Walk with your credit card in the air
I’m stacked all up against deadlines again this week. The pace of industry is a tough thing for a gentle academic like myself to get my head around. I shan’t leave you in the lurch, though. You may remember that last week I wrote what I thought was a pretty innocuous post that set off a bit of a tussle by making cultural comparisons between my new home and my birthplace. Kitty, who blogs as Boring History Girl, took umbrage at some of my comparisons and kicked off a bit of a debate. Well, those of you who have been around for a while know that I like a good debate and often welcome people with whom I don’t necessarily agree to give their two cents. I actually don’t disagree that much with Kitty, but a debate is no fun if all the parties agree, so I asked her over to A Free Man to talk a bit more about what it means to be Australian in the age of American commercial imperialism. So, without further ado, here’s a true blue Aussie with the Antipodean perspective:
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To start off with I think we need to define some territory. Firstly, I was born in Australia, as were my parents, my grandparents, and their parents, and I’m proud of that and Australia is my home. But, like most Australians, I’m also British – my relatives were from Scotland (on both sides), Yorkshire and Cornwall. Scotland’s in my blood and comes out in lots of good ways (I can hold my drink, like the cold and know how to have a laugh) and bad ways (I’m tight with money and have a strong tendency towards stomach fat). I also make a mean pasty. Aside from this I’m also a flag waving socialist. Put it down to too many Labor sub-branch meetings in my formative years and a penchant for Billy Bragg records.
Secondly, there are lots of things I like about The United States of America (hereafter referred to as America to save my wee fingers):
… are just a few. Thirdly, there are also lot of things I don’t like about America:
- Many of the accents (yeah, I know, like I can talk).
- When their governments are conservative they’re conservative.
- Their lateness in joining the war (I get this one from my father).
…. are also a few.Fourth, I have had only two American friends in my life, but they were good friends. One when I was living in Paris, and one when I was living in London, so on both occasions they were out of their natural habitat. I have never been to America.
So there we have it. That’s my cultural baggage.
I would also like to note when I talk about ‘America’ or ‘American’ here, I’m talking about the machine of government and industry. Not you, not your dad, not your best friend, not the guy in the office you talk to over coffee. Just like when we talk about Cambodia and the killing fields, or Australia and Indigenous health.
But now I’m going to talk about something totally separate from American, or Australia. The Euro (stick with me here). I know that travelling through Europe is now easier with a common currency and trade is easier and all is well and happy with the world.
I hate the Euro. Really, really hate it.
And despite the fact I know it’s unhealthy to hate a currency, I have total faith in my reasons. For me, as the tourist, the joy of looking at the new money, and getting the feel of it, ordering my pizza with lira, my escargot with francs and tapas with pesos is gone. But I really do believe there will be a flow on effect for Europeans. I bet if you ask a Brit, or a Chinese or an American or an Australian what’s on their 10 dollar/pound/yuan note – they can have a fairly good stab at it (ours is Banjo Paterson wearing a rather sterling hat). When the Romans wanted to impose their rule on conquered nations one of the 
first things they did was mint a Caesar on the coins. It imposed their reference points on the empire and removed something that everyone used every day that helped to define their collective identity.
So, when AFM asked me what I thought of American consumerism in Australia there was a lot to consider – and trust me I’ve written a million drafts of this. But I think the Euro is a nice illustration. I see large, multinationals trying to do to us what the Romans did to Gaul. But instead of sesterces they’re using burgers, cola drinks and Muzak infused shopping centres.
Obviously not all multinationals are American, but I can see Australia changing. What we eat, what we wear, how we amuse ourselves, what’s on the telly, the music we listen to etc etc – and America does seem to be the dominating influence. Not surprising: it’s a big, powerful nation full of human beings and human beings are innately greedy. Sell! Sell! Sell! I believe strongly in the old adage about camels and needles. Money is the route of all evil. And American consumerism seems to put the accumulation of money above all else.
Then there’s our heath care and education systems, lordy help us if we go down the user-pays path there. Our PM following the man who seems to be roundly considered by Americans to be the worst president ever into conflicts of dubious origin is not a positive indicator either.
