Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy, Arjun Appadurai (327)
Let's examine the cultural imperialism thesis and debates regarding homogenization vs. heterogenization by looking at the popular Idol franchise created by the British media company, FremantleMedia. A significant aspect of current media globalization is the creation of the franchise model, the global distribution of a successful program format to local markets. Popular "reality" programs, sitcoms, and game shows are licensed and modified according to different cultural and social mores, while maintaining set genre conventions, program format and style.
Referring to the reading from Tomlinson's "Cultural Imperialism" essay and examples from Latin American Idol and American Idol (select titles to go to pages), answer the following:
1. Describe one way the franchise is an example of media homogenization. In other words, describe how the franchise functions to create and deliver a similar product across national boundaries (No, you don't have to know Spanish to do this; focus on the design and format of the programs).
2. In light of Tomlinson's discussion and your viewing of the Idol franchise, describe one argument put forth to challenge the cultural imperialism thesis.
3. Referring to Tomlinson's discussion "Multinational Capitalism and Cultural Homogenization" and the Idol franchise, describe one reason why Tomlinson suggests "cultural synchronization" (the loss of cultural autonomy as a result of the processes of multinational capitalism) is not necessarily detrimental to the receiving culture.
Respond by selecting the "comments" link below. Write your name at the top of your response. Limit your response to no more than 300 words.
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ReplyDeleteSara Stearns
ReplyDeleteArt 309
Green
The American Idol franchise is a classic example of media homogenization. If you at both of the American Idol websites, comparing the Latin with the American they are extremely similar. The messages are flashy. The format is laid out to omit excitement; they are meant to draw your attention. “Who will be the next Idol?” “These are the contestants that are in the running!” Every person on either website appears beautiful, happy, glamorous, on the verge of being rich and famous! No matter what language or culture, who wouldn’t want to have that power? Who wouldn’t want to have this idealized image be their own life? This product does this across these different cultures.
Cultural imperialism is the ideological property of the images themselves. It is these images of glamorous lifestyles, expensive clothes, power and wealth. It is however, just another fantasy world. While one can imagine themselves being lucky enough to be apart of it all, it is unlikely to happen. Are we creating unrealistic expectations for people themselves that they can’t possibly live up to? Does this create a sort of nonsense? People enjoy watching the show, but it is a show not the reality of our daily lives.
There are some very good quotes in the Tomlinson article. “The Kazakhstani tribesman who has no knowledge of (and perhaps, no interest in) America or Europe is unlikely to see his cassette player as emblematic of creeping capitalist domination.” (308) That is to say that cultures have always influenced one another and that this has often had a positive effect on these different communities. It is the choice of the culture and its inhabitants to make those free and uncoerced choices for themselves. Who else is to say otherwise?
Kevin M. Otto
ReplyDeleteArt 309
Section 502
The glitz is the same between American Idol and Latin American Idol. Individuals are highlighted with attitude and are trendy in the way they dress. The stage setup is very similar in design, color and the program functions in the same manner. The Latin American website is somewhat more reserved and relaxed where as the American Idol site is more flashy and has more commotion. The British media company, FremantleMedia is responsible for the idol franchise which transcends national boundaries by capturing American and Latino audiences with their similar product. The routine on the show is the same despite the different languages so whether you speak Spanish or English you could still tune into either program and follow along despite the barrier of language.
The question becomes how many Americans can name the top recording artists in the other developed countries around the world. Although you see on television American artists traveling to foreign countries and their citizens attending the concerts often mouth their lyrics and idolize their stardom. The American music industry is a powerhouse. Artists receive world wide publicity and tour through the world. You can relate the American music industry to Hollywood because they too are icons and produce media that is accepted even in countries that we are not in the best of terms with.
With cultural synchronization the loss of culture from the migrating people may not be a problem for the receiving culture. The receiving culture does not have to change in this matter where as the immigrants are absorbed into this new culture trying desperately to fit in. It may be a problem if too many people immigrate into a country but the culture of that country does not have to change in this matter.
