Culture Industry

Enlightenment tradition arises from the french revolution→ the power of reason can make the world a better place. Critical function should be exercised. Reason can be used to solve all the problems of the world. Both world wars were brought by the function of reason. The function of reason are the seeds of fascism. (Kant’s work)

Method of critique→ main focus is on cultural products and a critique of culture. shift from traditional focus of what is written to actual products (like tv shows)

the culture industry → all of the cultural products produced for society is part of the cultural industry products of the cultural industry are central sites of ideology they began to apply Marxist theory to culture popular movies, music, and advisement→ essential to their analysis culture cliche→ mass culture cultural products are governed by the capitalist interests high culture and low culture high culture of art is transformed into the low culture (simpsons) → function of art changes aesthetics→ art becomes a commodity with the introduction of mechanical reproducibility (reproducing images) → rise of moving pictures (Walt Disney) these image reproduce the status quo and generate false consciousness that allow capitalists to thrive (criticism) homogenization of culture→ industries produce culture and they favor a standardized form culture industry exists to enforce and reinforce the capitalist ethos capitalism→ the masses are happy by just producing capitalism uses culture to control the individual consciousness art→ has a certain type of relationship to money (art becomes commodified leads to manipulation of desire) art becomes entertainment culture industry vs mass culture mass culture as being spontaneous→ spontaneous revolution within the masses does not take in account suedo ? does not take in account of these products are produced or advertised
Fordism→ mass production; standardization; separates the producer from the product rise industrialism→ invention of new time stop the clock; minimize time to perform a task (example the amount of time to reproduce a book; the printing press) agrarian time is dictated by nature but as we move to industrialized time, the time is demanded by factory work; time is no longer measured by nature but by a mechanical notion of time although watches were toys in the 17thC it now becomes a tool to measure minutes of work (being on the clock) habit of punctuality time no longer belongs to us; time cannot be wasted; time becomes a commodity; standardization of time; creates the idea leisure time→ when we are not on the clock we have time to ourselves (it is not sufficient for capitalist to govern your time only when you are work but also to govern your leisure time which creates popular culture) with the industrial society→ humans are plugged into the machine (they become a small part of the machine) Fordism→ Ford rejected the idea to make cars for the rich; produce a car that factory workers can afford; interchangeability of the moving line; moving line is mimicking the mechanical time (time is infinite, a straight line, and is always moving); workers hated the assembly line→ solution to double the pay each day and reduce the working day; the workers can now save to own the car and also have the leisure time to use the car; workers should conform to