Soc. 118 Soc. 118 Media, Culture & Society Media, Culture & Society Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Monsters, Inc.: Monsters, Inc.: A Critical A Critical Approach to Approach to Popular Culture Popular Culture
Jan 06, 2016
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: No LogoNo Logo 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
Corporate BrandingCorporate Branding Video: Video: No Logo: No Logo:
Brands, Globalization Brands, Globalization and Resistance”and Resistance”
Video PresentationVideo Presentation
“No Logo: Brands, “No Logo: Brands, Globalization and Globalization and
Resistance”Resistance”
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 Websites (2011)Top 10 Websites (2011)
1. Google1. Google
2. Facebook 2. Facebook
3. Yahoo3. Yahoo
4. YouTube 4. YouTube
5. Bing5. Bing
6. Wikipedia 6. Wikipedia
7. Amazon7. Amazon
8. MSN8. MSN
9. Microsoft Live9. Microsoft Live
10. Ebay 10. Ebay
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