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Everything’s Under Control
How globalized pop culture controls our lives
It’s well known that what we call “popular culture” is not something small and insignificant. Aside from being a behemoth, it’s pervasive and cross cultural. A song recorded in Calabasas, California can be hit in Seoul, South Korea, and vice versa as is the case of global pop-sensation BTS.
In fact, BTS is a great example of how pop culture is mass produced, expertly designed for an international audience and with the intention of making it as palatable, trendy and in touch with the current zeitgeist — as though assembled in some factory.
Factory made popular culture
The idea of factory-produced culture — the kind designed for the masses by organizations with social and political agendas — is nothing new.
20th century critical theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer described “The Culture Industry”, where popular culture is generated similar to other consumer goods like bread, furniture or automobiles, with numerous intentions.
Three of the main purposes are:
- To control social behavior
- To generate needs (cosmetic, material, psychological etc.)
- To advertise commercial goods and…
