Lesson 10 — Activity 3: American Popular Culture
Completion requirements
Lesson 10 — Activity 3: American Pop Culture
Warm Up
You have probably noticed that a lot of the influences in pop culture come from the United States. We share many things with the US, including the border and the English language. The US has about 10 times as many people as Canada, and this means it has great influence on our country. We see American programs on TV, listen to American bands, read American magazines, and watch American movies.
Courtesy of Elisa Riva, Pixabay
In this activity, you will look at the impact of pop culture from the United States.
American pop culture is widely accepted in Canada and around the world, due in part to American communication technologies.
Pop culture can also be seen globally, whether you are in Australia, England, or Canada. For example, popular bands from the US cannot only be seen in concerts around the world, they are also recognized worldwide.
Here are further examples of American pop culture:
• reality television shows
• fast food
• mob or gang violence (guns)
• sports (American football, basketball, baseball)
• diet/emphasis on a particular physical look (plastic surgery)
• interior design/home renovation
• video games
Digging Deeper!
Think more about why Canadians are so influenced by American popular culture.
Canada
is one of the best examples of a country where American cultural products
dominate despite the Canadian government's efforts to preserve local
culture.
Canadian films account for just 2.1 percent of Canadian film
ticket sales, and the vast majority of the remaining 98 percent are
American. Moreover, three quarters of the television watched, four out
of five magazines sold on newsstands, and 70 percent of the content on
radio are of foreign origin. The vast majority of foreign products in all of these categories are American.
In most other countries, however, American cultural products are not as widespread as they are in Canada, and they face
more domestic competition.
In most cases, two general trends can be observed. First, many American cultural products tend to be popular with people of very different societies. Second, despite the popularity of American cultural products, other countries still produce a substantial number of their own films, music, books, and TV shows.
(adapted from www.globalization101.org)
Canadian films account for just 2.1 percent of Canadian film ticket sales, and the vast majority of the remaining 98 percent are American. Moreover, three quarters of the television watched, four out of five magazines sold on newsstands, and 70 percent of the content on radio are of foreign origin. The vast majority of foreign products in all of these categories are American.
In most other countries, however, American cultural products are not as widespread as they are in Canada, and they face
more domestic competition.
In most cases, two general trends can be observed. First, many American cultural products tend to be popular with people of very different societies. Second, despite the popularity of American cultural products, other countries still produce a substantial number of their own films, music, books, and TV shows.