Kind of a fun question, though. What is the “cultural capital” of the world? For the West, at least, I’m thinking Rome just for the historical value placed on it? Or maybe Hollywood because they just be pumping out slop
There is no recognizably different culture in America from the rest of the world, because the US has aggressively exported culture over the past 50 years. American culture is global culture at this point.
Though the strange thing about Silicon Valley is that it doesn’t produce culture, it just produces the means to globalize and privatize social spaces, so it’s more like it hijacks and leeches off culture.
Yes rather than manufacture it as a cultural product instead it has taken control of the means to determine what cultural produce is seen or highlighted via controlling the digital media. The owners of traditional TV and music were this too, now in the digital space. Controlling focus is more powerful than producing the content in a “free market” anyway.
At least with the studio system, the owners of the studios were lending out the resources for artists to do the cultural production. Obviously we’re adults here so explaining why letting people use capital so they can produce stuff for you to sell is exploitative isn’t necessary, but at least that’s a model that propels some level of cultural development because you’re socializing production (but privatizing gain). I think the general trend with social media has been to dismantle the capacity to create art or interesting media because it boosts all the structural forces inherent in capitalism that impede genuine expression, creativity, and leisure without any kind of upside beyond the globalization (which is kinda meh since, other than anime and kpop, it seems like audiences aren’t rushing to consume tons of cultural exports from countries other than the US via the internet).
See my other comment. The fact that North Atlantic cultural hegemony exists, doesn’t mean there aren’t cultural hotspots all over the global south, much more vibrant and alive than the slop company towns in the global north. Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Shanghai, Bangalore, Manila, Johannesburg, Lagos, CDMX, Bogota… all of those are cities that have very active and often interconnected cultural scenes. Looking for a singular “capital” is adopting the colonialist lens of hegemony and extraction, when a multi-polar world could have so many foci going on and collaborating.
Lol, lmao even
Kind of a fun question, though. What is the “cultural capital” of the world? For the West, at least, I’m thinking Rome just for the historical value placed on it? Or maybe Hollywood because they just be pumping out slop
The cultural capital of the West is Langley Virginia
Eglin Airforce Base
It’s LA. That’s the heart of the colonial cultural export machine
LA makes media, not culture. there is no culture in amerikkka
I hear people say this and I have no idea what it means. By any definition of the word that I see, it would be culture, even if it’s a shitty one.
There is no recognizably different culture in America from the rest of the world, because the US has aggressively exported culture over the past 50 years. American culture is global culture at this point.
deeply unfair to all the nonwhite people, and theater kids.
It’s silicon valley
Though the strange thing about Silicon Valley is that it doesn’t produce culture, it just produces the means to globalize and privatize social spaces, so it’s more like it hijacks and leeches off culture.
Yes rather than manufacture it as a cultural product instead it has taken control of the means to determine what cultural produce is seen or highlighted via controlling the digital media. The owners of traditional TV and music were this too, now in the digital space. Controlling focus is more powerful than producing the content in a “free market” anyway.
At least with the studio system, the owners of the studios were lending out the resources for artists to do the cultural production. Obviously we’re adults here so explaining why letting people use capital so they can produce stuff for you to sell is exploitative isn’t necessary, but at least that’s a model that propels some level of cultural development because you’re socializing production (but privatizing gain). I think the general trend with social media has been to dismantle the capacity to create art or interesting media because it boosts all the structural forces inherent in capitalism that impede genuine expression, creativity, and leisure without any kind of upside beyond the globalization (which is kinda meh since, other than anime and kpop, it seems like audiences aren’t rushing to consume tons of cultural exports from countries other than the US via the internet).
They just “own” the “marketplace of ideas” lmao
Yeah it’s truly nothing but strip malls and lawns if you’re talking Silicon Valley proper lol
I would pick Paris over Rome (for the west cc) , i think they have more modern influence
See my other comment. The fact that North Atlantic cultural hegemony exists, doesn’t mean there aren’t cultural hotspots all over the global south, much more vibrant and alive than the slop company towns in the global north. Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Shanghai, Bangalore, Manila, Johannesburg, Lagos, CDMX, Bogota… all of those are cities that have very active and often interconnected cultural scenes. Looking for a singular “capital” is adopting the colonialist lens of hegemony and extraction, when a multi-polar world could have so many foci going on and collaborating.
rammstein didn’t sing “we all live in [list of international cities]”
idk abolish capitals or have them move every decade
this would work better if America were a city, and if it balkanizes maybe it will be
I would say NYC is the cultural capital of the US
I simply don’t think there is a cultural capital of the world