But how do companies, any company, convince us to spend our hard earned cash on their particular gee-gaw or doobie-what’s-it. As far as I can tell marketing seems to regularly focus on the fact that we’re not particularly good/cool/thin/attractive/successful if we don’t have their product. To me, the might of America seems to be doing this to poor, dim-witted Australia. The pimply, lanky kid in the corner, we’re being convinced our lifestyle, products and habits aren’t up to scratch. Kids don’t want to go the chippy for Friday night dinners anymore. Advertising has convinced them that 
McDonalds is more fun. God knows it can’t be the food that’s the drawcard. We have lots of things uniquely Australian and yet we’re passing them over for stuff from somewhere else.
And so Gaul becomes less Gaulish and the whole world is slowly becoming Roman.
And the only people we have to blame are ourselves. Stand up for yourselves Australia. Don’t let that other guy convince you that our way is not good enough. Stop being so lazy, and easily lead and look around you and recognise that what you have is worthwhile. Not always perfect, but worthwhile. I say the same thing to the residents of India, Ethiopia, Turkey and Peru. Diversity is what makes the world wonderful, don’t let it be stamped out by a couple of NYC suits with mansions on the coast. And when America falls (as it will, reference again the Caesars) don’t let the next guy do it either.
You’ll notice there are a lot of food references in here. It’s tea time and I’m starving. I also write a food blog so it’s quite ironic that I’m writing this now. But anyway you’re all invited around to my place on Australia Day for BBQ snags, a slab of Coopers Pale, and a big fat pav for dessert. No burgers allowed!
But as this post is now almost as long as an undergraduate tutorial paper I will end by saying that I saw an advertisement on the telly recently for cake mixture. With new and improved ‘frosting’. I rest my case.
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Well there you go. Americans? Australians? What do y’all think? Is America the Rome of the 21st Century?
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This live version of Pavement’s “Unfair” comes from a show in Missoula, Montana in 1997. Buy the studio album from whence it came – “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” - from 
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I don’t see american consumerism taking us over. I see Australians seeing what they like and changing it to suit us. I think it was in oz that mcdonalds started turning into cafes with healthier options. A lot of American tv shows fail here but are successful in America. We are adopters. We adopt the european cafes because it suits are way of life. We eat British food but cook it in a way that is healthier, eg a variety of grilled fish instead of battered at the fish and chip shop. We add asian cuisine to our nightly meal. We love American music but if there is a good ozzie song that will go to number one as well. A healthy culture is always changing a stagnant one fails, we are a very young country and everybody coming here is throwing their culture into the mix.
Barbara, I couldn’t agree with you more. Change is wonderful and multi-culturalism is one of the things that makes Australia such a fantastic place to live. But with this type of consumerism, I think I feel we’re having it imposed on us by marketing people, rather than choosing it ourself e.g. the large burger chains rather than some privately owned American style burger bar. I notice Red Rooster is now marketing itself as an Australian company, which I find interesting.
I agree with most of what you say, Kitty, about working to preserve your own culture, but two things you said stood out to me that I disagree with. The first is that “American consumerism seems to put the accumulation of money above all else.” Just plain consumerism does that and consumerism is not uniquely American. That’s what really ruffles my feathers, this notion that America not only invented consumerism but that the poor, wee, helpless rest-of-the-world was powerless to resist it. For each McDonalds and Starbucks that pops up in a foreign city, there is a demand for that. Franchises don’t expand if they’ve not been successful somewhere so obviously the Aussies WERE asking for more McDonalds and more Starbucks, or what have you. The consumers have just as much a part in consumerism as the sellers. That doesn’t mean I like it any better than the next person but that’s how our current system works and that system is not uniquely American. Capitalism wasn’t conceived by evil suits on Wall Street, it’s a worldwide economic theory that many countries practice, not just America.
