There is constant criticism on the power struggle between “high culture” and “low culture”, especially with the rise of the internet revolution. It’s easier now more than ever to pirate a piece of someone’s work, tweak it, and call it your own. The examples we discussed in class, such as the William Tell Overture vs. Tupac’s sampling rendition of it, are just the beginning of issues that arise through having easy access to “classics” online, whether it be music, art, television, or any other type of media.
This idea can relate back to the ideas of enlightenment and mass deception; meaning that the media tends to generalize designs in order to reach a wider audience and appeal to a larger mass. These are not always the best or critically reviewed “best” pieces of media, but the more money they rank in the less they care.
That being said, once a member of the media (a journalist, public relations professional, etc.) stumbles upon a piece of content that can be widely spread, they jump on it immediately. For example, in class, we looked at the picture of the Obamas embracing after winning the election – this is every PR professional’s dream. It is simple, does not require an explanation, and tears on the heartstrings of viewers (maybe even of those who didn’t support Obama’s campaign).
So, just because this content was so widespread, does that mean it’s “low culture”? Are the PR professionals running Obama’s social media campaign using a cheap way to entice their followers? The answer, in my opinion, is not black or white. Sometimes social media helps content creators to blindly strike gold, and other times it’s the result of a million dollar strategy. We discussed the “craftmanship” of media content, which helps categorize it as high or low culture, but maybe this isn’t always the case. Crafting a stellar social media campaign sometimes gets out-shined by the random, unpredictable moments that appeal to followers just as easily as that million dollar strategy.
Gina Faustini's ICM 501 Blog 