Meandering through Montreal: Reaffirming America’s Cultural Dominance

by ziggy117

Meandering through Montreal: Reaffirming America’s Cultural Dominance

           Just walking down on St. Catherine’s street in Montreal, an American can be dazzled by the eye candy on display. Marquees of flashing lights are all strewn across buildings to market the fine aroma inducing restaurants, the pictures of seductive woman in scantily clad clothing that speak of strip clubs that are open late into the night, the famed and classy fashion designer outlet shops that can make even the most monotonous man seem the subject of sophistication; these are scenes on this marvelous street in Montreal.  People from all over the world go here for the chic, young atmosphere that is emanating from street corner to street corner. Through my experiences in Montreal, Canada, I am reaffirmed and more convinced than ever that it is not foreign cultures that influence America, for it is American culture that influences foreign cultures.  Through similarities in norms and beliefs that have facilitated to define American culture for better or worse, we can see these well established notions in not just Canada, but in plenty of other countries as well.

            What makes this place any more fascinating than the rest of the city? To me in my opinion, it is because of the American culture that can be seen throughout the street. Men and women, from my left and right, converse about the latest music single that has been released from pop singer Katy Perry. The convenient Starbucks is swamped with not just tourists but of the locals as well. Not to mention, there are deliberations of President Barack Obama’s decisions and how the “Alaskan lady,” otherwise known as Sarah Palin, is a “wacko.”  Ford and Chevrolet cars all are constantly driving by to go about their business. Furthermore, when I saw “Robin Hood” in theatres last year, greatly to my surprise, was that even in Montreal, Quebec was the movie in English and did not even include French subtitles. Canadians are friendly people that have an ostensible curiosity of their southern neighbor.

            Now stop and take a second to think about these American manifestations here in Canada. The Vegas-style neon marquee that flashes on the side of a building is an American influence, but to an even further degree, it was our very own Thomas Edison who invented the incandescent light bulb. Another example is the style of music being played at the hottest dance clubs in the city. While there are those that play French music, some of the most desirable clubs, like Club 747, come from those that play thudding pop American songs with low-frequency bass syncopated rhythms. Additionally, one cannot help but notice that in this crowd what brands of clothes people wear. Ralph Lauren, Guess, American Eagle, Gap, and Nike are just as widespread here in this dim-lighted, deafening discotheque as they are outside being worn by the Canadians during a mid-summer’s afternoon. As I stroll down this cosmopolitan street, I also hear a zealous and extraordinarily talented saxophonist who is playing jazz music hoping to delight charitable onlookers. It is jazz, a genre that emphasizes improvisation in its style of music, which was started in the United States.

These American manifestations can also be equally apparent in other countries around the world too. While it is true that its proximity may have somewhat more on an emphasis of American culture, one cannot nullify the stunning American paradigms that exist in other countries as well. This includes, but is not limited to: Apple stores in London, McDonald’s Restaurants in Cairo, Disney themed merchandise and amusement parks in China and France, and Coca-Cola products in the Bahamas. People from all over the world want to associate themselves with what America is doing and what they have to offer. Americans have been particularly successful in business ventures and have been able to capitalize on these industries, like fashion and entertainment, not just on a domestic scale but also to the many other countries. The exclusiveness of wearing that Fossil watch in Managua brings a certain amount of pride that a less expensive watch would not be able to give. The same thing is true for the graduate student living in Budapest, Hungary who owns an iPad to do his term paper as opposed to going to the library to use those computers for the assignment. Additionally, the governmental resolutions that come out of this United States have had profound effects economically, politically, and socially all over the globe as well.

 American culture has never had inhibitions limiting how Americans express themselves. We are truly the king of pop culture in the world and there has been limited records stating otherwise. Until we see another type of Hollywood, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, New England Clam Chowder, Mark Twain, Disney World Resort, Oprah, Ralph Lauren, Madonna, Music Television (MTV), National Basketball Association (NBA), Texas style barbecue, Bill and Melinda Gates, Willis Tower, New York Yankees, Abe Lincoln, Hooters, Lady Gaga, Statue of Liberty, Stephen Spielberg, and many more that matches and rivals our own, should we commence to believe that our influence on other cities and countries, including Montreal, Canada, is beginning to fade into oblivion.