Chapter One Outline

Globalization & Hollywood History & Cultural Imperialism & the GATT and Friends = Laissez-Faire Hollywood or Business?

Chapter 1 opens with the idea that although we have become a globalize society, America is great. Henry Kissenger feels that America dominates the airwaves. He stated that "America should not deny the fact that of all the nations in the history of the world, theirs is the most just, the most tolerant, the most willing to constantly reassess and improve itself and the best model for the future". It has been said that America's military and popular culture is key to our international influence.

(A) - Globalization

1. Hollywood exemplifies private enterprise.
a) Imperialistic technology and slavery militarism wipe out trade between the Pacific, Mediterranean, Asia and Africa in the 15th century.
b) Intra-continental communications came to rely on Europe as a conduit, and new ideologies followed.
c) Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), Washington and Berlin Conferences (1884) marked out the world as a site of interconnected government and commerce.

2. As economies grew, so did interdependence between (companies with in) nations.
a) 1945- 1st world promised economic welfare via state based management of supple and demand.
b)1945- 3rd world promised political sovereignty.
c) IMF examples shows that with globalization it reduces the capacity of the state system to control transactions and relegate.
d) Corporations can demand the removal of national barriers to trade.
e) By 1994 half of the one hundred biggest economies in the world belonged to MNC's.

3. Freedom, democracy and free enterprise?
a) Since the depression world wide inequality has grown.
b) Job security and wages down/working hours up.
c) Richest 20% of the world earned 74 times the amount of the worlds poor in 1997.
d) 56% of the global population made less then two US dollars a day.

(B) - Hollywood History

1. Movie Businesses
a) 1914 most movies and movie making technology in North America was imported.
b) Creation of the studio system ended women's access to decision making for decades.
c) 1900s- legal battles in the U.S. over motion picture camera patents.
d) 1916- State department set up a Motion Picture Section.
e) 1918- Webb Pomerene Act, enabled an international distribution cartel for the next forty years.
f) By the 1920s - Silent film titles from Hollywood were available in 36 languages.
g) By 1930s- foreign sales provided between one third and one half of the film industry returns.
h) Early sound films were made in Spanish, shot in Hollywood and exported to Spain and Latin America.
i) 1927-1939 Hollywood sold 4,000 movies to China.

2) Vertical Integration
a) Industry achieved horizontal integration by linking the sale of radios and records to the musical film.
b) Ownership of production, distribution, and exhibition banned domestically, but not on global scale.
c) Britain and Latin America were Hollywood's most lucrative importers until the 1970s

(C) - Cultural Imperialism

1) In the future will Comcast, Fox and Time Warner dominate the worlds media?
a) Mid 19th century U.S. refused to protect foreign literary works (might hinder its own printers, publishers and authors from making a profit).
b) Hollywood exporters realized that where films traveled, it created a demand for U.S. goods.
c) U.S. mass production and marketing transformed values.

2) Censorship
a) 1920s, China, Mexico, Germany, England, France, Italy & Spain, demanded better representation from the Hollywood industry.
b) 1925-1928 Western Europe wanted to protect national film culture, so the imported less films.
c) Due to the Great Depression and fascism, Hollywood focused on exporting to Latin America and Australia.
d) 1927- the industry created a list of "Dont's and be Carefuls", which producers were to avoid when portraying another country.
e) In the 1930s when the Japanese denied access to Hollywood films, they were stereotyped as criminals.
f) British newspaper worried that the exposure of U.S. entertainment was making them temporary American citizens.
g) August 1947, out of 16 American films reviewed, 3 were banned and four heavily edited in order to be shown in Bombay India.
h) 1954, Indian government mandated that only neutral films shown.
i) Dominant culture based programming
i- Main goal for targeting foreign markets
(1.) "The Nanny" - Sicilian - Italian Market
(2.) "Coronation Street" became "Joy Luck Street" - Chinese Market
j) MTV Asia - criticized for its heavy Western influence
i- Believed that the material could alienate Taiwanese & Saudi audiences
ii- They could not relate to this mix of culture

3) Problem with NWICO's view of cultural imperialism
a) It hides the interests of the rising middle class who seek to advance their own market power
b) Does not allow to NICL to become involved
c) Questions the ideas of labor and textuality of a cultural nationalism
d) These ideas encourage cultural imperialism theorists to favor narrow views of culture

4) ASEAN - 1990s
a) Asked for a response to the rise of cultural globalisation to protect and advance Asian values and traditions
b) Felt threatened by Western media
c) Want to stay true to their own cultures and still honor their commitment to keeping internationalism

5) Movies
a) Bruce Almighty
i- Enjoyed in US
ii- Banned in Egypt
(1.) Threatened their religious beliefs
iii- Jordan - edited scene about the Red Sea
b) My Big Fat Greek Wedding
i- DVD release boycotted in Greece
ii- Believed in film led to increase of eating disorders of Greek women

6) US Government - Democratic and free market - fundamentals of successful American films
a) Clear through stories/movies
i- Government system could endure criticism and be stronger (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)
ii- Talent and hard work could exceed the ideas of social class to determine fame and wealth (Rocky)
iii- Ability to make a difference/overcome prejudice (Norma Rae /To Kill A Mockingbird)
b) American film and television programs promote freedom and democratic values

