I am going to continue working on my "Finding America" photo project for the MA. Basically that entails me finding things in the U.K environment (interior or exterior spaces) that remind me of things I would find in the states. Up until now this project has been based on my own personal reflections - meaning that the photographs were based on my own history, personal experience, or based on (or relating to) images I have seen from other photo projects, tv, movies, etc. But I want to make the project a little more obvious and want to target a more specific "americanism" visibile in the U.K (think stereotypical american culture).
This is where I could use some help. I am probably a little blind to some of the greatest examples of americanism, but perhaps they are very vivid to you. With so many nationalities on this course everyone is going to have a different idea about what america looks like because of what the media in our home countries projects about america will be filtered, skewed, limited, etc. So please contribute if there is a theme, a custom, a tradition, an act, a place, a thing, a style ... whatever ... that makes you think of america or that you blame (or praise) america for saturating the world with.
Some ideas:
the prom
big supermarkets/grocery stores
24 hour EVERYTHING
drive-in cinema
jumbo-sized products
road-trip
american diners - think pie, coffee, waitresses, big booths to sit at
wild west
circus
open, vast spaces
No idea is silly. Please give me anything you've got!!
This is where I could use some help. I am probably a little blind to some of the greatest examples of americanism, but perhaps they are very vivid to you. With so many nationalities on this course everyone is going to have a different idea about what america looks like because of what the media in our home countries projects about america will be filtered, skewed, limited, etc. So please contribute if there is a theme, a custom, a tradition, an act, a place, a thing, a style ... whatever ... that makes you think of america or that you blame (or praise) america for saturating the world with.
Some ideas:
the prom
big supermarkets/grocery stores
24 hour EVERYTHING
drive-in cinema
jumbo-sized products
road-trip
american diners - think pie, coffee, waitresses, big booths to sit at
wild west
circus
open, vast spaces
No idea is silly. Please give me anything you've got!!
8 comments:
Fast food restaurants, for me, is one of the things that stands out. I remember the first McDonalds opening in West Bromwich as a kid and now they're just everywhere.
There was a British company called Wimpy's which was like our version of McDonalds (which is still around but you don't see them often). Instead of a clown they had a Mr Wimpy which I think was dressed as a Tower of London Beefeater (but I may be wrong). It was crap anyway compared to Ronald and was a bit of a joke amongst kids at the time.
The 'in thing' was at the time to have your birthday party at either Wimpy's or McDonalds (I'm going back to when I was about 8 or 9). One of the lads in our class had his party at Wimpy's. About half way through the party Mr Wimpy came out to make his appearance. The lads in our group thought this would be great opportunity to 'pile on'. I don't know if boys do this in the US, but in England 'pile on' was a game lads used to play a lot. They would jump in a pile on top of eachother with the one at the bottom obviously being crushed. I never understood it.
Inevitably, Mr Wimpy ended up on the bottom of the pile, and the lads were removed from him and told off by the staff.
As Mr Wimpy got up his foam head fell off and to reveal a distraught teenage girl.
It was that girls job to dress up in a stupid costume and have kids play 'pile on' with you, and all because a British company were trying to be American.
Something else thats getting popular with school kids here now is proms and hiring limos. Thats a very recent development and only become popular in the last two years.
First things that pop into my mind are the Starbucks empire, Converse all star baseball boots...
I think again like Annerly I make a lot of connections with food, there is the 'Old Orleans' restaurant food chain, they have Americana inspired decoration, menu, booths etc. I think it is still a novelty, to acertain extent, to go to an American styled restaurant no matter how cliché. Here's a link to a diner in London
http://www.fatboysdiner.co.uk/
On a random note there are a lot of British Elvis impersonators, I know one who lives in a tiny traditional English village - bit of a contrast...
the diner looks right up my alley. anyone what to go for lunch?
First thing in my head is The Eagle.
I'm the real rock band"The Eagles" fan.Not only the Eagle is America's national symbol but also you know the concept of Hotel California album[which makes them one of the top 5 best-selling bands of all time(including two other rock bands The Beatles and Led Zeppelin)] was come from Celebrating of America's 200 years old and was implied that American have been ok so far 200years but they have to change if they are going to continue to be around.
On the Elvis front there's a pub you may want to photograph.
I don't know if you've ever been to Cannock (town between Wolverhampton and Lichfield). Its an old mining town but right in the middle of it on the Stafford Road there's a pub called 'The Los Angeles Rock Cafe' which has a large fibre glass Elvis outside.
There is also a chain of restaurants here called 'OK Diner'. They are all old metal style American diners, similar to one I used to go to regularly on my business trips to Kentucky. There used to be one in Cannock on the A5 but it's been closed for a while due to a fire. It may be open again now.
What about buildings and art influences. Art deco started in america and there are a lot of influences from this period. Architecture features. Furniture design. Posters in the street.
What about fashion? Gap, Abercombe & F. ... etc... All from america too right? Starbucks and Macdonalds.. i think is a bit common and been done too many times.
What do you think?
jim
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