an article on conformists.
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 1:55 pm
The phrase "I think, therefore I am" in association with the idea of mainstream conformism caused by the Mass Media's, brings up an interesting point.
The phrase "I think" meaning "I am able to form an opinion."
The phrase "I am" meaning "I am able to be".
In retrospect, "I’m able to form an opinion; therefore I am able to be."
To help me explain the idea of mainstream conformism caused by the Mass Media's will require an example. The example chosen to help enlighten readers, in the confines of this discussion, shall be the mainstream music industry (i.e. Much Music). If you cant understand what I mean when I say that, you're opinion (if said) may be in ignorance of the fact that I’ve only chosen the mainstream music industry as an example to help describe the idea of mainstream conformism caused by the Mass Media's. So, basically, if you reply with something like "Much Music isn’t trying to dictate my opinion… etc. etc.†or "I agree Joe, much music is very much trying to dictate my opinions...etc. etc."(Or anything that doesn’t help further the progress of this discussion) that will tell me, that you have missed the entire point of reading this article.
If I'd wanted to, I could have written this article in regards to the mainstream movie/film industry, targeting mainly, and for example, Empire Theatres. So for whatever medium I could wish to chose, I can still illustrate the point I want to show using Much Music.
The point of this article, for me at least, is to show how being told your opinion directly relates to the idea of "being', and the idea of who "we" as people "are."
Throughout this article, I’m going to talk about Much Music as an Entity. I know they're a television channel, but keep an open mind, and like I said, in the confines of this discussion, they're simply an example used to help describe the idea of mainstream conformism, which is caused by the Mass Medias.
-To Form an Opinion-
To be able to form an opinion means to have the ability to critically analyze an idea, and develop a distinct (although commonly not unique) view point on the subject.
When an opinion has been formed, it means that a person has considered the subject, and has chosen to understand the facts, ideas, or claims (or lack there of) presented as they may.
What Much Music does is it tells us what to think. It tells us what to think concerning the idea of music, other popular media, and people. Much Music's point with this is to lure people into a "trap." A trap designed to help sell whatever bands they're sponsoring this year, or whatever logo's they're fronting for however much money is offered.
People are ALWAYS falling for this trap. If you don’t believe me, take for example the different groups of individuals who are clearly shown to be "mainstream whores." You can see groups of these types of people everywhere. Walking down the streets, in classrooms, or wherever else interaction with a multitude of different opinionated beings is forced (i.e. any social gathering.) For one example of what I mean when I say "groups of individuals," I suggest the people that love My Chemical Romance (one of Much Music's sponsored, and over played bands.) I don’t mean people that "like" MCR, or people that are "mildly interested" in MCR, or even people that "kind of enjoy" MCR. I'm talking about those sad excuses for life forms that get on the bus in their "O-So-Unique" camouflage of self pity. And I admit, people can like this band without falling into the category of "a mainstream whore," and those people (as with everybody else that doesn't conform to whatever's being pushed as "cool" in mainstream media) should be, in my opinion, held in high-esteem. But those people have absolutely nothing to do with what Im talking about.
Focusing now, on people that trend music according to what the media says is cool, these people "are" simply people that have been taught to think "INSERT BANDS NAME HERE" is cool because Much Music says it's cool.
For Much Music, there are thousands of different bands, or artists that they've at one point or another, sold to the masses in the way described above (by setting up a "trap.") And for that many different artists/bands, there are millions of subservient consumers on the other end, taking all these forced opinions and ideas in, and not even questioning why they think everything on Much Music is cool. Much Music is only an example; one of thousands of examples of establishments that invoke mainstream conformism.
With so many different establishments adding to the mainstream media entity, it's hard to even comprehend how many myriads of people must be influenced by the "traps" that are being set up all the time, by any example of media establishments I could wish to use.
-The Relationship With "Being"-
If someone were to say ("I think therefore I Am." is the same as saying "I am able to form an opinion, therefore I am able to be.") I would agree. I can’t make that statement myself for sure, because I really have no clue on the subject of "Being" and such. I’m not much of a philosopher.
If Much Music is able to dictate what the mass opinion on music is, is it not reasonable to say, if you're (as I am) in agreement with the statement made at the beginning of this paragraph, that the Mass Medias are to a high degree, in control of who people are. Is it not reasonable to say that the Mass Medias are able to dictate to people who they are. And ultimately, is it not, then, reasonable to say, that to some degree, the Mass Medias are in control of what people do.
I’m not going to say to anybody that the Mass Medias are breeding an army, or any other crackpot conspiracy theory. But what I am going to say is that I believe to some degree, the Mass Medias can dictate more then just what a person likes for music, or movies, or art. I can say with confidence in my opinion, that I think if the mass media entity wants to tell people who they are, they have the ability to dictate that to them.
