Having moved to the megacity, I realized that it’s difficult for big cities to keep their national originality. Big cities are always in pursuit of fashion, they try on different cultures’ traditions and they are in a hurry to show their capacity for gathering the whole world within one place.
Moscow joined in this race a long time ago. People put on somebody else’s mask trying to demonstrate that Russia is keeping abreast of life and it’s not worse than any other world power. Perhaps I will disappoint many people, but I won’t say a word about never-ending war for taking first place in the sphere of influence or economic superiority. I’m going to tell you how America has settled down in Russia.
It is necessary to choose a starting-point. If we don’t talk politics, let it be the youth of my parents – the beginning of the 1980s. At that time, the forbidden “Voice of America” was being picked up and listened to secretly. The albums of Creedence Clearwater and Rolling Stones were being smuggled into Russia secretly as well. Chewing-gum, snickers – such a magical rarity in the world of everyday struggle for existence… Now it seems to be absurd, but at that time it was both dangerous and romantic to touch the “world of freedom”.
Then unavoidably came Madonna, Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson, Backstreet Boys… And now we drink coffee at Starbuсks, eat hamburgers at McDonalds and smoke Marlboro cigarettes; there are a lot of rappers with falling down trousers and spurious brilliance, and you can see a lot of Hummers in our traffic jams. Teenagers watch Christina Aguilera’s life closely, there’s Russian Comedy Club on TV, and the funniest jokes are made using Homer Simpson’s or Eric Cartman’s popular expressions.
We complain of rotten coffee from Starbucks, but we always have our coffee breaks there. We know that hamburgers are a very unhealthy food, but McDonald’s enjoys wide popularity. We consider Hummers to be the most stupid car that has ever been created, but having a Hummer is the most striking way to show everybody your well-being. “The Simpsons” is a movie not about us, but it’s quite funny and it will do for keeping somebody’s company while having dinner.
Just because of these contradictions Russia will never become America. We will never adopt culture that is alien to us until we want it. And now there is a great demand for the goods. We created favorable conditions for America to prosper on our land.
It’s very good that there are well-known problems with getting an American visa. Otherwise we could have an American dream spreading wildly around Russia. But it won’t do for us. Wrong climate.
Moscow joined in this race a long time ago. People put on somebody else’s mask trying to demonstrate that Russia is keeping abreast of life and it’s not worse than any other world power. Perhaps I will disappoint many people, but I won’t say a word about never-ending war for taking first place in the sphere of influence or economic superiority. I’m going to tell you how America has settled down in Russia.
It is necessary to choose a starting-point. If we don’t talk politics, let it be the youth of my parents – the beginning of the 1980s. At that time, the forbidden “Voice of America” was being picked up and listened to secretly. The albums of Creedence Clearwater and Rolling Stones were being smuggled into Russia secretly as well. Chewing-gum, snickers – such a magical rarity in the world of everyday struggle for existence… Now it seems to be absurd, but at that time it was both dangerous and romantic to touch the “world of freedom”.
Then unavoidably came Madonna, Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson, Backstreet Boys… And now we drink coffee at Starbuсks, eat hamburgers at McDonalds and smoke Marlboro cigarettes; there are a lot of rappers with falling down trousers and spurious brilliance, and you can see a lot of Hummers in our traffic jams. Teenagers watch Christina Aguilera’s life closely, there’s Russian Comedy Club on TV, and the funniest jokes are made using Homer Simpson’s or Eric Cartman’s popular expressions.
We complain of rotten coffee from Starbucks, but we always have our coffee breaks there. We know that hamburgers are a very unhealthy food, but McDonald’s enjoys wide popularity. We consider Hummers to be the most stupid car that has ever been created, but having a Hummer is the most striking way to show everybody your well-being. “The Simpsons” is a movie not about us, but it’s quite funny and it will do for keeping somebody’s company while having dinner.
Just because of these contradictions Russia will never become America. We will never adopt culture that is alien to us until we want it. And now there is a great demand for the goods. We created favorable conditions for America to prosper on our land.
It’s very good that there are well-known problems with getting an American visa. Otherwise we could have an American dream spreading wildly around Russia. But it won’t do for us. Wrong climate.
4 comments:
Great post, Zorro, and welcome to the site!
I find it interesting that the megacity in Russia isn't only beginning to resemble America - it is resembling the American suburbs. Of course, you find Starbucks and McDonald's in the downtown cores of big cities, too, but it strikes me that the chain stores are really more of a suburban phenomenon. Big cities have local coffee shops, restaurants, etc. It is interesting to me that the world is adopting only the America that is the most circumscribed by corporate money: in other words, the America that is represented by the big chains.
I've never really understood the appeal of mediocre American foo in places with such a rich culinary history of their own. Eating McDonald's in Japan is like staying indoors all the time when vacationing in Miami. It doesn't make sense unless the experience itself is what people are chasing. I went to a McDonald's in Romania once that was guarded by an officer with a machine gun. Inside, young couples in fine dress sat across from each other having animated conversations. It was clear that this McDonald's was where the locals took their dates on a Friday night.
The cultural schizophrenia you refer to is fascinating. I do wonder, however, if this sort is thing is going to wane along with American global preeminence. Perhaps in fifty years, hip young people across the globe will be eating at Chinese restaurant chains.
Interesting point Zach. I'm not sure the waning American preeminence will be inextricably entwined with the presence of corporate chains. Even if the baton of hegemony passes hands to another state, big business will still defend its interests, and almost independent from American allegiance, I imagine.
I think it’s not about big business, it’s about how we see America and things we can adopt. There are some stereotypes which are widespread around the world – do you remember, Zach, how you were at a loss when the Japanese asked you about a gun under your pillow and sleeping in shoes? That’s what I was talking about. The same feeling we have when we hear “Russian mafia” mentioned in usual Hollywood blockbuster.
Thanks for the clarification, Zorro, I was reading things through the economic lens only, as I often do. There's a lot more to this than money.
I do find it interesting, though, that the stereotypes about America often involve its big businesses. I just hope people understand that, to many Americans, the spread of Starbucks and McDonald's has represented a threatening invasion of an alien culture. I can't back this up with data, but I feel like the most violent opposition to this stuff has been within the states, not abroad. Many nations welcome McDonald's with open arms; if you try to build one in, say, Greenwich Village, NY, you're going to have people picketing the construction site.
It's a fascinating topic and one I hope we return to again.
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