Media is undoubtedly extremely important for bringing the worlds people together.
when i first arrived in asia, taxi drivers asked me if we really had Rambo, commandos and Terminators in the US. LA businessman thought Samurai's patrolled the streets of Tokyo.
Our respective images of each other - across territories - are shaped by media, particularly filmed entertainment. Hollywood exports US culture by exporting US storytelling, and its good at it. other territories have been looking to emulate it.
but exporting culture isn't easy because its about changing beliefs. most territories, even if they purport to advocate freedom of speech, have unsaid content policies. they regulate the kind of content their citizens may consume. isn't it ironic - the end of the cold war was precipitated by an actor-turned president. who knew that hollywood can change the world (and he, or, his "realist" advisors, did it).
countries around the world are making substantial strides to export their culture. and "local production" efforts by companies like sony is helping transfer know how from hollywood to these countries.
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=33953
So are Hollywood's English language remakes of Asian stories, when the remake is a co-production involving the Asian rights holder and the foreign partner.
It's important to realize that globalization through sharing media may be a good thing because it connects us through Kansei （感性）- our feelings and reactions to stories. and that brings about an understanding that is not possible on an intellectual level. that's why the olympics are so important; its not only about sharing connectivity through the physical sport, but through the emotion that we all share when we watch the physical experience.
So the next time you watch a foreign movie, or consume any international content, realize that you may unknowingly be helping to bring the world together, and making it unnecessary for an uninvited Rambo to lay down the law. At the same time, the day when we needn't even identify the origin of the content we consume isn't far off. Good content is just good, regardless of where its from.
