When talking about globalization there is a lot of fear that the world is actually becoming "McDonaldized", that is Americanized. However, one cannot forget the role that language plays in the consumption of cultural products from different parts of the planet. We live far from a world where everybody speaks the same language. English has been considered a sort of universal language, but the reality is that the majority of the world does not understand it.
Thus, before the act of receiving a film, a TV show, a book, or any other product, there is more often than not a process where an institution or company must make it intelligible to a certain audience. This involves, of course, a translation of the words contained in the work, but also a sort of "cultural translation". In this process, the translator may take something away from the original and/or add more local elements. What happens is that the public receives a foreign cultural work that isn't quite the same as the original, but might be more easy to digest.
The Mexican dub of the movie Shrek is an example of this dynamic. Many of the popular culture references are adjusted so that they will be enjoyed by a Latin American audience. Like when the Ginger Bread Man is being interrogated by the Lord Farquaad, instead of talking about the Muffin Man he talks about Pin Pon, a name that comes from a Mexican children's song. Many of my friends who can understand English perfectly actually prefer this version of Shrek because they find it funnier.
If this is often the case, then should there really be such a fear of homogenization? Given the role that each receiving culture has in interpretation, I think it is safe to say that although there is a high flow of American media and cultural products to the rest of the world, the fears of a "McDonaldized" world might be exaggerated.
*This is the original version of the scene I mentioned:
*This one is the Mexican version:
Also, here's a great interview I found with Ghibli dub director Gualtiero Cannarsi about the process of dubbing Hayao Miyazaki's films into Italian.
- Érica
- Érica
I second Erica's statement on "the fears of a "McDonaldized" world might be exaggerated." Even though you can easily find McDonald all over the world, but they all taste different. McDonald in Indonesia has different taste than the one in Singapore, Malaysia, or US. I guess, McDonald has done market research before hand and combined the local taste with the original one. It sends me a message, any 'foreign' ideology will only be accepted if it can be adapted with the local norms. The content might be the same but there'll be some adjustment here and there (depends on the local norms) in order to be accepted as the new norms. So, it will be different McDonalds :) (Lodya)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, food is another great example! Most fast food chains have to do little adjustments so that they're more accepted and successful in a particular country. It's very interesting. I don't think cultural differences can be escaped, nor should they!
ReplyDelete-Érica