h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

From Chris Kohler's 'Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life' (p. 23): 'Pac-Man was brought to the U.S. by Midway, where it was just as popular, perhaps more so, than in Japan.'

Doesn't sound like a specifically _American_ phenomenon.

Mmm, but 'twas American

American apart from the parts that weren't? Very American.

Parts? What do you use to assemble a phenomenon?

Pac-Man was very popular in its land of origin, as well as in the U.S. So, if you like, there was an American 'part' and a Japanese 'part', plus any other applicable 'parts'.

You could specify 'the American Pac-Man phenomenon', although saying that the American Pac-Man phenomenon was American would sound a touch trivial.

But my main point is: why use a non-U.S.-specific event -- i.e. Pac-Man's being very popular -- as an example of something American?

"You could specify 'the American Pac-Man phenomenon', although saying that the American Pac-Man phenomenon was American would sound a touch trivial."

Exactly

"But my main point is: why use a non-U.S.-specific event -- i.e. Pac-Man's being very popular -- as an example of something American?"

Well, and I say this knowing you're probably frustrated with me but not being able to resist, because it is

It wasn't the fact that the game was popular that made it an American thing. It became part of American culture. If it's part of Japanese culture, well alright. Good for them. It's a fun game.

I suppose the obvious analogy would be with Christianity as a central part of American culture with a non-American origin. So what exactly does constitute 'becoming part' of American culture?

Pac-Man became a part of American culture because a lot of people played it, there were plenty of references in pop-culture and American culture embraced it as its own. It doesn't matter if it actually was its own, but America thought of it as its own.

Religion is different. We don't consider Christianity our own, and in fact there are a lot of different religions that wouldn't like it if you acknowledged one as American and the next as not.

Though I suppose some Frogger fanatics might not like this Pac-Man reference though

So (a) commonality, (b) reference and, crucially, (c) opinion. So that of those things that exhibit (a) and (b), there are some Americans choose to consider their own, and others they graciously do not.

I'm sure that's not the interpretation you intended, but the tie-breaker you offer does appear to be American opinion ('We don't consider Christianity our own'). The only other candidate is what religions would think ('there are a lot of different religions that wouldn't like it') -- they get a say, but Toru Iwatani doesn't. Why? What separates video games from religion here, other than arbitrary choice?

I'm not entirely sure I'm following this, but ...

It does remind me of pop music, in particular the Beatles. Obviously, they were a British group who were successful beyond anybody's wildest imagination (and rightfully so, IMHO). But I recall John Lennon saying something like, "We had to get a #1 before going to America", which they did. And then had a triumphant tour, including the now legendary TV appearance on Ed Sullivan.

So I say The Beatles are a part of "being American". I could support this further by saying their "influences" include Buddy Holly (and "The Crickets"), etc., but I don't think its necessary. Beatles' music dominated America for a long time. As did (does) blues from Africa, Stravinsky (from Russia), the Honda Accord (from Japan - I have owned three), etc. Sometimes American taste is not so bad.

The risk you run, however, is of ending up with a definition of American culture so loose as to look vacuous, insubstantial (and in some people's eyes probably also arrogant) -- as though you could just choose to adopt anything you came across, without reference to its origins.

As a Brit, I don't know whether to be flattered or offended by that last example.

Are you trying to say something, RFJS?

America is considered a melting pot (some people say tossed salad - I don't like that so much). Traditionally, this has meant that all groups hold onto their culture and identity but also become Americans. The American culture is there, also a melting pot. It consists of some of the examples Steve cited - the Beatles, blues, etc.

Bringing things to the country and not calling them American makes about as much sense to me as an Armenian moving to the nation and refusing to call himself an American citizen.

'Are you trying to say something, RFJS?'

Call it a mild reminder.


You've changed tack here; Pac-Man was a commercial release, not someone's changing nationality, and the case of the Beatles is similar. Accordingly your previous arguments were based on what Americans 'embraced as [their] own', not on what immigrants brought.

You're now telling me, as far as I can tell, that that 'American' is essentially a geopolitical expression with next to no substantive content; and far be it from me to argue otherwise. Indeed, the stereotype is a familiar one.

I'd been under the impression that you'd been saying 'the Pac-Man phenomenon' was somehow defining of American culture; I hadn't appreciated how... loose that term actually seems to be.

"As a Brit, I don't know whether to be flattered or offended by that last example" [the Beatles]

It was meant to be flattering - the Beatles dominated the American music scene not because of (or in spite of) their nationality, but because of their talent. There were some good American groups at the time - the Byrds, the Beach Boys (why all the B's?) - but the Beatles were just better, at least for the majority of people.

But its a two way street, or maybe a multilane hiway, with the Beatles covering "Twist and Shout" by the Eisley Brothers, and also:

QUOTE

Delbert McClinton was born Nov. 4, 1940, in Lubbock, Texas. He honed his craft working in a bar band, the Straitjackets, backing visiting blues giants such as Sonny Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins and Jimmy Reed. He made his first recordings as a member of the Ron-Dels and was noted for his distinctive harmonica work on Bruce Channel's 1962 hit "Hey Baby." On a tour of the UK with Channel, McClinton met a young John Lennon and advised him on his harmonica technique, resulting in the sound heard on the Beatles hit "Love Me Do."

END QUOTE

So the Beatles seemed to appreciate talent, also.

Aside - The band "The Beau Brummels" was asked why they picked that name, and said it was to get their albums next to the Beatles' on the store rack.