Yukun's Quesiotns

Question1
In culture industry, the authors believed the audiences are passive. For example, in page60 they mentioned Hitler’s Germany and in page 42 they mentioned the mentality of the public is a part of system. Those reminded me their backgrounds in Germany and hypodermic needle model. I don’t know if we can just view their perspectives as a starting point to understand critical theory in mass communication. Today, what is the opinion of Frankfurt School’s scholars ? Do they still insist their assumption that audiences are passive?

Question2
How to define art and entertainment? For me, they are too elite to understand the real people=== maybe I am the part of system as what they said. They spent some pages to criticize the mass entertainment in page 56 and film in 58. For me, their opinion about art is too narrow and too elite. Even Benjamin’s opinion over photography and film are too old-fashioned to explain art and “originality”.

Question 3
How does The Frankfurt School deal the issue about globalization in post-cold world era? In Douglas Kellner’ Critical Theory Today, he believe the Frankfurt School’s macrotheory could provide better explanation in contemporary era. I agree with that we need a macrotheory to explain our world today. But how does the Frankfurt school explain it? I am interested in it.

Question 4
In Douglas Kellner’s the Frankfurt School page 2, he indicated Benjamin stressed progressive aspects of new technologies such as photography, film, recordings…. Compared to pessimistic perspective of Horkheimer and Adorno, Bnejamin was more optimistic. What is his opinion about Internet? Or does the Frankfurt School revise their opinions about technology today?

Question 5
In Brian Michael Goss’s “Jeffersonian Poety”, he quoted, Van Dijk’s thinking that ideologies tend to affirm the status quo…… However, In interview of Chantal Mouffe, she indicated that hegemony will change by time. I am wondering how ideologies change. From the material I read, it seems critical theory is too stable. It never indicate how hegemonies or ideologies change? What is reason driving these changes?