For example, the dominance of Hollywood movies and Western-style music around the world may lead to the marginalization of other cultural expressions, such as traditional music, dance, and theater. This can result in the loss of cultural diversity, as well as the erosion of cultural identity and heritage. Cultural homogenization in entertainment can also perpetuate cultural stereotypes and biases, as well as reinforce the dominance of certain cultural norms and values over others. This can lead to a lack of representation and inclusivity in entertainment, which can have negative social and psychological effects on individuals and communities.

For instance, France has voiced its concern with American films dominating the European film industry on numerous occasions. This concern extends to other foreign cultures and can be seen through the restrictions France places on foreign media in its entertainment industry. Two such rules are that 40 per cent of the television programmes must be in French and television programmes of non-European origins cannot exceed 40 per cent of the programmes screened in the country.

Local resistance to globalization in entertainment happens when people want to protect their cultural identity, promote local talent, and challenge Western cultural dominance.

 

In July 2017, the Kueh Appreciation Day allowed participants to enjoy traditional kueh from nine local kueh makers from different ethnic groups – Eurasian, Hainanese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Peranakan, and Malay; as well as live demonstrations of rarely seen creations. 

Local food and its culture are part of our national identity and provide shared memories and experiences across generations. We must be proactive in preserving, protecting and promoting our local food culture. As a country, while our Budget allocates financial resources to keep our economy going, we must not ignore the intangible things that keep us together.

Using our local food as an example, they are not just perishables to keep our stomach full, to titillate our taste buds, to satisfy our cravings, or just the job of NEA to build 10 new hawker centres, although that is a much welcomed change in policy. According due attention to our national identity has to be a whole-of-government effort.