Is it Cakeism?

Whether we like it or not, but each of us is a part of society and is deliberately or unknowingly exposed by the media. Mass media can inform not only news, distribute interesting information, advertise goods, but also spread mass culture. Under the notion of mass culture, we can understand many things. For me, the first association is connected with fashion, style and trendy things. But apart from this, it can be entertainment, literature, music, cooking.

American psychologist, M. Bell, once said, “This culture is democratic. It is addressed to all people without distinction of classes, nations, levels of poverty and wealth. In addition, thanks to modern means of mass communication, people have access to many works of art of high artistic value.” Personally, I have nothing against.

In addition, in other words, mass culture is a culture chosen by the masses, by most of the people. Each of us is an individual, but, though, this individual has different character traits, he or she has similar tastes in clothing, music, and lifestyle. So people form certain masses that propagandize the way of life that they like, glorify the music they listen to, create a new fashion.

The Spanish philosopher, Jose Ortega-i-Gasset, has divided the society into a “creative elite” and “masses”, which is quantitatively prevailing. Accordingly, two cultures, mass and elite, are opposed to each other. Like fire and water, like The Cheeky Girls and Whitney Huston, like Fast Food Rockers and Bon Jovi. Mass culture is represented by ordinary people, and elite – by genius people.

In my opinion, the mass culture appeared at the same time as the elitist. After all, in any situation, there are people who think like everyone, and who can`t imagine their life without jumping a bandwagon. At the same time, there are people who can turn common things into art masterpieces. Therefore, mass culture cannot exist without elitist. If mass culture disappears, then the elite – will turn into a mass. Is it a kind of cakeism? I even don`t know.  Mass culture is characterized by a spiral of silence, and elitist by a zigzag lighting. Therefore, people need mass culture to know that their thoughts are in agreement with the thoughts of others, to feel as a part of society, and even when they do not agree with these thoughts to leave their own individual opinion in order not to be separated from the “mass”. Mass culture creates unity, surely, it is not “high art” but it will always exist as long as people are exposed to the media. Besides, it prevents people from thinking independently. In the majority of cases, elite culture is based on Alpha Males and Alpha Females with BDE. They impose their vision; they try to turn on luminous lighthouses in the stormy mass culture sea. Sea without lighthouses is a dangerous sea, lighthouses without seas are just heaps of scrap. We are to remember about it. I mean… a cloud …and… a silver lining.