HBRWTK: Cultural cringe?

[HotelBushranger]

Do you think Australia still has a 'cultural cringe' about it?

I certainly do. The desire to be English has now seemingly been replaced by the desire to be American. Adopting mannerisms, spelling, slang, even accents sometimes, it seems the general Australian public (or perhaps, more specifically, media industry) doesn't want to be culturally independent; from getting Kirk Douglas in The Man From Snowy River, to school girls screaming 'Like oh my god', I think Australia hasn't yet grown the mental backbone to withstand overseas cultural influences, and I think that is a very bad thing.

[Lefty]

Yes.

Say bushy, you're not doing AUST1100 this semester are you..?

[HotelBushranger]

Can't say I am, just something on my mind

[Lefty]

I did that unit 3 years ago... I believe the tutorial on the cultural cringe is about this time of semester too.

Of course, it's filled with lovely readings of Germaine Greer's better articles.

[HotelBushranger]

What fun

[Lefty]

Best tutorial in that unit was the last one, the question was:

"why don't women play a larger role in the Australian national identity"

[Maxo]

it seems the general Australian public (or perhaps, more specifically, media industry) doesn't want to be culturally independent

Explain this further, with reference to another western public that is "culturally independant"...

[HotelBushranger]

Hehe in the first psyc lab of the year, the tutor (a woman) was saying how women are overtaking men in the field of psychology, and asked us why we though that was.

I was tempted to say something along the lines of 'cos it's not a real job'

[chew]

I did that unit 3 years ago... I believe the tutorial on the cultural cringe is about this time of semester too.

Of course, it's filled with lovely readings of Germaine Greer's better articles.

So, that would mean no GG articles?

[HotelBushranger]

Explain this further, with reference to another western public that is "culturally independant"...

Well, for example, take some European countries. Let's take England and Germany. They produce pretty much all their media content; news, entertainment shows, etc. Whereas Australia trucks most of it in - look at the TV guide, basically 100% of prime time weekdays are American imports.

[Bendito]

We don't have the population to support a full-on TV & Movie industry perhaps?

[Maxo]

They produce pretty much all their media content

No, they produce SOME of their media content.

A generous amount, but they still don't produce enough for the public to be affected by what they see from the U.S.
Yes, not only Australia and the U.S screen U.S Media.

basically 100% of prime time weekdays are American imports.

More bad generalisation.
The problem isn't so much "Australia hasn't grown a backbone" as opposed to "Australia hasn't grown an entertainment industry to the size of the U.S".


What are your solutions to this problem Germaine?

[HotelBushranger]

We don't have the population to support a full-on TV & Movie industry perhaps?

I disagree, in the 60's-80's there was more Australian made content on the screen than there is now; it's cheaper for the TV stations to simply buy shows than produce their own, and the government doesn't give a crap about improving the Australian arts industry.

More bad generalisation.
The problem isn't so much "Australia hasn't grown a backbone" as opposed to "Australia hasn't grown an entertainment industry to the size of the U.S".

Just working off the top of my head, not necessarily generalisation. I'm not debating sizes of industries, more the influence of -and the consequences of those influences - said industries.

The point, and the original question, was do you think we still have the cultural cringe?

[merctom]

Well, for example, take some European countries. Let's take England and Germany. They produce pretty much all their media content; news, entertainment shows, etc. Whereas Australia trucks most of it in - look at the TV guide, basically 100% of prime time weekdays are American imports.

You also have to look at the relative costs and returns for producing shows in Australia vs. buying shows from overseas. For the size of our market i believe that we produce a fair amount of home grown content.

Also I wouldn't compare germany and australia in relation with importing english shows, cause you know germany kinda speaks german (yes all school kids speak english as well but it will take a while for this to filter through.).

[Lefty]

Explain this further, with reference to another western public that is "culturally independant"...

I would say - and this is loosely related to what you're saying maxo - that there is both an implicit and explicit abandonment of the Australian national/cultural identity made by the middle and upper classes of Australian society ("oh noes! Australia has a class system now!") and that the net result of that is the loss - or at least a large concession - of Australian culture. You see people emigrating from Australia because the conditions of employment here are unfavourable - I hesitate to use it but - Germaine Greer is a very good example.

When the academics, artists, musicians and others associated with the "brain drain" leave the country - the same people who articulate, though not necessarily define the Australian cultural identity - we lose a sort of cultural recognisability.

In Britain, France, the US or Canada; there seems to be less abandonment of a cultural or national identity by these classes. I'm not quite saying that people leave Australia to pay less taxes - though I'm sure some do - or that there are better jobs overseas and in doing so these people are somehow more unAustralian for it, rather by not being in Australia they cease to contribute to making ours a publicly identifiable culture. We're watered down for it.

[HotelBushranger]

Wls ^

[Maxo]

is both an implicit and explicit abandonment of the Australian national/cultural identity made by the middle and upper classes of Australian society

Can you give some further examples of both the implicit and explicit abandonment?

[Lefty]

Furthermore; this is perhaps one for the people that have been to the UK, how often do Poms confuse you with South Africans or Kiwis?

Another two countries with very high emigration rates of the "upper" classes...

[Lefty]

Can you give some further examples of both the implicit and explicit abandonment?

implicit: losing accent through naturalisation, calling soccer football, gradually turning attention away from Australian affairs
explicit: actively seeking employment away from Australia/living overseas

[Maxo]

Furthermore; this is perhaps one for the people that have been to the UK, how often do Poms confuse you with South Africans or Kiwis?

I wasn't?

I know of a few kiwis that have been confused as Australians.

I'd also have a look at the recent emigration rates(if this is the basis of the argument) from Pomland before you decide to use it as an example.