Jack Neville - Contextual & Theoretical: December 2010

Adorno feels that the mass produced popular music has as been standardized. Even when a musician tries to change a characteristic of the music, it is still standardized. He thinks that every piece of popular music is the same. He also goes on to say that the listener to this standardized music is psued0-individualised. This means that the listener already has a pre conception on what 'choice' of music he likes, even though there is no 'choice' because the whole music industry is standardised. He thinks that this standardised music keeps people in line because they don't realise that the music has already been listened too for them.

Its a type of control over the masses that hides its self within all the standardised music that appears to be choice. He even thinks that if people realised this 'hidden agenda' that it would provoke a resistance. But the promoters of this entertainment say they are just giving the people what they want. So it doesn't seem like they are force feeding the standardised music to the masses.

It also appears that this standardised music is easy to listen to rather than Adorno's 'serious music' which gives the listener room to escape the dullness of reality. Because the popular music is easy to listen to it doesn't push anyone out which makes it easy to sell cultural commodities which are hidden behind pseudo-individualisation.

This video of Katy Perry is definitely linked to a nice bit of escapism. The candy cane wonder world that is filled full of nice ginger bread men, beautiful girls and all things nice is linked to the American Dream and especially California. She sings about how nothing compares to these beautiful californian girls which makes both men and women think about being / being with these women. The woman Katy Perry is always branded as her own woman who has a 'don't give a shit' attitude which people love because they like 'individuals' but her herself and her rank music is standardised.