All things Universal Studios Hollywood

[Phroobar]

If it means an Ernest Borgnine AA and Maximilian standing in hell at the end (whoops, spoiler), I say replace Ghost Galaxy with Black Hole!

 

[CaptinEO]

Those are Disney pictures and are parts of American, not British, culture. Their source material? Distinctly British. The film adaptations? Distinctly American.

The Harry Potter films are American films made by an American film studio and American film directors.

 

[Consumer]

The Harry Potter films are American films made by an American film studio and American film directors.

Yet, they’re not a price of American culture.

 

[CaptinEO]

Yet, they’re not a price of American culture.

It seems pretty darn popular in America. I'm not saying the films have any of the peak Americana feel or charm of productions made by Walt Disney.

Nintendo has also been a part of many American's childhoods for 40 years now. The existence of Nintendo Land and Harry Potter Land in the United States shows that surely these properties have an appeal in the states?

Wouldn't that imply these left an impression on pop culture in our country? Pokemon, Mario, and the Wizards are all huge.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yet, they’re not a price of American culture.

Yeah, they are. Very much so, actually.

 

[Consumer]

It seems pretty darn popular in America. I'm not saying the films have any of the peak Americana feel or charm of productions made by Walt Disney.

Nintendo has also been a part of many American's childhoods for 40 years now. The existence of Nintendo Land and Harry Potter Land in the United States shows that surely these properties have an appeal in the states?

Wouldn't that imply these left an impression on pop culture in our country? Pokemon, Mario, and the Wizards are all huge.

Nintendo is Japanese. Harry Potter is British. Walt Disney is American.

Does the United States enjoy other cultures? Yes, that’s one of the great things about the United States, but that does not make foreign culture into American culture unless it is drastically altered into American identity.

An easy example of this is pizza. Obviously it’s Italian, but neither Chicago nor New York style pizzas are anything like true Italian pizza, making Chicago and New York pizza a piece of American cuisine rather than being Italian.

The same applies with Walt Disney’s adaptations of European fairy tales. They were Americanized.

Harry Potter and Nintendo, despite having films produced by American studios, have never been Americanized and still represent their nation of origin.

The only argument I would hear for the Americanization of Harry Potter is the renaming of Philosopher’s Stone to Sorcerer’s Stone. Not exactly a significant change.

This is not an attack on Nintendo or Harry Potter, but as somebody who loves foreign cultures, to see a piece of foreign culture be labeled as “American” just because Americans enjoy it is upsetting for its shallow understanding of culture as well as for its erasing of national heritages.

 

[Professortango1]

Nintendo is Japanese. Harry Potter is British. Walt Disney is American.

Does the United States enjoy other cultures? Yes, that’s one of the great things about the United States, but that does not make foreign culture into American culture unless it is drastically altered into American identity.

An easy example of this is pizza. Obviously it’s Italian, but neither Chicago nor New York style pizzas are anything like true Italian pizza, making Chicago and New York pizza a piece of American cuisine rather than being Italian.

The same applies with Walt Disney’s adaptations of European fairy tales. They were Americanized.

Harry Potter and Nintendo, despite having films produced by American studios, have never been Americanized and still represent their nation of origin.

The only argument I would hear for the Americanization of Harry Potter is the renaming of Philosopher’s Stone to Sorcerer’s Stone. Not exactly a significant change.

This is not an attack on Nintendo or Harry Potter, but as somebody who loves foreign cultures, to see a piece of foreign culture be labeled as “American” just because Americans enjoy it is upsetting for its shallow understanding of culture as well as for its erasing of national heritages.

I'd argue that Mary Poppins is still incredibly British in its adaptation. Just as much as Potter.

I would agree that Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Mr. Toad all feel pretty grounded in "fantasy" rather than reflecting anything culturally from their countries or continents of origin. Even Pooh doesn't feel British, which is why I never minded it in Critter Country.

I wouldn't put Potter or Nintendo into a castle park, but they could easily exist at other Disney parks if Disney was wishing to do so.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Just like many international things, Harry Potter has integrated into American culture. This can’t be denied. Things like this aren’t black and white. Potter is still very much of British origins, but Americans have adopted it and it is part of pop culture here. This doesn’t erase its origins.

