By Dennis Martin Altman

“Cultural imperialism” is a term used by sociologists to identify the effect of all the media exported, mainly by the United States, which seep into other cultures.

We’ve all heard news stories about cultural imperialism.

Here’s how they go: some reporter spots a David Beckham, or Madonna, or Denzel Washington walking down a street somewhere in New Guinea, Albania, or Chad, and suddenly the star is mobbed and asked for autographs.

Our celebrities faces are known everywhere, and language dubbing makes them real.

In Africa, they speak Swahili, in Iran it’s Farsi, and in Agra, they sound like they were raised in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. But everyone knows where the images come from. The films and TV shows are peeks into American life. That may seem innocuous to you, but to an elder Islamic fundamentalist, it is nothing short of terrifying.

It brings our homes, our marriages, our games, and our values to life…

and it dazzles people who have never been away from home. The magic lights up the minds of people who have lived in what soon seems like a gray world. They get the message in a hundred ways; the unwritten and unintentional ideas and views that flash from the screen are at first fascinating but soon become haunting. The images grow more tangible, and inevitably, they become a basis for comparison‹and after that, dreams to treasure.

“Cultural Conquest”

It’s happened so often, with so many cultures around the world, that social observers view this phenomenon as a cultural conquest. The seductive signals quietly begin to say, “This is the way to live, these are the things you want, this is the beauty standard. Here is how to walk; this is how to look cool. These are what to eat, to drink, to wear, to feel.”

Spielberg does Damascus

Eventually, everybody sees American films, hears American music, and reads American periodicals; and by way of all this, they see American kitchens, restaurants, supermarkets, schools, fashions, workplaces, and shopping conditions, from garage sales to Rodeo Drive. They see us mouthing off to bosses. They see women on the beach, rockets to Mars, brunettes becoming blondes, bald men growing hair, and even cowboys kissing.

Instant recognition

All around the world, people can instantly recognize Yogi Bear, Michael Landon, Venus Williams, Robin Williams, Vanessa Williams, Barry Bonds, Fred Mertz, Tom Cruise, Tom & Jerry, Sonny & Cher, Laurel & Hardy, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, and the Donalds –Trump, Rumsfeld, and Duck.

These media icons aren’t just show business and sound bites; they’re ambassadors of a way of life. They’re persuaders without portfolio.

They reach behind doors, come through rooftops, and penetrate the darkest corners with piercing, awakening light. They show the world an open society, trial by jury, cops who laugh, clergymen in Easter Bunny suits, families who make dad the butt of their jokes, and people of all colors working together, doing the wave, and making love.

The sights and sounds get through.

No matter how stringent reactionary regimes may be, these sights and sounds get through. They come from satellites, ships at sea, smuggled recordings, Internet connections, and old newspapers used as packing fodder.

There is no way it can be suppressed.

When the Taliban pulled the plug on TV in Afghanistan, it wasn’t dark for long. American media seep through firewalls, iron curtains, mountain ranges, and dictators’ directives. And that scared the elders of Arabia to the bottoms of their feet.

They cowered to think what would happen when the kids and women in Islam would see that it’s not a disgrace for a woman to show her face in public; and that some people have the right to remain silent, and if they do not have an attorney one will be provided; and the world is round; and Americans love puppies.

A terrifying force

The open, unashamed society that Westerners enjoy is a terrifying force. American media begin natural processes that promise to free women and replace Sharia law. They present the lures of civil rights, frozen food, and air conditioning. Our movies and TV shows beam revolution into sheltered lives by simply showing scenes like man-to-man talks with Ward and the Beaver, Cagney and Lacy running down a perp, CEOs on trial, and Seiji Ozawa conducting the Boston Symphony while Leon Bates plays Gershwin. <<

Dennis Martin Altman is the author of “THE FIRST LIBERAL – a secular look at Jesus’ socio- political ideas, how they became the basis of modern Liberalism” ISBN: 0-595-43053-8. The above article is an excerpt.