Sunday 12 April 2009
51st State? American trends challenge British ways
I saw this article this morning on Yahoo. Apparently, someone finally noticed that the UK is essentially the US because the US has taken over commercially. The UK has embraced American fine dining such as McDonalds, Burger King,and KFC, wears clothes by Gap, American Apparel, and Anthropologie while drinking Starbucks and listening to Kelly Clarkson.
Personally, I think this is just another example of globalisation taking over. There are still plenty of things over here that are quintessentially British. What's happening is that America markets itself as a product, and the 'American Lifestyle' can be seen as easily attainable through American brands,trends, and pop culture. What does Britain export, aside from Twinnings and old Beatles music? Anyone in America know who Girls Aloud are, how to cook a delicious dish of Toad in the Hole, or somehow pull of wearing shorts in February? This is why I don't really count my move to the UK as that big of a transition. Culture shock would probably mean more if I had moved from CA to AK, but as it is, the only real differences I've seen between the two countries are just small annoyances. CA fail in public transport, but UK fails in selling Melatonin over the counter. The UK only sells Cheddar, and the US will let me die if I get mistaken for a deer and get shot because I don't have medical insurance or money to pay for a doctor.
But despite the fact that Britain is pretty much like a backwaters America, tell any Brit that and they'll threaten to knock your face off.
I saw this article this morning on Yahoo. Apparently, someone finally noticed that the UK is essentially the US because the US has taken over commercially. The UK has embraced American fine dining such as McDonalds, Burger King,and KFC, wears clothes by Gap, American Apparel, and Anthropologie while drinking Starbucks and listening to Kelly Clarkson.
Personally, I think this is just another example of globalisation taking over. There are still plenty of things over here that are quintessentially British. What's happening is that America markets itself as a product, and the 'American Lifestyle' can be seen as easily attainable through American brands,trends, and pop culture. What does Britain export, aside from Twinnings and old Beatles music? Anyone in America know who Girls Aloud are, how to cook a delicious dish of Toad in the Hole, or somehow pull of wearing shorts in February? This is why I don't really count my move to the UK as that big of a transition. Culture shock would probably mean more if I had moved from CA to AK, but as it is, the only real differences I've seen between the two countries are just small annoyances. CA fail in public transport, but UK fails in selling Melatonin over the counter. The UK only sells Cheddar, and the US will let me die if I get mistaken for a deer and get shot because I don't have medical insurance or money to pay for a doctor.
But despite the fact that Britain is pretty much like a backwaters America, tell any Brit that and they'll threaten to knock your face off.
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