The Frankfurt school Flashcards
What is the main thing that the Frankfurt school say?
The media makes us passive, we don’t think about what we are consuming, we just take it onboard
What do the Frankfurt school say about capitalism?
Capitalism doesn’t sell us the things we really need, but rather the things that we think we want
What is the problem with capitalism not selling us what we really need?
We become depressed, we crave things that we think will make us happy but we can’t afford them as we naturally assume we should have everything that is available to us
How do advertisers use this capitalism approach to sell their products?
They try and sell us things that we think we want using means that we need through clever advertisement
What did Adorno point out that the capital industry does?
They shield our real wants from us meaning that we forget what we truly need and instead settle for desires that are manufactured for us by companies that have no interest in our true welfare
What did Adorno say about the culture industry?
Adorno says that modern ideas in the media distract us from being able to understand ourselves.
e.g. Pop music focuses on the emotions around romantic love suggesting that happiness can only come from finding a partner
