Globalization and Cultural Imperialism

According to lecture, globalization is the increasing of interconnectedness within nations' culture, economic ties and people. This therefore changes the reality of a culture's "norm." Because globalization is increasing, westernization has more of a stronghold on other countries, which attributes to "cultural imperialism."

Cultural imperialism, according to lecture, is the consolidation of cultures across the world to fit Westernized and Americanized standards. Therefore a Westernized culture is influencing, showcasing an imbalance of cultural power. This therefore leads to a loss of indigenous cultural practices, because these people are now thinking they have to adhere to these standards and become consumers just like those in America. A consequence is the loss of a nation's identity, which would otherwise be unaffected and original.


An example of cultural imperialism is Disney as a whole. Disney's worldwide releases, plus parks, plus shows dubbed in different languages and merchandise up to the wazoo definitely creates a consumerist market that would otherwise buy more local products. The content of Disney upholds American's standards of following dreams, love and American humor. Because of its popularity, it has become successful in branding itself and its ideals as a norm throughout all of the world.

Attached is one of the newest commercials for Disney, advertising it's park in France. Notice how it appeals to the masses, calling Disney a "new generation" for all.

Above the Influence: Effective?

The advertisement that strikes my interest is the Above the Influence advertisement, where the setting is a party and there are teenagers acting like marionettes with drinks in hand. They dance around other teens at the party, trying to persuade them to drink. I feel like the allusion between being a puppet and drinking is powerful. They're basically saying that if you drink at a party, you aren't wise enough or strong enough to make your own choices. This persuades audiences to believe that drinking is therefore a sign of weakness and is looked down upon.

One of the potential appeals in this advertising is satisfying curiosity of its audience, which is clearly teenagers. This type of advertising grabs the attention of the viewer right away. The ad exemplifies this appeal because the viewer is intrigued by the different dancing and choreography and will pay attention to the ad itself, even if they do not understand the underlying message. Therefore, the Above the Influence campaign use dancing as a way to segway viewers into a similar situation.

To catch the ad, go to abovetheinfluence.com/the-ads/ and look at "Stage Hands."