In this project, I have gained a much broader understanding of what American Culture is about, or, at least, I have opened my eyes to much more of what American Culture is. Before, I could have told you a variety of answers, ranging from College Football to the Casey Anthony trial last year. Now, though, my answer has to be much more.
Of course, American culture is entertainment. Our athletes just recently took home more gold medals (and medals overall) than any other country by a long shot. The second most medals in the Summer Olympics were won by China, who had 20 less than the United States. When something like the Super Bowl happens, every year more and more people from around the world are watching. In the Little League World Series, many kids compete in baseball – also known as America’s pastime – so their team can be called the best in the world. The largest chunk of teams comes from the United States, but some of the toughest competition comes from all around the world, Japan, Canada, or the Caribbean for example. It’s not uncommon for something that America loves to also be loved all around the world, whether it is a movie, a band, or a game.
But American Culture is not just entertainment. It is also one of the most powerful bodies of consumers in the world. The fluctuation in our stock market can predict rises and falls in the American economy, which then leads to the world economy’s fluctuations. We are the most powerful bodies of people in many cases, in fact. It has been said many times that the President of the United States is the most powerful person in the World. Only America has the ability to give one person that job for four years, and they also decide if the President gets a second term in office, a second chance if they weren’t so popular.
American culture even ties in entertainment and politics together, daily. Many television channels are geared towards delivering news to anybody watching, whether it is ESPN telling you the latest on Penn State, or three people on FOX News debating on current bills in the Senate. On news shows, it is quite common to find the news anchors enjoying small conversations about their news, inadvertently affect the opinions of the individuals who watch the news. Though, this can be used in very powerful ways, such as how strategically praising a political candidate can sway voters towards him, or how posting an advertisement can make American culture aware of upcoming bills it will have to vote on. Because the advertisement can very likely be the first time a consumer is aware of a bill, it can sway them towards the view of the advertisement. It might be slamming the bill for being expensive in a time where government needs to cut back, or it could employ a policy that directly impacts people everywhere, such as no texting while driving.
American Culture is very, very many things, one of which is entertainment. Culture supplies itself with all it could ask for to pass time, let it be listening to music, or watching a heated debate between two candidates for office. In simple terms, our culture is a mess of combining professional events with informal ideas, creating a blissfully nonsensical environment.