Adorno and Horkheimer argued that the mass culture industry was similar to other industries and how they treated their 'products'. The industry treats people as commodities, for example, X Factor. X Factor is comparable to a machine and represents a machine of commodities, turning out 'products' to fit in with the continuous trends. It is seen as a capitalist institution as it is only there to make money and seeks to maintain the status quo. For example, JLS who started off as a group of RnB acapella singers, by the end of the programme their image had been transformed into a stereotypical boy band that sang only Pop songs. Adorno and Horkheimer stated that mass culture is diluting what real culture is with homogeneity of the 'status quo' of its mass audience. "Real talent" is being corrupted by X Factor so that they fit in what the Industry wants. Adorno and Horkheimer believed that the industry had also corrupted the minds of its audience and taught them to think that they should 'reject everything that isn't familiar', they believed that the mass industries don't just have control over the artist they have control over us. They believed that the industry standardised everything so there was no spontaneous production of music it was all the same, especially successful singles that were eventually called 'standards' as they were songs that were released repeatedly by different artists as the industry knew it would make them money. Adorno and Horkheimer also argued of pseudo individuality where artists claim to have individuality but when it comes down to it they are all the same, there isn't actually much that differentiates them from everyone else. When culture is subjected to corporate control then it loses its originality, as its sole purpose is for advertising.
Excellent post
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