Contents:
Kung Fu Panda2 drawn the controversy of cultural invasion
Definition of cultural invasion
The reason for against
Comments on this issue in the internet
Conclusion
Kung Fu Panda 2, a Hollywood animated movie, has drawn mixed responses in China since its release. While fans are waiting in long queues for a ticket, some artists and scholars have launched a boycott of the movie, saying it is a cultural invasion. Is Kung Fu Panda 2 a cultural invasion?
In order to address this argument, we had better figure out the exact definition about the cultural invasion. Via look up various references, it indicates intentional and systematic actions to replace one country 's cultural habits with those of another. It differs from military invasion, the purpose of the cultural invasion is to brainwash the people so that they would become followers of the invader.
And then we should take view on the basic reason why opponents resist it and reckon that Kung Fu Panda 2 is a cultural invasion. In the first place, this movie has distorted Chinese culture and served as a tool of brainwashing(i21st.cn, 2011, para.3) . For instance, shadow play and lion dancing , etc. which fraught with traditional Chinese features are added in the movie.
Additionally, “Children`s Day should be pure. Don`t turn it into a money-making day for Hollywood, and don` t fool our next generation with American `fast food`,"( i21st.cn, 2011, para.4) according to an open letter to Chinese cinema managers written by Zhao Bandi, an avant-garde artist hoping to boycott the "Americanized" movie.
His idea was backed by Kong Qingdong, a renowned professor of the Chinese language with the Peking University. He said that Chinese elements have become advertising products to advocate American culture. The major character called "Po," a panda, is talkative, humorous, lovely and charmingly naive, but is also widely believed to be a typical American figure( i21st.cn, 2011, para.9). Based on all above, Kung Fu Panda 2 is defined as a cultural invasion.
However, the panda has won million of fans in China. On China`s most popular microblog website--weibo.com, comments on the movie reached nearly 270 million entries. Most of the netizens post questions such as "Why can`t we produce such brilliant movies by ourselves?"
"I won`t call it a cultural invasion," said Li Jiayi, a Beijing university student. "I see nothing bad for others to use our cultural elements to make a movie."
“I don 't think so. Even we make no full use of the cultural elements, why not let others make more people know them and remember them. I think it 's better than being forgotten.” from a forum by an anonymous person.
“I think this movie is really wonderful one. And it is not necessary to discuss whether it is cultural invasion or not, for we have’t made one like this. It is not only the technological gap ( which is narrowing gradually), but other factors like market management, advertising and the concepts. One of my friends said why she liked the Kong Fu Panda is that there were many details which were moving or funny. That is why it success.” said Lavender, a young Shanghai girl.
As far as I’m concerned, it is barely a culture exchange. As China joined in the WTO, the market of China has opened to the world and so does Chinese culture. Under this international circumstances, diverse cultures in different countries exchange their own splendid thoughts, religion, literature and art with each other more frequently. And this become an inexorable and overwhelming tendency. As one of the most famous film-producing area, Hollywood, pouring its films into China, has no ground for blame. Furthermore, the deep meaning and simple values that underlie the series, the inspirational and optimistic spirits it carries, and the technical prowess with which it was produced all contributed to its great success(china.org.cn, 2011, para.7) not just because it features a panda. These elements are also needed in China 's domestic films. Film producer should focuse more on how to make full use of Chinese elementary better, just like this one, rather than boycott. "Technically, Kung Fu Panda is not more advanced than Chinese movies, but as for story telling skills, Chinese movies have a long way to go," ( i21st.cn, 2011, para.16) said Cao Hui, deputy general manager with Shenzhen Global Digital Creations company .
To sum up, I personally do not believe in the expression of cultural invasion. It is a reflection of uncertainty and lack of confidence in one 's own national culture(britishcouncil.org, n.d., para.1). Hollywood 's launch of "Kung Fu Panda 2" implies us with a practical problem: how to improve China 's soft power. As we all know that China only export a few movie abroad annual years. Therefore, our historical culture heritage can not be spread far-raging. In order to enhance our soft power, China ought to be confident and learn from other country. With long-tem endeavor cultivated by lessons drawn from other countries, the overall quality and level will be improved. We should zero in on our self-confidence and do not blame for other stuff.
