Mass culture and Popular culture (1).docx

Samantha Phiri (1608392)
Critically explore the distinction between the idea of mass culture and the concept of popular culture.
Arguably, at the heart of the debate surrounding the definitions of mass culture and popular culture is the aim to establish what type of culture should have dominance in society. Critics of mass culture such as T.W Adorno push for the ascendancy of "high culture", as they suggest that authentic culture is "autonomous" and intellectually stimulating, while mass culture produces a standardised product that in turn incites a standardised reaction from its consumers. An example of this, would be a pop song with a political slant, such as Katy Perry's 'Chained To The Rhythm' which appears to address socio-political issues, but appeals to consumerism and the societal preoccupation with celebrities, thus pushing a standardised view that does not challenge the views of consumers.
Furthermore, it could be suggested that the proponents for the cultural dominance of high culture unwittingly advocate for the very attribute of mass culture they abhor – its transcendence. One could argue that once something becomes culturally dominant it becomes a "mass culture", meaning that the threshold between authenticity and commercialisation is inevitably crossed once something reaches popularity. However, Adorno does attempt to provide a solution to this problem by suggesting that art should be de-aestheticized for it to resist commercialisation. MacDonald also echoes similar sentiments as he suggests avant-gardism as a viable method to combat mass culture, claiming that it is possibly one of the few areas "where the serious artist can function". Essentially, Adorno and MacDonald suggest that active engagement with culture can only exist outside of the context of mass culture, as mass culture is incapable of yielding anything of substance due to its appeal to a diversified audience.
It could be also argued that Adorno and MacDonald's ideas of cultural engagement are quite limiting, for example one of Adorno's main criticisms of mass culture is that it is not reflective of socio-cultural reality because it erases "the differences between culture and practical life". But as Fiske shrewdly points out, for a product to be popular it must appeal to the interests of the people, meaning that "the people" play a more active role in determining what is commercially successful. Fiske further challenges Adorno's arguments against mass culture, by proposing a rather contradictory idea that suggests that some sections of popular culture are situated on the intersection of mass culture and "high culture" – Fiske makes the bold proclamation that popular culture is "not consumption, it is culture", arguing that it is a "living, active process" that can only be "developed from within" despite its commercial character.
It could be suggested that the rise of the internet is an example of this, as it has enabled popular culture to become increasingly more autonomous - seeing the proliferation of niche, counter-cultures within a mainstream context due to consumers actively engaging in the creation of culture. However, the lines that once divided the mainstream from the underground are consequently blurred, and thus the issue of distinguishing popular culture from mass culture also arises. According to Whetmore, for something to be defined as mass culture it must fulfil some criteria: "First, it must reach many people. Second, it requires the use of some technological device, located between source and destination". Arguably, this is where defining popular culture becomes rather complex, as it also possesses these attributes of mass culture - this then also raises the question of whether popular culture can be identified separately from mass culture. Tony Bennett addresses the complexity of distinguishing the two, arguing that: "as it stands, the concept of popular culture is virtually useless, a melting pot of confused and contradictory meanings capable of misdirecting inquiry up any number of theoretical blind alleys". This is arguably exemplified by the varying definitions of popular culture and mass culture, for instance, Adorno and Horkheimer abandon the terms "mass culture" and "popular culture" favouring of the concept of a "culture industry" because from their perspective there is no distinction between the two, as they are essentially one and the same because they both employ the use of mass media. Other critics such as Fiske, however, argue that although popular culture's defining characteristic is that "it is industrialised", the fact that it is "of the people" (Fiske, 2011) is what distinguishes it from what critics define as mass culture.
Furthermore, Chris Anderson's theory of the Long Tail further complicates this issue, as the suggestion that: "the future of entertainment is in the millions of niche markets", would imply that popular culture in a way is an extension of mass culture – in the sense that instead of imposing culture, it instead co-opts niche sub-cultures to feign cultural engagement. The increasing monopolisation of internet spaces is arguably an example of this, as aforementioned the internet has enabled what Fiske defines as popular culture to reach a wider audience, amplifying the folkloric attribute of popular culture with the technological equivalent of 'word of mouth'. However, it has also become an agent of mass culture because it imposes a manufactured product within spaces that supposedly encourage active engagement with culture. YouTube is arguably an example of this, as it employs the use of algorithms to provide advertisements that cater to the consumer's individualised needs and tastes. Fiske argues that this corporate element is to be expected as "we live in an industrialised society" (Fiske, 2011) and inevitably the culture will reflect that. Moreover, Fiske proposes that perhaps popular culture masters the "the art of being in-between"– it is neither mass culture or folk culture, it is instead a culture in which creativity is not determined by the commodity that is imposed but rather how consumers choose to interact with it.
In conclusion, attempting to strictly define mass culture and popular culture comes with great difficulties, as there are only minute details/features that distinguish one from the other. Popular culture can arguably be defined as something that is dualistically authentic and contrived, in the sense that it is a product of what Adorno refers to as the "culture industry" but is ultimately reliant on the input of the people, arguably making it an industrialised form of folk culture. Mass culture, on the other hand concerns itself with appropriating (or imposing) trends to make profit – it removes the "human element" from the creation of culture, replacing it with a "self-replicating" imitation of socio-cultural reality. What arguably distinguishes mass culture from popular culture is the level of engagement from its consumers – one is passive, whilst the other is active. However, there are still some complications that arise when attempting to determine active and passive engagement, as one must take into consideration that popular culture has created many different avenues that enable the passive consumption of niche cultures.
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Adorno, T. W, and Horkheimer, M (1997) Dialectic of Enlightenment, Verso Classics: United States. p.95
Katy, P. (2017). Chained To The Rhythm. [MP3] Los Angeles, California: Capitol.
Macdonald. D (2005) 'A theory of mass culture' pp.39-46 from Popular Culture: A Reader (eds: Guins, R and Cruz, O.Z) London, UK: Sage Publications ltd, p.42
Adorno, T. and Bernstein, J. (2007). The culture industry. 1st ed. London [u.a.]: Routledge, p.61.
Fiske, J. (2011). Understanding popular culture. 1st ed. London: Routledge, p.23.

Whetmore, E. J. (1985). Mediamerica—Form, content, and consequence of mass communication (3rd ed.). California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Bennett, T. (1986) 'The politics of the popular', p. 20. from Popular Culture and Social Relations. London: Open University Press

Anderson, C. (2009) The Longer Long Tail: How Endless Choice is Creating Unlimited Demand. London: Random House Business.
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