Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Time Warner production seems to be a familiar name in our country. Every time we enter the cinema we can see that many films by Warner Bro’s are shown. When we chat about the greatest hits, they are mostly American pop singers from EMI and Warner Music like Madonna and Ricky Martin. Everywhere you go in this small country, a huge number of people know about Harry Potter, Batman and so on.

**SO what?? Is there a problem???
Entertainment such as movies, music, and television programs hold a special appeal to young people. The American moviemakers obviously know what the audience like and enjoy watching and I am sure that the cinemas here would be empty without American production like WB films. Young people do not think that is a problem by watching imported movies from the United States.

** Yo yoo…wat’s up man??
Young urban hip-hop culture contained in those WB films, television programs, and recorded music which dominate our market increase the popularity of hip hop culture. More and more youths are turning to more urban and underprivileged “gangster” styles of violent rap subculture. Besides, they are applying the hip-hop culture in their fashion such as baggy jeans and baseball caps turned backwards which seem cool.

**English or Manglish (Malaysian style of English..) ??

As a result of English influence, young people speak English in their daily life as they think of English as a “high class” language. Our national language even borrows English words, adapts them, and subsequently integrates them into our daily professional and personal vocabularies. Every day, we hear words like "OK", "good", "shopping", "pub", "blockbuster", "pop singer", and "computer". Besides, we have our own Malaysia style of words like “can’t tahan”, “sub sub water”... Even in one of the 8tv singing competitions, they named the contest as “绝对superstar” as showing the balance between 'own' language and loan-stems.

**Language represents social identity. Do they still have their own memory of history about their own social identity in this hybrid culture?

**Wats hidden ?? **
A media corporate like Time Warner is working towards a 'free flow' of information and influence, bringing the cultures and nations of the world closer together. However, this development is not seen positively, as there are indicators pointing in the direction of cultural imperialism and possible identity crises due to what theorists call a homogenization of culture.

As what we think about the American movies, there are a many easy ways to spread American culture because often people are influenced by what they see on the screen. Most of the entertainment programs, documentaries, movies we watch are from America. Sometimes, cinemas are swamped with negative films like violent films. This can create negative effects on youth.

So however romantic the idea of cultures being brought closer together is, there are also power struggles and the possibility to exploit this development, which American officials openly admit to be attempting.

References:
American Cultural Imperialism & Media Globalisation
American Media Industries
Media Marketing Madness

Labels: Conglomerates, youths