THE 'AMERICANISATION' OF EUROPE

In a CSPAN interview the interviewee was talking about the Americanisation of Europe and went on to quote a headline in a UK paper decrying the 'Americanisation of Cricket'.

It turns out that the 'Americanisation of Cricket' was that at some cricket matches now in UK they are serving sushi - and this was the so-called Americanisation of Cricket the newspaper was screaming about... (why not the Japanesisation of Cricket?)

The CSPAN speaker's topic was that 'Americanisation' often means modernization - and Europe especially often decries the Americanisation of Europe simply because modernization is often loathed.

The 'Slow Food' and 'Slow Cities'movement in Italy springs to mind - where towns connive to keep fast-food places out, etc. This 'Americanisation' would ruin the traditional styles of these towns. Yet whenever i go into a McDonalds in Italy they are inevitably packed.

Modernisation in Europe is inevitable but, the speaker said, blaming it on the pervasive American culture is bogus.

When the French TGV train blasts to a new speed record is it called the Americanisation of Europe? Why not?

Take Starbucks' invasion of Europe. the idea of a coffeehouse i believe may have began in Vienna and the outdoor cafes in Europe, especially Paris. Yet now these type places also dot American cities. And then when Starbucks comes to Europe it's called Americanisation! And every Starbucks i've seen was packed - for good reason a clean smoke-free environment away from the booze and smoke centered traditional bar and cafe - giving folks what they want.

Anway that's all - the Americanisation of Europe is really a cop out IMO and is merely giving folks what they want - after all if places didn't make money they wouldn't be around. The idea that this is being foisted on them is bogus. 'Americanisation' is inevitable and using Amerika as the fall guy is similarly bogus.

That's my opinion, whazz yours?

I think we're safe on the cricket front - most yanks don't know their silly mid-on from their short leg or slip.

Canada had a team in the World cup though (which is giong on right now - and England are losing as per bloody usual)

Not sure I would equate "americanisation" with "modernization"

PalenQ, why are you trolling? Have you nothing better to do that try to provoke a row?

i wish the word 'troll' would be banned from Fodors when i am interested in provoking not a row but just a cerebral consideration of something besides the usual and if you don't care to read it please don't.

But don't haughtily accuse me of something i am not attempting to do of nefarious motives i have not. I was rivetted by the CSPAN speaker - a very prestigious college prof who has written a book on this subject and i don't think he was trolling at all and i find the idea fascinating.

France has been complaining about <i>cocacolonisation</i> for ages, and periodically comes out with a series of Anglo-American words that are banned on all official publications and pronouncements. So what's new?

Do any of youu yanks fancy a go at batting in cricket? If so could you jump on a plane and fly to Barbados ASAP as england need all the help they can get right now.

1. PalQ has, no doubt, many weaknesses. But trolling isn't one of them.

2. The prof's nuts, both in geberal and in this particular. I'm with PalQ. How does the spread of an American take on a Viennese invention mean americanisation? More intererstingly, does it even mean homogenisation, since it's not Starbucks or wine bars (themselves a pretty British invention)that have killed British pubs, but a set of wholly British influences. British high streets mightr all lok alike, but they don't look one whit like their French or German oppoes - and America scarcely has a single real High Street.

On the specifics, talk about missing the point. Cricket as played throughout the world has been revolutionised in the past three decades, with dayglo uniforms and the rest. In this contect, whether they're serving fresh fish, and whether it's (English) oysters and mussels or (Japanese) thwinkywinki is trivial. Call it Australianisation (from where the ideas come from) or Indianisation (from where the crowds come from) - cricket is a game that belongs to the world. Trouble is, of course, Americans find the concept of a world team game a bit tricky to get their heads around.

Flanner - shame on you - have you not heard of the Baseball World Series....

Cricket is a world game alright - there's a billion cricket mad asians for a start.

However I think that on current form we should draw a veil over other nation's sporting shortcomings.

Bloody Vaughan - bloody Flintoff. Northern monkeys the pair of thhem.

as for cricket being a 'world team game'???

Duh - since when does Trindidad &amp; Tobago, OZ, the Indian sub-Continent and UK constitute the world - baseball is far more widespread as is basketball - now if you were talking of golf or tennis perhaps but cricket? Cricket? A handful of ex English colonies does not constitute the world anymore -
NEWS FLASH flanner ole boy: the Sun has set on the British Empire.

Oh and i guess Bermuda as well.

&lt;there's a billion cricket mad asians for a start&gt;

cricket in South Asia is the sole realm of the upper castes - the billion of folks are more worried about where there next meal is coming from - a handful of Indians i think follow cricket except of course when they have a chance to beat the Mother country perhaps.

If a billion Chinese played say Badminton and no one else did would that make it a 'world game'?

I may seriously underestimate the cricet mania however...seriously.

It depends if you're counting numbers or countries.

Cricket is a major game in the following:

England
AUstralia
NZ
S Effika
West Indies
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Kenya
zimbabwe
and is also played in lots more countries ie Holland.

sachin Tendulkar would be recognised by more of the world's population than any Basketball star (or any american sport star - only David Beckham would give him a run for his money numbers wise)

In other news....We've just been bowled out for 154. Vaughan out! Fletcher out! Muppets; the pair of them.

cricket in South Asia is the sole realm of the upper castes &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

Nope - go and look who's playing on the Maidans.

Cricket: They Shoot Coaches Don't They?

Pal - But not on the field - that is reserved for one of the other world games - football

&lt;&lt;&lt; cricket in South Asia is the sole realm of the upper castes - the billion of folks are more worried about where there next meal is coming from - a handful of Indians i think follow cricket except of course when they have a chance to beat the Mother country perhaps. &gt;&gt;&gt;

You've got to be kidding - I was in India a couple of weeks ago and the main topic of conversation was the poor performance of the Indian team but even then the major TV stations were still providing lots of cricket coverage. And that's without all the people playing the game in the streets

well it seems i seriously misunderstood the popularity of cricket there, sincerely.

I spent months on two occasions in India and Pakistan but that was 30 years ago and i didn't remember seeing any cricketers except wealthy looking folks in a few places. But maybe with the modernisation (aka Americanisation) of India (somewhat) this has changed.

thanks for setting me straight on that

Cricket was very popular in the US until the end of the nineteenth century.

It was overtaken by baseball which is a version of the English game rounders.

I suspect that they adopted it so that they could wear those ridiculous hats.

Josser, I quote from Northanger Abbey

&quot;and it was not very wonderful that Catherine, who had by nature nothing heroic about her, should prefer cricket, baseball, riding on horseback, and running about the country at the age of fourteen, to books -- or at least books of information&quot;

Possibly Jane Austen was referring to the game that we now call rounders, but it's interesting.