The dominance of US media products is shown very clearly in today's world, when you turn on the television, radio, or check the newspapers for movie listings. Granted, there are local productions but do people watch more local films or those from the West? Do we listen to music produced by local artists or from foreigners?
Singapore is diverse in culture thanks to the multi-racial society we live in, but are our interests and lifestyle close to that of what our background is, or have we developed another way of living and thinking thanks to cultural imperialism?
The first McDonald's restaurant in Southeast Asia was opened here in Singapore in 1979, and the popularity of fast food restaurants in our country is evident. Jeans seems to be a staple choice of clothes for most Singaporeans, and I'm sure we'll all seen people who're dressed in Japanese fashion around town. Our speech is filled with slangs from the shows we watch, slangs which you do not hear our parents speak, and our values are different from that our parents knew when growing up.
I believe that the one-way flow of international messages has influenced us in some way, but I also see how Singapore still remains as a high-context culture like other Asian countries. We are a society is not forthright with our words, choosing to hide behind screens or to express ourselves through non-verbal cues at times. An explicit communication style is seen as rude, and we see this in the censorship of films with vulgarities, explicit images, and sensitive issues like homosexuality.
So how much do you think cultural imperialism has affected us, and do you think we have a distinct Singaporean culture?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
"You see for me, Jack Neo movies mostly are comedy. Without the comedy elements in, I think my audience isn't going to like it. When they pay the money, they go in. They just want to have a good laugh. At the same time, if they can catch some message there, then it's a bonus."
Watch a Jack Neo film and you'll see how it fulfills the media functions of entertainment (through injection of local humour) and surveillance (informing us of local issues). His films touch on issues like education, money, and the government, and repeated films that poke fun at the government make me wonder if his agenda is to hint at how the government is not all good, but at the same time, not offend them by subtly including government messages. It is true though, that as a gatekeeper of the media, he, like all movie directors, have the power to influence their audience. What are some movies which you think reflect a strong agenda of the director?
Other than setting agendas, the media also has the ability to indirectly cultivate attitudes in us. Sometimes, we don't even realise certain messages or implications these shows bring, until much later. There are so many stereotypes shown in movies, like how the busty blonde-haired chick is the bimbo and the bespectacled dark-haired boy is the geek. These stereotypes are cultivated and influence us gradually till we actually believe them subconsciously. If you were to meet someone fitting the image of a "busty blond-haired chick", would you be more inclined to see her as a bimbo or an intellectual? And, if she does show bimbotic tendencies, a "double dose" effect is created and your view of how busty blond-haired chicks are bimbos would be strengthened (even though that isn't the case), all thanks to the media.
Finally, can anyone explain why the Yellow Ranger is played by an Asian with "yellow" skin and the Black Ranger's played by someone with "black" skin?
Watch a Jack Neo film and you'll see how it fulfills the media functions of entertainment (through injection of local humour) and surveillance (informing us of local issues). His films touch on issues like education, money, and the government, and repeated films that poke fun at the government make me wonder if his agenda is to hint at how the government is not all good, but at the same time, not offend them by subtly including government messages. It is true though, that as a gatekeeper of the media, he, like all movie directors, have the power to influence their audience. What are some movies which you think reflect a strong agenda of the director?
Other than setting agendas, the media also has the ability to indirectly cultivate attitudes in us. Sometimes, we don't even realise certain messages or implications these shows bring, until much later. There are so many stereotypes shown in movies, like how the busty blonde-haired chick is the bimbo and the bespectacled dark-haired boy is the geek. These stereotypes are cultivated and influence us gradually till we actually believe them subconsciously. If you were to meet someone fitting the image of a "busty blond-haired chick", would you be more inclined to see her as a bimbo or an intellectual? And, if she does show bimbotic tendencies, a "double dose" effect is created and your view of how busty blond-haired chicks are bimbos would be strengthened (even though that isn't the case), all thanks to the media.
Finally, can anyone explain why the Yellow Ranger is played by an Asian with "yellow" skin and the Black Ranger's played by someone with "black" skin?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
We all belong to a group. Be it a project group, a group of your closest friends, or a group formed for social purposes, a group allows us to interact, and it meets our interpersonal needs for inclusion, control, and affection. Being in a group also helps people to open up and express their identity without no fear, because of the interdependence formed, and it also gives off a shared identity, which I believe is seen in bands, especially in their dressing.
Punk band The Ramones
Post-hardcore band Underoath
Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie
New Rave band New Young Pony Club
Though groupthink refers to groups believing they can do no wrong in their actions, I feel that the symptoms of groupthink can be applied to a group's sense of dressing as well. Walk along the streets and we see groups with long-haired boys, groups with people dressed only in black, groups of people in flamboyant colours, groups and groups of people who look and act the same. Illusion of invulnerability tells them that they look good, and if a prospective member feels out of place, collective rationalisations convince him or her that the group identity is a good one. Now, if you find certain groups strange, don't go telling them how you feel because their shared stereotypes will deem them to see you as stupid and not knowing better.
But to each his own, I say. My group of friends and I have a lot of shared interests, and I believe friends have the ability to influence us in many ways, whether consciously or not. Think of you and your group of friends. What do you think your shared collective identity is? What are your common interests, and is there a particular style of dressing you share which you might even be unaware of?
Punk band The Ramones
Post-hardcore band Underoath
Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie
New Rave band New Young Pony Club
Heavy metal band Motley Crue
Though groupthink refers to groups believing they can do no wrong in their actions, I feel that the symptoms of groupthink can be applied to a group's sense of dressing as well. Walk along the streets and we see groups with long-haired boys, groups with people dressed only in black, groups of people in flamboyant colours, groups and groups of people who look and act the same. Illusion of invulnerability tells them that they look good, and if a prospective member feels out of place, collective rationalisations convince him or her that the group identity is a good one. Now, if you find certain groups strange, don't go telling them how you feel because their shared stereotypes will deem them to see you as stupid and not knowing better.
But to each his own, I say. My group of friends and I have a lot of shared interests, and I believe friends have the ability to influence us in many ways, whether consciously or not. Think of you and your group of friends. What do you think your shared collective identity is? What are your common interests, and is there a particular style of dressing you share which you might even be unaware of?
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