The second bit that stood out to me was where you say that when you refer to America or Americans, you mean government and industry, not the people. That very well may be but perhaps you should clarify that when speaking/writing/discussing America so as to carefully differentiate between them? If you say “Americans do or are X or Y,” how is one meant to know that you mean the government and not the people? Making oneself clearer on that would help aid positive discussion with Americans like myself who read “All Americans are (fill in the blank — fat, greedy, stupid, etc..). Oh, except for you.” As an expat in Britain, I get that a lot. Someone will be ranting on about stupid bloody Americans and then when they remember I’m American I get an “Oh, but not you. You don’t act American, you’re not one of THEM.” That this isn’t even recognised as the insult it is says something about the insensitivity that other cultures show towards Americans because it’s socially acceptable and even encouraged to do so.
I find both of these assumptions (that we invented consumerism and that when you talk about a country you can somehow exclude the people) ill informed and, quite frankly, a bit rude. That said, I harbor no ill will towards people who have made these assumptions because it’s what the non-American media has told everyone to believe and for people who have never been to the States, this is all they have to form their opinions with.
“Scotland’s in my blood and comes out in lots of good ways (I can hold my drink, like the cold and know how to have a laugh) and bad ways (I’m tight with money and have a strong tendency towards stomach fat).”
err… not sure these things are genetic. And whaddya mean stomach fat? SCOTLAND RULES!!!!!!
OK, in reference to American culture taking over Aussie culture, in a way, isn’t it a bit like survival of the fittest. You may indite your fellow Aussies to stand up for thier culture but then what is Australian culture, but as you point out, a mish-mash of others. And if a lot of people rush out to the nearest MacDonalds, whether it be because of the adverts they see or it’s the newest thing in town, it will mean MacDonalds is a success (man i love their “chicken” nuggets and fries. Haven’t had any in 6 years mind you). Just like a song or a word. A lot of complaining I sometimes here in the UK over the use of American words and spelling- it seems sometimes impossible to stop Microsoft word telling you to put a z in place of an s, or to take your ‘u’ out of colour, flavour etc. But in the end if the change is coming, are you fighting a losing battle? Kids on the streets here are going to say “awesome” “dude” and what I see as American slang, mainly because it is cool. They are also going to use British slang, but in the end, due to global mixing and ethnic flow and cultural imperialism, one day things will be pretty much uniform, and in genetic terms (AFM?) we’ll become one big gene pool with lots of interbreeding (in a good way). I kinda look at the pervasion of American culture in this way too. Isn’t Japanese culture also spreading, with Pokemon and Ben10? Isn’t Italian culture spreading with espresso and cappuccino? Isn’t German culture spreading with BMWs and Mercedes? Eventually some things will become world-wide any we might not even notice where they came from- and as you point out, American restaurants or shops may not point out they are overtly American.
Ok I probably got to do some work now, but do you get what I’m saying?
Nicely done, Kitty, I agree with a lot of what you said. I’m a socialist as well, but I don’t have the flag. Maybe I need to take a trip to Kmart.
Llike the Noble Savage (good to see you back, by the way, NS) I find the cultural differences in our adopted cultures the best part of them. That is what started this thing, I bemoaned the fact that Australia is so much like America. The best things about Oz are the things that I have to learn about from Aussies – the history, Aussie football, cricket. I avoid most American chains, and Australian chains for that matter. That’s where I think your argument unravels a bit. Americans neither invented nor perfected commercialism. You can levy a lot of blame toward the Chinese (who probably have perfected it), the English, the Greeks, the Romans, hell the Phoenecians for that matter. (I don’t know how to spell Phoenicians).
The only way that American-style commercial imperialism works is that there is a customer base willing to purchase the products that they’re selling. You can blame it on marketing, and I know how influential that is, but if there was no market for cheap crap in Australia there would be no Wal-Mart in Australia (sorry, Big W). If there was no market for awful hamburgers, there would be no McDonalds. The unfortunate reality is that people will buy the cheapest available product in most cases, regardless of its origins. The way that American (and other countries’) chains have succeeded is by undercutting local competition. Unless people are willing to pay a bit more for local products – something that I try to do on a daily basis – there’s no hope for local businesses.
