[Wellsy]

It seems somehow protecting cultural differences warrants recognition by the United Nations Office of Human Rights.

​https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/universal-declaration-cultural-diversity



The concern is that the speed and spread of communications and media today means one can transfer certain cultural ideas across the world. We see the influence of American Hip Hop and Rap across the world where many adopt an aesthetic and style drawn from Black Communities throughout the US, which itself has its origins or at least early development in a very commercialized business model. Where the rap star has replaced the rock star, and a lot of white Americans even lack a more localized culture that doesn't adopt or is influenced by the aesthetics, styles, and language of Black American communities.
I am currently talking about this in terms of the racial segregation of the US where 'white music' seems to not exist so distinctly anymore.

Cue F.D. Signifier summary:

The idea of white youth culture or at least music was more clearly delineated in the 90s.

I was watching an Australian acting icon, Bryan Brown, give a big speech about the history and place of Australian media, and the suggestion that the current Aussie film industry should take a small cut from streaming platforms that produce shows in order to sustain local industry.

A compelling point in his speech was the need to be able to tell one's story, of a people who have a distinct experience and history, and he speaks to the importance of that voice helping to create one's identity.
He characterizes modern young Australians as adopting American language and aesthetics, as the strength of American media and the lack of presence of Australian media in telling Australian stories.
It was interesting to me as Australia has a strange sense of itself. He talks about how English accents, stories and art, and history were primary in Australia in his youth. You heard English accents in the news, as well as American in the movies, you did not hear an Australian accent. That it wasn't until much later there were Australians producing Australian art for Australian consumption. Basically, there wasn't a large industry or cultural production of an Australian style and with a voice, so Australians would go to England and the US to make a career in the arts.


But the argument of stories, and media that has a distinctly local cultural style and influence in helping to define one's identity is interesting. It does resonate with me when I listen to an Australian band and they sing in a way that sounds more accented in an Australian way, or the subjects instead of referring to American places and things are distinctly Australian. Now this is of significance for my own sense of self having grown up in Australia but I wanted to use it to illustrate a point about local culture and cultural production in the creative arts has a place in not losing one's self in the cultural production of elsewhere which would suggest a hegemony that squishes down on the local.