Wednesday, December 2, 2009

General unsubstantiated thoughts on Adorno's theory...

OK, so this is quite an informal post with just a few words on what I think of this theory:

Firstly, I'd like to point out the hypocracy of Adorno's arguement... he suggests the music he listens to is authentic, however classical music has it's own conformity, elements of the music produce similar automatic response from the listener. The difference is that Adorno feels he belongs to an enlightened elite group, however he, in my opinion is a victim of the same pseudo-individualism he accuses the working class of. Just as I don't listen to 'pop' music, but I am aware that bands I listen to have a similarity to other bands I listen to, just with any genre.




The similarities between The Strokes and Tokyo Police Club are quite obvious... though I love them both.

Secondly, in a modern day setting 'pop music' is at an all time high and it permeates into all sorts of genre's without any of them containing the genuine authenticity Adorno talks about. My opinion is that a modern equivelant of 'authentic' music is lo-fi acoustic music from artists such as The Mountain Goats... basic songs with simple melodies and guitar parts, he writes songs endlessly, recording them even if they're extremely rough or sketchy for the sake of making music and expressing an idea, personally, I eqaute this with the exploration of ideas and poetry, rather than listening to the music for the hooks and the aesthetics.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Task 2- Adorno/Marxism: Popular vs. Authentic.

Adorno's theories regarding what he dubs 'authentic' and 'popular' music concern the way music can be used to create the illusion of individuality or 'pseudo-indivisualisation' in order to reinforce capitalist ideologies. Firstly, Adorno describes what he views to be 'popular music' as a pose to authentic music. The key difference being that popular music is standardised i.e. it uses repetitive harmonies, rhythms and melodies to create a situation where 'the hit will lead back to the same familiar experience' this standard format is put in place to trigger 'standard reactions' i.e. the hooks of popular music all have a resemblance to one another that equates to automatic like-ability. This generates the opportunity for companies to make any song a hit... as long as it fills minimum requirements of what is popular and the company can put in enough money to ensure that the music is repeatedly 'plugged' through media outlets such as radio, television etc. because the standardisation of songs creates a 'multiple choice questionnaire' where the customer purchasing the music selects from 'pre-digested' genre's of music to which he builds an individual personality. The illusion being that he is actually one of many customers that conform to exactly the same 'individual' standards. Not only this but the customer then takes comfort in the fact that he is a member of one of many 'individuals' that recognises the music and accepts this music as good. This system is used to generate capitalist profit but also as a distraction for the working classes who's lives are laborious and monotonous enough to swallow a taste of the arts as a distraction whilst needing something that demands little attention to fulfill the limited hours they have to spend on distractions from their work. (Adorno, 1941, ch. 11, pg. 17-48)

Adorno's theories were written in the 1940's and the pop music he describes refers to the influx of African influenced music such as Jazz and Rhythm and Blues as a pose to the elements of classical music he viewed as authentic. However, their is an applicability to modern music, for example popular music generated form the television show 'X Factor' tends to use extremely similar pop ballads and danceable numbers with similarly typically beautiful people singing them in order to create the 'standard rections' that Adorno talks about. The show it's self is part of the 'plugging' element that creates hits through repetition (Wilson, 2007, pg. 30). Recently, in an interview with the Guardian, Damon Albarn of the band Gorillaz said of their new record: "I've tried to connect pop sensibility with trying to make people understand the essential melancholy of buying a ready made meal in loads of plastic packaging. People who watch X Factor might have some emotional connection to these things, that detritus that accompanies what seems the most essential thing in people's lives these days, the celebrity, the voyeurism." highlighting how X-factor generates the idea of individualism and escapism that Adorno describes as true of all pop music.

Bibliography

Adorno, T.W.,1941, Studies in Philosophy and Social Science, New York: institute of social research, 1941, ch. 11, pg. 17-48

Wilson, R., 2007, Theodore Adorno, pg. 30

The NME website, 2009, Damon Albarn Names New Album, Takes On 'X-Factor', [online] (updated November 30th 2009) available at: http://www.nme.com/news/gorillaz/48632 [accessed November 30th 2009]

Monday, November 16, 2009

A discussion of Panopticism in modern society.


Foucault outlines Panopticism as a system for which institutions (governments, schools etc.) wield and use power through surveillance, or rather, the fear of being surveyed.

A contemporary example of a Panoptic power structure could be the soon to be implemented National I.D. cards under Labour government. These cards will collect the information and photo identities of every British citizen in the country. This is Panoptic in the sense that the Government would take control of these records of us and be able to survey and update these records. The idea that these records exist could force people to inhibit their behavior accordingly, a proccess that Foucault refers to as "a machine for creating and sustaining a power relation independant of the person who exercises it; in short, that the inmates be caught up in a power situation of which they themselves are the bearers."(Reading Images, chapter 8 pg 83, Panopticism) This can be interpreted as suggesting that the idea of being surveyed creates a self regulating behaviour, the Government need make no display of power with these I.D. cards, they need not track down deviants using the system, but create the idea that it is a possibility through the illusion of surveillance. Foucault then describes how as a pose to a display of power that counters productivity and usefulness of society, Panoptic institutions have a "role of amplification... its aim is to strengthen the social forces - to increase production, to develop the economy..."(Reading Images, chapter 8 pg 87, Panopticism). The Government's I.D. card scheme would also have this impact, creating a nation of 'docile bodies' from which, the Government can develop it's economy and production.

*I'm very sorry that I only used two quotes in this but jamming 5 in would most likely hinder my ability to write this in essay style.