Pop Culture -Adorno and Hebdige Theory

Adorno and Hebdige.

The idea of popular culture originated from ‘the Frankfurt school’ that were a collection of merit philosophers based in Germany, mid-20^th century. With several other writers they concentrated with popular culture they capitalize on the masses and continue the control and power of the upper class.

Theodore Adorno was a German sociologist, musicologist and philosopher.

Theodore Adorno was known for the way he viewed and examined on society, he had a theory there were two different types of people, those who like classical music and referred to them as ‘true art’ he believed that those people were educated, cultured and that had a taste, most of these people were of the upper class. Then there was those who listen to popular music, he believed were absorbed by popular music, they were all the same and repetitive which is why they all listened to it, they were easily influenced by it, basically portrayed them as dimwits and apart of the lower class society which he looked down upon.

I believe that his theory is out of dated and there are so many different genres of music which all have their very own unique and respective crowd. Which weren’t around in his time era, I don’t believe your taste in music represents the person you are or serve you as upper of lower class. Everyone has their own style and culture, which I don’t believe represents them as an individual. Also I don’t think there’s a thing as ‘poplar music’, as music has so many different diverse genres.

Dick Hebdige is a British media theorist.



Dick Hebdige is completely against Theodore Adorno theory and has a more modern take on it; he believes that he mass audience can chose from different genres of music what they want to absorb. He goes against adorns theory and feels as if he’s too negative. Also that people listen to ‘poplar music’ without evening thinking about it.

I agree more with dick Hebdige, he’s theory is more realistic than Adorno modern theory; there’s such a variety of music genres these days with huge mass audience, that doesn't narrow done to two genres and i believe the majority amount of people would agree with me and Dick Hebdige theory.