Essay 3

Question 1

What is culture jamming?

Answer 1

Culture jamming is an approach that involves the subversion of media texts to highlight societal issues.
It involves the reworking of original media texts to alter the intended meaning of the message in order to demonstrate and create resistance toward an issue, person or idea.
It is important to note that subversion of media messages must come from outside the media industry in order for it to be classed as culture jamming.
Culture jamming may also be referred to as media activism, guerrilla communication or detournement.

Question 2

What is adjusting?

Answer 2

Adbusting
• Looking at advertisements and picking out lies within them.
• Busting a company for their wrongs within an advert
• Many times these adverts are made into parodies, which make fun of them
• Subversion of an advertisement
• Sub-category of culture jamming
• Opposing ideas or assumptions of an advert by challenging the advert
• Use advert against itself

Question 3

What is hegemony?

Answer 3

Hegemony is dominance of one group of people over another because of public consent. It is defined the dominant-led hierarchical classes that we see in society, both historically and presently. It is important to note that hegemony can only occur as a result of majority consent. This can be seen in societies where the minorities are the ruling class. Additionally, it is also important to note that the degree to which one group practices hegemony over another will vary from context to context. The amount of control a group is given is dependent on the society. Hegemonic control is measured by the extent to which other classes accept the dominant ideology as ‘general knowledge’ (Klein, 2016).

Question 4

What is counter hegemony?

Answer 4

Adbusting is an act of counter-hegemony. Culture jamming media movements, act as catalysts of societal change. Culture jamming encourages cultural groups to collectively resist hegemonic societal opinions. It is a form of peaceful protesting, which encourages people to think about a dominant ideologies differently. In addition to this, culture jamming has received a lot of scepticism for its media activists, who often to illegal extremes to put their message out there in a way that will really make an impact.

Question 5

Limitations

Answer 5

• Increases brand recognition of McD by using their logo, font, and corporate colours
• Rebellious
o aimed at youth and young adults
o don’t like to be told what to do so it may encourage them to eat more McD
• McD can sue the person who created this adbusting campaign because it could cause defamation of character – the company is clearly recognisable
• People may just think it is a meme or a joke – it wont be taken seriously especially because it makes reference to the McD jingle
• It is an online McD campaign therefore there is a limited audience reach because not many people have access to the internet

Question 6

Advantages and effectiveness?

Answer 6

• Sway public opinion
• Raise awareness
• Eye catching
• Uses recognisable symbols
• Can be shared easily on online platforms because it is a digital campaign
• The media activist is able to voice their concern about the current ideology and attempt to create change.
• Creates a level of thinking which may be beneficial for the target audience as there is an alternative viewpoint to that of the current hegemonic culture.
• The nature of adbusting allows for the creativity and humours nature of indicating a concern for either a political and social issue within society.
• The media activist can influence an active change for society to create a step in the right direction.