Blog 2- Culture Jamming Essay

What is identity? How is it constructed? What is “culture jamming”? How is this idea of culture jamming used in society, and does it achieve the purposes for which it is used? To deconstruct these questions it first needs to be examined how big corporations create image and identity through brands and the “take over” of environments. This will be attempted by considering the movies “The Truman Show” directed by Peter Weir (1998), and “Fight Club” directed by David Fincher (1999). “Jammer’s” advocate for recognition of socially just issues by persuading individuals through the manipulation of advertisements to think beyond self-image and social acceptance, and to embrace attitudes and behaviours that reject the influence of big corporations in society. This discussion will also consider the future direction of this politically motivated practice.

In image creation and sustainment of the feeling the image produces in the consumer, a corporation has been successful in branding. “Branding is a name and/or symbol that signals the source of a product and differentiates it from its competitors” (Nome, http://www.anthrobase.com/txt/N/Nome_D_01.htm, accessed 11/9/07) These brands are then linked to emotion to capture the consumer and therefore help to form an identity, whatever it may be. The brands we consume tell others about who we are, thus influencing our identities (Nome, http://www.anthrobase.com/txt/N/Nome_D_01.htm, accessed 11/9/07). When critiquing the movie “The Truman Show” directed by Peter Weir (1998) it is seen that Truman Burbank’s (Jim Carrey) whole life is a “brand opera” from birth, where throughout the movie there is an absurd amount of ridiculously placed product placement. Aside from other issues presented in the movie, the audience is forced to consider the statement: “If we’re blissfully ignorant of the manipulations of big corporations, and of our involvement in spreading their branded messages, then we retain a degree of innocence” (David, 2005). By remaining ignorant, individuals help to promote the brand through society, and ultimately producing more revenue for the corporation that is being endorsed. This is at the heart of what cultural jammer’s are advocating against, to make individuals aware of the breaches of social justice issues these large multinational companies are engaging in to have their product manufactured, and revenues made.

While “The Truman Show” was one of realisation of the impact of consumerism on life, the movie “Fight Club” directed by David Fincher (1999), depicts the “complete rejection of artificiality” (David, 2005). Jack (played by Edward Norton) returns to his apartment home after it had been blown up. The character declares; ‘I loved every stick of furniture in that place. That was not just a bunch of stuff that got destroyed, it was me (David, 2005)!” In an earlier scene, the camera pans across the apartment showing the characters “full range of Ikea furniture and accessories.” This man is a product of brands; his statement about his home “it was me” shows this link in how corporations develop relationships between products and an image or identity through branding. Therefore to maintain that image, individuals continue to support the brand and consequently the corporation that produces the product and brand. “The Truman Show” is a story showing the fear individuals have about losing personal authenticity or identity because of the exploitations of others and to lose this, individuals lose their freedom to choose. While the Peter Weir’s movie brings attention to the influence conglomerates have on society, the movie “Fight Club” allows the spectator to realise that western society lives in a time where many of the meanings that are used to assemble lives been constructed by others- the people behind corporation logos and brands (David, 2005).

So how do individuals who engage in cultural jamming attempt to claim back the human process of decision-making and self- identity? Klein (2000) describes culture jamming as the practice of parodying ads and hijacking billboards to drastically alter their messages. While Tietchen (2001) provides for cultural jamming in the meaning of detournement: the act of taking pre-existing textual frameworks and modifying them so that they convey a meaning quite different than their originally intended one; transforming “the message” into its own “anti-message.” Finally the Centre for Communication and Civic Engagement at the University of Washington (http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm, accessed 11/9/07) offers this: Culture jamming presents a variety of interesting communication strategies that play with the branded images and icons of consumer culture to make consumers aware of surrounding problems and diverse cultural experiences that warrant their attention. Basically, jammers take an advertisement and subvert the intended meaning that the brand and corporation is trying to convey. By doing this, jammers hope to reveal information that the corporation do not want the consuming public to know, usually information related to social justice issues.

One famous example included subverting Nike brand advertisements to allow individuals to decide to buy products, brands and therefore an identity from a corporation that produces its products in ‘sweatshops’ from third world countries, where working and pay conditions are extremely poor. By jamming Nike advertisements, individuals can consider these social justice issues, and can decide to boycott the company and the identity it attempts to create. Klein (2000) suggests that through jamming, individuals are rejecting the notion that marketing and advertising has to be passively accepted as objects of communication that only provide one-way information flow. Therefore good examples of jammed advertisements provide an “x-ray of the subconscious of a campaign, uncovering not an opposite meaning but a deeper truth hiding beneath the layers of advertising euphemisms (Klein, 2000).” By jamming adverts, it allows the public to refocus their thoughts related to an advertised product and to decide whether to engage in supporting the corporation in engaging in socially unjust practices or to reject the product, the corporation and what it stands for.

