7 __RCAL THOR Poni etre
marco
television
Adorno and reality 5
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What is the connection between the nature rn
: ature of the modern metropolis and
Why does Simmel argue that imitation is central to the social ute of fa
Do you agree that fashion is as important as music with regard
ic with regard to many
contemporary pop stars? Why do you think that this isthe ease?
FURTHER READING
overviews of Simmel’s work see David Frisby’s books, Simmel and Since: Esays
om Georg Simsmel’s Social Theory, Fragments of Modernity, and Georg Simmel. For
@ contemporary overview sential relationship between pop celebrities
and fashion, see Pamela Church Gibson's book, Fashion and Celebrity Culture.
moving to Ametiea in the 1930s co escape the Nazi party, Adorno produced
nee 1
SOCALTHEORY IN POPULAR CULTURE
ies OF apie & beter social sytem that wear
Rom the inequalities ofan ae =
2nd insiled“tishine? desires Are
(2003) , unlike previous theorists and arguat
ae te Meth Are ER Lago Ce tus oop cine
2 eng Cur ce oF change, key aca oe ee ‘Adorno were alive today,
‘School angued that mi Iolo Toe X Buctr, Told
stasis and social, cultural and political eens
Manes wich pial values had spread to arer boy ‘ADORNO AND
Culture that is commoditized, marketed, and standacloed ee brand of uniformiey th
vvew such as cinema, radio
Suita arefaces simply representing copies of previous)
with litde innovation. To illustrate with reference v0 ci
‘Here then, we have an updated
major forms of the mass com
porary examples, ky Jton Statham or Dwayne
ron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Olva Wik, Megen fo
ey Coops or Steve Catal ten we csc te
kinds of :
also, interestingly, astrology
this chapeer willbe tele-SCOAUTHEORY WN POPULAR CULTURE
ject of calcul, - pena Petition; they ate noting more ‘marketability: Consequent
pratt: 20¢ only ae ee Se peg Of he machinery’ Adora tose met seemin
Fr ofee Progress inthe culture adit. the ncn sew which
it offers up, remains the disguise for an eerat sameness; everywhere the
SESUEEE DA 4 skleton which has changed ju fle wee
‘selfSnce the time it frst guned its predominance overeat, Coes, 100)
Tg SSenaso that Adorno presents is one ofthe commoatiy, the pervasive capi-
trating not only the major industrial compo:
‘expressions of popular culture. The resue i»
that popular music takes,
dardization ~ down to
consuming public wants, as