Will User Generated Content Lead to Independence from Hegemony?

This is an excerpt from an online discussion in the Media Studies Ideas course that was posted 9/25/08.

In response to Grey's comment about the "rapid and recent individualization of media (blogs, youtubes, podcasts,etc.)" and whether or not this will server as a counterforce to hegemony culture production, I would like to offer my opinion that the user generated content is nothing more than a further extension of existing culture with the people who are generating the content representing their cultural status. It is the people of a certain class that are the producers of the dominant ideology.

Afterall, as Richard Sennet points out the divisions between labor, work, and action, we see that it is highly unlikely that the labor class is able to actively produce enough content to make a dent in the dominant culture.

During the early 20th century Modernism was about class struggle and was pursued by members of the Bourgeoisie who participated in “class association” in order to represent the needs of the people. Early Social Documentary photography by Tina Modotti is an example of this. Eventually the art world abandoned the ideology of class struggle and Modernism turned into purity of form and process (with its series of art movements) and was known as the “age of manifestos”. The ruling class swooped in and brought modern art into alignment with capitalist ideals with the growth of the Museum and Gallery economy and the rise of superstar artist status. The establishment made superstars out of artist who turned away from political ideology and retreated to the dogma of craft and aesthetics. I don’t think Jackson Pollock’s work wouldn't have helped the Polish people become liberated from Russia.

A “collision” occurred when Hans Haacke attempted to exhibit photographs of slum apartments and their public records of ownership at the Guggenheim Museum. The show was cancelled out of deference to Museum Trustees who were linked to many of the tenements. It seems that Modernism’s hope for mankind gave way to Postmodernism’s cynicism.

I think a further example of how user generated content reflects dominant culture is the manner in which even large-scale media efforts like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Borat are largely unsuccessful in garnering any real debate or comment outside of the subculture that is already sympathetic with these viewpoints. I know too many conservatives who have simply refused to watch the films. In fact I remember being so moved by Schindlers List (which I had to go to alone because my ex-wife refused to watch it) but I couldn't convince my friends or family to attend the film. I’ve gone astray with that one I know, but the point I’m making is that these films appeal to people who already are of a humanitarian ilk, and are rather ineffective by themselves (I do have optimism for their contributions to overall discourse).

The other aspect I see about the emerging user generated content sphere is that we are not owning or controlling access to the media. Corporate America still owns the real estate. My Space is owned by Rupert Murdoch, Hotmail by Microsoft. Are we anything more than technology serfs working on the corporate cyber estate as a means of driving traffic towards advertising? Yesterday I listened to a report on NPR about how Google wanted to give away their new phone because their business model is about giving the tools to as many people as a means of getting advertisements in the hands of consumer just as television and radio has done for decades. Who cares about the programming as long as the underlying ideology remains the same, sell, sell, sell…