I’m like any other European raised on the Internet:
- my English accent is more American (guys is it hard to switch to a British one?)
- learned English from American cartoons, games and websites
- I know who the current and previous mayor of New York is for some reason
- I know the American flavor of the month “thing”
- Evening news from the national broadcaster regularly covers US news, or social media posts from prominent figures in the US (doesn’t do this for any other country with such regularity)
- I know the Oscars are happening from media yet completely missed Cesars
People here focus on tech a lot but I think it can’t be understated how much of a cultural grasp the US has on Europe. Being born into it already being in full swing I didn’t really question it. This Wikipedia article states most of the top 50 movies are decidedly American.
I started watching more sports channels to escape the news about US. I yearn for the day where I realize I’ve been living under the proverbial rock and thanks to which I avoided learning about the latest US flavor of the week news. I also read European Corresponded (funded by EU) to get more out of sight news from member states, but US still spills through.
I started unsubscribing or blocking communities which have too much US news. Even those that paint it in a negative light. I just don’t want it to be there.
I started using the “favorite channels” feature on my TV to narrow the channel list to a curated European or my country focused channels. Stuff like niche channels from the national broadcaster (documentaries, science, history, culture) that cover my country mostly. There’s some private channels that broadcast old movies and music from my country in there too. France24, Deutsche Welle, BBC (they love to cover US…). Especially the niche state channels make you think - “damn, my own culture - it’s kinda cool!”. I also started watching arte.tv more, there’s even an app for my old Samsung Tizen OS TV. It’s so refreshing to learn something local.
You can see that my “journey” is kinda funny as I even tried to figure out clothes: https://szmer.info/post/11927959/13610982
I also read the first chapter of “Special Relations: The Americanization of Britain?” by Howard Malchow and it seems promising. It marks the start of the Americanization with the launch of the first satellite (AT&T) which made broadcasting American content easier. I also should read a book about the “change of guard” as the global superpower between the UK and the USA, as I don’t really know the details of how that panned out.
I probably sound like a .ml user. Anyway, I don’t know where I was going with this thread. Just dumped my thoughts. I guess it’s ironic that I’m writing this as an European, an Indian could write something very similar. Guess it’s just our turn to get culturally “colonized”
I guess these Wojaks represent my feelings best:
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You can try switching to a Canadian accent, it’s pretty similar to the American accent as long as you aren’t going for a French Canadian or newfound land accent. Also writing Canada sometimes uses British spelling and sometimes uses American depending on the word.
The USA biggest export is culture. For better or worse can’t do much about it. Also the reason you’re probably hearing so many news about US is because it’s a shitshow. EU has it’s share too but it’s a lot calmer.
Also if the American lifestyle is exported so much, what is the European lifestyle like? Riding a bike instead of a tank-sized car? Taking a month vacation and not bringing your work phone? Walking to places? These are the tropes but what are the real distinctions?
5 minute talk to american and you should be clear what difference there is between us. I think the best description of american culture is “fake it till you make it” which is so fucking stupid that my head hurts every time someone unironically says that.
There are definitely cultural differences: a stronger emphasis on education, disdain for violence as a means of conflict resolution, social solidarity and an emphasis on togetherness.
Europe also doesn’t share uniquely American traits like cultural monoculture, a fondness of chemicals (whether drugs, additives, or coloring agents), the desire to ignore the natural environment (strawberries in January and 15 degrees inside in the summer), and a declarative loudness and brashness.
Those tropes are very accurate.
A stark differences I see between the US and the rest of the world is that many of its infrastructures are nakedly profit-based rather than service-based. In the EU, the healthcare systems have their problems, but their fundamental purpose is to provide health. In the US, the healthcare infrastructure’s main purpose is to generate a profit at any sustainable human cost.
Much of the transportation infrastructure in the EU is meant to help people travel from one place to another. In the US, the point is to make a profit off of providing transportation. Many US states have literally no forms of public transportation between cities hundreds of miles away from each other. Born in Miami? Hope you like it there or have a private vehicle.
Education in the EU is first a system by which to educate EU citizens, whereas the US educational system is primarily a profit-making venture selling educational services.
Not the individual healthcare workers, educators or conductors who care about their jobs and helping people, but the US infrastructures themselves seem completely divorced from the idea of citizen service or social compact as anything but a means by which to siphon and accumulate capital.
one difference is that Europe has a history?
I think American history is just as valid as European - it doesn’t matter that the former starts later. It’s not my intention to ponder which culture is better, but to observe that there is in fact a lot of the American bits around us here in Europe. Then we can figure out which parts on our side make up an European identity.
If you have any thoughts about how the lengths of the respective histories affect the lifestyles on both sides please share. I also see that it’s your first interaction on Lemmy so welcome :)
- my English accent is more American (guys is it hard to switch to a British one?)
No. But does it matter? No.
And I say that as someone who really values “real English”, instead of " simplified English" lol
That aside, if you really, want, just listen to UK radio and you’ll almost certainly start speaking like that if that’s what you hear most of the time.
People here focus on tech a lot but I think it can’t be understated how much of a cultural grasp the US has on Europe.
Visit the UK, if you want to change that.
France24, Deutsche Welle, BBC (they love to cover US…)
Just consider the post 2nd World War history and the language of the latter… done. It should be obvious why.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re annoyed about the US, just stop consuming their media and talk about something else you enjoy more.
I’m trying to point out that “buy from EU, stop buying American” is part of a bigger picture, and you can go farther if you like.
If you’re annoyed about the US, just stop consuming their media
Sure I can and I’m doing it like I described, it’s just the organic exposure for other people who do “default” things (TV, cinema etc.) will still be high. I guess I’m just observing that this culture’s presence is so strongly felt, even though it’s country is across the pond. Globalization, satellites and underwater cables make this possible of course, but why is the exposure by default built in into so many aspects of our lives? Sure you can change your habits and look the other way, but the apparatus will still be working in the background.
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