Adorno and Horkheimer’s Culture Industry theory

Adorno and Horkheimer’s Culture Industry theory

Adorno and Horkheimer’s Culture Industry theory explains how popular culture acts as an industry in the capitalist society. They argued that popular culture had contributed a lot to the production of standardized products, which has created standardized consumers. In other words, the culture industry has reached a point of controlling people’s needs and desires. The industry has become the greatest capitalist system of production that not only focuses on creating profit but also developing people that are adapted to the needs of the system. After a detailed examination of these two social thinker’s arguments about the cultural industry, the theory is still relevant in today’s digital world.

The culture industry can best be explained using examples of Television lifestyles. Characters in TV shows are presented in an attractive and appealing look leading a good life, with great homes and nice cars. Although these programs are intended to entertain, they, at the same send a message to viewers on how a good life should look like. They are meant to influence people to adopt a certain mode of dressing, food to eat, how to furniture their houses, and even kind of cars they should possess. On the other, some programs that revolve around themes related to poverty presents characters in stressful life that no one would like to live. Therefore, although they impart a sense of empathy among the consumer, they play a part in motivating society to do everything possible and avoid such a life.

In the current world, media had become one of the greatest influential platforms in society. People want to purchase products advertised through media as they consider them. Once a new product is brought to the limelight of society through media, it captures people’s attention, and everyone wants to have a test. Big companies are using the media to market their products. The fact that social media have brainwashed people’s mind, they are made to believe that everything that gets to the market through the industry is genuine. Also, the use of celebrities in the current world is another influential power that companies use to persuade consumers to purchase their products. Companies use prominent people for marketing their products, a move that increases consumer’s purchasing power.

For example, think of ladies who act like models to advertise specific products. They are beautiful and impart society with the feeling that once they use the product, they will become attractive. As a result, people end up purchasing the product aiming to assume a better body figure or having smooth skin, but it depends on the intended objective of the advertised good. Indeed, as Adorno and Horkheimer argue, the culture industry has taken the lead in the capitalist society following higher influential power. It has changed society’s perception of the reality of the world, such that people are purchasing products depending on media influence.

Unfortunately, big businesses, in collaboration with mass culture, have become an exploitative system of late-capitalism. Capitalists are using the media to deceive society. People are convinced that a certain product is genuine, and once purchased, an individual will achieve a certain goal. For example, some advertisement informs that a product will make one look younger than the actual age. Everyone wants to look young, meaning that people will purchase the product. However, the corporate’s primary aim is to make a profit by influencing society to test the product since it is the best.

Indeed, the culture industry has contributed a lot in influencing society’s desires and needs, but in an exploitative manner. People purchase a product not because it is good or have beneficial use but due to influence created through media advertisement. Therefore, it will be wrong to deny that Adorno and Horkheimer’s Culture Industry theory is still relevant in