American Culture
- Thread starter lavender
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Well, I am no expert. However, thus far I've been able to conclude that yes, we do have culture it has just been warped.
What is truely Americana in mho....
Drive in movies
Woody Guthrie (folk music)
Hot dogs/vendors
Baseball
Pinup girls
Milkshakes
Blues
Nikes
Drive thrus
Frats/Sororities
The Grateful Dead
Little House on the Prarie
Grilled Cheese
Barbie (yak)
Coca Cola
Norman Rockwell
Iced Tea
Lemon Drops
Bob Dylan
Grits
etc, etc...
A bunch of crap, really, but it goes to show we keep busy entertaining ourselves.
What is truely Americana in mho....
Drive in movies
Woody Guthrie (folk music)
Hot dogs/vendors
Baseball
Pinup girls
Milkshakes
Blues
Nikes
Drive thrus
Frats/Sororities
The Grateful Dead
Little House on the Prarie
Grilled Cheese
Barbie (yak)
Coca Cola
Norman Rockwell
Iced Tea
Lemon Drops
Bob Dylan
Grits
etc, etc...
A bunch of crap, really, but it goes to show we keep busy entertaining ourselves.
I believe the one thing about america that is our common culture is the reasons we came here in the first place or rather our parents. It has one unifying thing theme and that is hope. Does it matter that we have authored a music style or a dance step? I think what really matters is that this nation gave what no other could or did at the time our ancestors traveled here. The freedom to make ourselves up anew to not be bound by the old class systems or values. I think that is why the music, art and writing is such a blending of cultures. I know blah blah blah.
OUTSIDER
Devil's in the detail
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Of coarse the USA isn't devoid of culture it's just that the USA is shown in such a bad light by it's own media, I watch BBC news 24 and they have a bit about the USA each night and it shows what I would call a much more balanced view.
Dixon Carter Lee
Headliner
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It's a day for lists...
Jazz, the Banjo, Rock-a-billy, Minstrel Shows (for good or bad), Gospel, Jazz, Musical Comedy, the popular museum (Barnum and onward), the three ring circus (as opposed to the European one ring), modern dance, method acting, Jazz, film noir, Civil War era folk music, Paul Bunyon, Tall Tales, Edgar Allen Poe and the detective story, the Hollywood Musical, Vaudeville, the three camera sit-com format, Jazz, the Penny Dreadful, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, "humorous stories" as defined by Mark Twain, Jazz, Jazz and Jazz.
Now. Who wants to both define "Art" and what culture "owns" it? Do the people living in England today truly "own" Shakespeare more than Americans do? Well, yeah -- but it's not a fine line of demarcation.
American opera companies, composers, choreogrpahers and writers have done what all artists have done, used the past to create their own art, and express their own voice. Think Shakespeare is wholly "English"? "Romeo and Juliet" is based on an Italian play. Think Wagner's operas are wholly "German"? Opera was created in the courts of Italian artistocracy. Think Russian ballet dancers own their culture? Ballet, as a system, was defined in France.
I have no patience for the "Amercians have no culture" riff. It bespeaks of unearned snobbery, and ignorance of the measure and nature of the act of creation.
Jazz, the Banjo, Rock-a-billy, Minstrel Shows (for good or bad), Gospel, Jazz, Musical Comedy, the popular museum (Barnum and onward), the three ring circus (as opposed to the European one ring), modern dance, method acting, Jazz, film noir, Civil War era folk music, Paul Bunyon, Tall Tales, Edgar Allen Poe and the detective story, the Hollywood Musical, Vaudeville, the three camera sit-com format, Jazz, the Penny Dreadful, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, "humorous stories" as defined by Mark Twain, Jazz, Jazz and Jazz.
Now. Who wants to both define "Art" and what culture "owns" it? Do the people living in England today truly "own" Shakespeare more than Americans do? Well, yeah -- but it's not a fine line of demarcation.
American opera companies, composers, choreogrpahers and writers have done what all artists have done, used the past to create their own art, and express their own voice. Think Shakespeare is wholly "English"? "Romeo and Juliet" is based on an Italian play. Think Wagner's operas are wholly "German"? Opera was created in the courts of Italian artistocracy. Think Russian ballet dancers own their culture? Ballet, as a system, was defined in France.
