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Evan Malachosky Current Event Analysis Mr. Wimmer 2/6/12  __ Culture: Westernization __ __Summary:__ Iran has frequently banned American toys, comics, television shows, songs, and other cultural content in self-defense of the preservation of their cultural roots. The significance of women hiding themselves in public in baggy clothes has forced the banning of the famous Barbie doll, and today has also forced the ban of the famous show, //The Simpsons//(Reuters). The Iranian people have seen Western culture as “disrespectful” and “immoral”. The United State’s culture has been influenced by thousands of cultures worldwide and has become the “Holy Grail” of diversity. As America develops culturally, other nations look to us as a large influencer and often are intrigued or disgusted. In Middle-Eastern nations, the disgust towards America is more common and often results in bans like this one. The feud over Nuclear Weapons increased recently and so has the cracking down on “Western Intoxication”. __Relevance:__ The American culture is a very large portion of the studies we will be doing in this class, and therefore it is very relevant. As well as the studies we will be doing, Iran has shaped some of America’s history. Iran’s influence on American history is also relevant to this course, because the entire course is about American History. The topic of Westernization has also been discussed a lot throughout history and also fueled many wars and controversies. Many of those wars and controversies will be and have been discussed in this semester. The relevance between this article is never ending because America’s culture is forever changing. The cultural diversity of America will never allow for a stand still. As immigrants come to America they add a stroke to America’s Mosaic. __Connection:__ The connection between the article and the topic is very clear. Western culture, culture is the topic, has become less and less acceptable in Middle-Eastern nations. The Middle-Eastern nation who has taken the most action to ban Westernization is Iran. Iran’s culture has been very sacred to the government in Iran, and they have begun taking more and more steps to eliminate “Western Intoxication”. The topic of culture surrounds the everyday lives of the citizens such as, music, film, art, language, and activities. The banning of these Western cultural benchmarks has become more common as the two nations have continued feuding. The connection between the article and the topic is very clear and obviously deeply connected. __ Questions: __
 * 1) What cultural influences do you see in the United States?
 * 2) How would you feel if everyone tried to act like someone else?
 * 3) Why do you believe Iran is against Westernization?
 * 4) Are there any sacred traditions left in today’s world?
 * 5) What traditions do you still have that you don’t think anyone could take away from you?
 * 6) What about your culture is your favorite? Do you come from a different background?

__ Works Cited __ Reuters. "Aww, Man! Bart Simpson Joins Barbie in Iran Ban." //World News//. MSNBC, 06 Feb. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2012