The Manufacturing of Culture

Adorno and Horkheimer, modern day philosophers, discuss how industrialized modern day culture has become through a process they call “manufacturing culture”. They show how culture has become openly industrious. Radio, Television, and big business are all now playing the game of promoting their industrialization.

The “manufacturing of culture” is the basis of this industrialization. It creates a need for a commodity or style for the masses to soak up. This forced conformity results in a dumbification of society as a whole and robs the individual of his ability to decide what he likes and dislikes. Movies have become a collection of clichés the masses like to see because they are predictable and induce a feeling of flattery in the viewer when the predicted outcome occurs. It can create a massive need for a certain talent lacking style of pop music and then place the handpicked “bands” into place to be eaten up by the majority. Culture industry even has the power to create a subculture of “grunge” music fans that believe they are rebelling against conformity by all doing and wearing the same thing.

Culture should be an aspect of skilled art and intellectual entertainment. Movies should make you think and contemplate what is going to happen next. Everyone enjoys the stereotypical action movie based on last years big hit. But the movies people actually talk about and tell their friends about are the ones that make you think and avoid clichés at all costs. The manufacturing of culture has dumbified our culture at large but we are starting to see entertainment and products that break out from the mold. The most radical changes that have taken place in the past five years has been in the automotive industry. Throughout the 80s and into the early to mid 90s it was near impossible to differentiate one car from another. We are now starting to see more radical designs being put into production.

Let me know what you think about this. :)

Hogwash. ;)

Somehow you (or the philosophers you paraphrase) seem to think that the "manufacturing of culture" has prevented "skilled art and intellectual entertainment" from flourishing. I don't really see it as so.

First: Right now, there are far more resources for art and culture than at any time in the history of mankind. You can make a movie with just a digital camera and a computer, paint is cheap and plentiful at the local store, there are affordable dance and music studios even in the smallest of cities, every major university has departments in the fine arts, and museums of all discription blanket the nation. Never before has the everyman had the opportunity to delve into the world of art and culture for so little cost. There is no cultural barrier to becoming a fine artist.

Second: There is a huge market out there. Some people want junk food and others want haute cuisine. There is a plenty of "skilled" art that still exists alongside the "clichés". I regularly attend the local philharmonic, dance recitals, and indie movie screenings. There is an enormous amount of room in the marketplace of culture.

Third: There seems to be a tone in your phrasing that longs for 'the good old days' - previous to the "manufacturing of culture". I dispute that such a time ever existed. If we hark back to pre-industrial revolution times, I think we would still find a very similar distribution of 'low' and 'high' entertainment. The small ruling class determined what was 'good' art and allowed it to flourish by funding it. But the unwashed masses did not have any exposure to this art. Not only could they not afford it, but they wouldn't even have the cultural background to understand or enjoy it. They stuck with bear baiting and burlesque; lots of fun, but not exactly "high culture". My guess would be that this seperation of classes is around the same proportion in the modern day for Fellini vs. Alan Smithee films.

Fourth I find the notion that the marketing world can control culture somewhat absurd. Marketing may be able to start fads - and perhaps that is in some small way part of culture - but in the larger scheme, marketing always works best when it plays off the existing culture. Yes, marketing strategy and culture are tightly correlated, but I don't see any reason to claim that culture is caused by marketing. In fact, it seems more likely to me that marketing strategies are caused by culture.

Just my $0.04. :D

Ahhh, blah! To many other things to do! (like drinking and sleeping)

Ill deal to you both on Monday. :devil:

Originally posted by Moppie
Ahhh, blah! To many other things to do! (like drinking and sleeping)

Ill deal to you both on Monday. :devil:

Nah.Don't believe you.Sleeping?you're a kiwi,dammit! nocturnal by nature!You're going away to figure out where you are coming from, sir.Hope you post up soon,the more this thread expands, the more chance I have of understanding it fully.

Well heres a little refernce material Iv mangaged to dig up.

I dont know if I would call either of them modern day philosophers.
But they both sound like your typical German philosopher.
"vee are vright! you are vrong! Ve will justifie are selvs and if you can not understand it, that is your problem not ours!"

They also seem to be concerned more with Aesthetics disguised as philosophy than any actual new philosophical ideas.


Adorno: http://education.yahoo.com/search/be?lb=t&p=url%3Aa/adorno__theodor
http://www.erraticimpact.com/~20thcentury/html/adorno.htm

Horkheimer: http://construct.haifa.ac.il/~ilangz/Utopia4.html
http://www.erraticimpact.com/~20thcentury/html/horkheimer.htm

The most radical changes that have taken place in the past five years has been in the automotive industry you sure about that? the last time I checked, the biggest industrial influence has been that of computers or anything computer related. Dont get me wrong though, I would put cars next on my list...

But as far as the industry influencing our "intellectual culture", and people getting dumber and dumber, sure you can say thats happening. However, you can also say our culture is getting more aware and smarter also. Its up to people to decide how to react to those movies and these boy bands. Overall, I believe people realize how useless and unbeneficial all this is. I mean, every decade and generation goes through something like this eventually. It dosent mean that our culture is falling out. In fact, people maybe getting smarter in spite of our teeny bopper image.

Also, how did you get an avatar with only 7 posts??

Originally posted by fritz_269
Hogwash. ;)

Somehow you (or the philosophers you paraphrase) seem to think that the "manufacturing of culture" has prevented "skilled art and intellectual entertainment" from flourishing. I don't really see it as so.

