Is american popular culture poisoning young british society?

American influences are quite a big area. I consider the phrase "American culture" to be Oxymoronic. As did famously Dr. Johnson.
I assume you mean the poisonous and idiotic influence of Gansta Rap and its illiterate outpourings of sexism and homophobia.
Kids tend to grow out of it, They have a choice: accept that their "biatch" will not indulge in nookie with their posturing imbecility or pretend that they have embraced the Beckhamesque new man ideas and count the bases turning to home runs.
This is a maturing influence. I can't imagine which other American influences you can be talking about. No one seriously believes Fox news. There is no such thing as a great American Novel.
No American Band has ever matched the standards set by The Stones, The Beatles, Floyd,Zeppelin,Oasis or the Arctic Monkeys.
American TV is so vapid and contrived that it will corrupt no one: I mean Friends. Don't make me laugh. Oh it didn't.
In short you would expect teenagers to relate to the substandard American outpourings. It is designed for the immature tastes of the educationally stilted.
Once they mature, they gain an appreciation for British culture, which is vastly superior.

Oh, PALEEEEASE!

You obviously have no idea what Boy George and George Michaels did to MY generation!

Fount…you post something like this and then bemoan that Americans are too defensive and thin skinned and too quickly go to insults!!!!!!

Since you have such a high IQ, I’m sure you understand the reason I leave you with a single word:

Projection!

Could not agree more with what you'v said and i guess in the back of my mind it is the "idiotic influence of gangster rap" that gets on my nerves... But you have to consider that apart of modern American culture in a big way! i guess there is no suprise that teenages will latch on to the attractive lifestyle that these artists portray wid da money and da biachs but its the violence and attitude that needs to be addresed....
There is rising gun crime in the uk and im sure someone will tell me that there is no link between gangster rap and crime , but i cant help but notice that every young lad sent up for gun crime is always dressed like 50 cent or snoop dog.... I know its not that simple and there are numerous factors but hey...
On a lighter note im sure your right that like most thing as a teenager you grow out of it and its all harmless, i hope so because i feel our youth are becoming a bunch of idiotic violent wannabes with no morals or self respect....

I agree that it's too bad that the youth of the world seem to be picking up on the worst aspects of American Culture, instead of some of those that are more interesting and edifying. Of course America has a culture - every place has a discernable culture - so to say 'American culture' is oxymoronic -is false (whether or not you agree it is positive in any way).
Although, I agree, Friends is nothing less than annoying. But I have an Oxford-educated British friend who I would agree is much more formally cultured than I am and if Friends or Everyone Loves Raymond comes on - everything has to stop. He thinks the humor is extremely sophisticated. I understand what they're trying to do - but I don't think they succeed, whereas he finds them wildly successful - strange.

In terms of musical groups, I have to agree - the iconic rock groups-those that appeal to the masses, in the main have been British. At the same time, the majority of the iconic singer/songwriters who have appealed to the masses have been American. Very interesting - I wonder why that is.
Maybe because of the importance that America historically has put on individualism. Maybe also due to the fact that British society has historically stressed more of a socialistic bent and there's more of an innate tendency to work together in a community. Very interesting.

But I also think you have to recognize that the bands you mention as iconic in your life, may be simply because you're British. I can't abide Oasis- too derivitive of the Beatles, but nowhere near as talented.
The bands that have been iconic in my life are more American sounding - I love The Band- simply because they play Americana better than anyone else. And I love that sound.-probably because I'm American, but I won't concede that they're any less talented as musicians and writers than the Stones - or moreso - they're just totally different.

I think that's the key to enjoying each culture - not to compare - just to enjoy its own special flavor.

Of course America has a great novel: there has to be one that's better than all the others- that's just logic. I don't know which I'd pick though- there are so many wonderful ones.
I'd be interested to know what the common consensus is in terms of the great British novel.

We are of course influenced by TV and other sources and our friends but most of all our parents and teachers and others around us should tell us how to behave. If we do not behave grown ups take an easy way out to tell that kids in Europe are influenced by American culture. That is nothing but blaming someone else. We here are the ones to tell our kids how to behave. What they do within their circle of friends is one thing another is how to behave amongst grown ups.
There is a tendency in certain areas of EU - I really don´t know all of Europe - to blame America on things going bad here.
I spend 10 days in GB not so long ago and we were impressed by the friendliness and helpfullness by the young people in stores and restaurants.
Reading British newspapers one get an impression of fights and murder, but of course that is always much more interesting than telling about well behaving kids.

Have to laugh at that one because at the same time as reading your reply im watching everybody loves raymond on paramount ha ha!! I think its absolutly brilliant... two and a half men and fraiser love them all, me and alot of my brit mates do

yeah - I swear- and Just Shoot Me - I've never even watched it - but he thinks all those are brilliant too.

Gangster rap.

Most people with 1/2 a brain hate that stuff no matter where they are from.

It is shock value that kids seek when listening to that stuff. There is nothing intelligent about it, nothing individual about it ( millions of people listen to it.. how individual is that?!) nothing thought provoking.. it is just things / words / phrases/ clothing etc.. that shock others.

I remember when I was younger, long hair and torn up clothing was " the gangster rap" so to speak. Adults were freaking out about how dumb young men looked with long hair and questioning their intelligence and capabilities.
Shock value. Kids thrive on it, Gangster rap provides it. Maturity removes it.


But before you say America is the only place that creates that junk ( though I almost agree) know that there are bands from Mexico, Chilie, Canada, France, Germany, Asia.. etc.. that do the same thing.

American culture IS dumbing people down. No way around that.
And tv is a joke. If it isnt driving home the images of dead people and making pure violence a cozy scene over the dinner table, then it is filling peoples heads with nonsense mindless stuff like ' dancing with stars', american idol' or something else just as useless.
It isnt so bad having mindless simple things on tv........ its just that.. well. THATS all there is.

It is not only American TV dumping people down - it is the same almost all over the world. We have stupid programs in EU too.

I find that scary.
I wonder what is happening.
Are people really happy with mindless tv? news? jobs? education?

i mean, I understand that TV is a source of entertainment and shouldnt include an entire lifes worth of education in 30 seconds, but why the down turn ya know?

I would certainly hope so.

Come on now, get real. You guys have Chavs, and you want to complain that that is our fault? ! ? ! ? Get a grip.

I love chav-watching on "It's Me or the Dog."

Not to mention David Bowie or Ozzy Osborne!

I starting to think that its maybe just a decline in social values around the world! America as a country stands for freedom and to be bold self expression... you have a job in this world and it is to lead by example just as Britain had to for 150 years... i belive you to be a good country with good people and good intentions as misguided as you are (BUSH) but i think change is in the air (im getting away from popular culture) and hopefully we will all benifit from the change..... i think that there are many things in America that i love to see in Britain and visa versa, my point was that the youth of Britain seem to have taken everything thats bad and stupid from America and copied it...NOT GOOD!!!!!

I think youth like doing things that their elders think are bad and stupid, period. That's pretty much the point. <shrug>

Then if it's actually bad and stupid, they grow out of it. ("Actually" because I don't buy that some of this stuff is that bad -- can't condemn rap as a whole for example.)

Or Metallica, Aerosmith, Nirvana, The Eagles, Michael Jackson.....

confused if your trying to be funny or not .... THE EAGLES!!!!!

These are all american bands.........(?)