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American Dream - Changes in cultural landscape of post-communist countries by Agnieszka Rayss
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the “velvet revolution” in 1989 brought not only the political liberation but also an American-like mass culture, which appeared very attractive to the isolated for decades societies from behind the iron curtain. Individuals easily adapt to global trends in a lifestyle. Unrealistic Hollywood stars and models become obsessions for young women, who spend hours at gyms or attend modeling schools and beauty competitions. Young people are attracted so much to the TV and show business world that crowds of them are waiting their turn to be cast in a TV talent show. Attitudes towards sexuality have changed as well – from being covert to becoming more and more explicit.
Why is this “new” scene so attractive? Is the simple reality of our parents’ lives not enough for us? Why do we struggle to copy American–style mores? What has happened to the family and social traditions of a society stuck for decades behind the iron curtain and isolated from the mainstream of pop culture? These are the questions I would like to answer in my „American Dream” essay from the point of view of a photographer, a journalist, and a person who still remembers the communist reality and continues to be amazed by the changes we have been subjected to.
