The Megaphone Effect: The International Diffusion of Cultural Media via the USA

Abstract

Within the context of globalization, this chapter shows how some cultural texts become internationally popular after traveling via the United States. Through the megaphone effect, items acquire a new aspect as they are diffused from America to the rest of the globe, with a new aura of success. Our analysis of television programs, news networks, children’s culture, and pop music reveals that as mainstream culture spreads, the opportunity is provided for other voices, representing local cultures, to be heard around the world. The megaphone effect proposes an explanation of how successful cultural elements are processed so as to give them the aspect of a universal language.