Cultural Hybridity

What motivates us to consume art from other regions or cultures? There are a myriad of different reasons depending on the consumer. First, the textbook cultural hybridity; a mixture of familiar, "universal" tropes with the novelty of a different culture. For example, my grandparents watch detective dramas from other countries because they like to learn about other cultures within the framework of a familiar narrative structure (along the lines of shows like Perry Mason which they have watched for years). 

For me, consumption of art from other cultures can be attributed, at least in part, to the internet. Hollywood films are generally more available to me in America, but practically anything that I want to watch is just a few clicks away. As a result, we are able to consume a variety of film grammar, and by now I am at the point where I am no longer looking to evoke any of my Hollywood expectations when I watch a foreign film. 

You must tread carefully when evaluating art from a euro-centric lens of quality. Visual culture can contribute to your overall worldview, and it can be healthy to hear perspectives outside of your demographic, especially with intersections between film and politics. Only consuming art from your culture isn't inherently wrong, but it can be problematic especially when you do get around to consuming foreign art; i.e. criticizing a foreign film because it doesn't fulfill your concept of what a film's purpose should be. Even worse, visual culture can be used for imperialistic manipulation, like Marvel movies inciting nationalism through an oversimplification of good vs evil (a stand-in for America vs Other), and even used as military recruitment. That said, gatekeeping and condescension is not okay, and this happens a lot among consumers of foreign art. Furthermore, simply being open-minded to films, music, food, etc. from other cultures does not erase privilege or prejudice, just like having a minority for a friend doesn't make you not racist. 

Some filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese and Vincent Gallo, have stated that they can watch foreign films without subtitles as they are so invested in film grammar and visual storytelling that they don't need to know the dialogue. While I don't do this, I am in the same camp, that film is a visual medium first and foremost. 

To me, music is slightly different. Generally I listen to music while doing some other task, so it's not a problem if I can't understand the lyrics. However, when I sit down and really listen to an album, it helps to understand the lyrical content in the moment, without having to look up lyric translations. There are certainly international appeals in music, though; many American artists tour internationally and have massive fanbases that do not speak English. K-pop has a worldwide audience due to, in my estimation, the universality of the "pop" sound, the idols' star quality and the cultural hybridity of American-style pop music from another culture. 

IHRTLUHC

Comments

  1. Ethan SwansonMarch 7, 2021 at 4:51 PM

    I find this interesting because this is also something that I struggle with. Sometimes I can't tell if I dislike a film because it is actually lacking something, or because it is made in a style that is so far from Hollywood that I have difficulty processing it. I agree that it's important to consume media from other cultures, not only does it widen your worldview, it also gives you more filmic language to work with that may have not been in the films you grew up with.

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  2. Trent SmockMarch 7, 2021 at 8:12 PM

    I feel that it's crucial to consume media from other cultures , not only does it push your boundaries for comfort in media, it also can teach about other cultures. I think that it also helps you become more critical or observant of media as well because widening your media worldview also opens the door for more knowledge about the media you consume.

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  3. UnknownMarch 9, 2021 at 6:56 PM

    The part about the music at the end is super interesting and also weird to hear because my friend on the swim team and I just had a conversation about this exact thing. I completely agree that albums help you understand the lyrics better. Not all albums are like that, but some artist specifically order songs in a way to tell a story. -Davis Wukovits

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  4. AmyMarch 21, 2021 at 2:04 PM

    Before a lot of Asian culture was available with subtitles, I also consumed a ton of movies without access what was being said. We would even go to movie theaters in Chinatown in San Francisco to watch action movies. I actually kind of miss this kind of movie watching because you really come to enjoy the visual aspect with much more depth and detail. I find subtitling in particular quite distracting. I agree with you that watching media from other cultures not only increases our cultural literacy, it also expands our own possibilities for creating and consuming visual culture.

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