Asian Studies

Todays world is significantly different than it was just a generation ago, and it continues to change and mold itself with each passing day. Among the many changes to the world over the last few decades is a heightened sense of global communication, with forms of mass cultural media being shared, stolen, and borrowed across the country lines. The internet has undoubtedly helped to bring this about, as the world now seems much smaller than it has in the past. Now, users from China and the United States can consume the same things, with each culture taking information from the other and learning from it. This idea is centrally discussed in the New York Times article, Love of U.S. TV spurs Chinese Thefts. Written by Howard W. French, this article details how millions of Chinese people are consuming American television in the most unconventional way possible, with other individuals volunteering to make it possible through bitorrent exchanges online. When compared to the other forms of cultural media spread studied in the class, this particular phenomenon is one that is more far reaching, and it seems to be more influential, as well. While many forms of cultural expression have been met with admiration from other countries around the world, this is one example where the Chinese people are actively digesting American mass media for a distinct purpose. That purpose is education, understand, and betting themselves on the whole with the inclusion of everyday American methodologies.

As a starting point for the discussion of Frenchs article, one must focus on the dedication to cross-cultural consumption that is displayed by the Chinese at a number of different levels. As the article begins, it discusses how one gentleman has essentially dedicated his young adult life to the cause. The article is quick to note that this individual is not just some kid sitting in a basement with nothing better to do than cruise the internet. He is, instead, a person that has plenty of other stuff on his plate in addition to his handling of television show production online. The article states, For the past year and a half, said Ding Chengtai, a recent university graduate, his friends have wondered why he seems to have disappeared. Ding, a 23-year-old Internet technology expert for a large Chinese bank, chuckled at the thought. He keeps himself in virtual seclusion during his off hours, consumed with American television programs like Lost, C.S.I., and Close to Home (French, 2006). When compared to some of the other examples of cross-cultural flow, this is an intense effort. In addition to people like Ding, who make the consumption possible for all of those who follow his work on the internet, there are the millions of active users who spurn Chinese television in favor of watching dubbed, slightly delayed American shows on their computer. It is an idea that has almost taken over Chinese popular culture, with millions of people in the mix.

With that in mind, a clear distinction can be drawn between the American cultural influence in China and some of the other examples that have been propped up over the course of the semester. That distinction is that consumption of American mass media in China has been an active effort, rather than a passive one. In many of the cultural instances the class has covered, cultures around the world have taken on international ideas passively. They have come across different things and considered them as they came. This is indicated in Jane Naomi Iwamuras work, The Oriental Monk in American Popular Culture. That particular work talks about how Americans have developed a somewhat fond association with the Dalai Lama. She writes, Although the Oriental Monk appears in these various forms throughout American pop culture, we are always able to recognize him as the representative of an alternative spirituality that draws from the ancient wellsprings of Eastern civilization and culture (Iwamura). This is an example of the passive consumption of Eastern culture that Americans have always been well known for. The work of Iwamura describes Americans attitudes about the Dalai Lama as being somewhat admiring. People enjoy the Dalai Lama and they enjoy being able to use the vision of the Oriental Monk as a counter to popular views of Asians as presented in popular culture, but there is not nearly as much of an active consumption present in this example. Americans, with our own culture and our own pervading sense of selfishness, take the flow of international culture with a grain of salt, enjoying it when possible, without taking anything too significant out of the offerings. This is decidedly different than what is taking place in China, as the individuals actively seek out American influences in order to change their own ways.

This personal interaction with different forms of mass cultural media is something that must be considered with each different country. The Chinese have more use for the American television shows than just entertainment and admiration. Though they are entertained and they do appreciate the quality of work done by American television companies, these individuals actually interact with the characters of the shows, and they look to learn things from how the characters handle their problems. As Ding was quoted in the New York Times article, These are the things that make American TV special. When I first started watching Friends, I found the show was full of information about American history, and showed how America had rapidly developed. Its more interesting than textbooks or other ways of learning (French, 2006). In this way, one can see how the flow of information in this instance is especially influential. Individuals are not brushing it aside there is a reason why the shows are so popular via the internet. It is because many of the people watching the shows are gaining and learning about much more than just international culture. These are active viewers who are able to effectively synthesize ideas picked up in American television shows, mixing them with Chinese ideals to create a better viewpoint on a host of different issues.

Additionally, it is worth considering how this flow of information is impacting the way Chinese people perceive Americans. People from different nations are naturally curious and often envious of different cultures, as this is a natural human fascination that has long been a part of the global consciousness. Thus is the case with Americans and many other cultures, and it is quite true in China, too. As indicated by a number of articles, the spread of American television is painting a picture of Americans as being highly skilled and highly competent. The French article in the Times discusses how the Chinese viewers are glad to take advantage of the superior picture making that goes along with American television, even drawing some comparisons to the nationally run television programming in China. Some might even argue that this type of view of American intuition is causing many Chinese people to lament their own situation, noting the deficiencies all around them. This is a part of the spread of popular culture that is unavoidable. As individuals understand what other cultures have to offer, they will naturally compare those things to what they are being given. Especially in a place like China, where the control of things like television is not privatized, it brings about interesting questions of nationalism. This challenges the distinct pride felt by Chinese individuals, but it appears to be something that they are completely comfortable with at this point in time. It also brings about questions of whether or not Chinese people are getting a clear picture of what true American culture is all about, since they are basing views of America off of things like Friends. As Storey writes in What is Popular Culture, This definition of popular culture is often supported by claims that popular culture is mass-produced commercial culture, whereas high culture is the result of individual acts of culture  (Storey, p.5). Chinese individuals basing their views of American culture on this mass-produced television ideal may be missing something, and this is a problem that exists throughout the world when cultural things are shared across native lines. In many of the other examples studied, Americans have missed the boat on various cultures as a result of simply drawing conclusions from mass-produced media examples.

In all, the Times article brings up some interesting points, and provides a great topic of study in the field of cross-cultural communication. Chinese are actively seeking to consumer American material, which along with the rate of consumption, makes this a unique case. Additionally, this is something that is fairly typical of cross-cultural situations, as Chinese are basing their perceptions off of an example that might not be complete, given the nature of television programming.