I wish Australia was more Australian too. I’m still trying to figure out what Australian means. (Guest post Aussie readers? Barbara?) But I think the reality of the 21st century world is that these cultural lines are getting blurred. I’m going to be spending Australia Day with my Australian-born Chinese work mate at a yum chua lunch with my Irish-born Australian partner, my English-born American/Irish/Australian son and Australian workmates of Canadian, Indian, English and German heritages. That, I think, is a wonderful thing.
Agree with the slab of Coopers Pale.
Great post!
I totally agree with you on the Euro. I don’t live in Europe anymore, but I was sad when they did that. I loved the uniqueness of the different currencies and how it felt to learn about them all.
Oh, and although we all usually hang our impressions of different nations on what we know of their governments’ behaviors, I think most countries would feel much differently about American citizens if they knew we pretty much hate the same things about our government that they hate.
For instance, every negative thing you mentioned, I hate, too. Big business from America isn’t only using their wiles to lead the impressionable Aussies down the wrong path, they’ve been doing it to us for decades, too. We aren’t the same people we used to be because we’ve been convinced we need to be someone else.
I dated an Aussie once. It wasn’t a serious relationship, but I will never forget him. He had a wonderful attitude. Knowing him and his outlook on life is the reason I dream of visiting down under in spite of my nightmarish fear of all those creepy killer animals you all have!
He made me try vegemite once…. on toast, with butter. I puked.
hey all, as a general response I agree with you all. America didn’t invent capitalism, and it’s not the only place where it exists, but it’s what the charming AFM asked me to write about, and so I did. Give me a forum, and I’ll let loose on capatalists anywhere (including China. I’ve lived in China. Don’t get me started…..).
NS, AFM et al. You’re right. This sort of business happens because we as consumers buy into it. Know it happens. Know I can’t change it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
NS, I did clarify that I was speaking about the machine, so that no one did think that I was talking about all Americans as a generalised mob. Yes, I probably don’t do this in conversation, when talking about any group. So, guilty as charged. Will try to make myself clear in future.
SSG – Scotland does rule! Very proud and pleased to have my roots there. Lovely place. Lovely people. My family are all tight, and we joke about it being the Scotts in us. My step-mother was born in raised in Glasgow and recognises this as a habit of hers. Again, obviously not all Scotts are tight (maybe it’s just me and my mob). You have to read my writing with your tongue planted as firmly as mine is most the time. Especially when I’m talking about myself.
BUT – onto personal promotion.
My blog is a mix of food and history. My two favourite things. Sometimes, ok occasionally, ok… I did it once, I have history week. Last time it was Rome.
Next one is America. An American recipe and an American history lesson for every day of the week. So, come on Americans, what should I cook? What should I learn up on? Show me how much you rock. Suggestions to boringhistorygirl@hotmail.com.
oh yes. Runsdeep. Did you say you were coming round with a slab of pale? Very kind of you. Much appreciated. I’ll get the stubbie holders out.
I agree that too many nations allow our (American) crap to infiltrate and compromise their culture. I wish this would stop but the fact is, if you put some crap out there (oh, let’s say McDonald’s) and people continue to BUY it, it will continue. It will only get worse. Rise up, nations! It’s too late for us, but you can save yourselves.
In a word, “no.” If America were Rome, we’d be taking other countries freedom, imposing our God(s) on them, our currency, our taxes, and our consumption of their natural resources. Then we’d take the indegenous peeps and watch them fight lions or one another (or just make them slaves or involuntary soldiers).
Are we headed for where Rome was morally, however? Yes.
By the way, when has Socialism or Communism worked? When has it not lead to subjugation and genocide by the tens of millions?
It has all been said so I’ll hold my peace. I appreciate your willingness to start the dialogue though. Kind of like a democracy?
Excellent post, Kitty. I think you did a good job of expressing your anger against globalization of American culture while also recognizing that Australian consumers are equally to blame. I also find your comparison to Rome interesting.
If it makes you feel better, I’m American but I don’t support McDonald’s because I hate their food. And most other chain restaurants, for that matter.
