By Connor Christopher
If it were a competition, America would be winning in the pop culture category over and over again.
The ubiquity of American taste, influence and commercialism is very extravagant to say the least, yet the level that American culture permeates through the European society is becoming hugely recognisable.
This could be due to the amount of American students spending their semesters at European schools, but a big indication is the media. Media has become a very powerful tool in our society in regards to seducing the population into their powerful businesses and this seems to be affecting the European economy.
Everything around us lately seems to relate back to the American culture and whether you think of this as a bad thing is down to personal taste, but here’s look at some the best American cultures submerging within the European continent:
Eateries/Bars/Diners: Most recently, I have visited a number of eateries that seem to embody the American diner ‘spirit’. A number of restaurants throughout England and France consist of the high stalls, leather seats and the generic Americanised posters.
Even the way their menus are set out and designed, reflects that of an American diner.
Same goes for the bars around Europe, we are getting an influx of bars that you’d probably see down State-side especially with the American rock songs, the juke boxes and the American inspired drinks.
The reason for this rapid rise of Americanisation could be down to the fact of how we see these places constantly being represented in films and TV shows- film companies give us a quirky representation of these establishments which is now catching on with business owners across Europe.
American craft beer: This has become somewhat of a revolution in regards to the beer scene in Europe. American craft beer has taken over most pubs, offering a new alternative for those beer drinkers.
I am not going to lie, I have tasted quite a few of these American craft beers and they offer a unique taste when it comes to flavours and hops. In addition to this, the name of these beers and the way they look present a more ‘hipsterish’ and ‘cooler’ appeal than your generic Fosters or Carlsberg.
For example, you’ve got beers such as: Sierra Nevada, Goose Island, Bengali Tiger and Anchor steam, I mean before you’ve even had a taste, you sound a lot ‘cooler’ drinking a Goose Island than your traditional Carling and these beers are starting to take over most pubs in the UK and the rest of Europe.
Sports: American sports seem to be getting bigger and bigger on the European stage, we get 4 NFL games a year in the UK and there has been an increase of European NBA and NFL players applying their trade in the United States.
American sports are becoming very popular with the European population and European television companies are beginning to air these sports more and more as time goes by. I can’t give an answer to the reasoning of this rapid rise; what I have realised though, as each season passes, the more popular and commercialised it gets across the European continent.
If you’re interested in experiencing American culture across the European continent, then be sure to check if you require an EHIC renewal. With EHIC, you’ll be covered for your medical care which will allow to enjoy American culture without the worry of any incidents that could occur.