Malaysia bans "humiliating" Brad Pitt ad

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Sprayber


It seems like to me that would provide the perfect situation to develope local alternatives that would out sell anything Hollywood can deliver. Doesn't India do very well with it's film industry in counteracting Hollywood? Instead of simply banning something (making it even more wanted) why not develop something to showcase your countries abilities. Of course they can do whatever they want. Just seem more productive to compete than to simply ban.

I agree that it'd be preferable to create their own cultural media, and that banning such things is questionable at best, but still, hollywood/pop-culture is prety much an unstopable behemoth - Particulaily once you start talking about third and second world nations that do not have alot of money and industries that can compete against things like McDonalds and Hollywood films.

[Bereta_Eder]

Ironically enough the most "vulnerable" countries for an "ursurpation" of their local cultural codes are those that share the most cultural aspects with the primary exporter of mass culture products! Main way of mass culture penetration appears to be language.

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc)

"We look to Los Angeles, for the language we speak, london is dead, London is dead, London is dead"
Morrissey (overeacting as usual )

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Osweld


I agree that it'd be preferable to create their own cultural media, and that banning such things is questionable at best, but still, hollywood/pop-culture is prety much an unstopable behemoth - Particulaily once you start talking about third and second world nations that do not have alot of money and industries that can compete against things like McDonalds and Hollywood films.

Those third and second world countries should be concerned about so many other things other than hollywood ads. Unless maybe that advertising is from tobacco companies. That is one American import that I would definitly be concerned about if I was a leader of one of those countries. But maybe that's another thread

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Ironically enough the most "vulnerable" countries for an "ursurpation" of their local cultural codes are those that share the most cultural aspects with the primary exporter of mass culture products! Main way of mass culture penetration appears to be language.

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc)

"We look to Los Angeles, for the language we speak, london is dead, London is dead, London is dead"
Morrissey (overeacting as usual )

I dont know about the UK, NZ, or Canada, but the Aussies beat the hell out of us where choclate is concerned.

[Bereta_Eder]

Besides chocolate Australia was one of the first coutrnies to implement a concrete restrictive policy against mass cultural products some time ago, fearing it will be completely overrun by UK and US cultural products.

The result was a big boost in local cultural production and not only that, benefiting from the mass cultural distributing networks that use the english language it even started exporting! its local brands.

Which were as crap as the mass cultural products but that is a given if you want them to reach "mass culturalism".
They have to be towned down to the least common denominator.

But it worked.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Besides chocolate Australia was one of the first coutrnies to implement a concrete restrictive policy against mass cultural products some time ago, fearing it will be completely overrun by UK and US cultural products.

The result was a big boost in local cultural production and not only that, benefiting from the mass cultural distributing networks that use the english language it even started exporting! its local brands.

Which were as crap as the mass cultural products but that is a given if you want them to reach "mass culturalism".
They have to be towned down to the least common denominator.

But it worked.

When your greatest star is Kylie Minogue, you have to restrict most other forms of cultural influence for fear of being overwelmed.

[Bereta_Eder]

Precisely

[Sprayber]

I seem to remember Aussies paying large amounts of money to see the WWF(now WWE) several months ago. Is that big in Greece? Or are you guys above senseless violence for the sake of entertainment

[Bereta_Eder]

Considering Pangrateon (which evolved to the better known Greco Roman wrestling) I'd say, no!

But no, no WWF here.

Which is a shame 'cause I laughed my ass off watching it in Belgium

[Bereta_Eder]

We kind of have our own brand with the legendary ZOUGKLAKOS!

But that's another story

[Dis]

at least I know its not just the U.S. where liberals and PC nuts have gone crazy. It warms my heart to know other countries are just as screwed up as the U.S.

[Bereta_Eder]

It's not enterirly the same. Whereas in the US people are complaining about the "effect" of show biz or whatever to whoever, they talk about indigenous products. In other countries they talk about foreign products (hence the parameter of mass cultural imperialism steps in). While all the time they ignore the crapness of certain domestic products. Which is accomodating. Actually they don't even ignore that.