Post Class- Adorno, Horkheimer, & Jameson

This week in class we finished up Adorno and Horkheimer and then discussed Fredric Jameson’s “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism”. Adorno and Horkheimer state, “For a few coins you can see a film which cost millions, for even less you can buy the chewing gum behind which stand the entire riches of the world, and the sales of which increase those riches still further” (Horkheimer 64). In class we discussed this quote and how it is talking about deprivation of history, which is a concept we have talked about in both CMC 100 and 200. Deprivation of history relates to Barthes’ “gap” because history is left out to make things appear better than they are. It makes you have to read between the lines to fully understand, which is exactly what the “gap” does. This reminds me of last year in CMC 200 when we talked about the Reverend (I forget his name) who hid tapes of Bangladesh women talking while they worked in sweatshops in Disney Store’s behind stuffed animals. He did this so people would know where the stuffed animals came from and the harsh conditions they were made in, and maybe this would stop them from buying the product.

In today’s society we are constantly looking to buy the more updated and better-seeming products. Jameson states, “frantic economic urgency of producing fresh waves of ever more novel-seeming goods” (Jameson 485). This is referring to the concept of Habermas’ “the cult of the new” and how we are nostalgic for what’s bigger, better, and faster. Companies are always changing their packaging and inventing another product that they say is “better” to make it more appealing to the consumer even though it’s really still the same product. Everyone can probably admit they have been suckered into falling for this trick at least one time. I know I’ll admit, I do it all the time, especially with mascara and other make up products. I have never used the same mascara more than once, because I am always buying another kind that seems to be in a more alluring packaging. Or, it will say 2x volume for your eyelashes, but then the same brand will come out with another type that says: “NEW! 4x more volume!”, and I will fall for it and buy that product, even though in reality the two mascara’s probably give the same amount of volume to your eye lashes. Companies have become so strategic in how they sell their products and even though some don’t want to admit it, people fall for their marketing tricks all the time.

“On my honor I have not given, nor received, nor witnessed any unauthorized assistance on this work”