COMMON THREADS
One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is mass media, cultural expression, and storytelling. The movie industry is a particularly potent example of this, as Hollywood movies dominate international screens. But Hollywood dominates our domestic screens as well. Does this limit our exposure to other kinds of stories?
In the 1920s, when the burgeoning film industries in Europe lay in ruins after World War I, Hollywood gained an international dominance it has never relinquished. Critics have long cited America’s cultural imperialism, claiming America floods the world with its movies, music, television shows, fashion, and products. The strength of American cultural and economic power is evident when you witness a Thai man in a Tommy Hilfiger shirt watching Transformers at a Bangkok bar while eating a hamburger and drinking a Coke. Critics feel that American-
But other cultures are good at bending and blending our content. Hip-
While some may be proud of the success of America’s cultural exports, we might also ask ourselves this: What is the impact of our cultural dominance on our own media environment? Foreign films, for example, account for less than 2 percent of all releases in the United States. Is this because we find subtitles or other languages too challenging? At points in the twentieth century, American moviegoers were much more likely to see foreign films. Did our taste in movies change on our own accord, or did we simply forget how to appreciate different narratives and styles?
Of course, international content does make it to our shores. We exported rock and roll, and the British sent it back to us, with long hair. They also gave us The Office and House of Cards. Japan gave us anime, Pokémon, Iron Chef, and Hello Kitty.
But in a world where globalization is a key phenomenon, Hollywood rarely shows us the world through another’s eyes. The burden falls to us to search out and watch those movies until Hollywood finally gets the message.
KEY TERMS
The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.
celluloid, 235
kinetograph, 236
kinetoscope, 236
vitascope, 237
narrative films, 237
nickelodeons, 237
vertical integration, 238
oligopoly, 238
studio system, 239
block booking, 240
movie palaces, 241
multiplexes, 241
Big Five, 241
Little Three, 241
blockbuster, 242
talkies, 242
newsreels, 243
genre, 243
documentary, 248
cinema verité, 248
indies, 249
Hollywood Ten, 251
Paramount decision, 252
megaplexes, 258
Big Six, 258
synergy, 259
digital video, 261
consensus narratives, 262
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Early Technology and the Evolution of Movies
The Rise of the Hollywood Studio System
The Studio System’s Golden Age
The Transformation of the Studio System
The Economics of the Movie Business
Popular Movies and Democracy
QUESTIONING THE MEDIA
LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE