LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
Examining American Pop Cultural Influence Around the World

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  Geography, Media Studies, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Boy Kisses Girl: That's Sweet, and Sensational!, By JANE PERLEZ", June 12, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students examine the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the world and create collages of visual representations of this phenomenon.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

1. Consider how teenage movie characters that may be "typical" in American film might be positively and negatively perceived in other cultures.
2. Examine American popular cultural influence in a film from another country by reading and discussing the article "Boy Kisses Girl: That's Sweet and Sensational!"
3. Determine causes and effects of the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the world; create collages to visually illustrate this phenomenon.
4. Analyze the impact of this phenomenon in a well-supported reflective essay.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

• pens/pencils
• paper
• student journals
• copies of "Boy Kisses Girl: That's Sweet, and Sensational!" (one per student)
• geography and global studies resources with images of daily life in cultures around the world (texts, periodicals, computers with Internet access)
• glue sticks (one per small group)
• construction paper or poster board (two pieces per small group)
• scissors (one per small group)

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Students respond to the following prompt in their journals, written on the board prior to class: "In a recent New York Times article about a new film, the characters in a teenage love story are described as follows: 'She is quite rich; he is not. He is bookish; she is not. She is gregarious, the girl of the moment; he is a loner.' Based on these character sketches, write a half-page description of the film. Create your own title, character names, setting, plot, and ending." Allow students to share answers briefly. Then, discuss the following as a class: Are these characters common in films? Where have you seen similar characters in the past in literature, films and elsewhere in the media? Do you think that all cultures approve of love stories with these types of characters? Why or why not?
2. As a class, read and discuss "Boy Kisses Girl: That's Sweet and Sensational!," focusing on the following questions:
   1. Why is "What's With Love?" so popular in Indonesia?
   2. Which films has this movie surpassed in the box office?
   3. How might the film be viewed by different generations of Indonesians?
   4. What types of issues does the film address, according to the article?
   5. What are some examples of "American icons" in the film?
   6. How did the movie's production costs compare to Hollywood films?
   7. What does the pun in the film's title mean?
   8. How might the film's storyline differ from an American teenage love story?
   9. How did Mira Lesmana's upbringing influence her filmmaking?
   10. How and when did Indonesian government restrictions change the entertainment industry, according to the article?
   11. Why was Lesmana surprised by the response she received from a young devout Muslim mother recently?
3. Introduce and engage students in a brief discussion of the terms "cultural diffusion," "pop culture," "multinational corporation," "consumerism" and "globalization." How have American consumer products such as fast food, clothing, music and movies spread throughout the world? In addition to generating sales and creating globally shared points of reference, these items have also influenced other cultures and their perceptions of the United States. How might such products affect the cultures of the countries to which they are exported? How might they affect others' perceptions of the United States? Explain to students that they will be working in small groups to create "American Popular Culture Around the World" collages. Divide students into five small groups, and assign each one of the following categories: fashion, food and drink, music, film and television. Using all available classroom resources, students in each group will look for visual examples of American-based pop culture influences in other countries to cut and paste on poster board or construction paper. Students should carefully note where each picture is from and what the cultural influence is so that they can create descriptive labels to display with the collage on a separate poster. Completed posters should be displayed in the classroom.
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Students write a well-supported reflective essay responding to the following questions, copied from the board prior to leaving class: "How does the export of American mass culture affect the United States? How does it affect other countries? Do you think the overall effects of this cultural diffusion are positive or negative, or do they vary depending on cultural product? Explain your responses in as much detail as possible, citing specific examples to support your ideas."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• How does "cultural diffusion" differ from "globalization"?
• What was the first film that really left an impression on you, and why? Did it change your views of your culture or world? Why or why not?
• Do you think economic class plays a part in the export of American mass culture? That is, do you think a film such as the one Ms. Lesmana created for an Indonesian audience would have used the same pop cultural references if it had taken place in a poor rural setting? Why or why not?
• Why do you think some cultures might accept certain behaviors from foreigners but not from their own populations?

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal response, participation in class discussions, thoughtful research and participation in "American Popular Culture Around the World" collages, and reflective essay.

VOCABULARY:
sensation, hyperactive, expansive, self-censorship, rural, precursor, quandaries, icons, dissident, flutter, unabashed, evolved, drawl, coeducational, dictatorship

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

1. Although Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state it also contains followers of Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Trace the rich religious history of this country and write a brief illustrated report. You may wish to include a map to illustrate the trade and travel routes through which various faiths were introduced to these islands.
2. One might compare the reactions to "What's With Love?" as described in the article to the scene in the film "Cinema Paradiso" in which the town reacts to a somewhat "scandalous" film. Screen "Cinema Paradiso" on video and write a review.
3. Indonesia has undergone many political changes in recent times, making it sometimes unsafe for travelers. Yet, it remains a popular tourist destination for many Australians, Europeans, and Americans. Write an "updated" chapter to a travel guide on Indonesia, and include the latest information for tourists wishing to spend an extended period of time in the country.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Civics- On May 20, 2002 East Timor became the newest country in the world. Research and write an encyclopedic entry on this territory, a former Portuguese colony and Indonesian province.

Economics/Mathematics- The article states that the film "What's With Love?" cost $400,000 to produce, which is "less than one commercial in the United States." How much does the average American commercial cost to produce? Find this information, and then create a chart in which you compare this figure to the cost of one or several of the Hollywood films mentioned in the article.

Fine Arts- What kind of music is popular in Indonesia at the moment? Research and find some samples, and then stage a mock radio show in class with news updates and commercials between the songs.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company