 

[Consumer]

I'd argue that Mary Poppins is still incredibly British in its adaptation. Just as much as Potter.

I would agree that Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Mr. Toad all feel pretty grounded in "fantasy" rather than reflecting anything culturally from their countries or continents of origin. Even Pooh doesn't feel British, which is why I never minded it in Critter Country.

I wouldn't put Potter or Nintendo into a castle park, but they could easily exist at other Disney parks if Disney was wishing to do so.

I would agree that of the classic Disney movies, Mary Poppins is the most British, but even Mary Poppins is distinctly American with the presence of the caricature accent of Star Van Star, as well it being a Broadway-esque musical. I’m not sure how many British people consider “Supercalifragilisticexpialidosious” a folk tune.

Just like many international things, Harry Potter has integrated into American culture. This can’t be denied. Things like this aren’t black and white. Potter is still very much of British origins, but Americans have adopted it and it is part of pop culture here. This doesn’t erase its origins.

I agree that Harry Potter is in American culture, but that doesn’t make it a piece of Americana.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I agree that Harry Potter is in American culture, but that doesn’t make it a piece of Americana.

I would argue Potter is a piece of Americana, at this point. I personally think the lines are blurred sometimes when talking about culture/Americana. I think of hot dogs and hamburgers. They didn’t originate here, but they are 100% pieces of Americana.

 

[CaptinEO]

Nintendo is Japanese. Harry Potter is British. Walt Disney is American.

Does the United States enjoy other cultures? Yes, that’s one of the great things about the United States, but that does not make foreign culture into American culture unless it is drastically altered into American identity.

An easy example of this is pizza. Obviously it’s Italian, but neither Chicago nor New York style pizzas are anything like true Italian pizza, making Chicago and New York pizza a piece of American cuisine rather than being Italian.

The same applies with Walt Disney’s adaptations of European fairy tales. They were Americanized.

Harry Potter and Nintendo, despite having films produced by American studios, have never been Americanized and still represent their nation of origin.

The only argument I would hear for the Americanization of Harry Potter is the renaming of Philosopher’s Stone to Sorcerer’s Stone. Not exactly a significant change.

This is not an attack on Nintendo or Harry Potter, but as somebody who loves foreign cultures, to see a piece of foreign culture be labeled as “American” just because Americans enjoy it is upsetting for its shallow understanding of culture as well as for its erasing of national heritages.

I see exactly what you mean now.

I think there really is something special about the films Walt Disney made. My parents each remember the exact place they saw Mary Poppins for the first time despite it being almost 60 years ago.

The fairy tale adaptations are timeless but really have become a part of American culture as you mentioned.

 

[Consumer]

I would argue Potter is a piece of Americana, at this point. I personally think the lines are blurred sometimes when talking about culture/Americana. I think of hot dogs and hamburgers. They didn’t originate here, but they are 100% pieces of Americana.

Hamburgers and hot dogs, while German in origin, are nothing like their German counterparts.

Harry Potter has not been Americanized.

James Bond, The Beatles, and Paddington are also all loved by Americans, but to say they’re part of American culture is ridiculous. These are all distinctly British.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Hamburgers and hot dogs, while German in origin, are nothing like their German counterparts.

Harry Potter has not been Americanized.

James Bond, The Beatles, and Paddington are also all loved by Americans, but to say they’re part of American culture is ridiculous. These are all distinctly British.

Doesn’t matter. They’re not of American origin. If we have to be so exact, then we need to be specific and not say that hamburgers and hot dogs are Americana. The BBQ western cheeseburger and the Chicago dog are.

Harry Potter has been Americanized, thanks to theme parks and film/media.

Again, no one is saying the origin of the country gets erased when something from said country becomes part of the culture in another country. Harry Potter is still British in origins and in relation to culture, but because of its influence here in the States and because of America’s hand in making it even more popular, then yes, it is now part of American culture and Americana. Same thing with McDonald’s and even hip-hop (both are American in origin, but have been integrated into other cultures).

We can agree to disagree.

 

[CaptinEO]

Hamburgers and hot dogs, while German in origin, are nothing like their German counterparts.

Harry Potter has not been Americanized.

James Bond, The Beatles, and Paddington are also all loved by Americans, but to say they’re part of American culture is ridiculous. These are all distinctly British.