To some degree, conformists aren't just conforming anymore. Theye're becoming part of whatever media dictated mechanism is being created.
The phrase "I think" meaning "I am able to form an opinion."
The phrase "I am" meaning "I am able to be".
In retrospect, "I’m able to form an opinion; therefore I am able to be."
To help me explain the idea of mainstream conformism caused by the Mass Media's will require an example. The example chosen to help enlighten readers, in the confines of this discussion, shall be the mainstream music industry (i.e. Much Music). If you cant understand what I mean when I say that, you're opinion (if said) may be in ignorance of the fact that I’ve only chosen the mainstream music industry as an example to help describe the idea of mainstream conformism caused by the Mass Media's. So, basically, if you reply with something like "Much Music isn’t trying to dictate my opinion… etc. etc.†or "I agree Joe, much music is very much trying to dictate my opinions...etc. etc."(Or anything that doesn’t help further the progress of this discussion) that will tell me, that you have missed the entire point of reading this article.
If I'd wanted to, I could have written this article in regards to the mainstream movie/film industry, targeting mainly, and for example, Empire Theatres. So for whatever medium I could wish to chose, I can still illustrate the point I want to show using Much Music.
The point of this article, for me at least, is to show how being told your opinion directly relates to the idea of "being', and the idea of who "we" as people "are."
Throughout this article, I’m going to talk about Much Music as an Entity. I know they're a television channel, but keep an open mind, and like I said, in the confines of this discussion, they're simply an example used to help describe the idea of mainstream conformism, which is caused by the Mass Medias.
-To Form an Opinion-
To be able to form an opinion means to have the ability to critically analyze an idea, and develop a distinct (although commonly not unique) view point on the subject.
When an opinion has been formed, it means that a person has considered the subject, and has chosen to understand the facts, ideas, or claims (or lack there of) presented as they may.
What Much Music does is it tells us what to think. It tells us what to think concerning the idea of music, other popular media, and people. Much Music's point with this is to lure people into a "trap." A trap designed to help sell whatever bands they're sponsoring this year, or whatever logo's they're fronting for however much money is offered.
People are ALWAYS falling for this trap. If you don’t believe me, take for example the different groups of individuals who are clearly shown to be "mainstream whores." You can see groups of these types of people everywhere. Walking down the streets, in classrooms, or wherever else interaction with a multitude of different opinionated beings is forced (i.e. any social gathering.) For one example of what I mean when I say "groups of individuals," I suggest the people that love My Chemical Romance (one of Much Music's sponsored, and over played bands.) I don’t mean people that "like" MCR, or people that are "mildly interested" in MCR, or even people that "kind of enjoy" MCR. I'm talking about those sad excuses for life forms that get on the bus in their "O-So-Unique" camouflage of self pity. And I admit, people can like this band without falling into the category of "a mainstream whore," and those people (as with everybody else that doesn't conform to whatever's being pushed as "cool" in mainstream media) should be, in my opinion, held in high-esteem. But those people have absolutely nothing to do with what Im talking about.
Focusing now, on people that trend music according to what the media says is cool, these people "are" simply people that have been taught to think "INSERT BANDS NAME HERE" is cool because Much Music says it's cool.
For Much Music, there are thousands of different bands, or artists that they've at one point or another, sold to the masses in the way described above (by setting up a "trap.") And for that many different artists/bands, there are millions of subservient consumers on the other end, taking all these forced opinions and ideas in, and not even questioning why they think everything on Much Music is cool. Much Music is only an example; one of thousands of examples of establishments that invoke mainstream conformism.
With so many different establishments adding to the mainstream media entity, it's hard to even comprehend how many myriads of people must be influenced by the "traps" that are being set up all the time, by any example of media establishments I could wish to use.
-The Relationship With "Being"-
If someone were to say ("I think therefore I Am." is the same as saying "I am able to form an opinion, therefore I am able to be.") I would agree. I can’t make that statement myself for sure, because I really have no clue on the subject of "Being" and such. I’m not much of a philosopher.
If Much Music is able to dictate what the mass opinion on music is, is it not reasonable to say, if you're (as I am) in agreement with the statement made at the beginning of this paragraph, that the Mass Medias are to a high degree, in control of who people are. Is it not reasonable to say that the Mass Medias are able to dictate to people who they are. And ultimately, is it not, then, reasonable to say, that to some degree, the Mass Medias are in control of what people do.
I’m not going to say to anybody that the Mass Medias are breeding an army, or any other crackpot conspiracy theory. But what I am going to say is that I believe to some degree, the Mass Medias can dictate more then just what a person likes for music, or movies, or art. I can say with confidence in my opinion, that I think if the mass media entity wants to tell people who they are, they have the ability to dictate that to them.
To some degree, conformists aren't just conforming anymore. Theye're becoming part of whatever media dictated mechanism is being created.
:-5
