It’s always fun to see just how far American pop culture can spread throughout the world. Equally fun is seeing which aspects of pop culture are highlighted. During my January, 2010 trip to Chile, we stopped for a night in Viña Del mar and were treated to some awesome sand carvings on the beach.
While the Gorilla carving was impressive, my favorite was the Homer Simpson sand carving, which featured the Simpsons character passed out in his underwear next to a small keg of Duff Beer.
In this case, it seems like the portion of American pop culture that is on display is not something that is a great source of pride for our nation. I wonder if they think all Americans are like Homer Simpson, or if they know it’s a joke like we do?
To answer my own question, I don’t think that any nation is getting their impression of America from cartoons like the Simpsons. The reason why the show is so popular internationally is because the cartoons are not set in any sort of current reality; Springfield could be in the US or in Chile. In addition, the character voices are dubbed in language and location specific voices, so they may just associate Homer Simpson as a local. Wow, that just got way too philosophical for a photo post.
For those of you who love sand sculptures, here is a Gorilla that is also quite well done. Enjoy!
