Chirac warns of 'catastrophe' of world 'choked' by US values

[Al B. Sure!]

i love how the Islamic world (and now France, apparently) hates us because of our decadence and disregard for traditional morality exhibited in our film industry...

it's like for the conservative countries, we're Sodom, Gomorrah, and the whore of babylon rolled into one while for the liberal/socialist countries we're nazis who still impose the death penalty and allow handguns

damnit! we can't win!

[Imran Siddiqui]

i love how the Islamic world (and now France, apparently) hates us because of our decadence and disregard for traditional morality exhibited in our film industry...

Why the Hell would France hate Hollywood because decadence and disregaard for traditional morality? That's France in a nutshell!

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Tingkai


It's not coercive, but Chirac is right that American culture can be overwhelming. The economic power of the American entertainment industry, fueled by domestic earnings, gives it the potential to overwhelm smaller markets. This has nothing to do with the quality of the product, but rather the money available for marketing. If left unchecked, Amerian culture could choke off other cultures, although I think it is more likely that we'll see the rise of a multinational culture rather than a specific global Americanised culture.

Ah there's the rub. What really is American culture? Its simply a homogenized amalgamation of world culture. It is globalization at its best and worst.

Our food, our trends, our style, our music, it all borrows from all over the world. And furthermore our culture gets repackaged when its sent overseas. Like McDonalds in Israel is much different from McDonalds in Japan or McDonalds in Australlia or in the US. Its not us forcing our culture down everyone's throats, its our culture being sampled, localized, and influenced by everyone else.

American culture

[Dis]

do we need more proof the French are lame. They are just jealous more people in Vietnam speak English than French.

It's time for them to accept their imperialist days are over. They need to get over Vietnam.

[Zylka]

~

France in her modern Global affairs:

[Dis]

now where did you get that picture?

[FredKarno]

I speak english

I think I speak it well. Where does it get me? Nowhere. I am a nothing. It matters not one jot if the entire world speaks english. Ich bin nicht. Gooten nacht.

[Whoha]

Re: reply to Whoha

Originally posted by FredKarno
I know that this seems a contradiction, seeing this is the internet in which we state our views, but surely you cannot be serious?
..................Ha ha, I see your joke. Good one. I am a pompous fool. Cheers for reminding me. All is futility!
All the best.

im actually just poking fun at myself.

[Sprayber]

Re: I speak english

Originally posted by FredKarno
I think I speak it well. Where does it get me? Nowhere. I am a nothing. It matters not one jot if the entire world speaks english. Ich bin nicht. Gooten nacht.

It's not like learning English is some magical tool. You can teach a monkey to use sign language but it doesn't mean he will become a successful business man.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Does anybody apart from the French really care about non coercive cultural diffusion?

Canadians have a censor dedicated to clamping down on American culture on TV.

[Flip McWho]

Hollywood movies aren't even Hollywood movies any more. They're all from Australia and New Zealand!

Culture victory here we come.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
it's like for the conservative countries, we're Sodom, Gomorrah, and the whore of babylon rolled into one while for the liberal/socialist countries we're nazis who still impose the death penalty and allow handguns

That's a reflection of reality. There are two Americas. The coastal urban centres with a "progressive" culture and interior with "traditional" culture.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Geronimo
Does anybody apart from the French really care about non coercive cultural diffusion?

Look at your own country.

The bible thumpers complain and try to put limits on godless Hollywood the evil left-wing media.

The bleeding heart liberals complain and try to put limits on right-wing corporate America that dominates the airways.

[Fake Boris]

@ thread

An astounding amount of crap here, DanS and Speer on top.

Like somebody's forcing y'all to watch Hollywood movies.

Hmmmm quite so actually! it's not like they use soft methods to get their films to the theaters. Agressive marketing from billionaires=threat to local artists, genius.

I think Chirac is trying to increase his domestic popularity by engaging in US bashing.

He's not bashing the US, he's trying to defend cultural diversity. If you heard of France outside of sloppy half-assed reports in American media, you'd know that this has been long standing issue in the French speaklng world.

i love how the Islamic world (and now France, apparently) hates us because of our decadence and disregard for traditional morality exhibited in our film industry...

You fail. Apart from your gross misunderstanding of cinema (Hollywood films count as the most morally conservative in the world, well, the somewhat-free world), it is clear that French films tend to tackle social topics in a much more liberal and 'shocking' way. The truth is pretty much the opposite of what you said.

[Dis]

aggressive marketing? please. people wouldn't go see the movies if they weren't halfway decent.