Take a TV series like Boy Meets World. It was a typical American coming of age story with a middle class Protagonist boy, Cory Matthews (calm, average in intelligence, kind hearted) his stereotypical best friend – Shaun Hunter (Bit Wild, rough, street smart, also poor)
It also had characters like Topenga Lawrence (His ever too sweet Girl friend) Mr. George Feeny (A very moralistic and ideal teacher/professor) and other characters like Cory’s brother, his family, Shawn’s Dad, Shawn’s other influencers etc.
This series was a comedy/drama sitcom. It was also done realistically. (Slice of
Life) Now an Average American/ Canadian could watch it on Disney channel or ABC Even now its reruns are going on.
When a sitcom like this that is so American in nature is shown around the world, it is bound to have a variety of reactions. It was a Disney product and hence it was distributed widely. Firstly the Asian countries got shocked by seeing the bold story lines and felt the culture shock. The fact that two 12 year olds have a perfect understanding of topics like sex, love, commitment, give and take was very hard for them to comprehend.
Infact the series was pulled out of India after season 1 simply because the Disney India was not quite sure if Indian people would want their kids to see a love story develop between two preteen kids.
Also the series talked about values that the Asian people do not understand quite well. Like the school Janitor (Shaun’s Dad in one season) is respected for the work he does. In India we never value work. We only value status, money and tittles.
Also Mr. Feeny is shown to empower his students, including Shawn Hunter and Eric Matthews (Cory’s Brother) and not over power or black mail them. This is something we as Asians definitely lack. We like to (as Academicians) point out mistakes, we like to punish them, and we like to embarrass them in front of their colleagues. We also don’t like to give second chances even with a handicap.
The point is that Mr. Feeny was not tolerant about sub standard work, plagiarized work, or no work at all. But he allowed his students to do something which not only covered up for the task they missed/cheated on but they had learning’s about management, about friendship, about how nothing is impossible, about how quality depends upon the interest generated. Mr. Feeny is the professor who teaches Shawn that if he puts his mind in to something he can do anything. He leads Eric to College after high school and on a personal note he even helped me come up with my Eskimo theory. This kind of professor who brings best in students comes out of the fact that he is modest, dedicated (despite of low pay) and communicates with his students regularly to understand what makes them tick.
Of course such an academicians is a rarity in India, where the teachers are least bothered. Eventually the motivation of student is lost and learning does not happen. The only motivation a few academicians believe in is the threat of punishment.
So in the end what does Boy Meets World say of America.
Well it projects it as a well-protected country where manifest destiny can actually come true and anyone can become successful. It gives an image of American youth, full of hope, completely dedicated to friends and committed to a partner (with whom sex is to practiced only after marriage) and has only a few problems like unemployment, divorces, drug /alcohol addiction issues
