American Influences

I am so surprised at how much the United States influences culture and daily life in Spain.  It is true that more Spaniards speak English than Americans that speak Spanish, but still I am surprised at how much of the English language is seen every day.  I think I see more shirts with English writing than with Spanish.  And in most of the shops and stores that we enter they are playing pop music that is popular in the US.  I have heard Jason Derulo, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga, just to name a few.  I wonder how much of these songs the people here actually understand.  In addition I have seen numerous billboards for Hollywood movies.  The new Men in Black movie and the Snow White movie have both been advertised here.  I like it because it reminds me of home.  In class we have talked about how famous the voices are that speak in Hollywood movies.  Movie goers here can recognize the voice but wouldn't know the faces of these people.  I think that is so interesting.  Last night I was watching a Hollywood movie on TV, You Again, that came out just a few years ago.  The Spanish voice overs were included.  I don't think that I would like to watch movie like this.  There are a lot of influences in TV too.  Spongebob, Dora, and the Smurfs are all very popular here.  The Mentalist, House, CIS, and Sex and the City are shown on TV here.  They also have spin-off of American shows such as Big Brother, Minute to Win it, and Grey's Anatomy.  It makes me realize how much of an influence the US is on the rest of the world.  It also makes me so proud of where I am from.  Yesterday we were shopping at the mall and I we found a scarf that was an American flag.  I thought about it.  Would I ever find a scarf in America of Spain's flag?  Probably not.