I have no patience for the "Amercians have no culture" riff. It bespeaks of unearned snobbery, and ignorance of the measure and nature of the act of creation.
Pyper
Lurking
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(Be warned: nationalistic, conservative statements ahead.)
I believe Americans do have culture. We have lots of culture. In fact, we have THE culture.
Although we also have many talented composers, poets, painters, and other artsy types in American, what I'm really talking about is our popular culture. Americans practically invented pop culture, and we are still the leading exporter of pop cult through music, TV, and especially movies.
This stuff is SO popular abroad that it eclipses the native culture. Then the producers of the native culture in whatever country (Europeans, I'm looking at you) get upset because they feel like America is taking over via the media. They start to view American culture as infectious and dangerous. They say it's "not authentic" and "trashy" compared to their own culture. Thus, the idea that Americans don't have any "culture".
This also stems from the elitist idea held all over the world that anything that is popular cannot be intelligent, worthwhile, or positive in any manner. American culture is popular, therefore it sucks.
I believe Americans do have culture. We have lots of culture. In fact, we have THE culture.
Although we also have many talented composers, poets, painters, and other artsy types in American, what I'm really talking about is our popular culture. Americans practically invented pop culture, and we are still the leading exporter of pop cult through music, TV, and especially movies.
This stuff is SO popular abroad that it eclipses the native culture. Then the producers of the native culture in whatever country (Europeans, I'm looking at you) get upset because they feel like America is taking over via the media. They start to view American culture as infectious and dangerous. They say it's "not authentic" and "trashy" compared to their own culture. Thus, the idea that Americans don't have any "culture".
This also stems from the elitist idea held all over the world that anything that is popular cannot be intelligent, worthwhile, or positive in any manner. American culture is popular, therefore it sucks.
Dixon Carter Lee
Headliner
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Pyper, have you even SEEN "Baywatch"? Personally, I think the rest of the world is justified in hating us just a little bit. LOL
What is unique to America? The richest, most productive nation in history to grace the earth. The home to the most innovative, creative and productive society to ever exist. Home to the men who have made the greatest, most rapid advances in science and technology in mankind's history. Home to the most generous and compassionate of people who are always providing aid to those at home and abroad who are victims of catastrophic events, both natural and manmade. A nation of men tasked with the responsibility of self government who have achieved unparalleled advances in every field and in so doing, elevated the lot and living standard of every American, and to some degree, the world at large.lavender said:
And at the root of it all is in a simple, unique, superb understanding of the nature of man, that the free and independent mind can achieve wonders that the enslaved mind cannot even perceive: the unique idea of making sacred and sovereign the individual's right to his life and the attendant FREEDOM that implies.
Closet Desire
Literotica Guru
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Hmmmm...
...I wouldn't deny America's success, but I think I would stop short of calling it the greatest et. al. Afterall, any civilisation in its peak would have said the same things. It's up to history with its 20/20 hindsight to sort that out. Much of America's success has been accomplished as a result of technologies and knowledge from cultures that existed centuries before America was a twinkle in anybody's eye. We went to the moon using technology that came from the Moslems, the Italians, the Germans, the Russians, and more.
TCL is spot on about the blending and I too get miffed when people suggest America has no culture. It isn't possible to exist as a society and not have a culture. Not only does America have a popular, vernacular culture that has pervaded nearly every culture on earth, but it has a respectable "serious" culture as well.
Any university student who has suffered through a lit survey course knows that America's own literature dates back to the 1500's and the writings of the Puritans in their new land. Twain is often regarded as the first truly American writer, which may or may not be true, but certainly his work is unlike any other. The canon of American literature may not date back as far as Beowulf, but it is certainly as rich and diverse as any on the planet. Nor can we forget that many writers exiled from their own cultures found themselves in America and FREE to write as they wished. D.H. Lawrence being just one example (settled in New Mexico and censored in his home of England until about 1964).