So does jamming achieve its purpose? And does it have a place in the future? Kingsnorth (2000) in his review of Lasn’s publication on culture jamming as a political movement suggests that culture jamming does not have a clearly defined philosophy and or agenda for change, and that culture jamming can do no more than make people think. Hopefully this is enough however to start a revolution (Niman, 2003) against multinational corporations, having people engage in thought about what practices these businesses carry out, leading to a boycott against these big businesses and their products and ultimately the identities and images they hope to influence. The issues that jammers hope to bring to the surface include questions about corporate responsibility, environmental and human costs of consumption and the ‘private’ corporate uses of the “public” airwaves (Centre for Communication and Civic Engagement, http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm, accessed 11/9/07). So for the practice of culture jamming to be successful in its aims it needs to provoke thought and enough emotion associated with these opinions to advocate change in consumer patterns. The future of culture jamming relies heavily on many factors. One problem that jammers face is the “lack of well developed public media rights”, and this is because most television and radio broadcasters “reject the ads (of jammers) on grounds that they might contaminate the purity of media environments designed exclusively for communicating commercial messages” (Centre for Communication and Civic Engagement, http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm, accessed 11/9/07). Baines (2001) supports this limitation: “ jamming can be stifled when mainstream media refuse(s) to be a carrier of the jamming virus.” An example provided is where Adbusters (a Canadian-based group of jammers) came up against resistance to their “uncooling” and criticising of cars, fashion and cigarettes (Baines, 2001).

As jammed advertisements are anti-commercial, this leads to problems having these adverts broadcasted. Wright (2001) in her review of the role of propaganda, believes that the activist and artistic strategies of culture jamming is ineffective in achieving its aims because of “the fact that real control of the media depends on serious access to money and power,” of which corporations have and small bands of people from different cultures do not have at their disposal. Furthermore to the downfall of this movement, Nome suggests (http://www.anthrobase.com/txt/N/Nome_D_01.htm, accessed 11/9/07) that consumers may resent someone who tells them that they were “stupid in allowing themselves to be so easily seduced into buying these products”, that it may actually alienate the consumer than enlist their help in boycotting the big corporations, therefore inhibiting the growth of the movement. Even within the culture jamming movement, there are factions that could lead to its unravelling related to different opinions about strategy and what the ultimate gaol of jamming is (Baines, 2001). These concerns all impact on the future of the culture jamming movement, but somehow one thinks that despite these issues surrounding the practice, it will continue in any form that allows the artist to portray their message.

Identity is formed many ways but to consider the role of consumerism in identity formation is a very relevant argument as portrayed through the analysis of the movies “The Truman Show” directed by Peter Weir, and “Fight Club” directed by David Fincher, 1999. Corporations are taking over identity and image formation of individuals and the formation of societies’ cultures. To stop this process, so to maintain individualism of people and distinct cultures throughout the world, people engage in jamming of advertisements by corporations that attempt to “sell” an image through their product. By doing this they attempt to reclaim the human conscience, but many factors impact on how widely these “jammed” images are distributed and how many individuals are affected by the messages they try to convey. However the movement will never become extinct as long as there are individuals who can think more broadly than the immediate and consider the social injustices that are occurring throughout the world.











Bibliography:

Baines, P. (2001). A Pie in the Face. Alternatives Journal 27.2 Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra 11 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Centre for Communication and Civic Engagement. (n.d) Culture Jamming. The Centre for Communication and Civic Engagement in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. USA.
http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm, Accessed 11/9/07.

David, S. (2005). Brand realignment. Australian Screen Education 38: 42 (5) Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra 10 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Kingsnorth, P. (2000). Culture Jam: The Uncolling of [America.sup.TM]. The Ecologist 30.3: 54. Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra. 25 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy1.canberra.edu.au/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Klein, N. (2000) No Logo: Taking aim at the Brand Bullies. (Exerpts) From Culture jamming: Ads Under Attack. Brandweek, 41: 28 (7). http://ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db&AN=3347527&site=ehost-live (persistent link) Accessed 23/10/07.

Lamla, J. (2005). Political Virtue and Shopping: Individuals, Consumerism, and Collective Action. Journal of Consumer Policy 28.4: 645 (6) Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra 10 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Niman, M. I. (2003) The uncooling of America: a new global boycott targets corporate chic. The Humanist 63.5: 30 (2) Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra 11 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Nome, D (n.d) Culture Jamming: Promotional Culture-Seminar in Intercultural Management. Copenhagen Business School. http://www.anthrobase.com/txt/N/Nome_D_01.htm, Accessed 11/9/07.

Tietchen, T. (2001). Language of out language: Exacavating the roots of culture jamming and postmodern activism from William S. Burroughs’ nova trilogy. Discourse (Detroit, MI) 23.3:107 (24) Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra. 25 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy1.canberra.edu.au/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE

Wright, C. (2001). Endless Propaganda: The Advertising of Public Goods (Reviews/Comptes Rendus). Labour/Le Travil: 285 (4). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Canberra 11 Oct. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodid=AONE