My High Falutin Discourse on American Culture

Sometimes Americans will encounter somebody who isn't American.  This usually comes as quite the shock, since most Americans tend to think that the world is of the homogenous culture typically presented on TV, where you learn England is a drastically different world because they call the toilet a "loo." 

Today I was reading about folklore, and how the common savage was quite in vogue during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  It intrigued me how the high society of different countries reacted to the Enlightenment.  Some of them, like the high society of England and France, embraced the pique of civilization more fully than others.  Those others, like the high society of Germany and Spain, called it elitist and stripped naked to sing "primitive" songs and dance around camp fires just outside their homemade grass and dung huts... while the common folk stared and wondered what the heck they thought they were accomplishing. 

Now, of course, France and England had their fair share of common folklore that was popular at this time period.  Germany and Spain also had Enlightenment speakers.  But, England had a lot more of Adam Smith than Goethe, and Germany vice versa.  As I read the article, it was interesting to see how the different values of different cultures were reflected in the writings they focused on... on which they focused.  Excuse my grammar.

It makes me think about American culture, and how our American values are reflected in our own "folk lore." 

Take, for example, a classic folk tale. 

Cinderella.

Dear Disney, you're really doing another-other Cinderella story?  Because the classic cartoon, and then a modern day rendition with Hillary Duff weren't enough?  You mean that Cinderella-teaches-a-pop-star-how-to-dance movie didn't do it?  Another one besides all those?  And it's not just Disney, either.  Ever After, Slipper and the Rose, CinderElmo (???), Cinderfella, and some would argue Ella Enchanted (though I kinda disagree... about the only similarity is the evil step family formula) are all either deliberately Cinderella or based off that one key element of Cinderella: a peasant girl defies those who say she can't to become a princess.

I think it's that key element - a peasant becoming a princess - that gives Cinderella such appeal in American life.  It's a HUGE part of our culture.  Rags to riches.  You can start with nothing, and defeat all the odds to end up with everything.  All you need is faith, determination, super cute shoes, and a godmother who can turn unwanted family members into squid.

There's a bit of the American revolutionary spirit in it as well.  Cinderella's society always says servants can't marry princes.  (Ever After: "First you're engaged, now you're a servant???"  Hillary Duff version: the school "dork" (who happens to have super blonde hair, a cute figure, and looks about as dorky as... well... Hillary Duff) falls for the star quarterback.  The Selena Gomez dance version: normal person falls for a pop star.  Etc.)  But, they always fight for what they want anyway, despite what social expectations say, and show society that society is WRONG.

Because all men are created equal (and women... and children... and apparently tuna too, thanks to PETA).  That's a Thomas Jefferson... well, would have been a Thomas Jefferson quote without all the addenda... which is the plural of addendum, for those (like me) who think/thought the plural of addendum was addendums.

Wow... tangent.

Anyway, that all men are created equal thing is another principle of the Cinderella story that echoes with Americans.


So, why not Snow White? 


Well, as we've just seen, it's because of the messages contained in the stories, and how they reverberate through American culture.  Cinderella, though not American in origin, has a lot of American messages.  Snow White?  Well, I'm pretty sure the message in that is that if you are a single girl and you go to live with seven creepy short guys, you can expect to do their laundry. 

That and the whiter your skin, the more likely you are to have your mirror send a crazy witch after you.

Sleeping beauty?  Pretty sure Rip Van Winkle is the closest thing to a non-Disney cartoon version of that story we have, and Rip Van Winkle was about the changes that took place in America in such a short amount of time, not about princes fighting dragons and rescuing helpless damsels.

Rapunzel?  I've seen 1 of those that wasn't Disney.  It emphasizes the purely American principle that blonde is better.

Little Red Riding Hood?  Now this is one we see a lot.  Perhaps, if this blog post wasn't already long enough to rival the article that inspired it, we would look at the principles contained in that story.  Don't talk to strangers, grandmas and granddaughters like to share cookies (awwwww!), and if you get eaten by a wolf, be sure to have a woodcutter whack him with an axe.  I'm sure, if I didn't need to get back to my homework, I'd find many much more deeper stuff than that.

And, speaking of that homework, I just found out that the discovery of common popular culture had political implications in Serbia too.

I wonder if Cinderella wears Serbian shoes...

Character Limits Stunt My Creativity

Why must my maintenance request only be 300 characters or less?  Seriously!  My maintenance requests have personality!  They can't be contained in 300 characters. 

I mean come on.  When your toilet breaks, you can't just say, "Toilet broke.  Come fix."  You have to make sure certain standards are met.

First and foremost, you must specify that there are to be NO plumber's cracks.  None.  Zilch.  Nada.  Sorry, Mr. Plumber, I don't care how sexy you think your smelly crack is, we don't need to be seein' that here.

Also, the seriousness of the situation needs to be portrayed by the maintenance request.  I recommend treating it as though you are in the middle of hostile warfare, and don't ask for maintenance.  Ask for "reinforcements."  Present your toilet as a viscious revolutionary that needs to be suppressed.

In case the maintenance man is feeling the urge to dawdle, you also must include a description of the consequences if your request is not granted in a timely manner: 

"Dear Apartment Manager,
My toilet is broken.  I was going to use the sink, but I really don't want to have that in my apartment.  Therefore, I'm left with no choice but to go use the washing machines in the laundry room.  That's as close to a flusher as we've got.  However, seeing as it costs a minimum of 2 1/2 dollars for ONE load of laundry, I can't afford to sacrifice any of my precious quarters, so I'll just leave it there until you come flush it.
Love,
Me."

All of this is crucially important information for the maintenance man and/or apartment manager, but there's that 300 character limit!  Why?  Are they trying to limit themselves?  What do they hope to gain by suppressing our ability to describe the problem?

Clearly, plausible deniability.