Mediaculture
INTRODUCTION: HIGH CULTURE VS POPULAR CULTURE
WHAT IS CULTURE? SOCIOLOGICAL ROOTS
Emile Durkheim and Max Weber
Culture = the shared beliefs, values, norms and social actions that provide meaning in an (otherwise)
meaningless world
The human condition: in contrast with other animals
o Homo sapiens = culture-creating animal
The social function: create order in meaningless world
o Durkheim: being ‘outside’ culture = anomie
Social construction
o We shape it but it also shapes us
o It liberates but it also limits us
Differs in time, place and varies per social group
Provide ingroup cohesion and outgroup conflict
Researcher is neutral
HIGH CULTURE VS POPULAR CULTURE
A SHORT CULTURAL HISTORY
Norbert Elias (the civilizing proces)
Analysis: how the cultural elite has defined the standard culture
o Values, manners,…
Looking down on the popular culture
o Uncivilized, simplistic
Distinction through high art, refined manners and controlling emotions
o Regime of civilization
Trickling down = overtime ordinary people take over the cultural standards of elite
Spiraling up = over time civilization level increases
HIGH CULTURE VS MASS(MEDIA) CULTURE
20th century: the rise, popularity and influence of mass media
1920: golden age of Hollywood
Mass consumption, advertising
Cultural elite: concerned about the influence on culture and high values
Critical theory about the culture industry (Horkheimer and Adorno)
Elitist theory
o The standardization of and commodification of culture
o Passive consuming audiences?
In academia mass media culture has been neglected or seen as a decline of high culture
Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcus, Neal Postman
LES 2: IDEOLOGY AND HEGEMONY
,Mediaculture
MEDIA TEKST EN CULTURELE BETEKENIS
Media content: texts containing cultural narratives that both reflect and shape society
Mirroring elements of our society
o Ideologies, …
Media texts may be original but always reflect values, norms of the society in which it is
produced
Media texts are consumed, appropriated and internalized by audiences and hence reproduce
and shapes values
o Vb. Mocro Maffia
Reflecting reality
MEDIA TEXT AND CULTURAL MEANING
Roots: neo-Marxisist perspective on the reflection and reproduction of inequality
Theory: economy and culture
o Basis and super structure
Ideological hegemony: dominant ideology consolidates the interests of those in power
False consciousness: the lower classes consider this normal
Function ideology: conceals inequality and exploitation in a society
IDEOLOGY AND MEDIA TEXT
Louis Althusser and Antonio Gramsci
Critical analysis shifts from economy to culture
o We should study how culture spreads,…
Don’t focus to much on the industrialism
Critical analysis shifts from economic tot inequalities
o Gender, ethnicity,…
Focus: ideology spreads via institutions
o School, journalism, media texts
Research agenda
Analyzing hegemonic ideology and inequality in different fields, various texts and across
different media
Political goal: equality and emancipation minorities
o Gender roles, heteronormativity, race & ethnicity
Women are often objectified and men are superior
Western society: homosexuality are not a part of it
They’re treated stereotypical
THE IDEOLOGY OF NEO(LIBERALISM)
Liberalism = a political ideology promoting a minimal role of the government
A free market and individual responsibility
Neo-liberalization since 1980’s (Thatcher, Reagan), and 1990’s (Clinton)
Embrace global capitalism/ decline social care
From particular political current to hegemonic ideology
o Shared ideology
Gives a lot of pressure
Makes u person who he/she is
o Capitalism and consumption are good
o Individual responsibility of success and failure
,Mediaculture
o Disciplining the self (mind/body)
Critics in the social science
Naomi Klein, Loic Wacquant and Mark Elchardus
o Structures who neoliberalism dismiss
THE IDEOLOGY OF NEOLIBERALISM IN MEDIA TEXTS (REALITY SHOWS)
It might be funny but we have seen the double mindset
The apprentice (reality show)
About Donald Trump
o Gives the message that we should work hard
Reality shows the ideology
o Every episode ends with a loser
Direct message that you don’t want to be that
Explicit celebration of neo-liberalism
o Capitalism logic
Self-responsibility, open competition, lack of empathy
Survivor (reality shows)
Romantic-nostalgic narrative and setting
o You have to win
The meaning of weight loss in reality-shows
People who apparently fail to self-optimize by normative social standards (overweight) are
failures who have only themselves to blame
o Failure is a failure of will
The biggest loser
Connotation fat: not taking control of your life (unsuccessful)
Connotation slim: taking control over your life (successful)
Message: fat is for losers slimness is for winners
Biological narrative: conquer personal problems
Social confirmation: the audience gives a massive applause when contestants lose weight
A naturalization of neo-liberal perspective on the body
THE NEOLIBERAL BODY
Is this natural of normal?
