In Defense of American Media

Something caught my attention while I was doing the reading Storey’s “Marxisms.”
Though not directly stated in the text, the Frankfurt School labels American media as “false, one-dimensional mass culture,” one that involves passive consumption, mass production and distraction (54). The system views American culture in a condescending and degrading manner, contrasting it with that of European culture, which is considered “real and imaginative.”
For the most part, I may have to agree with the Frankfurt School on this. Though there are many instances that American media reflects capitalist motives, I would like to shift the paradigm for once. I like to see the good side of things, and not see the world in black-and-white.
Though there may be some truths in the classification, the judgment that America possesses all these undesirable qualities is unfair. I cannot help but think there may be some racism involved, maybe in the fact that the Frankfurt School was established by German intellectuals.
But if most of us agree that America, being consumption-based, actually does fulfill tall the criteria of “mass culture,” would racism still be the case?
As you can tell, I am quite torn. The fact that we’re constantly blogging about the manipulative effects of the media and that the media is among America's top industries says a lot about our consensus in terms of the perception.
So again, to break the bias, I’m going to try and find examples of American media that is actually considered “culture,” and not one that is geared towards oppressing or “depoliticizing the working class” (55).
Jazz music, in my opinion, is the perfect example. It is not considered part of the popular culture, yet it is accepted by a certain “cultured” demographic.
Historically, the genre was invented by Americans – black Americans, to be specific, during a time of oppression, of “social cementing.” There is a bit of irony in that, the race that was for a long time considered “inferior” was actually responsible for the development of a music that was clever and refreshingly original.
Jazz music is also based on improvisation, the basis of their individual creation and imagination. And certainly, when jazz musicians are playing together, taking creative spins off each others’ ideas in a multi-dimensional context, consumption is always active.
So there. In defense of American media, I would like to point out that there are meaningful exceptions, and not one culture is superior to the other. Though there is no doubt that Europe has contributed much to art and culture, Europe also expresses their appreciation toward American contributions. During my first year studying abroad in Florence, Italy, I’ve made many trips to their local jazz clubs. And odds are, they’re not playing Bach or Beethoven, they’re doing Miles Davis. (You can say the same for Americans adopting European styles.)
That's why I love music so much. It's cultural harmony at play.