Question

Most aspects of foreign culture, like language, religion, gender roles. And the problem- solving strategies, are hard for the casual observer to understand. In what ways do Hollywood movies affect national culture outside the United States? What aspects of U. S. culture do Hollywood films promote around the world? Can you observe any positive effects of Hollywood movies on world cultures?

Answer 1

1. Most aspects of foreign culture, like language, religion, gender roles, and problem-solving strategies, are hard for the casual observer to understand.

1. In what ways do Hollywood movies affect national culture outside the United States?

Hollywood movies have affected national culture outside the United States with the exposure of cultural metaphors, stereotypes, and idioms. Cultural metaphor is an activity or institution that members of a particular society are emotionally or cognitively attached, such as American football or Japanese garden. Stereotyping is categorizing all people with a particular characteristic are the same and may or may not be factual. Idioms are a set of expression of two or more words that mean something other than the literal meanings of its individual words; for example, yesterday’s news meaning no longer interesting.These insights of culture of United States are portrayed in Hollywood movies and without explanation other cultures are left to create a judgment on the culture of United States. These insights are views to the other cultures the conversational patterns, language, and religion are in the United States. Then there is Americanization of global values and beliefs that are portrayed in the Hollywood movies.

2. What aspects of U.S. culture do Hollywood films promote around the world?

There are many aspects of U.S. culture that is promoted from Hollywood films, including political philosophy, economic philosophy, social culture, education, religion, and language and culture. Movies that promote the aspect of political philosophy: All the King’s Men – the rise and fall of a corrupt politician who makes his friends richer and retains power through populist appeal; The Candidate – a Senate candidate with no hope of winning actually wins; The War Room – a look inside Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and the people who ran it; and The Manchurian Candidate – a former POW is brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin..Aspects of economic philosophy promoted in movies: Promised Land – is an anti-corporate thriller that centers on the controversial natural gas process of fracking; In Time – has quite an original concept that time is a currency; Seabiscuit which was set during the Great Depression of the 1930s; The Pursuit of Happyness – struggle with homelessness; and Working Girl – working in the mergers and acquisitions department when the boss breaks her leg the secretary put forth her own idea for a merger deal.Then there are the social culture movies, such as The Associate – in order for a black woman to be taken serious on Wall Street she has to work for an older white man. There is also the education aspect to movies: Dead Poets Society – a teacher who encourages his students at a boarding school to break out of the status quo; Stand and Deliver – math teacher helping kids in East Los Angeles; The Breakfast Club – the kids in Saturday detention are all defined by stereotypes; and Dangerous Minds – teacher trying to encourage teens from East Palo Alto, California, to take school seriously. Another aspect is religion in movies: The Passion of the Christ –based on the final days of the life of Jesus cause controversy; The Da Vinci Code – places the Catholic Church at the center of a fictional conspiracy to cover up the truth about Jesus; and Dogma – is a satire of the Catholic Church and Catholic belief which caused organized protests and much controversy in many countries. .Lastly, the language and culture aspects: Rush Hour –there is culture clash and language barrier that results in confusion; Red Heat – Russian detective and a Chicago cop are teamed to catch Russians deadliest drug smugglers; and Mr. Baseball – New York Yankee gets traded to a team in Japan .

3. Can you observe any positive effects of Hollywood movies on world cultures?

This is highly debatable if there are positive or negative effects of Hollywood movies on world cultures. I feel there are positive effects in the aspects of education, entertainment, and socialization. Hollywood movies helps with goodwill with other countries because with the other countries watching American films it helps them understand our culture. With other cultures watching Hollywood movies it promote higher education in other countries. Hollywood movies promote entertainment and socialization in most of their movies. The movies offer different point of views and concepts to many people. Movies could influence creativity or inspire change.