Here in Europe, left-leaning people were extremely critical of TV and especially Americam cultural hegemony. Disney was seen as a prime example. No doubt these people were heavily influenced by Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse. Their critique certainly was spot-on in some ways. But as so often happens, and as you alluded to as well, they got lost in their own presuppositions and biases (few critical theorists have been able to apply their methods to themselves ever since). I find the forcing of Marxian categories in Marcuse particularly tortured, and Adorno's elitist taste in art and music is notorious even among his fans. Good job getting useful insights out of this tradition, something too few in the political right are willing to do.
TEP, this was a brilliant and timely piece and very thought-provoking. The homogenisation of experience lies at the heart of the challenges we face. Disrupting the construction of experience by industry and social engineers is the defining feature of resistance. Unless we find ways of doing this there is no chance of recovering individual autonomy or preserving anything that might be left of organic association.
The totalising forces of disintegration directed at us by the elites rely on destabilising us via infotainment (the sugar coated bait for indoctrination).
Prioritising real experience for vicarious, let alone virtual is fundamental, so too is prioritising the personal over the impersonal and the local over the global. Self-cultivation is the essential tactic: learning craft and trade skills, learning musical instruments, developing our capacities rather than relying on apps or machines.
Well, as I said in the post, I think that's a secondary matter. Once parents turned over the entertainment and enculturation of their children to corporate conglomerates the structures and incentives were aligned for what has happened since. But my answer to your question, as usual, is the managerial class. It's interests and values, combined with it's aptitude and skills, made the "capture" (if that's even strictly speaking necessary) of Disney by managerial liberalism pretty much inevitable.
Thanks for your comment. If I'm reading it correctly, it seems to point to a pervasive problem with using this platform. Which is not to say there aren't great benefits to the platform, but it does have its tradeoffs. However, since I suspect you're hardly alone in this regard, rather than answer in the comments section, I think it would be a good idea to create a post specifically addressed to these questions. I can't promise it will be the next post, but soon. Before the end of October for sure. I have a lot of plate in the air behind the scenes, here.
I think the so-called Great Resignation is part of that. People are leaving the corporate urban for rural and community. Covid reminded a lot of people what is truly important. There is a lot less appreciation for the expert know it alls after covid, though it may seem like not much has changed because corporate culture has remained the empty vapid exploitative thing it has always been. We need models. We need people to articulate what such an organic change might look like, because they are making such change.
If a return to community (for those sucked into manufactured, homogeneous corporate-mediated culture) and all its cultural trappings is itself to arise organically, I wonder if it’s even advisable to try and articulate the resulting transformation. I think anyone of us can advocate for a process, throw our ideas out there and then let things unfold as they may.
It takes a certain kind of smarty-pants to recognize that the only way ahead is for people to figure things out for themselves, in their own particular ways. Thank you for dedicating your considerable intellect towards generating a narrative that helps us all internalize the reality that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to be had from our betters.
Here in Europe, left-leaning people were extremely critical of TV and especially Americam cultural hegemony. Disney was seen as a prime example. No doubt these people were heavily influenced by Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse. Their critique certainly was spot-on in some ways. But as so often happens, and as you alluded to as well, they got lost in their own presuppositions and biases (few critical theorists have been able to apply their methods to themselves ever since). I find the forcing of Marxian categories in Marcuse particularly tortured, and Adorno's elitist taste in art and music is notorious even among his fans. Good job getting useful insights out of this tradition, something too few in the political right are willing to do.
Thank you. Greetings to Europe.
TEP, this was a brilliant and timely piece and very thought-provoking. The homogenisation of experience lies at the heart of the challenges we face. Disrupting the construction of experience by industry and social engineers is the defining feature of resistance. Unless we find ways of doing this there is no chance of recovering individual autonomy or preserving anything that might be left of organic association.
The totalising forces of disintegration directed at us by the elites rely on destabilising us via infotainment (the sugar coated bait for indoctrination).
Prioritising real experience for vicarious, let alone virtual is fundamental, so too is prioritising the personal over the impersonal and the local over the global. Self-cultivation is the essential tactic: learning craft and trade skills, learning musical instruments, developing our capacities rather than relying on apps or machines.
And of course do not forget how homogenized culture facilitates manufacturing public opinion and consent.
when and who hid behind the Disney name or brand? when did the shift occur?
Well, as I said in the post, I think that's a secondary matter. Once parents turned over the entertainment and enculturation of their children to corporate conglomerates the structures and incentives were aligned for what has happened since. But my answer to your question, as usual, is the managerial class. It's interests and values, combined with it's aptitude and skills, made the "capture" (if that's even strictly speaking necessary) of Disney by managerial liberalism pretty much inevitable.
but who does the managerial class serve? the uberrich like those in WEF or Bilderbergers?
I think the managerial class as a label really distracts from the real powers .... managers are toddies for vampires.
Thanks for your comment. If I'm reading it correctly, it seems to point to a pervasive problem with using this platform. Which is not to say there aren't great benefits to the platform, but it does have its tradeoffs. However, since I suspect you're hardly alone in this regard, rather than answer in the comments section, I think it would be a good idea to create a post specifically addressed to these questions. I can't promise it will be the next post, but soon. Before the end of October for sure. I have a lot of plate in the air behind the scenes, here.
great...thanks
I think the so-called Great Resignation is part of that. People are leaving the corporate urban for rural and community. Covid reminded a lot of people what is truly important. There is a lot less appreciation for the expert know it alls after covid, though it may seem like not much has changed because corporate culture has remained the empty vapid exploitative thing it has always been. We need models. We need people to articulate what such an organic change might look like, because they are making such change.
If a return to community (for those sucked into manufactured, homogeneous corporate-mediated culture) and all its cultural trappings is itself to arise organically, I wonder if it’s even advisable to try and articulate the resulting transformation. I think anyone of us can advocate for a process, throw our ideas out there and then let things unfold as they may.
It takes a certain kind of smarty-pants to recognize that the only way ahead is for people to figure things out for themselves, in their own particular ways. Thank you for dedicating your considerable intellect towards generating a narrative that helps us all internalize the reality that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to be had from our betters.