The Cultural Industry Theory 1944

1. The Cultural Industry Theory1944 By Connor Redman

2. What is the Theory? • Theodor Adorno and Max Horkeimer established the Cultural Industry Theory in 1944 just after they fled from Nazi Germany to America, the theory states that media texts are repetitive and standardised, the theory also states that media texts are created to control and generate and idealistic biased world for the audiences and ultimately make money in a capitalist economy.

3. The film industry and the theory. • The cultural industry theory can clearly be seen in the production, marketing, distribution and exchange of media products in the film industry.

4. Action Films • Action films usually conform to particular conventions, the standard conventions of an action movie incorporate a Male Protagonist versus a Male Antagonist and a Female damsel in distress gets thrown into the mix to try and heighten the sense of justice around the protagonist. The normal plot is the protagonist beating the bad guy and saving the damsel and they both live happily. • This links to the CI theory 1944 in numerous ways, it links to the point made about standardisation and repetition, the inauthenticity and generates a dream world where YOU the viewer can be the hero.

5. Action Films that break the theory

6. Horror Films