In the previous blog posting, it is stipulated and implied that YouTube does a fine job of propagating a positive image of America worldwide. This argument, however, is challenged by the presence of many videos online which make negative claims about America—in this way YouTube might not be all fine and dandy for those worried about America’s national image in the international realm.
In the video whose link is posted above, American politics are thoroughly ridiculed. The video’s maker claims that the main pitfalls of American politics are its inefficiency and the ignorance of leaders. George Bush and Condoleezza Rice are used as the two representatives of American politics in this video, and their lack of effective communication is the main point of mockery in the skit. The fact that George Bush is himself unaware of the name of China’s leader is itself a way of portraying the idea that American politics are downhill due to the ignorance of its leaders. Secondly, the inability for Rice and Bush to communicate with each other in a way that makes sense and results in a coherent conversation mocks the bureaucracy inherent within the American form of government, and shows the inefficiencies as well as the structural deficiencies of the system. At the end of the day, however, the video is inherently funny. But, why is it funny?
The humor stems from the notion that the American system of government, as it is portrayed, is pitiful. The video gives only negative connotations to all of politics, making the sadness of the situation so grave that it becomes funny. People laugh at this video for the same reason they laugh when they score a 10/100 on a quiz, or analogous.
Since the audience in this video is not laughing with the content, but rather at the content, this video displays a negative image of America. It is argued in the last post that humor is definitive of a culture and of a national identity, but it is also commonly established that a nation’s politics define its international role and standing. Thus, in this way, YouTube also plays a role in propagating a negative image of America, which influences its worldwide image.
To conclude, this posting and the last, then, it is established that YouTube spreads images of America, its culture and politics, to an international audience. Whether these images are good or bad though, depend on the video of choice and of the field of interest (politics, humor, etc.)
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