Stop the America-bashing!

[Arrian]

S.D. - Dunno, but it mirrors what happens with American stuff. It's the crap that everyone else gets to see, and it seems that anything of real value never goes anywhere.

On Ab Fab, I suppose you look at it the way I look at most American TV programs - they embarass the hell out of me (for a number of reasons, including what people from other countries must think while watching it). Watching shows like Survivor, and for that matter, just about any sitcom, is pure torture.

Ab Fab, to me, is a "stupid funny" show without pretense. If it were American, though, I might not enjoy it. I don't consider it the height of British comedy, though, so don't worry.

-Arrian

[Dauphin]

Its my theory that the best is kept secret for home consumption. Crap stuff is let out so that a) home folk don't have to suffer, and b) foreign folk get "dumbed down".

BTW I just noticed your location, whats CT like these days? I used to live in Riverside between Greenwich & Stamford, CT back in the 80s.

[SieGermans]

Sagacious, America exports the same tripe, like the movie Titanic, Beenie Babies, reality TV, and pop music. it's the ****tier, stereotype of American culture. Sag, the US does get some great things from the UK, such as punk rock personally, I think our role in Environmentalism has been the strongest in the world, one of the culturally benefits we give to the world.

[Ironikinit]

Punk originated in the states. It was popularized in the UK.

SEE ALSO: The Ramones.

"Oh, the other countries only see our bad stuff. We keep all the good stuff for ourselves." Yeah, right. If Baywatch, the Spice Girls, and um... trying to think of another international embarassment but from another country... oh yeah, the Australian show "Neighbours", weren't at least marginally popular at home they wouldn't've been exported. There are other American shows just as bad as Baywatch, that's certain.

[SieGermans]

I am familiar with the Ramones. it was a parallel development, but UK punk was the "popular" punk

[Arrian]

Sag,

Connecticut is as it always has been, thanks for asking. It's that nice little place in between Boston and New York. I grew up in Easton, which is also in Fairfield county, albeit on the opposite end from Riverside. The World is apparently a small place after all.

I agree with Ironikinit, that shows have to be popular in their place of origin to be exported. Such is the case with "reality TV" like Survivor. Survivor is hugely popular in the U.S. (if it wasn't, there wouldn't be all those imitation shows now). This fact alone has done a lot of damage to my already low regard for my fellow citizen's taste. I, with very little or no provocation, could go off on a rant about how much I hate that show and everything it stands for, but I will refrain from doing so here, so as to spare you all.

-Arrian

p.s. "Evil will always triumph over Good, because Good is dumb." - Dark Helmet, Spaceballs.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by SieGermans
I am familiar with the Ramones. it was a parallel development, but UK punk was the "popular" punk

As an early British punk, I can truthfully say that it originated in New York, was noticed and exported by Malcolm MacLaren, when he returned to Britain after being involved with the New York Dolls. Punk is of course, a common American slang term, which should in itself tip anyone of about the roots of the musical genre- punk as used in British English was last popular in the 17th/18th centuries and was used as an alternate term for a loose woman or roaring girl.

There is a very good history of the Punk movements by Jon Savage, which would be of interest to anyone who wanted to see how music from the U.S. became remodelled as British art school/pub rock music.

Patti Smith, Talking Heads, the Ramones, all pre-dated Brit punk. As of course did what some might call the onlie begetters, Lou Reed, the Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

[siredgar]

Right, but you could also add David Bowie in the mix, too. Although he was more glam-rock.

[Spiffor]

I'm quite late, but to get back to the original point : the US have a specific culture, and their influence (their half-worldwide leadership for 80 years) make them perfectly suitable for Civ. Just as much as the Spanish, the Ottomans, the Mongols or the Arabs. I think the US has been favored because Firaxians are American, and because it is a much bigger market than Mongolia

(Doh, as a French, saying that the US has a culture ! How low can I get ? )

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Ribannah
(Peugot company, 1889).

But has anyone heard of them?
The point is that the Model T was the first car people could buy for a reasonable price.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by FireDragon

But has anyone heard of them?
The point is that the Model T was the first car people could buy for a reasonable price.

You mean, outside of America? Yes, plenty of people have heard of Peugeot, and Peugeot-Citroen.

The point is, as opposed to several posters opinion, the automobile began in Europe. The production line and cheap mass produced automobiles may have been popularized by Ford- but Europe made them first.

[Ironikinit]

I'd say that Bowie was a bigger influence on new wave than punk.

People always want to credit the smart-seeming influences. IMO, garage bands like ? and the Mysterians were as big an influence as anything on the development of punk rock. The Clash even did a song about being a garage band.

[SieGermans]

where would Billy Idol fall

[Rosacrux]

Originally posted by SieGermans
where would Billy Idol fall

...in the craphole?

And... peeps, punk is British. Influences from USA? Certainly. Nothing in music is parthenogenesis. But the rage was local. Punk has developed (for Malcolm's satisfaction) to a revolutionary movement and this had nothing to do with the intellectually interesting but albeit conventional as apple pie, american resembling genre at the time.

[MrFun]

I usually do not participate in this forum--I'm usually in the Off-Topic forum.

But I was upset by some of the posts in here. There are Americans who, out of ignorance, are claiming that greasy, fast-food is a cultural achievement.

I do not see any cultural achievement in greasy, fast-food. I don't give damn how many McDonald's restaurants there are in all the countries of the world. It's greasy, fatty, fast-food--that is all it is, no matter how popular or widespread it is.