Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Now I am going to talk about something related to my previous post, the globalizing standard of beauty. Vogue, the fashion equivalent to the holy bible is an example which shows the globalizing standard of beauty. Vogue began as an American magazine, but now, there are different editions of Vogue published around the world including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Vogue is featured in many countries but the models do not appear only in their country’s edition of Vogue but also the other international versions! Vogue not only brings fashion together but also the many different standards of beauty together.
The covers of some international editions of VogueModeling itself has also become increasingly globalize. In the past the industry will only have a single token colored model in runway shows, editorials or its advertising campaigns but now it is breaking away from tokenism and more and more ethnic models are making it big! Out of the current group of ‘IT’ girls, a hand few of them are Asian, like Chinese Du Juan and Pei Bei; Koreans Hye Park, Han Hye Jin and Daul Kim; Japanese, An Watanabe; and Russian Eugena Manchieva. There has also been an increasing group of ethnically diverse models like Korean/African-American teen queen, Chanel Iman who was featured in the US Vogue May 2007 cover, The World’s Next Top Model which also featured clothes from Gap’s Designs Edition (as mentioned above) and the racially ambiguous Bruna Tenorio. Modeling allows one to see not only the beauty of one’s on culture but also introduces one to another standard of beauty.
Hye Park, Hye Jin and Du Juan at the SS07 Dolce and Gabbana fashion show.Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas!
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Today I am going to talk about the globalization of Fashion. Fashion is universal and transcends not only the different regions but also the different eras. Fashion which was once predominantly French and European has now globalized into an international affair. One example to illustrate my point would be how there are fashion weeks not only in European countries any more. Right now, there are fashion weeks in South Africa, Brazil, China, India and also our very own Singapore! By having more fashion weeks around, it is not only encouraging more emerging designers from their respective countries to step out and show their collection but also bringing the collections from the more prestigious fashion capitals to the locals!
Gap, an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California and founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris Fisher, is also putting in its best effort to globalize fashion. Gap has recently came to Singapore with stores in Vivo City and Wisma Atrium. As of October 2006, Gap Inc. had approximately 150,000 employees and operated 3,139 stores worldwide not only in the United States, but also Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and United Kingdom. Gap has also recently enlisted 2006 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners Doo-Ri Chung of Doo.Ri, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Thakoon’s Thakoon Panichgul to design a limited-edition collection of specially designed pieces that will be sold at Gap stores. Out of the 4 designers, 2 of them are Asian and this proves my point on how fashion is globalizing and giving more people from different cultures equal opportunities to experiment.
http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/Scene/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=420461&itype=8488The designers in the ad campaign with their models, Doo-Ri Chung of Doo.Ri, Thakoon’s Thakoon Panichgul, and Rodarte sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy.Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas!
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Sunday, May 13, 2007
Now I am going to talk about globalization and something so irresistible to everyone, Fast Food. Fast food culture is seen as a unique product of American Culture. The fast food industry is one which wields great economic and political power, changing not only the American Diet but also their landscape, economy, work force and even pop culture.
An edited photo on the globalizing of fast food.
Promotional poster for the film, Fast Food Nation
The fast food industry started as independent restaurants and transformed into uniform franchises. This completely changed the ways of the food industry as restaurants altered themselves and adopted a kitchen prototype for its chains with standardize-self service. The marketing demographics have also shifted from targeting teenagers to the family. To attract the children and also their parents and grandparents, the McDonald's Corporation imitated the marketing tactics of The Walt Disney Company, and created advertising icons such as Ronald McDonald and his crew and also gives out toys in McDonald's hallmark ‘Happy Meals'.
McDonald's Ronald McDonald
With globalizing this fast food nation is being brought to more countries bringing harmful effects to the people. For example the obesity rates in China and Japan have been increasing after the introduction of fast food. The fast food industry is also bringing in another global scare as the average child around the world watches 21 hours of television per week which includes 100,000 television advertisements a year. This will have detrimental effects on their eye sights.
Fast food chains like McDonalds has extended it's reach all over the world, from America to Asia, however, despite the dark side of the industry, fast food can actually be helpful in certain ways. Fast food chains allows food which are unique to different cultures to be mass produced and widely available for example, Spanish food and Taco Bell, Japanese food and Yoshinoya and Chinese food and Panda Express. As the world globalize, the people’s options broaden and allows them to taste the different cultures, widening the common people’s experiences at a cheaper price, without having to travel extensively.
Yoshinoya's trade mark Beef Bowl
To avoid the harmful effects of the globalizing of the fast food industry, one simply has to be objective and take control of the situation and not to succumb to temptation and become obsessed with fast food.