Not only talking about weight but also plastic surgery
Extreme makeover (reality show)
Surgeon: your face now looks much more natural!
Patient: I feel good – more like myself
Neo-Marxist interpretation: false consciousness
The naturalization of western neo liberal ideology
Legitimation: it’s natural, healthy,…
o We have braces because straight teeth are natural, beautiful,…
, Mediaculture
Assumption: hegemonic ideology spreads and normalizes since it is dominant across different
mediaforms
ADVERTISING: ICONIC BRANDS AS IDEOLOGICAL PARASITES
Douglas Holt
Iconic brands consciously use existing hegemonic ideologies to appeal to audiences
Given their omni-presence reinforces ideologies and explains success
Ideological parasites
Brands are viewed as symbols
Case-study Jack Daniel’s America – culture branding
o Reviving the ideology of the wild west
o Locating the meaning and value of brand symbolism in a particular historical context
You like it because it context and meaning
o Intertextual (referring to other products)
Vb. Western movies
o Cultural agents (referring to celebrity drinking)
CONCLUSION
Protest: cultural and political resistance against any hegemonic ideology
Traditional gender-roles,…
Defending tolerance, diversity,…
IS REALITY TV NEOLIBERAL?
Reality TV development
Emerged as a unique television genre in the past 20 years.
Reflects the social and economic context of its time.
Neoliberal logic in Reality TV
Shows are often described as having a neoliberal framework.
Participants are depicted as self-reliant and responsible for their own success.
Entrepreneurial subjectivity
"Ordinary people" are cast to perform competitive, entrepreneurial roles.
They strive for extraordinary rewards with little expectation of fair compensation.
Media's narrative construction
Media industries create stories that align with neoliberal values.
These narratives reflect the decline in collective social support and growing inequality.
Rise of Reality TV
Defined early 2000s pop culture.
Over 20% of U.S. primetime programming since 2001.
Linked to media convergence, celebrity culture, and international format trade.
Cost-effective production
INTRODUCTION: HIGH CULTURE VS POPULAR CULTURE
WHAT IS CULTURE? SOCIOLOGICAL ROOTS
Emile Durkheim and Max Weber
Culture = the shared beliefs, values, norms and social actions that provide meaning in an (otherwise)
meaningless world
The human condition: in contrast with other animals
o Homo sapiens = culture-creating animal
The social function: create order in meaningless world
o Durkheim: being ‘outside’ culture = anomie
Social construction
o We shape it but it also shapes us
o It liberates but it also limits us
Differs in time, place and varies per social group
Provide ingroup cohesion and outgroup conflict
Researcher is neutral
HIGH CULTURE VS POPULAR CULTURE
A SHORT CULTURAL HISTORY
Norbert Elias (the civilizing proces)
Analysis: how the cultural elite has defined the standard culture
o Values, manners,…
Looking down on the popular culture
o Uncivilized, simplistic
Distinction through high art, refined manners and controlling emotions
o Regime of civilization
Trickling down = overtime ordinary people take over the cultural standards of elite
Spiraling up = over time civilization level increases
HIGH CULTURE VS MASS(MEDIA) CULTURE
20th century: the rise, popularity and influence of mass media
1920: golden age of Hollywood
Mass consumption, advertising
Cultural elite: concerned about the influence on culture and high values
Critical theory about the culture industry (Horkheimer and Adorno)
Elitist theory
o The standardization of and commodification of culture
o Passive consuming audiences?