Justin Beale
ReplyDeleteArt 309
Greene
The British Pop Idol Television franchise, and the spin off versions of American Idol and Latin America seem to provide a distinct look into the complex nature of media homogenization. The ultimate goal of the franchise is to turn the average television viewer into the next great pop star of their culture’s history. The basic format of the show remains similar throughout each series, the contestants must compete for the viewers votes that supposedly lead the winning contestant to a life of the rich and famous. This dream that the franchise appeals to seems inherent in the human identity regardless of the cultural differences across these regional boundaries.
Although many of the viewers and contestants fail to realize that much of the glitz may in fact vanish once the camera has been turned off. The Idol format gives the contestants much needed exposure to the viewing public but it does not inherently create a star. The Idol franchise produces each series towards specifically targeted cultures for which they are shown in yet we cannot simply assume this will produce the same urge to climb the capitalistic ladder. Many people may simply watch the show for the mere enjoyment of how far some are willing to go to climb this idealistic ladder. Tomlinson clearly outlines this by stating that “ their responses more complex and reflective, and their values more resistant to manipulation and invasion.” Tomlinson goes on further to illustrate that the type of cultural synchronization described does not always have negative effects on the receiving culture. Many of the richest cultural traditions have come out interacting and converging regional cultures. These cultures are more likely to take these new interactions and use them to shape new meanings and understanding that seem to fit their culture norms.
The format of the Logo, colors, stage set up, as well as the way the contestants clothing and poses for photographs in Latin American Idol are almost identical to it’s north American counterpart. The stage, and the “wholesome” singers all appear the same. They even have seemingly identical looking hosts and a host of judges that look identical to American Idol. The voting is done the same way, the entire show could be watched in another language and any viewer familiar with the franchise in their native language would be able to follow the show.
ReplyDeleteIn Tomlinson’s discussion he speaks mostly of how one cultural is always favored and one is not. As global ideals are spread from the bigger nations, underdeveloped nations are always at the lower end of the spectrum. He speaks of how developed nations take precedence and the lesser nations are not let in on the cultural developments and innovations that come with globalization. I would say that Latin American Idol does just the opposite Tomlinson’s argument.
Latin America is not usually included in the “euro centralist” trends and advancements that Tomlinson discusses as being strongly associated with European and United States western ideals. That the EU and US are the leaders in trends and pop culture and that other nations (lesser developed) nations are left in the dust, forgotten and not included in these pop cultural events. Latin American Idol shows that, at least in the exploitation of new singing talent for sales and tv viewership, not every avenue of this argument has been explored.
“Cultural synchronization” can lead to a great deal off loss of individual culture’s histories and traditions, but it can also lead to a great deal of good. Shows like Latin American Idol for example, can promote the idea of successful democratic voting processes and can change for the better in regards of how people’s voices are heard and understood. There is also the potential for shared experiences growing a stronger nation, one that see’s itself coming together to enjoy a shared source of entertainment.
The Idol franchise is a good example for media homogenization and delivering similar products across national boundaries because it functions as a template for other producers of reality television. The Idol show itself is by no means restricted to only America, originally done in the UK; it has reached across globe. The real homogenization is in the shows that are similar to Idol. In recent years there was a show by the same producers called “The next Great American Band”, and even the ongoing “Dancing with the Stars” show features similarities. The common place that Idol will set for reality television will be the presence of judges (often celebrities of the public), the finding of underdog stars, and the involvement of the audience.
ReplyDeleteWith the spread of Idol in other countries, each will have variety within cultures. Singing in its own right is just as expressive as any art , and just as in the “Dallas” discussions, different ethnic groups will bring their own values to the situation. Whether it is individual success, honor of family, country, religion, all the cultures will bring something new to their own version of Idol and thus, the argument of media and Imperialism across cultures becomes invalid.
The question of whether Idol could lead to cultural imperialism could be answered within a wide spectrum of views, as Tomlinson mentions that much hangs on the question of who speaks. He also says that cultures have always influenced one another and often enriched the interaction communities. By having Idol in other countries, it can give exposure to native music of the area and provide an outlet for other artists to try new styles that would have gone unnoticed. It would agree with Tomlinson’s statement that cultural synchronization in some cases can increase variety in cultural experience.