References:
Qin Huaichuan, June 9, 2011, Boycotting 'Kung Fu Panda ' is narrow-minded.Retrieved from http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2011-06/09/content_22747865.htm Duan Yuntian & Aaron, May 31,2011, American "Panda" movie stirs controversy. Retrieved from http://www.i21st.cn/story/1149.html Dr Morsi Saad El Din, (n.d.), Cultural Invasion? Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.org/zh/history-why-cultural-invasion.htm Hofstede, Geert (1984). Culture 's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN 080391444X. Geert Hofstede’s academic website Retrieved from http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ Hofstede, Geert (2001). Culture 's Consequences: comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN 9780803973237. OCLC 45093960.
References: Qin Huaichuan, June 9, 2011, Boycotting 'Kung Fu Panda ' is narrow-minded.Retrieved from http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2011-06/09/content_22747865.htm Duan Yuntian & Aaron, May 31,2011, American "Panda" movie stirs controversy. Retrieved from http://www.i21st.cn/story/1149.html Dr Morsi Saad El Din, (n.d.), Cultural Invasion? Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.org/zh/history-why-cultural-invasion.htm Hofstede, Geert (1984). Culture 's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN 080391444X. Geert Hofstede’s academic website Retrieved from http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ Hofstede, Geert (2001). Culture 's Consequences: comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN 9780803973237. OCLC 45093960.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Second Edition, Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001.…
- 2284 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
References: Keith Bradsher, “Chinese Delicacy Has Disney in Turbulent Waters, ”New York Times, June 17, 2009, C1, C7…
- 1164 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The Forbidden Kingdom is an American fighting movie made in 2007. Throughout the movie, the main character takes a pounding from some kids in the ghetto that believe that they should bully because they can. Then later on, that kid is transported into ancient China where he must help save a legendary figure, having help from a local man that seems like the town drunk. The man however is able to ward of many soldiers at a time while still holding his alcohol. The only one in the movie that isn't skilled at fighting is the white boy. The movie creates a good representation of the typical asian and american stereotypes and the location adds to the effect of diminishing the white culture versus the asian.…
- 524 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences: international differences in work-related values. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.…
- 3178 Words
- 12 Pages
Best Essays -
Yang’s fictional account of Jin Wang in American Born Chinese puts this issue into perspective by…
- 1020 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Myth does not only exist during the old days, where the elderly spoke of legendary stories and spread them mouth to mouth. In today’s global village, where mass media and pop culture overtake everything in the world at the speed and intensity that no one would ever imagine before, myth has become the new pop culture as media create their own universal myths that almost everybody in this globalized era is able to relate to. Kung Fu Panda is a movie which the story is about hero journey and has archetype as the mythical elements that modern media have been creating. The researchers have not doing research yet about what is the director’s point of view while making this film. Thus, this analysis is based on our point of view (based on Joseph Campbell theory) only. There is no intervention from the director’s point of view in this work.…
- 1931 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
In this comic book about Yang’s new life in America, it is how two different worlds are facing each other. In this case how Yang’s Chinese background is facing with White Americans at his new school. In the modern world many Whites have different views on Chinese people and have different understanding of their cultures and traditions. For Yang it is difficult for him to decide if he is an American citizens, a Chinese immigrant, Chinese-American citizen or Asian American citizen. In reality many Chinese-American citizens are deciding if they are part of mainstream society or part of the Chinese culture because China is rising up as a superpower and surpassing America.…
- 1069 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Because the Cultural Revolution wounded so many patriotic Chinese, the question of its cause haunts current politics. Its violence - including widespread physical attacks against intellectuals and local leaders - was its most unusual aspect, the thing that calls for explanation, the experience that tends to overwhelm other memories of 1966-1968 in many Chinese minds.…
- 4663 Words
- 19 Pages
Powerful Essays -
