In his article on Culture Jamming, Marc Dery assumes the assertion that language is more important than image, and intellect more than emotion. He refers to television as having control over image and emotion, and implies that they are detrimental to human development. But there has to be a happy median. He blames TV executives, news organizations, and advertisers for the information streamed through our television sets. But just as much blame is set upon the people. Users accept the information and their actions even support it. Dery refers to it as a "one-way information pipeline that only transmits, never receives". But I think it does receive from the consumer in other ways. The system receives positive feedback in viewership and the advertisers receive it in the throngs of people who purchase products. This blaming of the media/information conglomerate seems more like a scapegoat to me than anything. Are people unwilling to admit their own misgivings and failures? Instead of the mass populous standing up and saying they screwed up and allowed it, there is a blaming of the system.
The intro of the article I think focuses too much on television and electronic media, and not enough on all corporations in general. Culture Jamming is an art form that mocks while bringing attention to untruths within the corporate marketing system. The media and marketing system today is immensely different than in 1995 when this article was written. How are culture jammers working today effected differently than in the article?
Below are some images of culture jamming within my neighborhood. They are simple statements that act as commentary on the world today.
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