美国老友记 开题

1.Introduction

    An entire generation grew up watching the hit TV show Friends, aside from its attractive and hilarious cast, the show had many ground-breaking aspects that drew in viewers. The writing of the show stayed fresh and fun, because of constant re-writes of jokes and use of attention-grabbing dialogue. The extreme attention to detail in all aspects of production including camera work, set decoration, lighting, and sound contributed to the high quality of the sitcom.  But most of all, more specifically for the Western cultural values is not very understanding, there are a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation, like many Westerners view for Chinese. This comedy, reflects the America cultural values in the daily life bit by bit, through this film, let me understand many Western cultural values, behind the humorous language, there are many cultural differences is worth us thinking deeply. Hereby, an analysis of American values posed on the character of Friends was to help to make a deep understanding to Friends as well as core values of United States.

2.Literature Review

2.1Definitions and classifications

2.1.1 Core American Values

There is, of course, no single pattern of American values any more than there is a single English or Turkish or Chinese values. Personality in America is further complicated by our diverse racial and cultural origins, by successive waves of immigration from all parts of the world, by our regional diversities. It is complicated by several hundred varieties of religious belief with their varying impact on the believers. It is further diversified by the generation to which the person belongs － first generation immigrant, second generation child of immigrants, and on down the line.

The temptation is strong to lump all Americans together. Yet those who look a little deeper are puzzled by the seeming contradictions in American life. It is true that Americans as a whole work hard. But they also play hard. They spend more time and money in traveling, camping, hunting, watching sports, drinking, smoking, going to movies, watching television and reading newspapers and magazines than any other people in the world. Yet they also spend more money on churches, social services, hospitals and all kinds of charities. They are always in a hurry, yet they spend more time relaxing. They are at the same time sensitive to the rights of the individual and habitual conformist. They worship bigness yet idealize the little man, whether he be the small business man as opposed to the big one or the plain citizen as opposed to the big wheel.

Core Values of American:

individualism

belief that each person is unique, special and a “basic unit of nature”

emphasis on individual initiative

stress need for independence

premium on individual expression

value privacy

equality

open society that ideally treats everyone equally

little hierarchy

informal

directness in relations with others

materialism

a “right” to be well off and physically comfortable

judge people by their possessions

science and technology

values scientific approaches

primary source of good

major factor in change

progress and change

belief in changing self and country

“Manifest Destiny”

optimism -- nothing is impossible 

work and leisure

strong work ethic

work is the basis of recognition, power.

idleness seen as a threat to society

leisure is a reward for hard work  

competition

aggressive and competitive nature encouraged

Be First mentality  

mobility

a people on the move

vertical (social / economic) as well as physical mobility  

volunteerism

belief in helping others (related to equality concept)

philanthropy admired

a personal choice not a communal expectation

involves associations / denominations rather than kin-groups  

One thing almost everyone is agreed on, including Americans, is that they place a very high valuation upon success. Success does not necessarily mean material rewards, but recognition of some sort － preferably measurable. If the boy turns out to be a preacher instead of a business man, that's all right. But the bigger his church and congregation, the more successful he is judged to be.

A society which values competition so highly is inevitably an aggressive one, even though the laws carefully limit the forms aggression may take. It has a toughness about it which is good for the muscle tone of the economy but hard on some individuals. In our pioneering days this aggressiveness was essential to survival. Now it can be a menace to society. The factory worker who reaches a dead end and sees himself stuck in the same job year after year may take out his aggressive feelings in race hatred or fighting management, or he may even turn it against himself by way of alcoholism, proneness to accident, or neurotic behavior.

Americans love work. It is meat and drink to them. In recent years they have learned how to play, but they make work of that too. If it's skiing, they throw themselves at it with an effort that would kill a horse. If it's a vacation, they travel five or six hundred miles a day, take in the sights at sixty miles an hour, pause only long enough to snap pictures, and then discover what it was they went to see when they get home and look at the photographs.

Americans still like to be handy at all things. College professors go in for making furniture or remodeling an old house in the country. Bankers don aprons and become expert barbecue chefs. Nearly everyone knows how to use tools, make simple repairs to plumbing or electrical fixtures, refinish furniture or paint a wall. Far from being thought a disgrace if he performs these "menial" tasks, a man is thought ridiculous if he does not know how to perform them.

The men and women who staked everything on America were for the most part poor. They struggled hard, went without, and saved in order to build up a business or buy a farm of their own. The freedom to own rather than the freedom to vote was the magnet that drew the majority of them across oceans. Naturally enough they put a high value upon the land or the business they acquired through their own efforts.

So the materialism that strikes a visitor to America is not that of loving and hoarding wealth; it is a love of making and consuming wealth. It is probably a middle-class rather than a distinctively American phenomenon, for most Americans are middle-class.