During the last several decades, the media has become a strong agent in directing and controlling social beliefs and behaviors. Children, by nature, can be particularly susceptible to the influencing powers of the media, opening an avenue where media created especially for children can indoctrinate entire generations. Disney movies, like all other media “are powerful vehicles for certain notions about our culture,” such as racism. (Giroux 32). Racist scenes in Disney movies are often identified as simply being “symbols of the time” when the films were produced. Furthermore, Disney racism is often passed over as simple humor, or as a simple guide to children's understanding of cultures. These explanations of racism in the films are incomplete because they fail to take into account the fact that the primary audience members of Disney films are not old enough to see the movies as relics of a different time and place. This is not to say that Disney films indoctrinate children with racist tendencies; nevertheless, racist scenes in still-popular films cast a blanket of insensitivity over the subject of racism. Disney’s reputation of being racially insensitive has never been more evident than in the time leading up to the release of its latest movie Princess and the Frog. Nearly everything about this film has caused a storm of criticism both from the public and from people within the film industry itself. It is curious that people are so enraged and concerned with this movie, when they ignore potentially more offensive racist elements in other films. If one analyzes society’s response to Princess and the Frog as a single phenomenon, then it does seem a bit odd that a children’s film could start such a heated social debate; however, after taking into account Disney’s history with racism and racial insensitivity, it is not surprising at all that the first black Disney princess would be…
- 5483 Words
- 22 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Cultural appropriation normally occurs without any understanding of a particular culture and why they take part in certain…
- 912 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Since early days, time and distance has become borderless as business entities begin to grow and spread their roots all over the world. It becomes unavoidable for one country without being any related to other countries in any business. Each and every individual have their own culture and being proud of it, but when the relation between two entities (individuals or countries) happens, the cultures may converge due to obtain mutual understanding and avoid a conflict.…
- 363 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Jing-Mei’s trip to China is initially to fulfill her mother’s wishes of going home, but it is essentially a personal attempt to connect with her Chinese heritage. Her initial thought of China was that it was going to be a poor and corrupted country — assumptions she collected from her mother’s stories. However, China was not what she had anticipated. “We are caught in a stream of people rushing, and shoving, pushing us along, until we find ourselves in one of a dozen lines waiting to go through customs. I feel as if I were getting on a number 30 Stockton bus in San Francisco. I am in China, I remind myself. And somehow the crowds don’t bother me.” (183). Tan gives the reader a glimpse of Chinese culture and society, which is far different from the American stereotypes of China. The similarities between modern China and the city of San Francisco gave Jing-Mei a feeling of home and comfort. “The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with a familiar old pain. And I think, My mother was right. I am becoming Chinese.” (179) For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of connection to her family and heritage. At this moment, Jing-Mei begins the process of self-discovery as an Asian-American…
- 802 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
To Live. Dir. Zhang Yimou. Perf. Ge You, Gong Li,. Shanghai Film Studio, 1994. DVD.…
- 1942 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
By definition cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, or artificially injecting the culture or language of one nation into another. Usually the larger power or culture is imposing their culture on a smaller, less influential culture. Cultural imperialism can take the form of an active, formal policy or a general attitude. The question, “Does U.S. cultural imperialism exist?” might as well be rhetorical because United States cultural imperialism is evident by the global sales of our products, the promotion of our culture and democratic government, and the constant influence of our media.…
- 533 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The venture into Hong Kong by Walt Disney was a simple example of a large successful western company not doing its homework. The case presents a clear picture of the importance of understanding a foreign market thoroughly before doing business there. Several factors led to an unsuccessful first year of operations and a majority of these factors could have been avoided with a better cultural understanding in the planning stages. One of the culture differences that was obvious to Disney was the fact that the children are not familiar with the Disney characters. Disney has established its brand and is a marketing poster child in the United States, however this advantage goes out the window in a country such as china that has sheltered itself from the outside world until recently. Disney thought that making a meager attempt at introducing the characters before the launch of the park would help, however familiarity isn’t synonymous with brand attachment. As listed in Global Marketing Management by Kotable & Helson, “Cultural Distance” is one of the six external criteria for choosing a mode of entry into a foreign territory, which was not accounted for by Disney. Cultural distance also recognizes the fact that different cultures have different expectations. This was also the case with China. As stated in the case, “for the tourists of Mainland China, going to Hong Kong means a shopping experience, and so they choose the cheaper alternative to Hong Kong Disneyland…” The case goes on to allude to the fact that the culture in China is one about dollars and cents – when a Chinese person spends his/her money, they are more interested in what they are physically getting. This is very…
- 1118 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays