(FS - full submission) Adbusters Magazine Posted by Robert Carrillo Cohen on January 23, 1997 07:00:00:
TITLE: Adbusters Magazine
DEFINITION: Media watch publication
CREATOR: The Media Foundation, Kalle Lasn editor
MAIN CATEGORY: Media
ALTERNATIVE CATEGORIES: Literature, belief, communications, money vote
RELATIONSHIP TO THE CORE WAVE: How do representations of our outer selves effect our inner experience?
MAIN QUOTE: "TV broadcasters are in the business of selling attention spans to the highest bidder." -- The Media Foundation
HIGHLIGHT QUOTES: “A growing band of artists, activists and environmentalists wants to throw a monkey wrench into the North American image factory and bring it to a sudden, shuddering halt."
"By far the most dangerous dis-information in our system is consumerism: the slogans, jingles and lifestyles that two generations of mass media have seared into our brains." -- ADBUSTERS
HIGHLIGHT RECOMMENDATION: I've always loved commercial parodies. The fake ads were always my favorite part of the old Saturday Night Live. I find there is something very funny about taking the piss out of anything that takes itself too seriously. Even humorous advertising seems to take itself very very seriously. Maybe it's the millions of dollars at stake.
For a few years, I have been following and enjoying the Adbusters reporting and parody on our modern market society. The fake ads make me laugh. The articles are especially fun as they often reveal facts that are normally not revealed. I especially like to read about "memes" which is the idea that thoughts often work in the same way as viruses. A really good thought replicates itself and passes from host to host.
The only thing that worries me a bit about Adbusters is what I see as their warfare model. They stand firmly as the enemies of all that they oppose. In my experience, things tend to eventually become what they oppose with too much anger. On the other hand they look like they're having a lot of fun right now.
DEEPER: The ability of communication to manipulate can be scary. Most people seem to see anything manipulative as automatically bad. But do corporations or governments see manipulating people as bad? I don't think so. I think they see it as part of their job.
If we avoid the most effective means of communication as manipulative, then those means are left by default to the companies and government. Why should we do that? Doesn't the judgment of a communication as helpful or manipulative, as good or bad, depend wholly on the intention and integrity of the communicator. As individuals, can't we easily pick up the best of the communication tools on view every day in marketing and politics and use them for our own ends?
Adbusters was somewhat of a confirmation for me in my idea for Believertisements, alternative non-commercial ads for ideas not products. It seemed to me that using the techniques of advertising to promote personal ideas or values could create really positive alternatives.
CONNECTIONS: None yet.
IMAGES AND CLIPS: See “optional image url” field. Picture of one magazine cover and a couple of ad parodies would be ideal.
ACCESS AND DISTRIBUTION: Adbusters Magazine has its own great web site also known as the Adbusters Culture Jammer's Headquarters (http://www.adbusters.org). It has all the information you need to fully access the Adbusters experience.
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