I do wonder, however, what kind of lasting value these American institutions will have abroad. Will Australians really abandon their local restaurants permanently in favor of McDonald’s, or is it still new enough to have a kitsch value? In other words, is all this American stuff in other countries just a flash in the pan, something that locals will try for curiosity’s sake and then abandon in favor of the old familiar things? I’m asking because I really don’t know.
When I think about “American” consumerism and capitalism, what I think I’m really thinking about is changes brought about in the modern age. Sure capitalists have always worked by offering the goods at the lowest price and profiting from consumer greed. But when else has big business been so very, very big? Where a TV commercial reaches billions of people and is subtly crafted by teams of psychologists and market researchers to hit exactly the right market and create just the right impact to influence buying patterns. Consumers are asking for franchises to move in because they’ve been told in some awfully sneaky ways that this is what they should want. These are some of the things I think of when I personally denounce American capitalism, which isn’t fair to all Americans or even all American big businesses. But in all honestly, American big businesses seem to be the most successful at doing this.
As an American I’d have to concur: we are another Roman Empire, and consumerism is a black hole of never having enough, but nobody, including Americans, has to buy into that lifestyle. I personally think America is on the verge of having what we in the south refer to as a “Come to Jesus meeting” over our greedy and wasteful lifestyle. Downsizing will be the new chic.
And just so you know there are a few of them out there, I never take my kids to McDs, they rarely spend their days plugged in, and I firmly believe an education goes a long way towards making any accent more palatable. As does enunciation.
Check out Leaders Off from Gothenburg. Back from their exile…
http://www.myspace.com/leadersoff for some tracks or
http://www.leadersoff.com for free download of the new album.
Enjoy!
Muskrat – How about the New Deal? Late 20th Century Western Europe? I can’t speak for communism, because that got tied in with totalitarian politics, but socialism as a economic policy has a history of success. Check out Sweden some time.
Isn’t Westfield Group, the world’s largest retail and property management company, an Australian based company? I’d argue that the primary focus is to construct mega-malls and lease space to multinational retailers with the sole purpose of consumerism and profit. All three malls in my metro area are Westfield. With that said and in reference to current happenings in the U.S., Americans are experiencing a significant reduction in not only our retirement portolios, but in employment, and discretionary money. Wealth leading to excessive spending the past 5-6 years was based on inflated real estate values. Easy credit has been taken off the table, and living within your means and saving are becoming the “new chic” as mentioned above. By the way, you shouldn’t be conerned about McD’s…you should worry about Wal-Mart’s…read about its environmental abuses, poor treatment of employees and history of destroying local Mom and Pop stores………….
Yes, in an environment of plenty, advertising is used to make us think we don’t have quite enough. I think most of us in the westernized world can say we have enough of probably everything. And I know, we Americans are the gultiest of having too much of our share.
I am with you. I know we’re the big bullies on the block. And I know Anti-Americanism isn’t directed at ME or any one person in particular, but the ugly might of the MegaCorporations and our Government at times.
Sometimes I feel powerless. As a middle-class Mid-Westerner, I often times am guilty of buying the cheapest thing at the cheapest store (Wal-Mart) as it’s one of the only stores in our small town. And I know better. But, at the end of the day, I have only X amount of cash to spread out through a week. And, I do have to pinch our “pennies”. We do buy local for many things–our larger item purchases (bikes, snow blowers, etc).
Anyway, I don’t have anything profound to add. Sometimes it’s like pissing upstream. All we can do is our small part, lobby, vote, vote with our money (whatever currency it comes in
) But it feels like so little. The Megas in the world, Corporations, Governments, Cultures, often are hard to beat.
It’s only really recently that I stopped being surprised when I saw “Houston” stores when I traveled. It is sad.
I totally agree with you on the Euro.
Regarding the loss of Australian culture to the evil American marketing machine– yes, I agree that American stuff (food, toys, products, whatever) is shoved down Australia’s throat. The worst American thing I see in Australia however is Foxtel being the cable company and playing Fox News 24/7 as if it is legitimate American infotainment.
