“[This video] explores the idea Western “cultural invasion” into Saudi Arabia, and satirizes Saudi views of America in the process. The influence of Western, particularly American, culture is a big, touchy topic in much of the world, with people torn between their love of Michael Jackson and their desire to patronize compatriots over foreigners. It’s about national pride and about preserving one’s own culture.  For English captions (click the little ‘CC’ button in the bottom-right corner).

Skip to about 3:15 to see the segment on the Western ‘cultural invasion’ of Saudi Arabia and, appropriately, a very funny bit on attempting a ‘reverse cultural invasion’ of Saudi cultural in America.”

—Max Fisher in the Washington Post

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

Given that Saudi Arabia’s government is a strict theocratic kingdom, many people imagine that those ideas and values are representative of the general population and imagine austere and unyielding personalities.  This video shows something we ratherly see in the West, local humor from Saudi Arabia that critiques their own cultural institutions.

Tags: Saudi Arabia, Middle East, globalization,  culture.

See on www.youtube.com