First: Right now, there are far more resources for art and culture than at any time in the history of mankind. You can make a movie with just a digital camera and a computer, paint is cheap and plentiful at the local store, there are affordable dance and music studios even in the smallest of cities, every major university has departments in the fine arts, and museums of all discription blanket the nation. Never before has the everyman had the opportunity to delve into the world of art and culture for so little cost. There is no cultural barrier to becoming a fine artist.

Second: There is a huge market out there. Some people want junk food and others want haute cuisine. There is a plenty of "skilled" art that still exists alongside the "clichés". I regularly attend the local philharmonic, dance recitals, and indie movie screenings. There is an enormous amount of room in the marketplace of culture.

Third: There seems to be a tone in your phrasing that longs for 'the good old days' - previous to the "manufacturing of culture". I dispute that such a time ever existed. If we hark back to pre-industrial revolution times, I think we would still find a very similar distribution of 'low' and 'high' entertainment. The small ruling class determined what was 'good' art and allowed it to flourish by funding it. But the unwashed masses did not have any exposure to this art. Not only could they not afford it, but they wouldn't even have the cultural background to understand or enjoy it. They stuck with bear baiting and burlesque; lots of fun, but not exactly "high culture". My guess would be that this seperation of classes is around the same proportion in the modern day for Fellini vs. Alan Smithee films.

Fourth I find the notion that the marketing world can control culture somewhat absurd. Marketing may be able to start fads - and perhaps that is in some small way part of culture - but in the larger scheme, marketing always works best when it plays off the existing culture. Yes, marketing strategy and culture are tightly correlated, but I don't see any reason to claim that culture is caused by marketing. In fact, it seems more likely to me that marketing strategies are caused by culture.

Just my $0.04. :D

I agree with you. All of your points match my views almost esactly.

Originally posted by SickLude
Also, how did you get an avatar with only 7 posts??

just went to options and put one in.

(and why is there a 30second wait between my posting. That sucks:))

Moppie, when you get a chance to read the whole thing and the respone, could you summarize it for me?

I have A.D.D. and once it goes past a couple paragraphs I lose interest.

Originally posted by higgimonster
Adorno and Horkheimer, modern day philosophers, discuss how industrialized modern day culture has become through a process they call “manufacturing culture”. They show how culture has become openly industrious. Radio, Television, and big business are all now playing the game of promoting their industrialization.

The “manufacturing of culture” is the basis of this industrialization. It creates a need for a commodity or style for the masses to soak up. This forced conformity results in a dumbification of society as a whole and robs the individual of his ability to decide what he likes and dislikes.

This only applies to the people who are week minded and are more concerned with how others view them then they are about being an original person (which is almost impossible to begin with)

Movies have become a collection of clichés the masses like to see because they are predictable and induce a feeling of flattery in the viewer when the predicted outcome occurs. It can create a massive need for a certain talent lacking style of pop music and then place the handpicked “bands” into place to be eaten up by the majority. Culture industry even has the power to create a subculture of “grunge” music fans that believe they are rebelling against conformity by all doing and wearing the same thing.

I personally don't like most of the bands or movies that are out today but that doesn’t make me "cool", I think that everyone has a choice and what you choose says a lot about you but it is not up to me to judge another because they are lacking in what I consider taste. There is manufactured bands, movies, books, t.v. etc. etc. but it all provides a choice for people and what they choose is what makes them individuals it just so happens that a large mass of individuals like some of the same manufactured crap so the industry just keeps churning it out. I don't think that popular movies and music make up a culture, there is much more involved then record sales and box office receipts and it's a little short sighted of these B.S. Artist's I mean philosophers to say that just because someone owns a Britny album and just got finished watching the latest box office smash means that they are just like everyone else.

Culture should be an aspect of skilled art and intellectual entertainment. Movies should make you think and contemplate what is going to happen next. Everyone enjoys the stereotypical action movie based on last year’s big hit. But the movies people actually talk about and tell their friends about are the ones that make you think and avoid clichés at all costs. The manufacturing of culture has dumbified our culture at large but we are starting to see entertainment and products that break out from the mold.

I hate to brake it to you but the majority of people are fucking idiots, that’s right I said it and if you are reading this and have been offended then you are probably one of the idiots I am talking about. Just because some one who is considered well cultured or what ever tells you that this is art and that isn't doesn’t make it true. I have seen huge exhibits of so called intellectual art and some of it was complete shit while I have seen other artist's that no one knows of put more passion and creation into a single stroke of a paint brush then most of the so called great artists combined. Art is based on the reaction of the individual viewing it, you are just as manufactured to say Picaso is good as the fifteen year old girl who wants the latest N'snc poster.

These are only my opinions and should not be viewed or considered by anyone who wants to think for themselves.

Originally posted by gdalton
Art is based on the reaction of the individual viewing it, you are just as manufactured to say Picaso is good as the fifteen year old girl who wants the latest N'snc poster.
Ahhh... Now here's a much more interesting topic: Relativism.

Is there objectively good art and bad art? Or is all art simply subjective?

:cool:

Originally posted by fritz_269

Ahhh... Now here's a much more interesting topic: Relativism.

Is there objectively good art and bad art? Or is all art simply subjective?

:cool: i think this goes back to go 'ol Protagoras and "man is the measure of all things"...

if your reality is that which states that you see nothing wrong with viewing naked bodies flying through the air, then theres nothing wrong with that. however, if your one to say that naked people are grotesque and you should have nothing to do with that, then that is also, your reality.

personally, art is subjective. all of it. its an expression of life. its the way it always has been and the way it should be.

I havn't forgoten about this!

I just havnt had the time lately, sorry guys.