Our culture may be empty, but it gives others hope

I laughed outloud when I viewed this comedy clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyHSjv9gxlE

The clip entails a singer of an "American song" which begins with a piano melody with a mellow tone reminiscent of Billy Joel. After a short interlude, the singer begins this "American" song.

"America, America, America, America," He repeats himself over and over again as the audience laughs. To their delight, he switched to "States. States. States. States." He ends shortly thereafter with the refrain, "America, America, America, America." To end the clip, a man in a suit enters and punches the singer in the face.

At first viewing, this BBC clip is clearly a criticism of American culture. The point is that America is so very proud of itself and its culture that it will chant its mantra over and over again. The claim is that American culture is enchanting, just as people have been enchanted by timeless artists like Elton John and Billy Joel but that this culture has almost no content beyond its identity as "American." Simply put, "american" is the one and only word that can describe american culture.

On one hand I agree with this assessment when I consider the thesis of George Ritzer and other sociologists who describe the "McDonaldization" of American culture. Our cultural treatment of food is based not on quality and taste but on efficiency, standardization and control. Where food provides an opportunity for social connections, leisure and family bonding, american culture has reduced meals to the acquiring of specific nutrients required for our functioning. Productivity and efficiency have replaced leisure and true enjoyment of life's pleasures and beauty.

On the other hand, I see much evidence that American culture is rich and full. One example is jazz which is a distinctly American form of music. Jazz led to the development of blues, and now rap holds modern musical ties to jazz and blues artists. In addition, while some countries may criticize American culture for its apparent emptiness, many others, especially in the developing world, see America and its values as a beacon of hope for their countries' future success.

The clip's conclusion with a punch in the face may be a suggestion that those who blindly accept American culture (including Americans themselves) take a second look at what it really is. The implication may be that some people have become so infatuated with American culture that only a radical wake-up call will make them come to their senses.