Soc. 118Soc. 118Media, Culture & SocietyMedia, Culture & Society

Chapter 3Chapter 3

Monsters, Inc.: Monsters, Inc.:

A Critical A Critical Approach to Approach to

Popular CulturePopular Culture

Chapter 3: OverviewChapter 3: Overview The Foundations of a Critical ApproachThe Foundations of a Critical Approach

What is Ideology?What is Ideology? Theoretical Roots Theoretical Roots

Cultural HegemonyCultural Hegemony Advertising and Consumer CultureAdvertising and Consumer Culture

Video: Video: Consuming ImagesConsuming Images The Power of Cultural IndustriesThe Power of Cultural Industries

Trends in Media OwnershipTrends in Media Ownership Video: Video: AOL-Time Warner MergerAOL-Time Warner Merger

Reproducing Social InequalitiesReproducing Social Inequalities Exploitation of workersExploitation of workers Reinforcing stereotypesReinforcing stereotypes

When Popular Culture AttacksWhen Popular Culture Attacks Video: Video: Merchants of CoolMerchants of Cool

Current Themes in Cultural HegemonyCurrent Themes in Cultural Hegemony

What is What is IdeologyIdeology??

Examine underlying Examine underlying messagesmessages Whose interests are Whose interests are

served?served? What values are What values are

reflected?reflected? Broader system of Broader system of

meaningmeaning Patterns of messagesPatterns of messages Content is part of Content is part of

something largersomething larger Example:Example:

The American Dream The American Dream

Belief systemBelief system Explains and justifies Explains and justifies

social arrangementssocial arrangements Often religious, Often religious,

moral, or politicalmoral, or political World view or valuesWorld view or values

Basic ways of Basic ways of defining the worlddefining the world

Distorts and Distorts and misrepresentsmisrepresents

Theoretical Roots of IdeologyTheoretical Roots of Ideology Conflict Theory Conflict Theory

(Marxism)(Marxism) Power relations Power relations

Social stratification Social stratification social inequalitysocial inequality Domination Domination exploitationexploitation

Ruling class imposes own Ruling class imposes own ideologyideology ““The ruling ideas are … The ruling ideas are …

the ideas of the ruling the ideas of the ruling class”class”

Represents their interestsRepresents their interests Pretends to be universalPretends to be universal

Masses have “false Masses have “false consciousness”consciousness”

If they accept ruling ideasIf they accept ruling ideas Critics, protests, activistsCritics, protests, activists

Cultural Hegemony Cultural Hegemony (Gramsci)(Gramsci) ““Cultural leadership”Cultural leadership”

Power thru persuasionPower thru persuasion Popular Culture as Popular Culture as

Social ControlSocial Control Works on level of Works on level of

common sensecommon sense Not critically evaluatedNot critically evaluated

Ideology must be Ideology must be reinforcedreinforced

Contradicts real lifeContradicts real life The Power of PropagandaThe Power of Propaganda

Example:Example: “War of the “War of the Worlds”Worlds”

Advertising and Consumer CultureAdvertising and Consumer Culture History of History of

consumerismconsumerism U.S. capitalists in U.S. capitalists in

1900s1900s Mass productionMass production

How to make business How to make business profitable?profitable?

Advertising used to Advertising used to shape consciousnessshape consciousness Creating buyers Creating buyers (and (and

selling products)selling products) Stimulating new needs Stimulating new needs

and habitsand habits Aimed at immigrants Aimed at immigrants

and urbanitesand urbanites Concept of the “good life”Concept of the “good life” Buying as “great equalizer”Buying as “great equalizer”

Culture of Culture of consumerismconsumerism Normalizes upper-Normalizes upper-

middle class valuesmiddle class values Wealth, statusWealth, status

Consumption = Consumption = citizenshipcitizenship

A virtue and freedomA virtue and freedom Ads tell us what to Ads tell us what to

dreamdream Lifestyle thru Lifestyle thru

purchases purchases Not all can affordNot all can afford

Video: Video: Consuming Consuming ImagesImages

The Power of Culture Industries:The Power of Culture Industries:Trends in Media OwnershipTrends in Media Ownership

