Adbusters

Fear is a very potent instrument of persuasion used by some of the most powerful and cowardice groups on the planet. On September 11th 2001, the world was thrown into a state of shock and fear when planes were hijacked and used to take out key symbols of The United States economic and military engine. Although not with the same ferocity of nine eleven, The United States is suffering daily from attacks on it’s economic front. Adbusters magazine attempts to use parody to influence and inform the general public of their responsibility as consumers. With the very fragile state the world is in I must question the appropriateness and timing of what Adbusters is trying to do. They seem to be taking advantage of a population that has become very easy to influence because of this fear.

“Adbusters is an ecological magazine, dedicated to examining the relationship between human beings and their physical and mental environment. We want a world in which the economy and ecology resonate in balance. We try to coax people from spectator to participant in this quest. We want folks to get mad about corporate disinformation, injustices in the global economy, and any industry that pollutes our physical or mental commons.”

(Adbusters Magazine, 2003)

This is the mission statement of Adbusters magazine. At first glance it seems as though Adbusters is a voice for the people. It has the capability to speak for those who have not yet been spoken for. They claim to “ want folks to get mad about corporate misinformation” yet this is the tactic they implement most heavily. Parody is defined by Merriam Webster as “a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule.” This involves adjusting an advertisement to show it’s true meaning. Yet like abstract art all advertisements are capable of being interpreted in many ways. Adbusters attempts to take any add that may have a comedic resonance and bend it to show a negative. They constantly take simple thoughts and blow them grossly out of proportion. Their views are heavily biased but since the population is used to seeing corporate interpretation they will look at these adds without a hint of criticism. In one such example (See attached) they have a flock of sheep in front of the United States flag and the caption at the bottom reads “TOMMY: Follow the flock.” To most people this is quite amusing because they can relate to the amount of trendy styles they see in their lives. Yet isn’t that Adbusters ? It currently has become trendy to present an image of being informed. The phrase “ I’m an individual” has been echoed millions of time over. The simple fact is that by claiming individuality or stating you are an informed consumer you have conformed to the latest trend of culture jamming and supposed “ individualistic thinking.”

Culture Jamming is a term which like the ads of media holds many interpretations. The definition which I have become accustomed to according to classroom discussions is as follows: “Culture Jammers are a group of organized individuals who attempt to influence and inform consumers through parody, campaigns (Buy Nothing Day, Turn Off Your T.V. Week) , and small/large public demonstrations.” Another definition I would like to give to you is terrorism:

“The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.” (Merriam Webster, 2003).

Obviously the definitions are not identical but they are not unalike. They both serve the same common purpose to change our current systems for political or ideological reasons. Referring back to September 11th the common feeling is that Al - Qadea was attempting not to kill people but instead prove a point that the United States is not invincible. If the attempt had been for a loss of life more likely targets would have been Hoover Dam or Central Las Vegas. Al-Qadea now has the U.S. in a state of readiness and fear; with a simple phone call the U.S. can go to “Teal Alert.” Culture Jammers use this same technique they are just not as widely recognized right now. “Vandals caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage here in Houston and some say it may have been an environmental protest” ( ABC News, February 2nd 2003). These vandals were making the point that the S.U.V.’s are harmful to society. It is an act of terrorism just on a much smaller scale. For those unable to see how Adbusters relates to the eco terrorists I’ll refer back to the mission statement of Adbusters: “Adbusters is an ecological magazine, dedicated to examining the relationship between human beings and their physical and mental environment. We want a world in which the