SOC 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Montgomery Clift, Symbolic Interactionism, Culture Industry
12 Jan 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Standardization
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We can only individuate ourselves in the parameters of society
Pseudo-individualization
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Reproduces capitalist ideology
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The Culture Industry Thesis by Adorno and Horkheimer (p. 106-118)
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^Viewing it from how popular culture is produced, who produces it, and NOT how popular
culture is used.
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Study guide online
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Last week
John Fiske
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As consumers in popular culture, we're more engaged and active in its products.
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Doesn't deny Frankfurt school of critique, but has more positive view of popular culture.
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Consumers actively read what the culture industry provides and interpret it differently based on
their own experiences, needs and desires.
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They do not passively accept messages and meanings.
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Semiotic: how we communicate in world, the symbols and signs we use, and what
we do with them.
They often engage in "semiotic guerrilla warfare" with dominant meanings.
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Socality barbie: made us self-aware of what we do in Instagram and what we do
with it.
Consumers appropriate and use pop culture.
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Consumers actively engage pop culture texts.
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2. The Popular Culture Thesis
John Ireland and Montgomery Clift admire and play w/ each other's "guns."
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1948: masculinity is more rigidly defined.
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The 2 guys really good at shooting.
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Wouldn't be seen like this before.
Sexual tension/innuendo: what be bring to a text is as meaningful as intentions of
producers.
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Red River (1948): Western movie.
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Jake Gyllenhaal and Health Ledger let gay masculinity out of the closet in the Westrn
genre.
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Producer was aware of Red River.
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Taking out of closet what was in Red River.
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Brokeback Mountain
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Pop Culture Genres
Consumers of popular culture often appropriate pop culture products.
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Little mermaid and hipsters
Ex. Internet Memes
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Drarry
Ex. "Fanzines" and fan fiction.
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Create new kinds of experiences, practices, and relationships that reflect alternative desires of
subversive meanings.
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SocalityBarbie and Instagram
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Baseball slogan. "Red skin" and "caucasians"
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Diet Racism
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Deconstructing popular culture icons to draw attention to systemic inequalities and bigoted
attitudes.
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Cultural Appropriation
How can we interpret the significance of Beyonce's performance from the perspectives of the
Culture Industry Thesis vs. Pop Culture Thesis?
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Beyonce performance at Super Blow 50 pays homage to Black Panther movement and Black
history.
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Super Bowl performance coincides w/ release of new song/video "Formation" -
#BlackLivesMatter
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Conflict Approach
Symbolic Interactionism
Superbowl (enormous audience) Halftime - Beyonce
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Beyonce and #BlackLivesMatter
Week 5 - Popular Culture Consumption
Thursday, February 11, 2016
11:10 AM
SOC 202 Page 1