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The next thing I am going to talk about is Disney. The Walt Disney Company is a growing phenomenon, ever popular with children and adults alike, it is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. Founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as a small animation studio, it became one of the largest Hollywood studios and owner of eleven theme parks and several television networks.
The Walt Disney Company's Logo
Ask any kid from any country about Disney and you are bound to be replied with enthusiastic squeals of delights, from its hallmark, the mouse with the infectious personality, Mickey Mouse and his gang of friends, to the gorgeous princesses which every girl idolizes from Cinderella to Snow White to Pocahontas, to the hilarious sitcoms which tweens are so fond of, That’s So Raven and The Suite Life of Zac and Cody, to the blockbuster movie franchise The Pirates of the Caribbean, to the eleven theme parks which brought countless fond memories to themselves and their families. The list is just endless! It almost seems like our entire lives revolve around this extremely popular company.
So what has Disney got to do with globalization? Everything! As shown above, every kid from every country knows about Disney. Disney constantly churns out movies and television programs with wholesome themes and storylines to enrich the younger generations. Disney’s latest and also its first African-American princess, Tiani from The Princess and the Frog is a prime example of the ideals of Disney. It aims to set a positive role model for all young African-American girls. The movie is an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age. It’s also probably set in New Orleans to inspire the survivors of the Hurricane Katrina disaster to move on with live.
Concept art of Tiani, the newest princess on the blockDisney has also reached out to the stars for its new Year of a Million Dreams campaign shot by world renown photographer Annie Leibovitz, who also shot Tom Cruise, his wife and his child Suri for the very first time for Vanity Fair magazine. The famed photographer's reputation, combined with the allure of Disney, has sent a pop princess to Wonderland, a soccer stud to slay a dragon and an acclaimed actress scurrying slipperless down a staircase. Disney’s is reaching out to an even bigger audience this time, spreading its message of making dreams come true with even more force this time with the help of a string of A-listers like Beyonce, David Beckham and Scarlett Johansson.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-01-25-disney-ad-campaign_x.htm
Scarlett Johansson as CinderellaDisney is powerful and it is a great medium to spread positive messages to empower the youths of today. It brings the world together in a fun, light hearted manner! This is an example of what globalization is and its benefits to society.
Your cultural expert, Nicholas Chua!
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Okay so my very first post for my SS blog came weeks late due to my many commitments to my PDP (SYF and Concert) and also SNYTO (concert) but oh wells! I’m going to do it all today. The first thing I’m going to talk about is Music and it’s relationship with Globalization. Why music you may ask? I am a great music enthusiast, listening to music of all genres (I dig Bhangrah pop, Hip Hop, Classical, Pop among other things), I play music (my bad singing is not contained to the bathroom only and I also play the Trombone in the college’s Symphonic Band which very recently clinched a Gold in the biennial Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging!) and most importantly, the annual Eurovision Song Contest has just concluded with Serbian singer, Marija Serifovic victorious!
Serifovic, 23, singing her heart outRead More Here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6650599.stm
The official Logo introduced in 2004 for a consistent visual identity. The host country's flag appears in the heart.So what exactly is the Eurovision Song Contest and how does it affect the world and globalization? The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition which started in 1956, held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Participating countries each submit a song to be performed on live television; then cast votes for the other countries' songs, to find the most popular song in the competition.
It is one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world, with drawing huge audience figures of 100 million and 600 million internationally over the past few years. It has been broadcasted not just in Europe but to non participating countries such as Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States! It is so popular that it has also been broadcasted online since 2000! The Contest is historically known for being mainly a bastion of formulaic, orchestrated pop music. However it has featured a vast, diverse array of songs, including such musical genres as Arab, Balkan, Celtic music, Dance, Folk, Israeli, Greek, Latin, Nordic, Pop-rap, Rock, and Turkish.
Some of the prominent winners from the show are legendary Swedish band from the Seventies, ABBA who won in 1972 with the song Waterloo, singing sensation and musical diva, Céline Dion, who won for Switzerland in 1988 with the song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.
Two of the competition's greatest Alumnis, Celine Dion and ABBASo how does this contest affect globalisation? This contest reaches out to a huge audience and also helps to bring the people from the European, who were shaken after the two world wars, together and celebrate in one festive occation! By having to vote for other countries it also allows the european nations to take greater note of their neighbouring countries and also encourage foreign talent! Music unifies the heart and soul and the Eurovision Song Contest is a great medium to get introduced to different artistes from different regions with different genres. Music also allows one to get a glimpse of an understand the lives of people from a different country, this will help the members of Europe to understand each better and also compete in friendly competition as compared to one of ammunation and weaponry. So long live music and the wonders it does for us and the world!
Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas Chua!
Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert
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