(D) - The GATT and Friends

1- GATT - General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
a) 1940s - a draft for international financial and trading
b) Helped restructure capitalism with the ideas that the production and expansion of markets induce economic recovery and development for Western Europe
c) Rejected government interests and state intervention for free trade
d) WTO replaced GATT in 1995

(E) - Laissez-Faire Hollywood?

a) Hollywood has been historically successful because of its flexibility to changing economic and social conditions
i- Silent Film Era- films cold be sold in other countries
ii- Sound & diverse ethnicities of US population encouraged a universal storytelling structure
b) Objectives of Hollywood
i- Produce a popular product
ii-Give consumer what they want
iii-Encourage democracy through new ideas
c)Hollywood - melting pot society and obeys laissez faire protocol

1. Freedom of entry to new starters?
a) Economics state that competitiveness can be judged by the freedom of its market to new entrants
b) Due to relations with broadcasting -studios are protected
c) Government limits - 25% foreign ownership of US Radio/TV
d) US still major controller of companies/funds
i- Small amount of large companies own large amount of small companies

2. A relationship between the cost of production and consumption?
a) Focus on making fewer, but expensive movies
b) Film becomes a service
i- Channels through various media
(1.) Theatrical, video/DVD, televisual, Internet
c) Theater prices - highest in major cities
i- NYC $10.25
ii- LA $11.75
iii- Paris $10.80
iv- Sydney - $11.25
v- Tokyo $16.80
vi- London - $19
(1.) Prices based on class composition of audience
d) Cost of films
i- 1990 - $26 million
ii- 1996- $39 million
iii- 1997- $52 million
iv- 1999 - $8.7 billion

3. Textual Diversity
a) Is there diversity in the market today?
b) Imports of US Film
i- 1960s 10%
ii-1986- 7%
iii- Today - 0.75%
c) Variety - US - Uptight, does not want/like subtitles
i- No diversity because
(1.) increase in cost for subtitles
(2.) higher demand on procedures to make film "more Hollywood"
d) Miramax - tries to hide the foreign aspect of a trailer
e) Buena Vista Home Video, Disney, Nickelodeon, Paramount- have Spanish language videos

(F)- State Business
1. Government assists in keeping Hollywood around
a) Tax credit schemes
b) State and Commerce Department representations
c) Informational media guarantee Programs
i- Currency assistance
d) Oligopoly practices

2- US Dept of Commerce
a) Produce material saying Hollywood is free of ideological influence by US Govt
b) Government has deals with "Hollywood" (companies/producers) - different laws in each state
(Note: For the following statistics, Only 41 of 50 states were mentioned)
i- 8/41 - No state sales tax when filming/producing
ii- 6/41 - No individual income tax
iii- 4/41 - Get a full production cost refund
iv- 16/41 - No hotel tax for a 30 day stay

3.1940s - US Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (OCIAA)
a) John Hay Whitney
i- Make a plan to revise Hollywood movies
(1.) Gain solidarity from Latin Americans for US war efforts
(a) The result was movies: The Three Caballeros, Simon Bolivar, and Salidos Amigos

4. Theaters reopened in Japan (After the War)
a) War themed films/posters removed
b) Previously censored movies were shown
c) Information dissemination section - "teach American values" through movies

5. Hollywood studios give donations to the political campaigns of those who support:
a) Copyright extensions
b) Ratification of the world intellectual property organization treaty
c) Anti-privacy technologies
d) 1992 - $13,722,131 (total) - 74% given to Democrats
e) 2002 - $39,910,667 (total) - 78% given to Democrats

(G) - Conclusion
1. Hollywood's presence and power with audience, and government and politics.
2. Global Hollywood = global capitalism
3. European progressives have admired the US for its secular modernity and by the end of the second World War the US had reached international political-economic domination.
4. Hollywood will do anything to ensure that the most efficient people are producing, and their customers are content.

Introduction Vote

Introduction Vote

Group A's outline was more organized, very detailed and summarized the text in a clear and thorough manner. Group B's outline gave more definition and better understanding of phrases and ideas. However, we believe that Group A had the better outline of the Introduction. Both groups mentioned the Academy Awards and how it created an international theme incorporating foreign candidates and foreign cinema. They both also mentioned how Hollywood presents the Academy Awards as a good reason to celebrate globalism. Both groups also mentioned narrative transparency. We believe Group B gave a better understanding of what narrative transparency is, as well as its relation to Hollywood. The groups mentioned how American movies are the most popular form of entertainment around the world. Both groups mention how American companies own 40 - 90% of movies shown globally, however Group B mentions that LA and NY culture serve as an aspect of the entertainment screen around the world. Both groups also mentioned DEM and GEM, yet Group B gave a better definition of what each are.

Group A gave a much more detailed outline of the information throughout the chapter. Group A outlined more information regarding US entertainment. Group A also mentioned Hollywood being popular in other countries which resulted in their own film industries to suffer. There was more in depth analysis of revenues of the Hollywood market globally. And Bollywood (India's "Hollywood") was also mentioned which we believe is a significant aspect of the text because it shows the powerful effect that Hollywood has over the world. Therefore, our vote goes to Group A.