Fatema, post 8

Fatema Kermalli

1. Adorno thinks that the homogenization and commodification of culture via the culture industry stifles the imagination and liberty of the people to choose what they view and how they view it. “It impedes the development of autonomous, independent individuals who judge and decide consciously for themselves” (CI Reconsidered). Because the people are constantly fed the “culture”, they become affected by it and begin to hold the stereotypes it creates and ideas that it promulgates as their own. “The repetitiveness, the selfsameness, and the ubiquity of modern mass culture trend to make for automatized reactions and to weaken the forces of individual resistance” (216 TV). It also “…produces a number of stereotypes” (229 TV). Individuals thus become simply the audience as opposed to people actually relating with the artwork; they stop questioning and simply accept what they are given. In essence, the effect of the homogenization of culture is, as Adorno calls it, anti-enlightenment. And the message which they are unquestioningly accepting is “…that of identification with the status quo” (220 TV)

Through the commodification of culture and art, the industry lowers it status to something that it is not necessary to contemplate seriously. As with the light music, these “commodities” are simply meant to fill time and “empty space”. Just as works of art which are shown in museums and in special frames are automatically raised in importance in the eyes of the viewer, so is this mass-produced art lowered in their gaze due to the fact that it is so readily available… and so cheap.

Also helping to create the void in individual interpretation, thought, and analysis is the actual style and medium of the new type of culture. Radios and televisions allow the audience to only listen, or view... not to take part. “The culture industry misuses its concern for the masses in order to duplicate, reinforce, and strengthen their mentality, which it presumes is given and unchangeable” (CI Reconsidered). The industry itself thus produces its own audience, meting out shows and culture overall based on its own views rather than the individual thoughts of the people. Also, in sound films, the process of thought which used to accompany such viewings has now been erased by the fast pace of action which does not allow one time for contemplation. It “leaves no room for imagination or reflection” (The CI).

Such an assault on the freedom of the individual to think for himself (and be seen as himself, rather than simply as of a set group among the masses) is seen by Adorno as being dangerous in its similarity to authoritarian regimes. As he quotes Tocqueville saying, “The ruler no longer says: You must think as I do or die. He says: You are free not to think as I do… but from this day on you are a stranger among us.” This concept of conformity is itself contrary to the ideas of liberty and individuality which provide power to the people to affect change within their societies. Forcing the people to work en masse precludes stagnancy in a society. “Conformity has replaced consciousness”, and yet, “Not to conform means to be rendered powerless” (The CI), an idea which goes against the power of the people in a democracy as opposed to an authoritarian regime.

2. The evidence for the claim that the culture industry has merely expanded till today lies in the continuation of such genres and themes as were mentioned by Adorno in his works regarding the television, movies, and music. Predictable endings still abound, and may be seen as the proof of the “formulas” of the culture industry. For example, “Chick Flicks” are always funny, romantic comedies that end happily. One knows before even watching the movie its basic storyline… only the packaging changes. The same is true with music, where certain themes in content/wording are always used within specific types of music. Also a big indicator of the continuation of this industry is the extended use of statistics in order to create works of culture (such as television shows) and tailor them to specific groups of people. Instead of being viewed individually, the potential audience is divided by race, gender, and age in order to provide the producers with an idea of the thoughts and likings of the group (which they themselves help to create).

Advertisements also continue to be used to a great degree; “Because the system obliges every product to use advertising, it has permeated the idiom –the ‘style’ – of the culture industry.” With advertising, “the object is to overpower the consumer, who is conceived as absent-minded or resistant” (The CI). This idea in itself is comparable to the way in which the other forms of formulaic “culture” stop the free thought of the audience, and convince them to like what is prescribed for their specific demographical group to like.

3. The difference that Adorno saw between freely created artworks and the formulaic culture industry products was the lack of real thought present in the latter. Whilst he acknowledges that even the artists those former types of art were not wholly free from the need to sell their works, he says that their styles spoke of a type of “negative truth”. It gave their works “that force without which life flows away unheard” (The CI). This contrasts with the formulaic styles of today which do not really speak of a truth at all. Rather than coming from within, they are dictated by external factors. For example, techniques in works of are “concerned with the internal organization of the object itself, with its inner logic. In contrast, the technique of the culture industry is, from the beginning, one of distribution and mechanical reproduction, and therefore always remains external to its object” (CI Reconsidered). Also, instead of depicting true joy or happiness, they give in to “false laughter”. “The triumph over beauty is celebrated by humor… there is laughter because there is nothing to laugh at” (The CI). In all senses, the formulaic products are simply mere imitations of the true artwork that is a result of free thoughts and feelings, and a freedom in creation. This inferiority is also proven through the fact that they are formulaic; “the inferior work has always relied on its similarity with others – on a surrogate identity” (The CI). It is not strong enough to hold up on its own.

An example of freely created art would be the work of Beethoven, as it is considered deep and thoughtful. It was original. It was not limited by time, and was created by the composer, in essence, for himself-due to his own wish to create beautiful music rather than to please others. In contrast, the rap music of today would be considered formulaic products of the culture industry. The singers and limited by time, and stereotyped… just as the audience for such types of music is stereotyped by group. The beats are similar, as are the wordings used. The content of these songs, Adorno would argue, are the same. They are only in different packages.

The difference between the freely created and formulaic works matter so much to Adorno because of the effect it has on society at large. Through the pre-packaging of culture, individuals lose a part of their own identity. The creators themselves are unable to freely express themselves fully due to restrictions put on them, and the audience does not really get to choose what they want to see or listen to, because everything is already chosen for them, and is given only a semblance of difference. There is also a lack of contemplation and thought, and a focus on conformity (without which one would be an outcast, and lose his “power” as an individual). The difference between these two is thus almost as the difference between democracy and authoritarianism through the way in which the individuality of individuals are stunted by the formulaic works.