mcdonaldization, hollywoodization, coca-colonization, ad infinitum

The introduction and advertising of Western goods affect cultures of the Third World by way of the imperializing impact of these foreign products toward the consumers of the country of their destination. For one, local products tend to be frowned upon when the globally popular Mcdonald’s finds its place in the community. Likewise, films imported from Hollywood are likely to be patronized than the ones made locally. There is also the ubiquitous presence of the universally favorite Coke from the high-end urban hubs down to the most far-flung Philippine barrios. Even before globalization as we know it today became in vogue, the importation of Western products has been an imperialist policy inasmuch as the colonies in the Third World may become the dumping ground for and profit source of their excess products.

As may be gleaned from Noreene Janus’ “Advertising and Global Culture,” just the mere promotional stints on all forms of media already infiltrate the local culture, imbuing the consumers with the thought that anything “stateside” is equivalent to the proverbial true, good and beautiful. In effect, not only do local goods suffer less and less consumption to give way to the domination of Western products, but also do transnational advertisements that are being plugged more pervasively become increasingly harmful to the accepting community that obsesses about alien items they cannot buy. The latter even compete with local tourist attractions, such as when the biggest McDonald’s in the world opened in Beijing and not a few tourists set their sights to it more than their intended destination, the legendary Great Wall of China. The imperializing effects have even rendered some Third World natives into thinking that they need to have access to such goods, without much thought about the crystallization of colonial mentality foisted by advertisers in their midst.