UK vs. US editions

serenadust jmmears at prodigy.net
Sat Feb 23 20:37:16 UTC 2002


--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "GulPlum" <plum at c...> wrote:

> 
> I didn't mean to imply that the American people wilfully refuse to 
> accept foreign cultures, which quite patently is not the case (it 
is 
> also absurd to suggest it, considering the importance people give 
to 
> their "mother" countries). What worries me is that (to an extent) 
the 
> entire power structure in the US abhors anything that isn't 
> culturally "pure", ie *American* culture. Book publishers, film 
> studios, TV stations, politicians et al cannot see the benefit of 
> opening people's eyes to an "entertainment" which appeals to more 
> than the lowest common denominator.
> 
 It's generally accepted that 
> British TV is among the best in the world. How much of it finds 
its 
> way onto network TV?
 

You make some excellent points concerning how difficult it is in the 
US to access non-American books, tv, and films.  It can be done, but 
it takes some effort, and most people simply aren't sufficiently 
motivated to make that effort.  You can't really blame the American 
people for this IMO.  We all have lives, jobs, etc., and when it 
comes to entertainment we mostly sample from what is put in front of 
us.  Let's face it, there's probably nowhere else in the world with 
as vast an amount of entertainment available with minimal effort as 
the USA.
I know that it's "generally accepted" that British TV is among the 
best in the world, but it's mainly because that only the very best 
of British TV is exported (shown mostly on PBS and A&E cable).  
OTOH, virtually *all* of US TV programs seem to be sold overseas, 
warts and all.  I lived in the UK for 2 full years in the 90's and 
was amazed and amused at the large amount of crap British television 
I saw there.  It's just that the US doesn't seem to buy that stuff 
to show over here.


Gulplum wrote:

> I really have no answer about how to get out of this impasse. All 
I'm 
> trying to do is to identify a problem. The question, though, is: 
what 
> are the more open-minded American population doing about reversing 
> this trend? It appears to me that the answer is "very little". 
> Getting rid of that buffoon you call a President would be a good 
> start...

I'm not aware that the president has much to do with which books, TV 
shows or movies are presented in the US.  I'm sorry, but I find your 
*buffoon* remark really insulting and the latest in a LONG series of 
cheap political shots on this list which seem to go unchallenged 
(how about this mods?).  I don't recall any cultural renaissance 
under the previous (8 LONG years) administration, who, I assume you 
admire (unless you count mainstream news outlets having to deal with 
describing various interesting sexual practices which never had any 
reason to appear in respectable daily papers before).
I realize that this list is OT chatter, and pretty much anything 
goes, but there are a fair number of ad hominum political insults 
appearing regularly here and they all seem to be coming from only 
one end of the political spectrum. So far, those of us who don't 
agree with them have let them go, but if this keeps up, I expect a 
flame war will eventually result.  I don't *think* anyone wants 
this, but I could be wrong.


Jo Serenadust 






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