I agree with Adorno & Horkheimer article about the culture industry. In the very first paragraph they state “Culture today is infection everything with sameness. Film, radio, and magazines for a system. Each branch of culture is unanimous within itself and all are unanimous together.” I believe this sum up the entire article. Our culture is technology and is consumes us every day. Take for example YouTube sensations, everyone everywhere sees these ridiculous video that have been made, but we are all sharing the experience. Currently one video (which I believe is one of the dumbest things our society has come up with) is the Harlem Shake. Click here if you are not sure what I am talking about Harlem Shake

I really do not know the point of the video itself, but what I do know is everyone has seen it which puts us all in the same category of “wasting our time” in my opinion. My point is technology brings us together to experience the same things everyone else does. However, this does not always have to be a waste of time. 

An example of technology infecting us with sameness is bringing us together to do something that will benefit our society. Watch the video on crisis mapping (click here: Crisis Mapping Ted Talks) and think about the fact so many people can contribute to a great cause. Although Adorno & Horkheimer put their views of “culture infecting everything with sameness” is more of a negative light, I believe it can be both positive and negative as you can see with crisis mapping. However, I believe everything can be taken as a positive or a negative in life; it is a matter of how you use that power.

I would have to say when given the choice between Adorno & Horkheimer & Marcuse versus Negri &Hardt & diamond & Dyer-Witheford I would say I agree with Adorno & Horkheimer & Marcuse more because I have personally witness their topics.

For example, the point they make in One-Dimensional Man about increasing satisfaction is something I am currently going through. What I mean is, my aunt and uncle are giving me money to buy an iPad for a graduation gift. Why an iPad? I have a computer, an e-reader and an iPod, so why must have this newest technology? I would love to have this amazing explanation, but in all reality I do not. The iPad is easier for me to carry and to take to classes and soon-to-be meetings in the work world than my heavy laptop and my e-reader and iPod will not do the amazing application that the iPad can. Although, I want this new technology which will increase my satisfaction; I know I will not be upgrading it for a long time (unless it breaks). I can say this with certainty because my iPod is 6 years old and still looks and works as if it came out of the box yesterday. I like to take good care of my technology, but I cannot say that if a piece of technology comes out and I believe it offers me a new benefit to add in my life that will not purchase it.

For some reason my generation and what society is turning into really relies on increase satisfaction with the technological tools we have at are fingers tips. Those who work in the technology industry are lucky because if they give us a new cool feature (or market it that way) we are always going to want it to increase our satisfaction. 

Logos there everywhere

Brands and logos whichever you prefer to think about them; they are everywhere like Naomi Klein states in No Logo. When think about writing this assignment you have to think about brands and logos. I mean I am writing this assignment first through Microsoft Word and on my Compaq laptop which is made by HP. Three brands and I have barely started writing my blog.

When I created my list of brands I really became aware of my surroundings, forcing myself to look around and actually see what was all around me. When I woke the first thing I looked at was my phone (it serves as my alarm clock) and it is a Sprint phone built by Samsung. Then I look at Facebook to help me wake and I also check my Outlook email and Google email. Then I thought what if I did not have a cell phone; well to start I would not have an alarm clock that plays a gentle tone for me to wake up to. I also, would not have a way to communicate quickly with anyone who is important to me. If I did not have a smart phone I would not have the ability to check my Facebook every 5 seconds and I would not be able to check my emails. Come to think of it, I would probably not stress myself out at the being of the day; however, we crave instant gratification and instant knowledge. We need to know what is happening right now. This was a lot to think about just when I woke up and I had not even started my list.

Then I started to get ready for the day. I took a shower and I had brand name shampoo and conditioner, face wash, body wash, and razor. Everything I used to take a shower has well-known brands. I started to feel consumed by all the brands. Then I started thinking about all the work that went into making those products, because the documentary we watch in class about Mardi Gras really opened me to think about how I got the product I use.  With all these thoughts in my mind I started to think about the United States and what these brands and logos make us think and then I was struck by a song.

Think of the song by Queen called I Want it All; this song starts off “I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.” 75 percent of the song has those lyrics in it. To listen to the whole song click here: I want it all                                                                                  

 Those two phrases I want it all and I want it now are really what are society is about. We are never satisfied with anything have because we want everything. And why do we want everything? Because brands advertise us to think if we do not have it we are not cool or the next big thing is already here. Take for example the Samsung Galaxy S III commercial (click here to watch: Samsung vs Apple) it shows people waiting for yet another iPhone, but then they show the cool new features of the Galaxy and people now want that phone instead. We are constantly shown the next best thing.

Then I continued my day and went to class continuing to write down my list of brands. Then I caught myself doing something I am not very proud of. I realized if I see someone who has a North Face jacket or Dr. Beats Headphones or a Mac I automatically assume they have money. However, once I caught myself thinking this stereotype I quickly remember they may not bought the items themselves, but then I thought now I am stereotyping their families. My point is not only do people stereotype people for the way they act or their ethnic background, but now brands are being used to divide people and put them into categories of stereotypes. This made me wonder is there any hope for the stereotypes to ever stop or rather is there a way to have positive stereotypes?  What we were asked to do for this blog has been very eye opening for me.