On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:

Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.

If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder

value.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?

"ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.

“Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title’

s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."

First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.

Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or

magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant.
Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!

Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.

China's civilizational/soft power
"The Modern Influence of Confucianism

There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still,
scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice
Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
don’t self-identify as such.

The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is
generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine
Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.

In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."

(Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
Learning Company)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Friday, April 14, 2023 at 1:39:39 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 4:54:10 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:

Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.

If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder

value.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?

"ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.

“Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the

title’s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."

First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.

Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or

magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant.
Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!

Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.

China's civilizational/soft power
"The Modern Influence of Confucianism

There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still, scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
don’t self-identify as such.

The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80 percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.

In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."

(Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
Learning Company)

South Koreans are "deeply Confucian even if they don't self identify as such." Why?

1. Cultures/civilizations exist because they are needed in solving individual problems,
social problems, as well as national problems big and small. They could be viewed as
sets of problem solving guidelines.
2. Sets that pass the tests of time and space are not mutually exclusive. Hence modern
day South Koreans are "able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious
commitments such as Christianity and Buddhism, neither

Correction from "neither" to "both"

were originated from elsewhere in
the past.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 4:54:10 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9:06:12 AM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 6:43:01 AM UTC-4, ltlee1 wrote:

Walt Disney pulls the plug, not ABC.

If ABC is not owned by Walt Disney, its audience would be Americans who are largely white. It would continue the show to maximize ABC's shareholder value. Walt Disney, however, has a world wide audience. Pulling the plug will maximize shareholder

value.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-stars-racist-tweet-abc-pulls-the-plug-on-roseanne/2018/05/29/5b0d55e8-637a-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?

"ABC on Tuesday abruptly canceled top-rated show “Roseanne” after a series of racist tweets by its star, Roseanne Barr, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s boldest efforts to reach out to red-state viewers in the Donald Trump era.

“Roseanne” was one of network television’s most successful but turbulent partnerships, producing a weekly parade of millions of viewers but also creating a host of headaches for the Disney-owned network. The show spurred debate over the title�

��s character support for President Trump and Barr’s history of incendiary statements."

First, the soft power myth linking companies like Walt Disney and US soft power.

Is Walt Disney a giant of US cultural products? Of course, it is. However, in order for one to truly enjoy Walt Disney movies like "The Lion King", one has to suspend his disbelief. That is, Walt Disney's products are only asserting their power or

magic only when watchers are willing leaving the real world and enter into an imagery reality. To be sure, there is intersection between imagined worlds such as "The Lion King" and the real world. But the intersection would be mostly insignificant.
Imagine a Palestinian living in Gaza, he would certainly enjoy the Lion King like anyone else. But once he leave the cinema, would his enjoyment change his feeling about the various nations in the real world? Obvious answer: Insignificant!

Rather than cultural product companies adding to US soft power, the opposite is more reasonable. That is, US hard power makes US cultural product popular. And such product would become less popular with a declining US.

China's civilizational/soft power
"The Modern Influence of Confucianism

There have been dramatic political, social, and cultural changes
in East Asia, particularly from the 19th century until today. Still, scholars have argued that Confucianism continues to be one of
the most important cultural forces in countries like South Korea,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan.
One study tried to determine just how Confucian the country
of South Korea is. South Koreans care deeply about the cardinal
Confucian virtues; they maintain the veneration of ancestors and
sages and the importance of the family and tradition. They practice Confucian rituals, such as the extended mourning period for parents
and memorial ceremonies. They are deeply Confucian even if they
don’t self-identify as such.

The study also found that 97 percent of people indicating “no
religion” on the survey were actually Confucian. What is more, 80
percent of Protestants and 77 percent of Buddhists were found to be “Confucianized” Protestants and Buddhists. Since Confucianism is generally tolerant toward other religions, people are able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious commitments.

In fact, some scholars say that one must understand Confucianism
to understand the way that capitalist economies developed in places
like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan."

(Above quote from Cultural Literacy for Religion Course Guide Book published by the
Learning Company)

South Koreans are "deeply Confucian even if they don't self identify as such." Why?

1. Cultures/civilizations exist because they are needed in solving individual problems,
social problems, as well as national problems big and small. They could be viewed as
sets of problem solving guidelines.
2. Sets that pass the tests of time and space are not mutually exclusive. Hence modern
day South Koreans are "able to combine Confucian values and practices with other religious
commitments such as Christianity and Buddhism, neither were originated from elsewhere in
the past.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)