Starfish Horkheimer/Adorno

In Horkheimer and Adorno’s writing, two things really grabbed my attention. ”Films and radio no longer need to present themselves as art. The truth that they are nothing but business is used as an ideology to legitimize the trash they intentionally produce” (42). I thought this quote was very intense but made sense to me. In the entertainment world, is it still about creating beauty and art or is it about making money? For example, I really enjoy the Harry Potter films. To me, they are fun and beautifully done. Warner Brothers is the company that puts out these films. Is the company concerned with the beauty and art of these films, or just the money? I believe that they want these films to be well done not for arts sake but to make a profit. The better the films are, the more money they make off of them. To me this is sad. Film is something wonderful. It is a chance for people to show off their artistic sides and transport the viewer into a different world. When you mix this with business and money the film loses its charm and mystique.

“The mechanically differentiated products are ultimately all the same” 43.
“…The differences, even between the more expensive and cheaper products from the same firm, are shrinking…” (43).
I really like this concept because brand name shopping has always amazed me. When people go shopping they usually tend to always look at the clothing from brands that they are familiar with. Because the name is well known and the clothing is popular, they feel that they are purchasing a better quality product. The truth is, these clothes are probably the same quality as something much cheaper. Because the name “Gucci” or “Fendi” is slapped on it, it automatically increases in its worth. I was just in Paris over spring break and I went shopping with my friends. We went into Hermes and looked around. My friend really loved this bracelet in the store. All it was was a black string with a piece of metal on it. The price was outrageous for what it was, but because Hermes was slapped on it, they can get away with it.