US/UK Cultural Asymmetry — Bugs Bunny vs. Danger Mouse
You show me your Sesame Street and I’ll show you my Blue Peter. Except that doesn’t work out, because I’m already familiar with Big Bird, Bert, Ernie and all the rest from my UK childhood. They occupy a similar place in my memory, my affections, my whole cultural self, to Leslie Judd and John Noakes.That doesn’t mean anything to you in the US, or any other country, does it? Even if you are of my generation and spent your childhood glued to a sofa. But for Gen-X Brits it is part cultural catnip, part shibboleth¹. Along with so many other phrases and figures from our lives. And this cultural asymmetry doesn’t in any way end with childhood. The dominance of the US cultural machine spans every genre and generation, which means we have been privy to much that is stored in the mass media lumber room of your American minds, but not vice versa. The USA sets out its endless stall at the global pop culture tailgate sale, while the UK keeps its most treasured mementoes in a locked trunk in the attic. I hadn’t given much thought to this mismatched transatlantic overlap of cultural references until I started writing a few pieces about music, film and TV here on Medium.Those questions now constantly pop into my head, every time I mention a pop group, TV presenter or catchphrase that is an intrinsic card in my geo-cultural deck, but may well draw a blank further afield. And as US users account for the vast majority of the potential readership on this platform, it’s something we outsiders have to be aware of. I wrote a poem the other day prompted by the Bugs Bunny phrase “I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque”. As universally familiar as “Let’s see what’s through the… round window” is obscure. In the comments, Christine D Richardson helpfully pointed out that the US Public Broadcast System (Public? What kind of Commie crap is that?) showed Doctor Who and The…
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