Over the past thirty years even more literature has come into view as those who had been banned or censored for breaking America's own cultural rules are finally dusted off and studied. A favourite of mine is Kate Chopin who was controversial for violating the rules for women of her day (late 1800's). She wrote some wicked and delightful stuff...one of those things you'll have to thank the feminists for whether you agree with feminism or not.
Perhaps the best evidence that America does indeed have culture is the extremes to which other cultures will go to exclude it. The French limit how much American music can play on the radio. The English do not teach any American literature to university bound students (post GCSE)...it's as though it doesn't exist.
Can't ban it if it doesn't exist can you?
...I wouldn't deny America's success, but I think I would stop short of calling it the greatest et. al. Afterall, any civilisation in its peak would have said the same things. It's up to history with its 20/20 hindsight to sort that out. Much of America's success has been accomplished as a result of technologies and knowledge from cultures that existed centuries before America was a twinkle in anybody's eye. We went to the moon using technology that came from the Moslems, the Italians, the Germans, the Russians, and more.
TCL is spot on about the blending and I too get miffed when people suggest America has no culture. It isn't possible to exist as a society and not have a culture. Not only does America have a popular, vernacular culture that has pervaded nearly every culture on earth, but it has a respectable "serious" culture as well.
Any university student who has suffered through a lit survey course knows that America's own literature dates back to the 1500's and the writings of the Puritans in their new land. Twain is often regarded as the first truly American writer, which may or may not be true, but certainly his work is unlike any other. The canon of American literature may not date back as far as Beowulf, but it is certainly as rich and diverse as any on the planet. Nor can we forget that many writers exiled from their own cultures found themselves in America and FREE to write as they wished. D.H. Lawrence being just one example (settled in New Mexico and censored in his home of England until about 1964).
Over the past thirty years even more literature has come into view as those who had been banned or censored for breaking America's own cultural rules are finally dusted off and studied. A favourite of mine is Kate Chopin who was controversial for violating the rules for women of her day (late 1800's). She wrote some wicked and delightful stuff...one of those things you'll have to thank the feminists for whether you agree with feminism or not.
Perhaps the best evidence that America does indeed have culture is the extremes to which other cultures will go to exclude it. The French limit how much American music can play on the radio. The English do not teach any American literature to university bound students (post GCSE)...it's as though it doesn't exist.
Can't ban it if it doesn't exist can you?
Darowyn
Really Experienced
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In biology they talk about "hybrid vigour", meaning the way that organisms which come from a diverse gene pool are often more successful than so called pedigree specimens.
American culture has hybrid vigour, especially the music.
The basics of popular music are blues, based on a cross fertilisation of West African styles with European songs, with a strong Country influence, country being at root derived from Celtic music crossed with German folk song and Spanish and Hawaian guitar styles. Chuck Berry gave us the boogie shuffle by combining big band jazz with what he called Hillbilly music, but which sounds a lot like a guitar player playing Cajun fiddle licks to me. Cajun comes from Brittany, via francophone Canada. I have heard it argued that the backbeat of rock came out of a Native American influence. Let's not forget the enormous influence of Jewish lyric writers too.
Now name me another country where that crowd of people got a chance to meet and influence each other!
About a thousand years earlier, a very diverse group of cultures all crowded into a little island in the North Sea, where to make themselves understood they came up with one of the great contributions to the Culture of the world - the English language!
To switch to another aspect of the question, I know that one of the points of friction lies between the lines of the two examples above. Americans tend to take their culture from very recently, Europeans like to feel that they are part of a culture which stretches back seamlessly to the dawn of time, Greece and Rome and Egypt and the Children of Israel are all part of our history. We seem to count that but you rarely do. Many nationalities feel superior about that!
I can never quite work out why US history ignores the pre-european invasion period- that is the majority of the country's history after all!
I'm very happy to walk up the Hills to British Camp and feel part of that history, despite the fact that my most likely ancestors were related to the people who wiped out it's inhabitants about two thousand years ago!
American culture has hybrid vigour, especially the music.