America has been blessed with a rich supply of raw materials. It learned during the depression that even a rich country can become impoverished if it fails to use its wealth to benefit the majority. And it does not propose to make that error again. A sizable portion of what it produces goes overseas, including agricultural and industrial machinery sent with the hope that standards of production and consumption can be raised in other parts of the world too.

Why is it that, having created a world in which he could live without raising a hand or taking a step, the American habitually seeks ways of letting off steam? His towns are full of bowling alleys, golf clubs, tennis courts, clubs, lodges, churches and associations into which he pours energy both physical and mental. The labor-saving gadgets, the love of comfort turn out to be ways of saving his time and energy for something else.

2.1.2 Role image of Friends

Monica Geller is played by Courtney Cox. She is known as the "mother hen" of the group and her apartment is one of the main gathering places for the group. Monica is also known for her obsessive personality and competitive nature. She first moves into her apartment with Phoebe Buffay, who later moved out because she didn't want their friendship to suffer from Monica's obsessive tidiness. Her older brother is Ross Geller and her best friend is Rachel Green. Monica marries Chandler Bing, Ross' college roommate, in 2001. Together they adopt two kids; a daughter named Erica and a son named Jack. Monica is a chef in and out of different restaurants throughout the seasons. Monica has a high “C”.  To describe Monica as a neat freak would be an understatement, but it’s not about being clean for her… it’s about doing things her way.  Could you image Monica as your Maid of Honor?  Rachel could, that’s why she chose Phoebe.  But Monica couldn’t let it go, her D also drives her to see everything as a competition that she must win.  That’s why she has won the annual Geller Thanksgiving football trophy for the last ten years.

Joey Tribbiani is played by Matt LeBlanc. Joey comes from a family with 7 other sisters. He is portrayed as dim-witted and promiscuous but very protective and loyal of his friends. Joey is a struggling actor for all of the seasons and is constantly looking for work. At one point, he was ordained as a minister and officiated many weddings. Joey also has many different occupations throughout the seasons. He is an actor, Santa Clause (prior to show), Christmas elf (season 1), entry-level data processor (season 2), museum tour guide (season 4), waiter at Central Perk (season 6) , waiter at Alessandro's, cologne sampler and a Christmas trees salesman. As you can see, he is a very busy man. Joey never has a steady relationship and does not marry.  Joey’s “I” makes him very likeable.  In combination with his “D” he has the confidence to pull off the “how you doin?” pick-up line and make it work.  Boldness and confidence, combined with an affable naivety makes Joey a very approachable character.

Chandler Bing is played by Matthew Perry. He had a troubled childhood with his parents because his mother was an erotic novelist and his father was a cross-dresser. He grew up with servants, such as a pool boy and house boy. His parents didn't get along very well and later got a divorce. They informed Chandler about this over a Thanksgiving dinner when he was 9 years old. This event caused his to refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving in his adulthood. When he was Ross' roommate in college, he met Monica Geller at a Thanksgiving celebration. After college, Chandler moved into the apartment across from Monica, and Joey Tribbiani later moved in. Chandler is a statistical analysis executive for most of the seasons. He marries Monica Geller in 2001 and they adopt a daughter named Erica and a son named Jack. Chandler can be counted on to have clever comments about everything.  His quick wit and humor make him fun to be around, although his comments sometimes get him into trouble.  If opposites do attract, it’s no wonder that Chandler and Monica ended up married.

Phoebe Buffay is played by Lisa Kudrow. Phoebe and her twin, Ursula, were born to Phoebe Abbot and Frank Buffay. Other than than, Phoebe doesn't share much information about her childhood. Chandler Bing acts like a little brother to Phoebe, and their relationship grows throughout the seasons. Phoebe has many different occupations throughout the seasons. She is a masseuse, a musician/singer-songwriter, Chandler's secretary (for one episode) and Joey's pretend agent (for one episode). She gets married to Michael Hannigan in 2004, but they do not have any children together. Phoebe’s ”S” makes her friendly, sympathetic and committed to her friends although she’s had a tough life and even lived ”on the streets” for a time.  Only an “I” could write a song like “Smelly Cat” using only guitar chords like “Tiger’s Paw”.

Rachel Green is played by Jennifer Aniston. Rachel's personality expands throughout the seasons. She grows from being a spoiled and self-centered person to a less self-centered and more likable person. Rachel began the show engaged to a dentist and was going to rely on him to support her. They ended up breaking off the engagement and she is forced to get a job of her own. She gets a job as a waitress in the Central Perk cafe. She later resigns from that job and pursues a career in fashion. Rachel gets married to Ross from 1999-2000 and then they get a divorce. They end up marrying again in 2004 and have a baby girl name Emma. Rachel is all about her friends and relationships.  She is caring and loyal to the people she knows.  That’s why she was so attracted to Ross when she discovered what he was willing to do for her when her prom date didn’t show up.  But don’t betray that trust by doing something like meeting another girl, even if you are “on a break”.  No wonder why Ross could never get back in her good graces, “break” or not!

