American Influence over New Zealand Culture Essay -- essays research p

War 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 Culture Since the start of the â€Å"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 re... ...ms that the fate of our countries culture lies hand in hand with that of the United States of America. Fig 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/brief/image-pages/graph.html References American Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 16, 2004, from http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/subjects/amst/ Music and its role in cafà © culture. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 17, 2004, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/mph/cafe/wayne.html New Zealand in the Second World War. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 16, 2004, from http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-nz/nz-ww2.htm New Zealand Music Month 2003. (2003). Retrieved 11 17, 2004, from http://www.nzonair.govt.nz/music_detail.php?pid=514&sid=500 Phillips, J. (n.d.). The 'American invasion': American forces and the New Zealand people. Retrieved 11 16, 2004, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/brief/ Routes of English. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 16, 2004, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/routesofenglish/youtellus/transcript.shtml The Young and the Restless. Children and Adolescents in New Zealand 1930–1960. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 17, 2004, from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/dnzb_exhibs/youth/