Alex Couto
ReplyDeleteThere is no better example to illustrate media homogenzation than theAmerican Idol fronchize. When comparing the websites I quickly realize
how extremely similar the format and style of the two shows are. The
logo is virtually the same except for the "part" which almost goes
unoticed. The photographs of the contestants aswell as the judges
immediately reminded me of the judges and contestants of past and
present shows here in the US. The judges, although having never
actually seen the Latin American Idol it seems that the judges all have
similar personalities to that of the US. There is even a "Simon" like
character amongst the judges. What is interesting to observe are the
differences between the two shows. The way in which everyone is
dressed, the jewelry which is worn and their trends reflect ours but
not completely. However both shows look equally as cheesy however I
understand why they would be popular. The idol franchise is not
completely culturally imperialist, at least not in my opinion. It may
apear that way, however I believe the Latin American culture is only
using this format to entertain, and a successful format it is. To me it
is comparable to saying certain types of food are culturally impirical
in which I completely disagree with. This example of food and the Idol
franchize can be looked at as "cultural synchronization" however it is
not entirely negative. I believe Latin Americans are using this form of
entertainment and making it their own, transforming it to suite their
cultural needs. The same with foods,sushi can be looked at as an
invasive food that devalues the food of it's host country, however this
is not how I feel about the topic.
Brianna Jaeger
ReplyDeleteAmerican Idol is a great example of media homogenization. American Idol and Latin American Idol are both spin offs of Britain’s Pop Idol. Looking at both the American Idol, and Latin American Idol site they are almost identical. Each show has the same premise as to find the next pop idol of each country. The design of the sites and even the graphics are basically the same. Even the contestants look similar. Each contestant dresses to impress or to stand out; girls in tank tops, guys in dress shirts, or stylish t-shirts. It doesn’t matter what country you are in, this show could be put on in any country and still have the overall same idea.
The idea of the American Idol franchise with cultural imperialism is giving any country and culture the idea that anyone and everyone can have fame and fortune. Although most of the TV reality stars have their 15 minutes of fame before retreating back to their normal life, and then try outrageous stunts again and again to get some sort of media coverage. The show promotes unrealistic goals, and lifestyles. People will spend the rest of their lives unhappy and trying to achieve this fame and fortune lifestyle.
Tomlinson explains that cultural synchronization doesn’t always have a negative effect. With a show like Idol, other countries can expose new artists to the country. Their native music can be spread around the country and bring people together with music as a common interest. The basic idea of Idol is very basic that any country can adapt it to their culture and not have a lot of foreign cultural influence from other countries.
The sites both have similar layouts; photos of the contestants, videos of the recaps, behind the scenes and other little things. Both sites had different people, different areas and a very similar page set up between both. Maybe the sites are similar so people from different countries can navigate easily throughout one site after another.
ReplyDeleteCultural imperialism is injecting culture of one society into another. Both sites are very similar, but do not portray a specific or stereotype that could make other countries view them as a certain way. Idol is a British copied show, but every culture sings and everybody wants to make it to the top or be somebody. Only the injection of a show idea is happening here.
Different cultures have been swapping this and that back and forth for years, we grow off one another and want to strive together, and in that process some can be left behind.
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ReplyDeleteLatin American Idol and American Idol is a great example of media homogenization. By looking at the sites and watching some YouTube videos of both shows, I found that it is basically the same, but in different languages. One would be able to watch the other and know what was going on even though they did not understand the language. The shows are set up the same way and they both aim to find a ‘star’ and feature 3 judges who comment after the performances. I even found it kind of funny that Latin American Idol had 2 men judges and one woman judge just like in American Idol. One of the men was even a little more serious/stern just like the famous Simon Cowell who is known for having an attitude. Both shows also feature background stories on some of the contestants auditioning to reach viewers on a more personal level. When looking at the two shows, cultural imperialism does play a role because of the obvious similarities. However their culture is still present in the song choices of the contestants, as well as their language. When looking at “cultural synchronization” and Tomlinson’s essay, one could say that the media homogenization seen in Latin Idol is compromising parts of their culture and replacing it with ours. However, I find that American Idol was one of the first shows to have viewers calling in their votes and having that interactive quality of entertainment, where the viewers get to participate in the media they are viewing. The Latin culture has embraced this idea as a form of entertainment as well, but it does not mean that they are losing cultural autonomy because of it.