The basics of popular music are blues, based on a cross fertilisation of West African styles with European songs, with a strong Country influence, country being at root derived from Celtic music crossed with German folk song and Spanish and Hawaian guitar styles. Chuck Berry gave us the boogie shuffle by combining big band jazz with what he called Hillbilly music, but which sounds a lot like a guitar player playing Cajun fiddle licks to me. Cajun comes from Brittany, via francophone Canada. I have heard it argued that the backbeat of rock came out of a Native American influence. Let's not forget the enormous influence of Jewish lyric writers too.
Now name me another country where that crowd of people got a chance to meet and influence each other!
About a thousand years earlier, a very diverse group of cultures all crowded into a little island in the North Sea, where to make themselves understood they came up with one of the great contributions to the Culture of the world - the English language!
To switch to another aspect of the question, I know that one of the points of friction lies between the lines of the two examples above. Americans tend to take their culture from very recently, Europeans like to feel that they are part of a culture which stretches back seamlessly to the dawn of time, Greece and Rome and Egypt and the Children of Israel are all part of our history. We seem to count that but you rarely do. Many nationalities feel superior about that!
I can never quite work out why US history ignores the pre-european invasion period- that is the majority of the country's history after all!
I'm very happy to walk up the Hills to British Camp and feel part of that history, despite the fact that my most likely ancestors were related to the people who wiped out it's inhabitants about two thousand years ago!
p_p_man
The 'Euro' European
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For my 2 cents worth...
...if I had no longer than a couple of seconds to think about it my impressions of American culture would be the Wild West, Pop Art, Hollywood, and the Gangster era. With all the men and women that were associated with those events.
If I had to think about it longer I would be able to recall whole reams of other components that I would classify as culture. Fast food, fizzy drinks, that famous artist who used to paint the Wild West, Indians, Salinger, Lovecraft and the New York Times to name just a few.
And if I had as long as it takes I would be adding to what I thought of as American culture all day and more.
How do you see French culture. Quickly now you've got 3 seconds.
How do you see British culture. Quickly you've got 5 minutes.
Our intitial thoughts are always those that are impressed on us the most but after a while we begin to see the whole picture.
There's plenty of American culture around it's just not publicised enough.
...if I had no longer than a couple of seconds to think about it my impressions of American culture would be the Wild West, Pop Art, Hollywood, and the Gangster era. With all the men and women that were associated with those events.
If I had to think about it longer I would be able to recall whole reams of other components that I would classify as culture. Fast food, fizzy drinks, that famous artist who used to paint the Wild West, Indians, Salinger, Lovecraft and the New York Times to name just a few.
And if I had as long as it takes I would be adding to what I thought of as American culture all day and more.
How do you see French culture. Quickly now you've got 3 seconds.
How do you see British culture. Quickly you've got 5 minutes.
Our intitial thoughts are always those that are impressed on us the most but after a while we begin to see the whole picture.
There's plenty of American culture around it's just not publicised enough.
Closet Desire
Literotica Guru
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Darowyn...
...funny, my wife and I were talking about just that last night. America as a geographical locale has as much history as the rest of the world, but I remember it as being almost completely ignored when I grew up. We jumped from the "discovery" of America into European history.
I used to live in Oklahoma and one of the museums I visited was Woolaroc which focused largely on the old west and Indian culture. I once took a Korean student who was staying with us to the musuem and her eyes lit up when she went through the museum. I had been to the musuem numerous times (it never changed) so was sort of of ho hum. Her excitement was infectious, not because it was new to her...but because the traditions, the people, and the customs matched her own! Turns out I was the one who got a new education that day. Of course, it makes sense that cultures would have crossed the land bridge between Asia and the US. Sort of makes one wonder...
...funny, my wife and I were talking about just that last night. America as a geographical locale has as much history as the rest of the world, but I remember it as being almost completely ignored when I grew up. We jumped from the "discovery" of America into European history.
I used to live in Oklahoma and one of the museums I visited was Woolaroc which focused largely on the old west and Indian culture. I once took a Korean student who was staying with us to the musuem and her eyes lit up when she went through the museum. I had been to the musuem numerous times (it never changed) so was sort of of ho hum. Her excitement was infectious, not because it was new to her...but because the traditions, the people, and the customs matched her own! Turns out I was the one who got a new education that day. Of course, it makes sense that cultures would have crossed the land bridge between Asia and the US. Sort of makes one wonder...
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