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1940s - 1970s
ideological control over the masses
the culture industry
Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer
& Walter Benjamin
neo-marxist
they saw a link between Nazi Propaganda & Post War American Capitalism
the culture industry is a form of mass deception
cultural products are commodities produced
by a capitalist economy
they are also empty & mind-numbing
choice and diversity are illusions
- in fact for Adorno, cultural commodities are standardized, uniform and ultimately 'authoritarian'
lowest common denominator
commodity fetishism
passive acceptance of capitalist values
- even working classes have a vested interest in preserving it
(links to Gramsci's ideas on hegemonic consensus)
working class no longer have a desire to overthrow capitalism
industrialization of culture
Hollywood Studio & star system, TV, pop music
illusion of individualism
dominant ideology / dominant reading- no scope for oppositional reading in mainstream culture
celebrity culture is standardization and manufacturing of myths, masquerading as a celebration of individuality
commodification of labour & social interaction
Adorno condemns the uniformity and conformity of mass popular culture
Adorno: "conformity has replaced consciousness"
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low vs high culture- the criticism is that this is an extremely elitist view of culture
popular music is "catharsis for the masses";
it breeds dependence & conformity
Adorno - analysis of pop music - talks about exchange value as more important than use value
false needs - lead to false hopes & aspirations
but the Frankfurt School was primarily interested in the concept of popular culture from a neo-Marxist perspective
Marcuse:
The pre-conditioning is subjected to additional indoctrination by a standardized media. The media teaches " to behave and consume in accordance with the advertisements, to love and hate what others love and hate... "Social interests impose "false" needs. The "false" needs can gratify the individual but they "perpetuate toil, aggressiveness, misery and injustice." The endless drives for these endless "false" needs require additional efforts, and brings frustration and despair that create hostility.
Walter Benjamin took a more charitable view of
popular culture. For him, industrialisation (film, photography etc) meant that culture became more democratic and accessible