is requiring anyone to buy garbage pop music. If you despise us so much, refuse to participate.

What drives American popular culture is MAKING MONEY. If you don't watch "Jackass" or Jerry Springer, then it will disappear. If you don't buy Britney Spears' music, it will disappear. If you don't wear FUBU, it will disappear. The real question is why anybody would crave to be so abysmally ignorant in the first place.

America is an economic, military powerhouse. The only thing about that that bothers me is that it does not serve the American people at all, but only the interests of the miniscule INTERNATIONAL POWER ELITE.

STUDY INTERNATIONAL FINANCE. That's where you will find the answers. And stop blaming us--we don't control these monsters any more than you do.

Of course there is a big seperation issue..For instance..We are always obligated to go with our instincts first..

About two months ago tesseract you and I were in discussion about you visiting new york..You called new york the "mecca of graffiti" and we grew onto other discussion about the US cities I admire..We talked about places we would live etc..When I told you San Fransisco was an incredible city you stated it was a little to "west" for you..hmmmm

You go over to Europe and all the writers want to know if you have been to new york..what?.

I use this as an example..

You have never seen San fransisco..in fact I dont even think you were familiar with it..This isnt your fault..All im saying is..sometimes you have to experiance a thing, place, or culture before you come to a conclusion..Not everyone loves sports ya know..And San fransisco is amazing..

Now Im in the heart of the southwest and I feel the masses of strip malls and strip club culture everyday..When I lived in the northwest I thought the southwest was just a place for white trash nobodies and people who couldnt afford places with more to offer.(well not to that extreme but ya know)...When I moved down here I discovered I was completely wrong..Not that I was completely arrogant before but I learned about alot of the culture here I had no idea about..

Not the alter ego of the yuppie culture in like Southern California or in hollywood that you referenced to.. But the the Mexican culture..And in that I found a really great almost hidden dopeness to down here..Things you cant get in other parts of the states..Things the media doesnt show other countries..

My point is this- I really doubt europeans get to see the real america very often..

Last night it was raining and Mr. Lonely heart and I were riding our bikes home at about 11 oclock after I had gotten of work..we are so broke right now..Ive been jacking food from work..On the way home..I saw a man in a wheel chair on the side of the road completely covered in dirt..with the entire like five feet radius surrounding him filled with knotted up plastic bags..This man has been sitting within the same few blocks for about a year so far..He moves from one street to the other and sits in this pile of dirty bags..We decided to lay food on the bags for him..

Now this is my point..Of course you see bush and you see britney spears and you have to understand it makes the majority of us sick too..I almost cried when bush was elected..and im pure American..

Fifth generation Los Angeles..You cant get much more american then that..

When I think of the states..I think "unfair"

No, Our culture doesnt appreciate hard work as much as other countries and no our country doesnt appreciate art as much as europe..but you have stop comparing the US to everywhere else..Id love to live in europe..Id like to have better health care and education but consider this..

Look at Mexico..One ninth of Arizonas population is illegal because people are dieing on the streets in Mexico to have children..look at africa..Aids is killing a beautiful culture..

No we dont always do the right thing politically..But the REAL people that live here..and I mean real people dont always get to make the arrangements..Ill be the first person to tell you that things need to change..Families and spirituality suffer everyday because of politics..People forget about the real reasons for living..But thats a world wide thing..and each person is an individual..

You look at Americans and you think years of Slavery and Old White Protestant leaders who could Give a fuck about thier own people..Fuck Ill admitt it though..When The word Germany comes up..the first thing I think of Is halocaust..Or How about Italy and The word fascism. How about le pen In France who wanted to ship all of the Arabs out in boxcars....

Now I doubt everyone in Germany is wearing a swastika right now..but it just proves another point..

You have to ask yourself why you even grouped an entire country in the first place based on our media..Fuck talk shows and Listen to lots of Gil Scott Heron..

and above all "Dont believe the Hype"

Yea well I look at it this way...

Nice countries come in last.

Also...

When I think of French people, I ALWAYS think of them sitting on a fence leaning towards whoevers decision looks like it will prevail.

I laugh to myself about that.

I also have been closed off to the rest of the world, and as far as I know every other country except America sucks and has horrible laws and kills babies an shit.

I no this isn't the case, due to common sense but that's how I have been taught, sheltered and molded by American society.

One thing tho, that America does good, is get shit done. Like I said nice countries come in last, and we're not havin that shit.

America says fuck the world, cause their not us. We're not perfect but I'm damn fuckin proud of my country, right or wrong, I still got pride.

on the thought of san francisco and living out west...seriously, unless i get a job offer that i cant refuse, im staying on the east coast. this is just where my heart is. i love it out here. some may say virginia is too far south to be considered east, some say its too north to be considered dirty south, but fuckit. this is home, this is where im staying. ill visit other areas, but i can see myself living here the rest of my life now.

Originally posted by podrido

but see thats the whole thing man everyone takes everything to seriously, those comments there are just to make people laugh.

 

or maybe just myself cuz i find it funny :)

 

and just to clarify things up i dont hate homosexuals or white people or heroin users.

its too hard to tell if you are kidding. if you really are kidding, then yes...it is funny...in fact, i have friends the use the same humor. on this message board...its harder to tell. overall..it doesnt matter...i was just bringing it up to you in case you were a shallow piece of shit, but since you apparently are not, it doesnt matter now.

have wonderful days.

Every nation is capable of producing its share of cultural drivel, even the exalted european countries. Europe has its own pathetic version of "gangsta rap" and it's own versions of the annoying but ever popular US teen singing sensations. Our cultural drivel just seems to be the most pervasive and appealing. I personally don't know why classic music by people like Grover Washington Jr., Bob James, Gil Scott Heron, Cymande, Deodato, Bernard Purdie, Marvin Gaye, Dennis Coffey, War, Curtis Mayfield, Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, Hubert Laws, Mongo Santamaria, Cannonball Adderley, Gabor Szabo, Herbie Mann, Stanley Turrentine, Horace Silver or Bobbi Humphrey gets snubbed for Christina Aguilera, Nelly, and Eminem.

If everyone prefers to focus on and consume our culture's worst, then that's their decision, and that's what they'll continue to be exposed to. If other nations prefer to judge us by Britney and McDonalds then so be it. Just don't blame ME for our shitty popular culture.