Money Makes It Easy: Ignorance Sells

If money isn't the root of all "evil" like the popular phrase implies, let's leave what ever is a mystery. Today people get their kicks off the laziest and most unproffessional ethics of entertainment and media if you ask me. Music will be my prime example in this blog.


The music industry has almost trashed all standards and good criteria a musical artist needs to make it big. They have found out that raunchy lyrics and a suggestive appeal of these artists tends to relate and attract the audience of the real world. I've stated before in previous blogs that sex, drugs, violence, etc, is basicly running this world in terms of media. If creating a song, or even album revolved around promoting all of these things is all it takes to make millions, why not do it? It seems to be all about easy listening and relating to the general population, which includes a lot of crime and poverty ridden areas. In doing this, being poor or in a "struggle" with life is created as "cool" and interesting.

Let's be real, a song thats main chorus is "Super-Man dat Hoe" has little to no positive stimulation to our society and our children who grow up lisening to it. However, people buy it up. This has a lot to say about our world and not just the people putting this poisonous trend of ignorance into it. How did we get so accepting to lazyness? Can it even be traced back to anything or anyone? My guess is inflation, or the growing value of money. Our economy bounces up and down all the time, as does the employment rate. People are running out of ways to make money and especially creativity. However, it seems fathomable to be able to target those that do have money and are willing to spend it.

Kids and teenagers are some of the biggest consumers, and also the most interested in the music world. Their adolescent minds are easily targeted. As much money that flows into the music industry, it seems like a pretty good decision and career feild. A current rap artist "Waka Flocka Flame" even admits to the media that "I know I ain't the best at rapping, I just do it for the money like most rappers are starting to do". What will our world turn into if money contiues to draw us away from our moral values of positivity like this? Could we even consider ourselves anymore human than money itself?

Still According to Adorno??

A man named Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) coined a term "culture industry" in which i believe to fully explain even today's circulation and understanding of materialization and economy. Along with his buddy theorist Max Horkheimer, he adopted the belief that instead of the spread of pluralism (basic substances make up reality), society is corrupted by capitalist industry and motives. In other words, the world has become all about idolized materials and possessions rather than basic human needs such as food, water, and general happiness. The motive of the theory was to stress the individualism of people apart from the consumer view of mass culture. However, this was never respected. Instead, our entire world revolves around consumption of things that are only significant because we created the value. All types of items and materials have earned the title "Neccessary Evil", where there is both negative and positive significance. For example, electronics and technological innovations such as televisions, radios, computers, Ipods, cell phones, etc, ultimately rot our brains and consume the consumer so to speak of their time, energy, and of course money.
Clothes are needed to protect people from biological threats to ones body, but high-priced clothing that is almost to delicate to even bring out in the sun doesnt share they same significance if you ask me.

At this point in time, it just doesn't matter anymore. Consumerism runs rampant. Stores and shoping malls exist almost everywhere as trees and our old heartland of the outdoors is almost becoming non-existent! Retail strores bring large amounts of consumers everyday to their appealing atmosphere. Materialism is what keeps our society and economy alive! Not to mention the growing significance of whats on the market. Technological accessories are one of the most important, but also expensive things to obtain. The world connects through electronic devices more than in person, and it's becoming more usefull in the business world as well. Teenagers and even adults are able to contact people through electronic devices like never before. There are even online schooling aids via internet! Business meetings can be arranged from the U.S. all the way to China with computers and other technological methods that are sold on the market. Some material has made a permanent mark on our world in which it is important to obtain in order to operate at the same rate as everyone else.


ACCORDING TO ME.....

The individualist aspect of Adorno's theory has vanished in today's world if you ask me. Most of us share the same interest in obtaining expensive materials, and understand it as shaping our social and economic contentment. Those with the largest T.V. and fastest cell phones can't help the after feeling of "productivity" and accomplishment after buying them. Not to say that some people don't deserve to spend like their lives depend on it. If you're rich and work hard, all that money has go to go somewhere. However, i don't believe that your high monetary status is what makes you an elite of and individualist like some may. My own understanding of being an individualist is being an innovater rather than a consumer. Those who use their money to gice back to the community rather than feed off of industry. However, I can give the same respect to a consumer who follows their own guidelines and taste of luxury and materialism.

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Charlies Angels Sets Trend: Different Feminist Approach?

In most television shows that consist primarily of three or more female characters, the personalities of these characters interestingly don't resemble each other. One female character may be intelligent and strategic, one may be tough and aggressive, and the other may reflect more feminine characteristics such as beauty and fashion. I find it interesting that girls are portrayed as being able to have any given personality, but in terms of men, if they aren't always masculine it just doesn't make the cut. Furthermore, the basis of these type shows consists around "fighting" or investigating crime, which is usually understood in society as "man" like actions. In this case, why wouldn't all the characters have man-like characteristics?

The better question is why do male characters in super hero standard only express violence primarily to resolve conflict? It could be argued that a growing feminist idea is that men may only be usefull through aggressive means. Charlie's Angels is an excellent example, along with what I recognize as the cartoon version of this series, the Power Puff Girls. Both shows consist of three female based characters that are distinct from each other in persona, but work together to save their home town from crime and bad guys. The super hero has commonly been expressed through male characters like Super Man, Batman, the Green Lantern, Spider Man, etc. However, these heroes focus is always on their ability to fight and make dangerous feats in order to save the day. It's rare that male super heroes are seen as significant through making strategic decisions or for their blatant intelligence. Also, I myself cannot recall any movie or show where three or more male super heroes are high-lighted for anything besides their masculinity and ability to beat someone up. 

In Charlies Angels, the idea of the "Angels" is that with only three of them, they are able to fight crime in mutiple ways and not just violence. Is this phenomenon reserved for women? Moreover, is this barrier between "brains over bronze" becoming silently evident through the media? Charlies Angels is one of the earliest examples to use and could very well have been the start of this trend, or ideology. Of course this is just an idea. After all it does makes sense that three more sources of brain power and physical enforcement is better than just one, no matter if your a male or female. The set of Charlie's Angels just has a different feel of dominance than uses more than just the strength of your body, and almost limits the male super hero to just that.