Media is key segment of U.S. Media is key segment of U.S. economyeconomy Move from manufacturing to Move from manufacturing to

service economy service economy Media also major exportMedia also major export

Federal Communications Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Commission (FCC) Early limits on monopoliesEarly limits on monopolies

Protect the “public interest”Protect the “public interest” 1996 1996

Telecommunications ActTelecommunications Act Easing restrictions or Easing restrictions or

deregulationderegulation Increased # of outlets a Increased # of outlets a

single company can ownsingle company can own

ConcentrationConcentration Fewer companies Fewer companies

own mediaown media Parent companies Parent companies

with subsidiarieswith subsidiaries Vast portfoliosVast portfolios

Range of formatsRange of formats ConglomerationConglomeration

Media companies part Media companies part of larger corporationsof larger corporations

May have diverse May have diverse businesses businesses

Example: Example: Video clip: Video clip: AOL AOL

Time/Warner Merger Time/Warner Merger (2000)(2000)

The Power of The Power of Culture IndustriesCulture Industries

Video Clip:Video Clip:

AOL Time/WarnerAOL Time/Warner

MergerMerger

Gerald Levine—CEO Gerald Levine—CEO Time/Warner Time/Warner

CNN interview January 2, 2000CNN interview January 2, 2000

““Global media will be and is fast Global media will be and is fast becoming the predominant business of becoming the predominant business of the 21st century. So predominant, in the 21st century. So predominant, in fact, that the media business is now fact, that the media business is now

more important than government. It’s more important than government. It’s more important than education more important than education

institutions and non-profit institutions and non-profit organizations. We’re going to need to organizations. We’re going to need to have these corporations redefined as have these corporations redefined as

instruments of public service, and that instruments of public service, and that may be a more efficient way to deal may be a more efficient way to deal

with society’s problems than with society’s problems than bureaucratic governments.”bureaucratic governments.”

The Power of Culture Industries:The Power of Culture Industries:Top 7 Media CompaniesTop 7 Media Companies

1. Sony Corporation1. Sony Corporation Hardware and software, contentHardware and software, content

2. Time Warner2. Time Warner 3. Walt Disney Company3. Walt Disney Company

Theme parks, sports teamsTheme parks, sports teams 4. Viacom4. Viacom

MTVMTV 5. CBS Corporation5. CBS Corporation 6. General Electric6. General Electric

Not just lightbulbs, appliancesNot just lightbulbs, appliances 7. News Corporation7. News Corporation

Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch

The Power of Culture Industries:The Power of Culture Industries:Top 10 WebsitesTop 10 Websites

1. Google1. Google

2. Yahoo2. Yahoo

3. Facebook3. Facebook

4. YouTube4. YouTube

5. MySpace5. MySpace

6. Microsoft Windows 6. Microsoft Windows LiveLive

7. MSN7. MSN

8. Wikipedia8. Wikipedia

9. ebay9. ebay

10. Craigslist10. Craigslist

When Popular Culture AttacksWhen Popular Culture Attacks

Primary motive of Primary motive of popular culture and popular culture and media:media: For-profit businessesFor-profit businesses

Economic dominationEconomic domination Information, creativity, Information, creativity,

pleasure are secondarypleasure are secondary Targeting youthTargeting youth

New consumersNew consumers Cool huntersCool hunters

Research next trends for Research next trends for mass consumptionmass consumption

Video: Video: Merchants of CoolMerchants of Cool

Current Themes in Cultural Current Themes in Cultural HegemonyHegemony

Last season's fashions are so last seasonLast season's fashions are so last season Planned obsolescence Planned obsolescence

Shopping completes usShopping completes us Accumulation of goodsAccumulation of goods

We can all live like celebritiesWe can all live like celebrities Keep up with the JonesesKeep up with the Joneses

Our self-worth is determined by our looksOur self-worth is determined by our looks Cultural norms of sexual attractivenessCultural norms of sexual attractiveness

Diamonds are foreverDiamonds are forever Best advertising sloganBest advertising slogan

Brands matterBrands matter BrandingBranding and and status symbolsstatus symbols