American media is taking over Australian screens nationwide (James, J 2012).
It is difficult to go to a movie theater in Australia and see a movie that was produced by an Australian company. Almost all of the films are from American cinema. “Media capitals are places where things come together and, consequently, where the generation and circulation of new mass culture forms become possible,” which is exactly what Hollywood is (Curtin 2003, pp. 133). When Australians watch films or television shows from America they are taking in that culture and becoming familiar with it, it becomes “tremendously influential” (Curtin 2003, pp. 133). Curtin explains how “US television was Hollywood television, which had an international afterlife but was never-theless an emphatically national phenomenon” (2003, pp. 139). Hollywood was once a local media capital in Los Angeles and then grew into this universal monstrosity that took over screens everywhere. This happened because the “producers primarily focus on national audiences, thinking little about viewers at the local or global levels,” (Curtin 2003, pp. 139) which in turn makes Hollywood cinema a national sensation.
Could you imagine a world where films and television shows were only screened where they were made with actors and actresses all from that same place? There would be no new culture or influence, which I believe some people argue is a problem with America. While Hollywood is flowing its culture to all places of the world, little is backfiring on America. This issue of ‘no new culture or influence’ is also a problem for Australia. I believe that Australians would sometimes enjoy not having any ‘new culture or influence’ because they are already down poured with Americanisation. Andrew Guild, an Australian, expresses how he feels towards this issue by saying,
“The Americanisation of Australia’s culture is a sad and terrible thing. It is a process whereby ordinary Australians are bombarded every day with images of American lifestyle, so much that it merges almost unnoticed into their own lifestyle. It is a process whereby our home-grown entertainment industry is overwhelmed by the enormous powerhouse of the American economy, with drastic effects upon the modern Australian nation” (2004).
Sticker that gives evidence to the fact that Australia is not pleased with America’s bombardment (Guild, A 2004).
Hollywood creates shows like MasterChef, The Bachelor, The Voice and X Factor and Australians then see these shows but want to make them more personal to Australian culture. Therefore, Australian versions of the popular American shows are created and viewed in Australia. This sheds some positive light on the “sad and terrible thing” that is happening. By taking these shows and ‘Australianising’ them, Australians can hear words and phrases that are familiar to them, rather than familiar to Americans.
Though some people may view media capitals as a bombardment I believe they hold a positive use. Through these media capitals people are able to learn what is happening universally and see what a culture is like; how they dress, speak, the lingo they use, how they react to situations, what different cultures find popular; it’s all very intriguing and we all have the power to choose what to culturally take in and what to do without.
Reference List:
Curtin, M 2003, ‘Media capital: Towards the study of spatial flows,’ International Journal of Cultural Studies (volume 6), University of Wisconsin, pp. 202-228, viewed on 3 September 2014.
Guild, A 2004, ‘Discussing the cultural influence of the USA upon our nation’s way of life,’ The Americanisation of Australian Culture, Ironbark Resources, viewed on 3 September 2014.
James, J 2012, ‘Is Australia Becoming Too American?’ People, Society, Kiki & Tea, image viewed on 4 September 2014.
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