Commercial Culture: The Rise of Culture Industries in a World Fighting for Authenticity and Change
In 2002, a much-loved American cartoon was airing its thirteenth season. The family known for their familiar faces and formula were having a particularly mediocre reception. The critics were ambivalent, but episodes of the show were still nominated for several awards. The Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program that year went to Futurama [1].
In 2019, a much-loved American cartoon was airing its thirtieth season. The animated show became the longest-running scripted primetime television show in the united states despite a supposed decline in quality of episodes [2]. In the years leading to this moment, there were a few controversies while providing a satire representation of life as the working-class, but the Fox Network franchise steered true [3].
In 2002, a faceless street artist stencilled an iconic image of young girl and red heart-shaped balloon. Arguably, as one of the artist’s less confrontational statements, the artwork gained immense popularity after its first appearance on Waterloo Bridge, England [4].
In 2019, a faceless street artist sold one of his original prints of “Girl With Balloon” for $1.4 million dollars. When the auction ended, the artist activated shredder he had built into the customised frame in the event it was put up to sold. The work was destroyed then and there creating a new art piece “Love is in the Bin” [5]. Interpret these events as you wish, but from the outside, it looks as though this was once again a strong commentary on consumerism.
The Simpsons and Banksy are on two opposite sides of the culture industries. On one hand, you have The Simpsons which inspired other shows and has broken records in a massive franchise embedded in mass production and commercial gain. On the other is Banksy, an artist who puts the meaningful and somewhat disruptive message and their creative work at the forefront of every art piece they produce.
In Storey’s (2014) consideration of popular culture, six definitions validate a product or creation as such because it is popularity, not high culture, postmodern, mass commercial culture, belongs to the people and a site of hegemonic struggle. Both Banksy and The Simpsons belong to at least one of these categories.
Horkheimer and Adorno (1993) define of the culture industry as a whole through power relations where the consumers are passive and simply following the defined cultural norms. Further, culture industries essentially remove the artistic value from culture through commercial gain and a shift into thin entertainment enterprises. However, the very notion that popular culture and the cultural products of the industry vary significantly such as The Simpsons and Banksy encourages more thought.
At the core of the culture industries and popular culture is creativity, even if this creative output is restricted by a set of deeply entrenched ideals and socio-cultural norms such as mass production and fiscal return. So, what happens when two worlds collide?
Wagner (1981) argues that we know that creativity is embryonic and in understanding that it is within human nature to be transformative, creativity helps redefine the boundaries of social institutions (Rosaldo, Lavie and Narayan 1993). While Edward Sapir (1924), speaks about creation as, “a bending of form to one’s will, not the manufacture of form ex nihilo [Latin: out of nothing]” (p. 418). Finally, Jenkins (2006) describes consumption through collective intelligence and participatory culture. That is, there is power in media industries for consumers if they pool their effort and skills. This is the foundation for meaning-making, communities, a sense of place and more.
What this means, is that when we take a look at the social commentary embedded in ‘The Simpsons by Banksy’ above, deeper meaning and potentially larger societal impacts are possible.
In the adapted title screen for The Simpsons, the 1 minute and 43 seconds clip makes reference to several slighted symbolic representations of the world (and indeed, the cultural industries):
1. Three eyed bird carrying rat that immediately precedes a shot of the power plant and burning tyres; An observation of the impact of pollution on the environment and planet.
2. Plaque on the statue insinuating that having ‘good spirit’ helps the little man ‘feel’ big; A comment on having the appropriate attitude and/or that climbing up the social ladder is not possible for everyone.
3. Donuts of Lard; A representation of fast food chains, an incredibly huge commodity plus a dash of expectations of value and advertising giants positioning a certain type of customer as norm.
4. Krusty having to broaden his business model to include funerals because the economy has pushed him beyond his training and expertise; The duality of mental health and the world of working to death for eventual freedom.
5. Bart defying instruction (blackboard); Literally colouring outside of the box and pushing the limits of circumstances and meaning.
6. Shift to the underworld; The illusion to the masses and expectations to do one’s duty for the greater good; The façade vs the reality; Elite vs everyday people.
7. Waste vat as symbolic of the toxicity of manufactured and commodified merchandise and entertainment.
8. A larger percentage of people have to slave away with little or no recognition for others; Commentary on the hierarchical nature of world and the cruel disposable world of commercial enterprises.
9. Some life is worth less than others or the crude realisation that mass production is hurting the environment and the creatures that live in it.
10. Hidden and abused unicorn; That the powers that be are hiding parts of the world from the rest; Sweatshops and the corporate machine as enemy; Mass production of culture as dirty and immoral.
The clip was made in 2010, and it still seems applicable to some of the facets of the cultural world we live in today. At what cost are mass produced culture industries producing content? Both The Simpsons and Banksy have an important historical place in popular culture, and both offer the opportunity to shift existing narratives and dismantle ideals that negatively impact humans, our planet and more.
*Written for CIM402 — Critical Inquiry — SAE Institute. Blog Task 1, Part A.
References:
Horkheimer, M. & Adorno, T. W. (1993). The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception. In Dialectic of Enlightenment. New York: Continuum. Pp. 120–167.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Sapir, E. (1924). Culture, Genuine and Spurious. American Journal of Sociology, 29(4), pp. 401–29.
Storey, J. (2014). What is popular culture? In Cultural theory and popular culture: An introduction. Harlow: Pearson Longman. Pp. 1–15.
Wagner, R. (1981). The Invention of Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Websites:
[1] https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2002/outstanding-short-format-animated-program
[2] https://www.looper.com/203093/the-longest-running-tv-shows-in-history/
[4] https://www.artsy.net/artist-series/banksy-girl-with-balloon
[5] https://www.instagram.com/p/BomXijJhArX/?utm_source=ig_embed
YouTube Clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo&feature=emb_logo
