Gitlin says that although there is incentive for companies to release their media on a global scale, it would not be able to succeed if there weren't a desire for it in other countries. He writes that American goods represent being part of an "empire of informality," but also that it's not really America that's spreading; it's just entertainment. The formulas for entertainment are universal, and people of all culture enjoy taking part in it.
However, I disagree with him. Yes, I think it's possible that many people take part in these forms of entertainment because they're just fun, but the fact that they are there is indicative of a more veteratorian idea. The only aspects of America that spread are massive corporations, which ultimately represent the loss of individuality even within American citizens. By moving in to new cultures, they risk creating a homogenous world. Diffusion of ideas across cultures is often a good thing, but with an empire like the United States, the exchange is pretty one-way. Just as Walmart drives away local business in the surrounding areas here, it does the same thing there. Sure, the movies can be fun, but I also don't think it's the place of an American giant to destroy small businesses around the world in addition to those on our own land.
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Hey, Elmo!
Nice post. I think you really got what the GitlyMan was saying. But I disagree with you when you say that the exchange of ideas is only one way. I cite the following examples:
1) The recent surprise blockbuster movie "Slumdog Millionaire", which was directly influenced by Bollywod, the film industry in India. Furthermore, Amerikan cinema as we know it was actually based almost entirely off of the pre-WWII German film industry.
2) Broadcast Radio as it is today is almost entirely based off of a cross between the BBC and the Caribbean style of broadcasting.
3) Almost everything that happens on the internet. The internet has no political borders, so online movements such as Internet Memes (ie viral videos) and indypendent blogs such as this very page can be extremely influential on Amerikan culture no matter where they originated. For example, Peanut Butter Jelly Time was made in Japan, while the music came from an indy band in Bristol, England.
However, I do agree that we export much more content than we import.
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