Culture Industry

In the essay The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception, Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno write about the culture industry and the deception that naturally tags along beside it. Within the domain of the culture industry, they write about the technological transition from the telephone to the radio; and in doing so, they reveal that in this transition we go from being active participants within phone conversations, where we have the opportunity to respond, to being just a listener, where we have no other option but to just listen. This causes us to lose a sense of individuality and independence. They write that “the former (telephone) allowed the subscriber to play the role of subject and was liberal. The latter (radio) is democratic: it turns all participants into listeners and authoritatively subjects them to broadcast programs which are all exactly the same” (Spillman 2002).

I believe this is why critical thinking is so important. Sometimes we do not have a choice and must just listen, however, that does not mean we have to become or be a part of what we listen to. Horkheimer and Adorno explain what I view as some sort of melting pot idea or effect. Our entertainment all begins to fit into the same mold or standard with very little differentiation as part of the culture industry for business purposes for total control over what we, as the consumers, viewers, and listeners, experience. Horkheimer and Adorno are pretty blunt about this, which makes their essay so entertaining and in a way “a breath of fresh air” to read. They mention that “movies and radio need no longer pretend to be art. The truth that they are just business is made into an ideology in order to justify the rubbish they deliberately produce” (Spillman 2002).

Consumers, in this case, become just statistics and no longer people. We accept the culture industry and indulge in it, thus supporting its existence and power over us. We may not be able to completely reject the culture industry; even those living away from society out in the wilderness have been affected and influenced by the culture industry. But critical thinking may the one weapon we have left to fight for our individuality and our own voice within a culture that strives in conformity.

Critical thinking has started being stressed and encouraged within our education system. I went to a private high school for a day to interview teachers about the school, students, and the success of the school. The teachers all at one point or another mentioned how important critical thinking is and how they are trying to instill that within their students. It is under the perception that these students are the future thinkers of America, that stressing the importance of listening and questioning, as opposed to listening and just following, has become a priority in the school. And for any of us who have ever read the book, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen, we know that if we are not thinking critically within our schools and within our day to day lives, we will be deceived.

We may have to mold to the shape of our society, follow and abide by rules, and have no choice in entertainment other than what the bourgeoisie have provided. Our thinking and our minds, however, are ours to own and should be used to keep our individuality.

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Spillman, Lyn. Cultural Sociology: Horkheimer, Max; Adorno, Theodor. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception. Blackwell Publishing: 2002, p. 39-46.