Derek,
Europeans praise Americans for their business achievements, their corporate management and their ability to foster (and adapt to) innovation, especially in finance, entertainment, and high-tech.
Obviously, European teenagers are fascinated by the U.S. showbiz-culture, ie Air Jordan, Michael Jackson, Morisette, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Pete Sampras, Sandra Bullock, Wil Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, hip-hop music and the like...
Yet, as far as ''higher, superior'' culture is concerned, the Old Guard strikes back... So, there's kind of a superiority complex that tells Europeans really know about Culture. Hollywood movies are regularly dimissed as ''sub-culture'' --whether it's Spielberg's Private Ryan or Judge Dread featuring S. Stalone...
Recently, I read an article on the Kosovo crisis in Le Monde and it depicted the U.S. as an ''elephant in a porcelaine boutique''.
Referring to the average American's culture, Europeans scoff about it when polls show that even a US high-school teen can't tell where's France and where's Japan on a Mercator map!
Then, when it comes to literature, live theatre (think of France's most famous Moliere, Corneille, Marivaud,...) or luxury stuff (which is considered by most Europeans as cultural products) like Armani, LVMH brands, champagne, chocolates, jewellery, German cars, Italian shoes, Dutch XVII century paintings, etc. the U.S. are left in the dust.
My 2 cents,
Gustave. |
