Frankfurt School Critique Popular Music

Though we studied The Music Industry to some extent in class I have chosen to focus on this for my Frankfurt School Critique again as this is where my interest lies. The particular text I have chosen to focus on is The X Factor. The reason I have chosen this particular media text is due to its control and commercialisation within my chosen industry.

Within The X Factor there are many notions of standardisation from the structure of the show, the contestants and the output and marketing of the 'winners'. The outset of the show starts with the 'auditions' leading on to a stage at the judges houses, before the infamous live shows. I think in terms of the Music Industry the final product of the 'talent' competition is the most interesting particularly in the last three years or so.

Pseudo Individualisation refers to Adorno's critique of mass culture, and is the means by which standardisation of mass produced media is disguised.