In academia mass media culture has been neglected or seen as a decline of high culture
Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcus, Neal Postman
LES 2: IDEOLOGY AND HEGEMONY
,Mediaculture
MEDIA TEKST EN CULTURELE BETEKENIS
Media content: texts containing cultural narratives that both reflect and shape society
Mirroring elements of our society
o Ideologies, …
Media texts may be original but always reflect values, norms of the society in which it is
produced
Media texts are consumed, appropriated and internalized by audiences and hence reproduce
and shapes values
o Vb. Mocro Maffia
Reflecting reality
MEDIA TEXT AND CULTURAL MEANING
Roots: neo-Marxisist perspective on the reflection and reproduction of inequality
Theory: economy and culture
o Basis and super structure
Ideological hegemony: dominant ideology consolidates the interests of those in power
False consciousness: the lower classes consider this normal
Function ideology: conceals inequality and exploitation in a society
IDEOLOGY AND MEDIA TEXT
Louis Althusser and Antonio Gramsci
Critical analysis shifts from economy to culture
o We should study how culture spreads,…
Don’t focus to much on the industrialism
Critical analysis shifts from economic tot inequalities
o Gender, ethnicity,…
Focus: ideology spreads via institutions
o School, journalism, media texts
Research agenda
Analyzing hegemonic ideology and inequality in different fields, various texts and across
different media
Political goal: equality and emancipation minorities
o Gender roles, heteronormativity, race & ethnicity
Women are often objectified and men are superior
Western society: homosexuality are not a part of it
They’re treated stereotypical
THE IDEOLOGY OF NEO(LIBERALISM)
Liberalism = a political ideology promoting a minimal role of the government
A free market and individual responsibility
Neo-liberalization since 1980’s (Thatcher, Reagan), and 1990’s (Clinton)
Embrace global capitalism/ decline social care
From particular political current to hegemonic ideology
o Shared ideology
Gives a lot of pressure
Makes u person who he/she is
o Capitalism and consumption are good
o Individual responsibility of success and failure
,Mediaculture
o Disciplining the self (mind/body)
Critics in the social science
Naomi Klein, Loic Wacquant and Mark Elchardus
o Structures who neoliberalism dismiss
THE IDEOLOGY OF NEOLIBERALISM IN MEDIA TEXTS (REALITY SHOWS)
It might be funny but we have seen the double mindset
The apprentice (reality show)
About Donald Trump
o Gives the message that we should work hard
Reality shows the ideology
o Every episode ends with a loser
Direct message that you don’t want to be that
Explicit celebration of neo-liberalism
o Capitalism logic
Self-responsibility, open competition, lack of empathy
Survivor (reality shows)
Romantic-nostalgic narrative and setting
o You have to win
The meaning of weight loss in reality-shows
People who apparently fail to self-optimize by normative social standards (overweight) are
failures who have only themselves to blame
o Failure is a failure of will
The biggest loser
Connotation fat: not taking control of your life (unsuccessful)
Connotation slim: taking control over your life (successful)
Message: fat is for losers slimness is for winners
Biological narrative: conquer personal problems
Social confirmation: the audience gives a massive applause when contestants lose weight
A naturalization of neo-liberal perspective on the body
THE NEOLIBERAL BODY
Is this natural of normal?
Not only talking about weight but also plastic surgery
Extreme makeover (reality show)
Surgeon: your face now looks much more natural!
Patient: I feel good – more like myself
Neo-Marxist interpretation: false consciousness
The naturalization of western neo liberal ideology
Legitimation: it’s natural, healthy,…
o We have braces because straight teeth are natural, beautiful,…
, Mediaculture
Assumption: hegemonic ideology spreads and normalizes since it is dominant across different
mediaforms
ADVERTISING: ICONIC BRANDS AS IDEOLOGICAL PARASITES
Douglas Holt
Iconic brands consciously use existing hegemonic ideologies to appeal to audiences
Given their omni-presence reinforces ideologies and explains success
Ideological parasites
Brands are viewed as symbols
Case-study Jack Daniel’s America – culture branding
o Reviving the ideology of the wild west
o Locating the meaning and value of brand symbolism in a particular historical context
You like it because it context and meaning
o Intertextual (referring to other products)
Vb. Western movies
o Cultural agents (referring to celebrity drinking)
CONCLUSION
Protest: cultural and political resistance against any hegemonic ideology
Traditional gender-roles,…
Defending tolerance, diversity,…
IS REALITY TV NEOLIBERAL?
Reality TV development
Emerged as a unique television genre in the past 20 years.
Reflects the social and economic context of its time.
Neoliberal logic in Reality TV
Shows are often described as having a neoliberal framework.
Participants are depicted as self-reliant and responsible for their own success.
Entrepreneurial subjectivity
"Ordinary people" are cast to perform competitive, entrepreneurial roles.
They strive for extraordinary rewards with little expectation of fair compensation.
Media's narrative construction
Media industries create stories that align with neoliberal values.
These narratives reflect the decline in collective social support and growing inequality.
Rise of Reality TV
Defined early 2000s pop culture.
Over 20% of U.S. primetime programming since 2001.
Linked to media convergence, celebrity culture, and international format trade.
Cost-effective production
