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The Promotion of American Culture Through Hollywood Movies to The International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 4, June - 2012 The Promotion of American culture of minority groups or the old-fashioned cultures. Cultural imperialism makes those local Culture through Hollywood cultures vanish from time to time. Movies to the World In this paper, I have selected 30 Hollywood movies from year 2001-2010, each of them won international awards. I have analyzed the movies on what are critical cultural values and Wanwarang Maisuwong political messages in each selected film that Thammasat University America tries to communicate towards the world audience under the bases: freedom of expression; nationalism; sexuality; language; lifestyle; value; and ideology. And what could be the expected cultural impacts to the audiences regarding to: language; lifestyle; value; and ideology. I certainly Abstract believe that each movie contains some or all of these cultural aspects. I mainly focused on seven State and non-state actors pay more different perspectives of culture which seemed to be attention to the use of media, because media reach the most obvious culture appeared in Hollywood amount of audiences and the messages conveyed movies. through media are obvious. Film is seen as a global medium that reaches a huge amount of the audience with the same message while the film Introduction industry plays the leading role in the global media The American’s films are not only viewed system. The audiences receive the messages in the in the America, but they are viewed by the massive film at almost the same time, but different audience around the world. Additionally, the interpretation depends on personal perception and American film firms dominate the majority of external environment. The movies have a high market share in the world film industry. It seems ability in capturing imagination, shaping, and that using films is the best mean for the America to directing the sense of what was real, true, and gain recognition and friendship. Films portray a preferable, because movie contains both motion smooth storytelling and attract the people to keep picture and sound. watching from the beginning until the end. To me, The promotion of American culture the American films are still the most interesting through Hollywood movies may make the rest of films to watch and the easiest to understand. The the world to decide whether to fear or favor the promotion of American culture through films is a promise of Americanization. It may facilitate an phenomenon where America subtly wants to emerge of a global culture while invade the dominate the world by spreading out its own national sovereignty and identity of other nation culture and tradition through the movies. America’s states. In the future, American culture will continue transferring of culture becomes more relevant while to be a major force in global community. As the concept of Americanism is known worldwide Thomas Friedman wrote, “today’s era is since it became the world superpower. America dominating by American power, American culture, tries to make the American values in the films the American dollar, and the American navy”. meaningful to others and it tries to make the films America is seen as the only super power in as a new political tactic used in world politics. the world, its decision to promote its American Film is seen as a global medium that culture to international community may affect the reaches a huge amount of the audience with the relations with other nation states. The promotion of same message while the film industry plays the American culture through Hollywood movies is a leading role in the global media system. The representation of cultural imperialism. Hollywood audiences receive the messages contain in the film movie is a cultural product where America is trying at almost the same time, but the interpretation of to imperialize the world once again by using a soft the films are different in which it depends on tool. American culture is U.S. leading export, personal perception and external environment. America is trying to sell its culture to any other America is the only super power in the world, its state around the world. decision to promote its American culture to Cultural Imperialism is a domination of a international community may affect the relations more recognized culture over other cultures, it is a with other nation states. The movies have a high soft mean of colonization. According to John ability in capturing imagination, shaping, and Tomlinson, cultural imperialism is the spread of directing the sense of what was real, true, and modernity, it is not the process of cultural preferable, because movie contains both motion expansion, but it is a cultural loss process. It means picture and sound. that cultural imperialism is a process to eliminate www.ijert.org 1 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 4, June - 2012 The promotion of American culture Cultural Imperialism is a domination of a through Hollywood movies grasps larger more recognized culture over other cultures, in populations. The popularity of American culture other word, cultural imperialism is a soft mean of may make the rest of the world to decide whether colonization. Cultural imperialism can be due to to fear or favor the promise of Americanization and economic and technological factors. It said to be a globalized planet. that the cultural products i.e. MNCs, foods, films, news, and etc., of the developed world step across List of Selected Hollywood Movies the border lines to the developing and non- 2001: 1. A beautiful mind developed countries and conquer the local culture 2. Pearl Harbor of those ones. Receiving culture can be either a 3. Moulin Rouge threat or a gift. The dominant culture may superior 2002: 1. Gangs of New York over and beat the cultural identity of local cultures. 2. The hours On the other hand, receiving culture is a spreading 3. The Pianist of some universal values, for example, freedom of 2003: 1. Shattered Glass expression, democracy, human rights, and equality. 2. Lost in Translation Regarding to Frankfurt School, the postmodernisms 3. Cold Mountain have been fascinated precisely by the whole 2004: 1. The day after tomorrow degraded of landscape of schlock and kitsch, TV 2. The aviator series, advertising, and the grade-B Hollywood 3. Finding Neverland film. 2005: 1. King Kong 2. Brokeback Mountain Significance and Influence of Hollywood 3. Crash Movie 2006: 1. The devil wears Prada Hollywood is double-sided sward, the 2. Dream girls Hollywood movie can influence the people around 3. The departed the world, and it gives several impacts both 2007: 1. The visitor positively and negatively. America is the most 2. Michael Clayton powerful country in the world, it has impacts to all 3. Juno aspects like; politics, economics, military, or even 2008: 1. Vicky Cristina Barcelona entertainment. Hollywood is always considered as 2. Milk the fashion leader where the actors and actresses in 3. The curious case of Benjamin Button the movies portray fashionable hairstyle, cloth, 2009: 1. The messenger make up, and etc. Otherwise, Hollywood movies 2. Inglorious Basterds always contain the rude words or aggressive 3. The blind side behavior of Americans which resulted to the 2010: 1. The social network audience to imitate and adopt those things to their 2. Black swan daily life. Hollywood is the succeed story of 3. Inception America which it works as an instrument to affect the ideology, and culture of the world populations. Assumption “Anyone who does not follow the West is 1. Globalization affects film to play an gone”.1 The American culture and ideology are influential role in international relations where it spreading out toward the world, movie is one encourages America to realize a significance of the medium that carries those messages. The film and decides to use films as a medium tool to consequence of this domination of American contain its political messages and cultural values to culture is an appearance of cultural imperialism communicate throughout the world audience. where it encourages the consumerism trend around 2. The objective of promoting American the globe. The world audience became consumerist culture through Hollywood movies is to dominate overnight after watching movies, for example, the the other cultural communities around the world culture of eating low carp food in American movies and become the universal culture of the world. caused the popularity of McDonald’s, KFC, pizza, 3. Film has an ability to reach mass audience and so forth. Hollywood movie is the American globally; they provide powerful persuasive medium, it has influences to the movie industries in messages by letting people learn through play. several countries as well. It is called Thus, films with cultural values may provide Hollywoodization2 in which the Hollywood affect preferred consequences to the proposed objectives the movie industries in Asia to adopt the production of the film producers. 1 Perry, October 20, 2003 2 Por Kuldip Rampal, Cultural Imperialism or Economic Theoretical Framework Neccessity?: The Hollywood Factor in the Reshaping of the Cultural Imperialism Asian Film Industry, http://www.razonypalabra.org.mx/anteriores/n43/krampal.html www.ijert.org 2 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT) ISSN: 2278-0181 Vol. 1 Issue 4, June - 2012 style, dressing, or even imitate the name of Hollywood became more popular from time to Hollywood, as such. time. Bollywood is a name of Indian movie Since Hollywood influences the movie industry, the name is primarily based on the industries around the world, on the other side, Western city of Bombay. Bollywood movie mainly Hollywood as well gains the benefits from its focuses on the Indian traditional songs and dance, Hollywoodization.
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