As you watch the clip, notice how the American singer and the content of an American song are portrayed. Also notice the laughter coming from the audience, as well as how the sketch ends. What do each of these things tell you about how American culture looks from the point of view of a British audience?
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I'll admit this video is humorous. The television show is essentially mocking Americans and American culture and highlighting perceived stereotypes. The singer is wearing a plaid shirt and a tied string(?) around his head, creating an image of woodsy, outdoorsy, free-spirited, and uncultured person. The singer also sings in what I presume to is a mocking of an American accent with exaggerated "r"s probably because British tend to round their "r"s with a softer "ah" sound rather than an American "ar" sound. The singer does not sing much of a song either as he simply repeats, "America" and "states." This does not make the singer sound intelligent. While he sounds proud of his country, he does not provide any concrete evidence for his feelings or exaggerated, emotional faces, which shows a blind, following-the-crowd, kind of a pride.
Based upon this clip, it seems British might find Americans to be crude, uncultured, and unintelligent. Since Americans tend to view British as more proper people, I think both cultures are making judgments based on ethnocentrism, rather than cultural relativism. Each culture is different from one another, so it is not fair to judge another culture and proclaim it to be "this way" or "that way" before considering how one's own culture might appear first.
LOL! The British have thought that way about Americans for centuries and vice versa for Americans on the British (though the words I have heard describing the British have been "fancy" or "snobbish" and described as having a "lack of imagination" instead of "proper"). Look at "Yankee Doodle". That song is a mockery about how stupid "yankees" (Americans) are and that was created prior to the Revolutionary War. I don't think the ethnocentrism will end anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is not fair to judge the other countries. However, I do believe that if you look at the two countries over the centuries, you'll find a hilarious situation involving pre-judged tendencies made in the name of ethnocentrism between the two that is too difficult to ignore and the satire is just another example which can't be curbed in order to pertain to fairness. It should probably be embraced as a characteristic of the two countries that individualize the societies rather than scorned for it's limited scope of thought. ^_^
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you wrote. I know it is all in good fun and humor.
Personally, I simply don't identify with the clip. As you wrote in your blog, it is geared to a somewhat older generation. Additionally, because of my background in ballet, I'm not keen to be classified with this man's "American" performance. :-P
My feelings stem from years of being mocked for ballet. People think it's stupid and easy, but they have no idea how physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding it is. I suppose lack of culture appreciation gets old after several years, especially when appreciation (ticket sales) used to determine my livelihood. You might imagine how frustrating it could feel to want the public to understand and appreciate what you do.
In summary, my slight offense to the video is simply a reflection of my personal experiences and the feeling of, "Hey, wait a second..I've tried to be cultured and artistic for years and was mocked for it." Haha :-) However, yes, the video is funny. :-)