The Beatles and the British Invasion had a huge impact on American culture. That's why it's called The British Invasion.

 

[Kirby86]

The Beatles are absolutely part of American culture. Yes they are from Britan and that will always be part of their identity and of course they are part of British culture. However the effect that band had on America's music industry was such a titanic shift.

 

[Consumer]

Doesn’t matter. They’re not of American origin. If we have to be so exact, then we need to be specific and not say that hamburgers and hot dogs are Americana. The BBQ western cheeseburger and the Chicago dog are.

Harry Potter has been Americanized, thanks to theme parks and film/media.

Again, no one is saying the origin of the country gets erased when something from said country becomes part of the culture in another country. Harry Potter is still British in origins and in relation to culture, but because of its influence here in the States and because of America’s hand in making it even more popular, then yes, it is now part of American culture and Americana. Same thing with McDonald’s and even hip-hop (both are American in origin, but have been integrated into other cultures).

We can agree to disagree.

There is certainly more nuanced than I am letting on, especially as the world becomes more globalized and as national identities are erased, but I do think it's important we strive to preserve regional heritages. In your example with McDonald's, yes, Mickey D's is part of nearly every country around the world, however I do not believe it is a part of any nation's identity except for the United States. For McDonald's to close all of its locations in France would not have the same impact on France as McDonald's closing all of its locations in the United States would have on the United States. What is a quick service stop for junk food in France, is a cultural icon in the United States. Simply put, despite its existence in France, McDonald's is not part of French culture. To make it even more localized, even though In-N-Out has locations throughout the West and soon Tennessee, it is still thoroughly a California chain.

I just don't believe that because one people enjoy the culture of another people means it becomes a part of their culture. Mummies, for instance, are not British despite being in the British Museum in London.

The Beatles and the British Invasion had a huge impact on American culture. That's why it's called The British Invasion.

The Beatles are absolutely part of American culture. Yes they are from Britan and that will always be part of their identity and of course they are part of British culture. However the effect that band had on America's music industry was such a titanic shift.

Impactful as The Beatles were, they are not American.

 

[CaptinEO]

There is certainly more nuanced than I am letting on, especially as the world becomes more globalized and as national identities are erased, but I do think it's important we strive to preserve regional heritages. In your example with McDonald's, yes, Mickey D's is part of nearly every country around the world, however I do not believe it is a part of any nation's identity except for the United States. For McDonald's to close all of its locations in France would not have the same impact on France as McDonald's closing all of its locations in the United States would have on the United States. What is a quick service stop for junk food in France, is a cultural icon in the United States. Simply put, despite its existence in France, McDonald's is not part of French culture. To make it even more localized, even though In-N-Out has locations throughout the West and soon Tennessee, it is still thoroughly a California chain.

I just don't believe that because one people enjoy the culture of another people means it becomes a part of their culture. Mummies, for instance, are not British despite being in the British Museum in London.


Impactful as The Beatles were, they are not American.

I think the Beatles are more influential on America than Walt Disney's Mary Poppins was.

 

[Californian Elitist]

There is certainly more nuanced than I am letting on, especially as the world becomes more globalized and as national identities are erased, but I do think it's important we strive to preserve regional heritages. In your example with McDonald's, yes, Mickey D's is part of nearly every country around the world, however I do not believe it is a part of any nation's identity except for the United States. For McDonald's to close all of its locations in France would not have the same impact on France as McDonald's closing all of its locations in the United States would have on the United States. What is a quick service stop for junk food in France, is a cultural icon in the United States. Simply put, despite its existence in France, McDonald's is not part of French culture. To make it even more localized, even though In-N-Out has locations throughout the West and soon Tennessee, it is still thoroughly a California chain.

I just don't believe that because one people enjoy the culture of another people means it becomes a part of their culture. Mummies, for instance, are not British despite being in the British Museum in London.


Impactful as The Beatles were, they are not American.

Trust me, I understand where you’re coming from. We happen to agree on the significance of the origin.

I think it’s absolutely possible and highly likely that McDonald’s is part of another country’s identity. We’d have to talk to people from around the world to come up with an answer to this, but I think it’s likely.

 

[brb1006]

So Super Nintendo Land...

 

[Phroobar]

So Super Nintendo Land...

....beats Toon Town hands down!