![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A week of school and I already have essay woes. I suppose I only have woes because I decided to start the research for my paper the day I learned I had to write one. But also, the topic is just throwing me off. We have to discuss popular culture. Pop Culture! A realm that includes, among many things, T.V., movies, music, books. Potentially I could talk about things I've actually seen/heard and care about. I don't know where to start.
The topic is: To what degree is Canadian popular culture a reflection of its counterpart in the United States?
The Canadian in me instantly thinks "no degree". Canada has its own pop culture; it's just not that well known. It only seems like Canadian pop culture is copying American pop culture because American pop culture is everywhere. Look at typical evening television schedule. I bet 90% of the programming is from the States. But if you look at the argument from that way, you can also say Canada is reflecting the U.S. because we keep importing their shows and watching them like fiends.
I don't know. I think I want to argue that Canadian pop culture is a reflection of American pop culture but only in things that aren't influenced by the region you live in. Like, Canadians and Americans dress the same, speak the same language, drive the same cars, eat the same food, but really, people in China can wear jeans and eat North American food. When it comes down to literature or art or music then that's when the two countries start to diverge. Some things you'll only get from living in the country. Just look at my icon. The word toque isn't even used in the United States (what do Americans call toques anyway? Wool hats?). So I guess looking at popular culture stuff like T.V. shows will support my argument but it's hard to find academic articles about the effects of pop culture. Plus, not a lot of Canadian television has hit it super big in the States. I can think of Due South off the top of my head. Anything else?
I'm still waiting for some books to come in from the library so maybe those will help me shape an argument that can last ten, double-spaced pages.
The topic is: To what degree is Canadian popular culture a reflection of its counterpart in the United States?
The Canadian in me instantly thinks "no degree". Canada has its own pop culture; it's just not that well known. It only seems like Canadian pop culture is copying American pop culture because American pop culture is everywhere. Look at typical evening television schedule. I bet 90% of the programming is from the States. But if you look at the argument from that way, you can also say Canada is reflecting the U.S. because we keep importing their shows and watching them like fiends.
I don't know. I think I want to argue that Canadian pop culture is a reflection of American pop culture but only in things that aren't influenced by the region you live in. Like, Canadians and Americans dress the same, speak the same language, drive the same cars, eat the same food, but really, people in China can wear jeans and eat North American food. When it comes down to literature or art or music then that's when the two countries start to diverge. Some things you'll only get from living in the country. Just look at my icon. The word toque isn't even used in the United States (what do Americans call toques anyway? Wool hats?). So I guess looking at popular culture stuff like T.V. shows will support my argument but it's hard to find academic articles about the effects of pop culture. Plus, not a lot of Canadian television has hit it super big in the States. I can think of Due South off the top of my head. Anything else?
I'm still waiting for some books to come in from the library so maybe those will help me shape an argument that can last ten, double-spaced pages.
Tags:
