Globalization

Globalization is a topic of serious concern to a great many people as it arouses both support and derision across the social spectrum. It has as many benefits as it also creates problems. In reality, simple trade amongst nations can be considered globalization and, from that perspective, it has been around as long as international trade has been in effect. It was only until the 1990’s when the actual term was created that the full issue came into focus.

For example, the desire for all of Europe to adopt one monetary standard and to unite into EU has been an idea that European leaders have been entertaining for centuries, in the form of one united europe. But, because of political differences, ideological rivalries not to mention the outright conflicts, the idea of unifying all Europe’s currencies has been forestalled for decades only to become a reality in the modern era. One modern example is the chunnel which links England to France.

For the opponents of Globalization, the arguments against it are legion. There is one concern that foreign countries will see the lifestyles and cultures washed away by the sweeping interference of other cultures. This is to say that as new cultural influences come in, old accepted ways of doing things will be in danger of being erased by foreign ways. For example, in Muslim countries that force their women to wear veils and total body coverings when out in public, the outside concept of not doing so is a violation of their cultural norms. Seeing the invasion of numerous foreign eateries such as “McDonald’s” sprouting up all over the place is an irritating thought for some.

Globalization not only challenges cultural norms, but ideas and most notably, ways of conducting business. As businesses expand further and further beyond their national boundaries, expansion into foreign markets and countries becomes necessary in order to maintain competition. However, this staple of the business world as it applies to globalization is seen by some as having a negative effect on small businesses that cannot compete with international chains. This idea is nothing new in America with mega-chains such as Wal-Mart whenever one come to small towns. But, with foreign countries, the effect is different. The intrusion into foreign, local markets is perceived as a direct threat, both to livelihood and businesses. The world throughout has displayed varying degrees of anger and concern.

Also, there is the fear that the supply-end producer such as the farmer might be cheated out of their fair due by international companies that purchase the farmer’s produce at below market prices or try to cheat the farmer through other means.

This was the case with Starbuck’s, an international coffee beverage retailer that came under fire in the mid 2000’s for their treatment of foreign coffee farmers. After news of the story broke, Starbuck’s announced publicly that it supported Fair Trade and unleashed a public relations campaign with full promotional materials in all of its stores to extol this new image.

One other such complaint is that of “Brain drain”. According to this idea, developing countries that have less to offer than other more developed countries fear losing their graduated students abroad instead of these students pooling their knowledge at home.

There are many more such complaints against globalization, and it is an argument that won’t be solved until its effect are fully explored and examined.

Imitation is the Highest form of Flattery

A nudge, a nod, a wink, or a subtle tribute from one media creator to another. Intertexuality is a way for someone to give a mark of respect and/or pay homage to another artist that gave that person inspiration (or in some cases, to get in a friendly jab or to ignite or continue a rivalry).

One instance of intertextuality is a back and forth that Wes Craven and Sam Raimi had back when they were in their horror heydays. It all started when Wes Craven paid homage to Jaws in The Hills Have Eyes. A ripped poster of Jaws appears. Because Wes Craven was a source of inspiration to Sam Raimi, He then had a ripped poster of The Hills Have Eyes in Evil Dead. That was returned in kind to Raimi by Craven putting footage of The Evil Dead. In A Nightmare on Elm St. That was then paid in kind to Craven by Raimi when he put Freddy’s glove in Evil Dead II.

At the end of the video at the 3:09 mark, above the door, hanging there is Freddy’s glove. It is a little difficult to see due to the quality of the video, but it is there.

In the image below, you can see the glove on the top of the picture in the middle.

I think that intertexuality is a great way for people to pay tribute to the things that the like and have influenced them in their creative process. It is a sign of respect that is given to the original inspiration letting them know that they left a lasting impression on the person who is putting the reference in their own material. It is also a way to shows fans of the content that the creator has a sense that they aren’t the first person to do something, but they are doing it in their own way. It also lets the fans feel like they are part of an almost secret type of club that only the real fans get or understand, which is always a cool feeling.

Hegemony in Advertising: Enforcing Racist Attitudes

Hegemony, as defined by the free dictionary, consists of “the predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others.” Cultural hegemony, as defined by the same source, is more specific: it means that a diverse culture can be ruled or dominated by one group, and that “everyday practices and shared beliefs provide the foundation for complex systems of domination.”

In other words, the social status quo—the “ruling” power of the dominant group—is kept alive by pervasive concepts and images (ideologies) that continue to be utilized in (typically) subtle ways.

Take the 2006 SONY PlayStation Portable (PSP) gaming system advertisement put up on an Amsterdam billboard, and on the Dutch website for the product, placed at the beginning of this article.

The advertisement is for the PlayStation Portable White handheld console, which features a new color casing for the system; the original color of the PSP is black. The implications of this image are clear: the white PSP is dominant, superior, and more desirable than its black counterpart. Notice the way the two models, used to represent the systems, are interacting. The white model grips the face of the black model in one hand and glares disapprovingly at her; she forces the black model into a slight crouch in order to look down at her. The white model, dressed in bright white, seductively-cut clothing and sporting dyed-white hair, stands out starkly against the pitch-black background of the billboard, while the black model, in a plain black button-up shirt, is left to blend into and eventually altogether melt into the background.

The ad wants the viewer to see that the white PSP is sexier than the black, more original than the black, better than the black. And it does so by blatantly implying the same thing about the white and black human beings used to represent them, enforcing the subconscious social beliefs regarding whites “versus” blacks, and the hegemony it creates. This is offensive and inappropriate enough without the likewise troublesome convention of using sexualized images of women to represent products to be bought and owned; when the two are united, it only compounds the problem. Whites are a privileged group, and the group most directly in change of media portrayals, making it fairly easy for the group as a whole to get away with utilizing such awful imagery. Worse, white viewers of the imagery, as a result of being constantly barraged with it, are unlikely to recognize just how degrading the images are. Unconscious and subconscious racist attitudes of whites towards people of color are shaped this way, whether white society is “comfortable” with owning up to and correcting them or not.

Some might argue that because racism has never been a ‘big issue’ in Holland, the ad isn’t as offensive as it appears. On the contrary: the fact that WHITE is dominant enough there for racism to be seen as so paltry may actually make it worse. Here in the US, where non-whites are continually portrayed as somehow lesser through (more subtle) images in the media, such an ad would lead to a public outcry; criticisms leveled at the persons responsible for the ad would ultimately lead to a retraction and public apology. Regardless of how empty and face-saving that apology might be, it means that those who would fight for the apology to be made would be fully aware of the blatant racism, and realize it was not okay in any sense. In Holland, however, the implication seems to be that the white population there isn’t be able to see what the problem is in the first place.

Blindness to racism leads to racist attitudes and behavior, even if it is not as overt or even as intentional as “active racism.”

(Post by Amanda Batson)

Sources:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hegemony
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/cultural+hegemony
http://welovemediacrit.blogspot.com/2009/09/hegemony-and-media.html
http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/2007/11/lumo_on_racist_playstation_ad.html