Regarding the McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. etc. etc. If people in Australia don’t want it, they won’t buy it and eventually for lack of being profitable it will go away.
And I know it’s easy to say that the disliking of American Government is not the disliking of Americans– which is so true– obviously, most of the country hates George Bush– but being an American in Australia I have been surprised at how many Australians were surprised that I wasn’t a George Bush loving terror fighter– which is just insane. But then again, if the only American news that Australians see if Fox News— well then, it’s not surprising.
Was that a terribly wordy and unorganized ramble??? It’s because I am running out the door to pick my kids up from preschool and have to gooooooooo..
thanks to everyone for your comments, I’m glad that most of you can see the point of my opinion, even if you don’t agree with it. It’s one of the joys of life (and like AFM I love a good debate. Known to argue black is blue if I think it will get someone going).
And the upshot (as so many of you have pointed out) as long as ‘we’ where ever ‘we’ are keep buying some fat cat will keep producing and marketing. Only we can stop it. But we won’t of course. Just like Terri I sometime buy the cheap, mass produced option because I wan’t to save my money for some guilty pleasure. Sometime the the mass produced option is the guilty pleasure.
As for socialism, it can and does work (as so noted Sweden is a good example). I have a dream that if we start looking after ourselves (education, health, community action) this will spread from neighbourhood to neighbourhood until it’s engulfed the whole world. Of course that’s going to be hard while there are so many greedy people in the world. I suspect my dream will be shattered by anhilation, be it social, ecological or military.
So be good to each other, love thy neighbour, do unto others etc. Maybe there’s still time.
Rats. I missed all this.
For what it’s worth however:
Great, thought provoking post Kitty. Loved the analogy with Rome; right or wrong it makes us reflect.
Coming back to my original statement
http://www.afreeman.org/2009/01/06/is-it-true-you-tell-me-were-failing-to-see-that-we-were-dreaming-of-a-lifestyle/
It doesn’t really matter which hamburger you eat, it’s all a question of attitude. That’s what really makes a nation. The entire globe may eat American hamburgers but it does not make us all think or act like ‘Americans’. The subtle cultural differences which define any of us are mostly the product of history and environment.
Consumerism aside…what makes us Australian?
The Free Man has asked the right question………..
I’ve never been to Australia, I live in the US, an Irish ex-pat. Just to add another dimension to all this I wanted to point out that when I grew up in Ireland we were inundated with Australian TV shows. To this day I appreciate the additional vocabulary:) Ireland too has adapted a lot of American clothing, food, music etc. It cracked me up that one time an NYC St Patrick’s Day parade coverage team flashed to Dublin’s parade. In Dublin they were playing Eminem, in NYC it was diddly idle music.
What many don’t realize is that each state in the US is very distinct in it’s outlook, its management, and it’s psyche. Vermont and it’s resistance to this would be interesting to you to study. They have been successful in boycotting Home Depot for example and thus causing them to leave. They also voted to impeach/charge Bush with war crimes. While we have similar big box stores there is a lot of difference between for example the South and the Northeast, hence the red and blue of the election map. My point is identity/conscience/ beliefs beats consumerism.
Now two items I have to address. Firstly psyche related to founders being felons or zealots in the last post. As an Irish person with Van Dieman’s Land felon ancestors, stealing a loaf of bread when you’re starving didn’t make you a felon.I’m sure there were felons, but I’m sure there were a hell of a lot of poor buggers too.
Secondly Ugg boots and the Wiggles kids, you’ve got your payback:)
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While I’m late to the game, I’ve really enjoyed this post and the subsequent discussion. I tend to agree with Noble Savages point of view that it is impossible to separate the people from the industry/machine/monster and I have dealt with the same annoying insults living here in Spain. I also think that labeling said industry/machine/monster American is a bit narrow as others have pointed out. American companies innovated a marketing approach within a global economic system and other companies across the world have followed suit because of how well it has worked literally everywhere. America is easy fodder for the cannon of blame of an economic system that makes cheap and usually poorer quality products more readily available than their healthier, safer, more authentice, (fill in the blank) equivalents from yesteryear.
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