Cultural Globalization: Media and Representation

Allison Terlizzi

            The readings for this week focused on the role of the media in cultural globalization. Does the media reinforce societal norms, beliefs and values or reflect them in their depiction of social behavior? Class status and behavior in regards to the globalized world were most concentrated on as seen in the movie, Lagaan and “The Maasai and the Lion King”. The media plays a large role in shaping our behavior, and in a globalized world it can lead to drastic changes in other countries.

            In the article by Florian Stadler, “Lagaan and its Audience Responses”, fusion projects like Lagaan have increasingly adopted a broad appeal (Stadler, 517). South Asian influences have been penetrating mainstream culture more and more. Bollywood has already dominated Asia, so it is no shock that this film got wide recognition. Laagan depicts is an everyday peasant’s heroism and the battle between the underdog with limited resources to compete against the tyrannical ruler who has unlimited wealth and resources to win. It gained global appeal because of its inspirational message. It is no surprise that a film with a historical setting can be recognized on global level. While many of us in class thought it was corny, probably because we are used to these themes presented much differently than in a game of cricket, we weren’t aware of its global effect. While none of us knew how to play cricket, we could all relate to the underdog and love triangle themes, showing this film does have potential to be global. Does the West determine what films are worthy of being globalized? Did Bollywood “sell out” by making films like Lagaan that have Western appeal?

            The global appeal of the Kenyan Maasai has inspired a large tourism industry to arise. In “The Maasai and the Lion King”, Edward M. Bruner sets out to expose how the Maasai are exhibited- or put on display for tourists- through their meanings, ironies and ambiguities in tourist performances (Bruner, 882). He says there is a big difference between domestic and foreign tourism and there has been a wide-ranging impact of globalization on tourism and he shows this in Kenya by looking into three tourism sites with Maasai men (Bruner, 882). The warriors on Mayer’s Ranch were hired to build a Maasai manyatta for young warriors who would perform their dances and enact aspects of their culture for tourists, but then tourists would go to lawn for tea and crumpets (Bruner, 883). There exists a contrast between wild and civilized. What the Mayers wanted to depict was “tourist realism”, immersing their tourists in a real experience, even providing them with authentic souveniers (885). Mayers is an example of imperialist nostalgia, or as Bruner describes, the contemporary western peoples yearn for the traditional cultures that have been destroyed, reliving through the actual performance and reenactment (886). What this makes me think of is a performance of domination that makes the actors feel and play their roles. The tourists play the wealthy and the Maasai play the natives put forth for the pleasure of the rich. What example in modern day America do we see similar roles being played?

            In the next location, the Bomas of Kenya are a government museum of the performing arts, present the cultural heritage of a nation by professional dance troupe who are government employees (Bruner, 886). The purpose was to preserve Kenyan cultural heritage in education. Bomas detaches culture from tribe as displays as a way for all to see and share, as an example of national wish fulfillment (Bruner, 890). Out of Africa Sundowner was the final group who specialized in game viewing from safari vehicles. There was no separation between Maasai and tourists but only one performing space (Bruner, 892). The thing I found most fascinating about these locations was in the responses from the tourists, who encounter American cultural content that represents an American image of African culture, leading them to feel comfortable and safe. Because they feel safe, they can express their privilege status, such as in the Mayers case. I am left wondering, which location provides the most authentic and realistic experience? Are any of them authentic at all?

            In “Brazil’s Girl Power”, by Cynthia Gorney, she writes about the decline in birth rate in Brazil across all class statuses due to changing attitudes of women in recent decades. Women are now having sterilization surgeries because they think children are impossible and expensive. The government has also probably played a role in deterring them from having kids as well, with surgeries and birth control and the media has also played a role through the “aspirational image” of Brazilian families on television. What women believe today is that material acquisition is more important- the fewer kids they have the more stuff they have. The media has also affected eating behaviors in Fiji as shown in Anne E. Becker’s article, “Eating Behaviors and Attitudes Following Prolonged Exposure to Television Among Fiji Adolescent Girls”. She does a study in a country where there was no pressure to be slim (as only one reported case of anorexia has been recorded), and after the introduction of television, 83% of girls responded that they felt television had influenced them to change their body shape/weight. In this way television allows them to think they are engaging in a Western lifestyle by giving them the image of what a Western body “looks like”. We all known most Western women do not look like most women on TV, so this is ultimately giving Fijian women a false reality.

            The media can have drastic implications on culture as seen in the previous examples. The last article discusses a reinforcement of American culture in “Watching Dallas” by Tomlinson. He discusses a show that has become the symbol of American cultural imperialism. It is one example in the media that is a reinforcement of the audience’s own cultural values, depicted in the issues of interpersonal and sexual morality. Most importantly the program’s celebration of wealth defines what it is to be American and pursuer capitalism. We all are programmed to want more money. We are brought up as capitalists and as consumers who need “stuff” to make us happy. Not only can the media shape the Western image, but it can shape the image of other countries based on a falsified Western image.