ReplyDeleteDerek (DJ) Harris
ReplyDeleteArt 309 – Migration and Visual Art
Greene
American Idol started a wave of similarity throughout random countries in the world. People from different cultures and backgrounds with different interests all come together for this common goal in life: to succeed as a pop singer. The United Kingdom has their pop musician show, Germany has their equivalent called German Idol, and the United States has many copycats sprouting all the time because of how popular the show is. The world wants to make bank on all of these dreams and interests of the viewers. Though the show uses its own country’s characteristics, it’s still the same on a global scale. Anyone from any country that travels to another knows what that show is about.
With all of the arguments why American Idol and other country’s equivalents show the effects of globalization, one cannot look over the fact that all those shows are not just chasing the “American dream.” I think that most people in the world want to live a famous life where you make millions and are very popular, not just people in the US. When you assume that people watch the show because they dream of these things because of the United States telling them to do so, then I would say you are wrong. People are people; it’s as simple as that. Cultures may change, but a person is still a person all the same.
I would say that the world taking in this show is not a bad thing. It allows for the country to come together on something that is light-hearted which allows for other drama to be set aside. It allows for people to shine on the national stage and in turn, the international stage. It allows then for cultures to be shared with others.
The contenders on American Idol seem to have it all to the viewers. They are in exciting cities auditioning for a show everyone watches, they are dressed fashionably and they have talent. Well after a certain point in the show they all have a degree of talent. And the thing is, both the shows are the same. The Latino and American Idols are exactly the same, just with different people in different languages. This is why they have been used in our class as examples of media homogenization. The show tries to bring in audiences and "regular people" by doing short segments on some of the perspective stars lives. They'll go into telling about they're humble lives and how all they've ever wanted to do is be a rockstar. That sounds humble. By making these seemingly humble and innocent people and their dreams seem so tragic, they make everyone else think that IS okay to want to pursue such a lifestyle which most of us end up frowning upon in the end since we are jealous of the way they can waste money and we cant.
ReplyDeleteI would say that technically it is only the show that is being carried over from one culture or society to another. The shows appear (American vs. Latino) in the separate languages and the contenders sing song from their own culture. So since it isn't culture being forced upon culture... it might now technically be cultural imperialism.
I think people do this and it makes them happy. I don't think there is anything too terribly wrong with that. change happens.
Ismar Kulenovic
ReplyDeleteArt 309
Green
Looking at the American version of American Idol and the Latin Version of idol, they appear exactly the same. American idol is a very famous and popular show that took off in this country very rapidly, what made it so unique is the fact that the viewer can interact and vote for who they believe should pass on and win. The show itself is exactly the same with the setup, glamor, flash, and judging for both the American and Latin versions. This shows media homogenization in the way they are brought to the viewer and people internationally but are the same. A great term that also would fit this scenario is Mcdonaldization; the same product can be expected everywhere. Tomlinson argues that the majority bump out the minority when it comes to media, he used this in the context of countries or nations. We start these phenomenons and smaller countries take much longer to acquire. However the Latin version of idol shows the contrary, and shows how these cultures do share ideas. There is also cultural synchronization which takes the autonomy out of culture due to multinational capitalism. This is not always a bad thing as Tomlinson argues it is; it helps to share ideas across borders, mixing cultures, and sharing ideas.
The American Idol franchise is a perfect example of media homogenization. When comparing the Latin American Idol to the American Idol there are many similarities. The logos are almost identical and the web pages themselves are very similar. Both of the shows are organized in the same way in the sense that the auditions, introductions, singing and voting are very alike. It seems that the only difference would be the language spoken. The original Idol started up in the UK and has since then flourished in popularity. In other words, the UK version of American Idol was used as a map or template for the shows that followed and that is why it is a perfect example of media homogenization. In regards to cultural imperialism, I do not think that American Idol falls into this category. The shows are very similar but the songs are sung on one's own dominant language. The shows are the same but I do not feel like there has been any forced cultural influence. Tomlinson argues that cultural synchronization isn't always and doesn't have to be a bad thing. The success of American Idol has brought many talented people from all around the globe into the light. I feel like the show is overrated but I understand why it is so popular.
