Running head: AMERICAN INFLUENCE OVER NEW ZEALAND CULTUREAmerican Influence over New Zealand CultureAbstractWar World 2 was a pivotal point of change for New Zealand. The country went from being a colonial country dependent or rather in awe of our mother country, England, to being a Colonial country now more excited with new contact with the new world super power of America. America’s acceptance as defender of the Pacific was the wedge that quickly romanticises the New Zealand people into a 60 year love affair with all things American. New Zealand has now reached a point where American media and influence in this country has now become integrated into the New Zealand culture and psyche itself.
American Influence over New Zealand CultureSince the start of the “American Invasion” of New Zealand in 1942, New Zealand has become greatly dependent on America. From political to fashion, culture and entertainment, all areas of New Zealand life have been increasingly influenced from our relationship with the United States. Our loyalty/dependency to our once influential homelands in Britain, England especially, has been slowly washed away in the tides of American culture that floods the New Zealand citizen everyday. Just walking down the main street of any New Zealand town you don’t have to look too far to see a touch of America. Teenagers walk down the street, pants baggy and wearing hoodies.
Music from shop radios drift onto the street, at least a 75% chance that the song is American made. The shop windows display Americanised tabloid magazines whose covers are littered by American Celebrities and their tragic’ love triangles. Next to the tabloid magazines sits the New Zealand version of Americas T. V Guide, in its pages news and show times of the hundreds of American shows that crowd New Zealand’s televisions channels.
Inside the store American confectionary lines the front of the store, Fruit Bursts, Nestles chocolate and a hundred others. In the corner sits a stand that holds a selection of Top 40′ music Compact Disks, all American artists. And in the refrigerated drink units Americas product spearhead, Coke, sits cooling away waiting to be snatched up by the next customer who walks in. People line up at the movie theatre next door, five movies showing, all American. In the street outside a Ford Falcon is parked, another passes by on its way home.
As the Ford Falcon pulls up its driveway you can see that even at home there is no escape from the relenting influence of the American juggernaut. In the garage, the father’s home away from home, an American Ford calendar hangs; on its pages are all American girls half naked and crawling seductively over all American cars. American brand electronic equipment is spread though out the house. In the kids bed rooms the walls are plastered with dozens of posters of teen pop super stars and the latest young actors and actresses from Hollywood. The rooms are virtual shrines to all that is the American celebrity. In their shelves numerous CD’s, DVD’s and video games are stacked, almost all are American.
Their wardrobes are lined back to back with American labels, Sean Jones; P-Diddy’s jeans label is evident in the drawers. Britney Spears new perfume becomes a centre piece of the dresser in the corner. Finding something uniquely New Zealand culture is a near impossibility. A bone carved necklace lies on the desktop, but something that was once only carved as a hook or art of Maori in origin now has been carved to resemble the new symbol for a son’s new favourite American rock band. In the kitchen, next to the bin, is a small pile of empty Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes, left over from the weekly Friday feed of American takeaways eaten the day before.
In the freezer, stacked like bricks, are boxes upon boxes of microwave dinners and easy quick cooking frozen food. Long gone are the days of starting to prepare a nice home cooked meal from scratch, not when you can nuke it’. Out the back of the house are a few small slabs of concrete and a worn Basket Ball hoop where the kids have spent countless hours dreaming
