'You are entitled to compensation for your injury' is definitely one thing I would associate specifically with the US and no other place really. And you're right that Taylor Swift literally seems to be the Jeff Bezos of music.
It's very interesting to me to see the Taylor Swift thing play out - first the fact that, as you mention, she seems to have literally inflated to take up all the available cultural space to the point where it's really awkward, beautifully mirroring the few capitalist oligarchs who have in the same way sucked up all the corporate space, leaving nothing under them.
It is also fascinating to consider that her parents - extremely successful business people who work, I believe, in finance? - have set her up for success in a specifically American way. Her name is Taylor so people looking at CVs wouldn't immediately know she's a woman. Her music career started by her dad investing in the music studio that signed her, on the condition they sign her. The American way, right? And yet her image is the 'omg I'm literally just a girl you guys, trying to be fierce but always kicked around by the more powerful' Except..... who is more powerful???? It's bizarre.
It's also weird how America's culture is kind of all our culture, no matter where we grew up and if we had malls, trapper keepers, All Stars, or even Coke. Isn't that weird too? Everyone everywhere knows what you're talking about. It's like America is surrounded by windows on all sides, or maybe more accurately, blasting its programming straight into our brains daily since birth, however far away we may be.
Lidija, thanks for your comment. Internet communication being disjointed and unmanageable as it is, it seems I'm only just now discovering your response.
It's been fascinating to see what of the American pop culture onslaught made its mark here in Germany. They know the Muppets, but not Dr. Seuss. Roy Lichtenstein is huge, but Norman Rockwell means nothing to the Germans. Lots of Coke, but Dr. Pepper is only available as an import. Hagar the Horrible is more popular than Peanuts. Suzi Quatro has left a much larger legacy than Madonna. Germans adore The Nanny but have never heard of Fonzie. And on and on.
American marketers certainly attempt to move almost everything overseas, but the Germans are picky and simply don't have the bottomless consumption habits of Americans. This is a disadvantage for me, given that my work is saturated in the American pop culture experience, most of which is lost on the locals even if they read English perfectly.
I really like that notion, ‘they don’t have the bottomless consumption habits’. It rings true of my part of Europe too, and even here in Canada. America is just Too Much Stuff
wow this hits so many interesting points.
'You are entitled to compensation for your injury' is definitely one thing I would associate specifically with the US and no other place really. And you're right that Taylor Swift literally seems to be the Jeff Bezos of music.
It's very interesting to me to see the Taylor Swift thing play out - first the fact that, as you mention, she seems to have literally inflated to take up all the available cultural space to the point where it's really awkward, beautifully mirroring the few capitalist oligarchs who have in the same way sucked up all the corporate space, leaving nothing under them.
It is also fascinating to consider that her parents - extremely successful business people who work, I believe, in finance? - have set her up for success in a specifically American way. Her name is Taylor so people looking at CVs wouldn't immediately know she's a woman. Her music career started by her dad investing in the music studio that signed her, on the condition they sign her. The American way, right? And yet her image is the 'omg I'm literally just a girl you guys, trying to be fierce but always kicked around by the more powerful' Except..... who is more powerful???? It's bizarre.
It's also weird how America's culture is kind of all our culture, no matter where we grew up and if we had malls, trapper keepers, All Stars, or even Coke. Isn't that weird too? Everyone everywhere knows what you're talking about. It's like America is surrounded by windows on all sides, or maybe more accurately, blasting its programming straight into our brains daily since birth, however far away we may be.
Lidija, thanks for your comment. Internet communication being disjointed and unmanageable as it is, it seems I'm only just now discovering your response.
It's been fascinating to see what of the American pop culture onslaught made its mark here in Germany. They know the Muppets, but not Dr. Seuss. Roy Lichtenstein is huge, but Norman Rockwell means nothing to the Germans. Lots of Coke, but Dr. Pepper is only available as an import. Hagar the Horrible is more popular than Peanuts. Suzi Quatro has left a much larger legacy than Madonna. Germans adore The Nanny but have never heard of Fonzie. And on and on.
American marketers certainly attempt to move almost everything overseas, but the Germans are picky and simply don't have the bottomless consumption habits of Americans. This is a disadvantage for me, given that my work is saturated in the American pop culture experience, most of which is lost on the locals even if they read English perfectly.
I really like that notion, ‘they don’t have the bottomless consumption habits’. It rings true of my part of Europe too, and even here in Canada. America is just Too Much Stuff
America has become very eco-culture friendly... Everything is now recycled garbage.
A grueling substack workout just to leave a 👍🏻