ReplyDeleteJulie Kolaga-Art 309!
ReplyDeleteRachel Harder
ReplyDeleteArt 309
Green
The American Idol franchise is an excellent example of cultural homogenization. The techniques in which they use to attract viewer attention is the same cross culturally. Media companies have researched the psychology behind capturing human attention and it is the same for similar cultures who have been previously exposed to television. The media companies in America have more money than in other countries so their techniques, which are based on costly research, are going to be better at capturing audiences. Other countries take note of this and try to replicate it which can be seen on the Latin American Idol website.The glitz and glamor on both the websites attracts anyone, no matter the language or the culture. The style of the two shows are identical with contestants going through a series of stages to reach the pinnacle spot of being the next "American/Latin American Idol." All the contestants are shown in trendy attire and done up with fancy hair and make-up. The are portrayed as being people to look up to or people to aspire to be like. These characteristics are the same for both shows because beauty and money are appealing to many (or most) cultures. Also, the idea of suspense is duplicated in both shows, apparently many people like "sitting on the edge of their seat."
Tomlinson argues that cultural synchronization is not necessarily a bad thing, which contrasts the views of many authors he refers to in the text. If the idea being shared from one culture to another will help the other culture then of course it seems like a noble idea to adjust to the new idea. In the case of American Idol I really can't say whether the transcendence of this show across cultural borders is a positive thing or "uniform badness."
Derek Hansen
ReplyDeleteArt 309
The first thing that I noticed between the two is that they are both rather similar in their presentation. Going beyond the logo, both have a style that is flashy and attracts the viewer with a plethora of information about the episodes and musicians. On top of that, the premise, purpose, and direction of the show is the same. Yet the only substantial difference between the two is the language barrier. In short, the Idol series is a clear example of homogenization in media.
From the article by John Tomlinson, cultural imperialism is to display a glamourous lifestyle and show all of it’s material benefits. However, such lifestyle is really only that of fantasy and not reality. Rather ironic to say considering that unlike a drama or film, the contestants in American Idol are actual people. The singers come from everyday life and are placed in the midst of becoming wealthy and famous (as if not being on national television already brings the latter). But the intense work and hours of practice are shadowed by the bright lights and praise from millions of viewers.
The Idol series does not conform with cultural synchronization for the American and Latin versions each have their own style of music that caters to the audiences that are being pushed towards. Although the same framework of the show is used, the traits of each one is unique.
After viewing both shows I thought that they were very similar. Each show had contestants whos objectives were the same. The stage production and presentation was strikingly similar.Many of the same types of styles and trends were present I thought. I believe this shows how cultures can merged and borders can be crossed with the use of television and media. I believe the homogenization this creates can be beneficial to many cultures. Despite language barriers the intended audience is one in the same. Both shows used similar styles to create an exciting environment for the viewer. There is interaction between the viewer and the show, and it creates it own sort of reality. Viewer can envision themselves being on the show, and create their own sort of reality while they watch.
ReplyDeleteI felt that this sort of mind set was similar to the show Dallas which John Tomlinson reviews in his essay on cultural imperialism. Tomlinson discusses how cultural imperialism is seen as an ideological property. The ideology of mass culture and the false reality that the 'glitz and glamour' creates. For some cultures such ideals would be looked down upon. This sort of mass culture can be viewed as loss of cultural identity. Yet with a show such as American Idol, there is a non threatening aspect that allows other cultures to accept it, and embrace it themselves. They can look past politics and other issues and come together for something fun. I believe that this is highly beneficial to all of us. Referring back to Tomlinsons' essay I feel that American Idol supports his ideas on how American T.V. cross cultural and linguistic borders. The message being sent to other cultures may or may not be read in the same way, but this particular show defies that idea. Overall I feel that it is important to have cultural interactions while maintaining our own identities, and the Idol series does that pretty well.