Ross Geller is played by David Schwimmer. Ross is the smartest member of their group and is known for his lovable, geeky personality. Throughout the seasons, Ross has an on and off relationship with Rachel Green. He is a paleontologist and a college professor. His sister is Monica Geller. Ross gets married three different times throughout the seasons. His first wife is Carol Willick. They get married, and stay together from 1989-1994. His second wife is Emily Waltham. They are married from 1998-1999. Both of these marriages end in divorce. His third wife is Rachel Green. They get married in 1999. They only last a year, and the two end up getting a divorce. They then remarry in 2004.Ross is a “C” personality, as a scientist and professor he thrives on accuracy, precision, and being detail-oriented.   It upsets his “C” when people use the section of the school library where his book is, as a make-out spot.  So much so, that he’s willing to personally guard it.  But he’s also and “I” and has a tendency to show his goofier side, like rollerblading to his lectures or his belief in his “Unagi”, the element of surprise.  Although his opposite styles makes him seem schizophrenic at times, it also makes him a good teacher.  His “C” makes him good at finding and analyzing information, and his “I” makes him good at explaining it.  No wonder his student’s like him.

 2.2 The relationship between Core American Values and Friends

Pamper lovely Rachel, Integrity, special situation, Never admit defeat and a strong desire to control the Monica, Humorous Chandler, Weirdly glamorous Phoebe, Naive to some stupid dude Joey. It is the six American ordinary young personality, real personality, humorous language, and they demonstrated the unique "humor", deeply attracted many viewers, making the "Friends" was a huge success in Europe and the United states. In recent years, in Chinese, "Friends" has been highly praised some of the examples, are considered to be excellent understanding of the life and culture of the USA vivid teaching material.

3 Significance of the study

As a typical art form of television drama, conveyed certain values and cultures, the friends TV series, have shown the different ideologies of US. This comedy, reflects the America cultural values in the daily life bit by bit, through this film, let me understand many Western cultural values, behind the humorous language, there are many cultural differences is worth us thinking deeply. Hereby, an analysis of American values posed on the character of Friends was to help to make a deep understanding to Friends as well as core values of United States.

Outline

Thesis:

Through theoretical and practical considerations, this paper aims to illustrate the core value of US and its influences on Friends. The definition of core value of US and image of character of Friends was introduces, and an analytical discussion about the relationship between them was summarized.

Introduction

Background of the study

Literature Review

 2.1 Definitions and classifications

   2.1.1 Core American Values

   2.1.2 Role image of Friends

 2.2 The relationship between Core American Values and Friends

 2.3 Significance of the study

American Values posed on characters of Friends

 3.1 American Values shows in Rachel and Ross

 3.2 American Values shows in Monica and Chandler

 3.3 American Values shows in Joey

 3.4 American Values shows in Phoebe

4. Results

5. Discussions & Implications

 5.1 Discussions

 5.2 Implications

References

References

Kahle, L. R., Poulos, B., & Sukhdial, A. (1988). Changes in social values in the United States during the past decade. Journal of Advertising Research.

Paxton, P. (1999). Is social capital declining in the united states? A multiple indicator assessment 1. American Journal of sociology, 105(1), 88-127.

Haddad, Y. Y. (1987). Islamic values in the United States: A comparative study. Oxford University Press.

England, G. W. (1975). The manager and his values: An international perspective from the United States, Japan, Korea, India, and Australia. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger Publishing Company.

Earley, P. C. (1989). Social loafing and collectivism: A comparison of the United States and the People's Republic of China. Administrative Science Quarterly, 565-581.

Dowling, J., & Pfeffer, J. (1975). Organizational legitimacy: Social values and organizational behavior. Pacific sociological review, 122-136.

Leon, A. M. (2010). Latino cultural values in the united states: understanding their impact on toddler social and emotional development. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 12, 13-26.

Forell, C. A. (2006). Gender equality, social values and provocation law in the united states, canada and australia. 14 Am. U. J. Gender Soc. Pol'y & L. 27.

Tsai, W. (., & Men, L. R. (2012). Cultural values reflected in corporate pages on popular social network sites in china and the united states. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, volume 6, 1, 42-58(17).

Kalleberg, A. L., & Marsden, P. V. (2013). Changing work values in the united states, 1973-2006.. Social Science Research, 42, 2, 255-270.

Svihula, & Lynn, J. (2005). Policy and politics of reform. social security in the united states.. Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-08, Section: A, page: 3096.;Chairs: Carroll L. Est.

王昌芹. 个人主义价值观在《老友记》中的体现[J]. 电影评介, 2009

谌谐婉, 陈硕. 浅析美剧《越狱》背后的西方个人主义价值观[J]. 文学界：理论版, 2012

刘璐璐, 高仁渊. 解读《武林外传》和《老友记》映射的中美文化差异[J]. 消费导刊, 2009