* Dave Stewart said Mikhail Gorbachev told him that the 1980s soap opera Dallas 'had more effect' in bringing about Soviet collapse than anything else
* Gorbachev said the show opened people's eyes to Western life, Mr Stewart said
* The programme portrayed the millionaire lifestyles of the oil tycoon Ewing family
TV show Dallas was the main reason behind the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union, it has been claimed.
Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart said that former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev told him that the 1980s soap opera 'had more effect' in ending the Cold War than anything else.
Mr Stewart, 68, said the Gorbachev admitted an illicit broadcast of the US show in Russia had opened his people's eyes to Western life, and the Texas-based show 'brought down' the communist superpower.
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WNU Editor: I smiled when I read the above Daily Mail post. On numerous times in this blog I have talked about the impact that the TV show Dallas has had on Russia, and especially on China. This is what I wrote eight years ago ....
.... I lived in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province in the summer of 1988. Met some great business contacts, new friends, got to understand the Chinese .... in particular their culture. But one thing that always struck me when I was there was that each night everyone in the city would go out for a walk/stroll/shop/eat/etc. .... every night that is with the exception of Wednesday evening between 7:00PM to 8:00PM. After a few weeks I then asked my hosts (we were guests of the Central Government) on why was this the case .... including the fact that our own hosts also did not want to be with us during this time period. It was explained to me "sheepishly" that since they were in the range of Taiwan's TV programs, everyone enjoyed watching their programming .... in particular American programming .... in particular one American show. I found out later that the show that everyone in China was addicted to was J.R. Ewing and Dallas. In their minds .... J.R. Ewing and Dallas was what America was .... and what was worse .... the Chinese dream was to be like them. (Is The West Pursuing A Cultural War Against China? January 3, 2012).
I can say the same about Russia. When Russians watched Dallas they were focused on their homes, clothes, cars, and lifestyle. The plot was secondary. In many minds the perception was that this is how Americans lived, and everyone wanted to live like that.
On a personal note. A small confession. I have watched every episode of Dallas. And when I was in China is when the episode of "Who Shot JR" was played. I already knew who shot JR, but my Chinese hosts did not. Did I ever milk that intel to my advantage. I would treat it as a big secret (and it was), and only tell certain Chinese officials on who shot JR, and to keep it in confidence. I developed friendships that still exist today because of that one show.
3 comments:
As a working class bloke in Scotland, that was one western life style no one in my family had. Keep ducking 🙉
Ironically at the same time in the US everyone wanted to live the life of the A-Team and the Fall Guy.
Frankly Dallas was among the most ridiculous tv shows ever including the ridiculous drama of "who shot JR." The lifestyle of JR Ewing was and is way beyond that which most Americans enjoy. Anyone watching this show for the purposes of understanding America would get a wildly inaccurate view. Perhaps this is partly why we as Americans are maligned and often despised. We simply aren't getting out to the world an accurate portrayal of who and what we really are.
I remember when this show was on the air. Where I live it aired from 7 to 8PM. Immediately following it was the Dukes of Hazzard from 8 to 9. This was a far better show. For someone wanting to gain an understanding of Americans and their lifestyle then or now the Dukes of Hazzard would be a far better representation of this than Dallas. Additionally, the A-Team and Fall Guy would have been better than Dallas as well. While these are less than perfect for such a purpose, they are far better than Dallas. Anyone using the Dallas template for any kind of representation of what America is will get an incredibly flawed and jaundiced view.
Common themes in shows like the A-Team, Dukes of Hazzard, and Fall Guy are people with limited resources resisting corrupt governments and other corrupt powerful forces. Maybe we aren't so different after all.
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