I’ve been grateful during this time in France that while there are cultural differences that are an adjustment, I’m still in a Western first-world country, and one that relies heavily on American entertainment. It’s fairly easy for me to catch a movie in English or with English subtitles, the majority of music played is American, and my students are already familiar with some of our major celebrities. It's both comforting and a tad frustrating, because I have the option to stay in my comfort zone for the most part and am not forced to see movies in a different language if I don't want to.
All of my students have said they listen to more music in English than in French, and watch more American movies and TV shows than French. This is so weird to me because I feel Americans who only speak English would never be content if the majority of their entertainment was in a language they didn’t understand. I immediately thought of Hispanic/Latinx singers who make English and Spanish versions of the same album so they can sell in the U.S. And let’s not forget those that balk at a movie with subtitles. I chalk up this huge disparity in native language entertainment to the fact that in the U.S., we simply put more money into our music industry, so the music we produce is “better” and there is a lot more of it. (I mean, can we talk about French rap? The horror.) (Also, disclaimer that there is *definitely* quality entertainment produced by France.)
My main idea in pointing this out is that it’s a bit odd to go to a new country and hear the same music and talk about the same TV shows. I also imagine if I had had a language assistant in high school who was French, they wouldn't necessarily be able to expect us to know the top celebrities from France, or who the biggest music artists were, because a lot of that is dominated by Americans. I'm obviously conflicted about this, but it has been funny to survey my classes for what is most popular with them.
Top music favs: Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Twenty One Pilots, and Sia
Top TV show favs: Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad
Sports aren't quite as fervent of a form of entertainment for the French, or at least the ones I know. Obviously, soccer/football is the most popular sport, and is most likely the one students play. There are sports bars of sorts, but I haven't really witnessed anything on the scale of a Husker gameday or Super Bowl Sunday. It's not fair to say that they're not as passionate about sports, because I know it exists, but I just don't see the same *type* of enthusiasm and saturation of team gear. They were all shocked when I showed them the Tunnel Walk and pictures of the Nebraska stadium! There just isn't that kind of kinship over a team for every single school or community.