As I am sure some people have already heard, a few of us went on a day trip to Bath on Friday. While we were waiting for our train in the station, we saw a man with a beautiful white polar bear-like dog and so a few of us went to go pet her. The owner was very sociable and after a few minutes began to chat with one of our fellow travelers, Amanda.
The conversation began when Amanda quoted a line from the TV-show "Friends". Hearing this line, the man immediately knew which specific episode it came from and he chimed in with Amanda when she began discussing the episode. Not only did he remember that episode, but he remembered and brought up others and the two of them had a lengthy conversation about the American favorite.
The discussion of "Friends" soon led to other TV-shows and he began telling Amanda about all of his American favorites. He told her that he really enjoyed "House" along with all of the "Law & Order" and "CSI" shows. This man was clearly and American TV fan.
I found the conversation between Amanda and this nice man to be very interesting. I can not think of a single British TV show and this guy not only knew of American shows, but he called them his favorites above British shows. I can now see what people are talking about when they say that American media sometimes feels like it is taking over the world. Although the Davies & Pearson reading said that American shows are not being shown on prime-time television in other countries, they seem to still be able to attract large audiences.
Have any of you noticed any other ways in which American culture seems to be seeping into the U.K.'s?
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Though it may not be true of all Brits, I know that Oxonians love ALL American music. Several clubs (where you can dance) that I have been to have the stereotypical European house music that gives me a headache, but most of them intertwine their music with an array of American music from the early 90's (Salt n Pepa... oh yes, I heard "Push It!" in a bar) to the latest Kanye West songs. Whereas bar owners in Athens only play new songs, it's not hard to find a place where you'll hear "Baby Got Back" at least once per night in Oxford. Even songs from American artists that failed to top the charts in the U.S. are enjoyed regardless of popularity. Maybe it's cheesy, but I like hearing more than just the latest and greatest five or so chart-toppers when I go out dancing.
I feel like the Brits are very interested in our culture. Every British person I have met is just as interested in hearing about "the states" as i am about hearing about the U.K. It seems as though the music here is like 10 years behind. I am surprised about how many American chains they have here as well. It has been fun though discovering the british chains. I went to bath this weekend and i noticed some of the same what i assumed to be unique shops in bath. I have also discovered what i have dubbed British J crew. There is a store here in Oxford called Jack Wills and it is a mix between J Crew and Abercrombie. I recommend going into clothing stores and checking out their clothes even if you aren't looking to buy things, it is just interesting to look at what their take on fashion is.
I find it interesting that there are a lot of American fast food restaurants and clothing stores around here. I laughed out loud when I saw a sign for Kentucky Fried Chicken on the way to Oxford. Actually, I've seen a lot of signs for Kentucky Fried Chicken...the Brits must LOVE Southern cooking haha. So far I've also seen Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Burger King. Also, I was completely surprised to see a Gap on my first day of exploring Oxford. I mean I love Gap, but it was not what I was expecting. I know these are global companies and all...but while in England I wanted to get away from the norm. Although, four weeks into this trip I'm pretty sure I'll be enjoying a nice bucket of chicken from KFC.
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