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Are you tired of being told that consuming more is going to bring you salvation? Sick of the same old mantra that the media pump into you that, if you have that watch, those shoes, these brands, then you’ll be happy, loved, befriended, wealthy? Culture Jam is for you.
The author, Kalle Lasn, is the founder of Adbusters magazine (www.adbusters.org), and this book is essentially the message of the magazine condensed into a compelling read, which is handy, because since Borders folded, there are few places you are likely to happen upon Adbusters. Funnily enough, it seems that retailers aren’t too keen on selling something that might lead to an eventual reduction in their profit margins.
The book covers a great deal- from the terrifying extent of the media’s power, to how rebel culture has been hijacked by corporations to sell us stuff (think Che Guevara on a mug), to how to Culture Jam. Yes, this is an actual activity- although it comes in many guises. Lasn explains how we can all be culture jammers, people who rise up against consumerism and endless advertising and say “enough’s enough”. Some of the best examples of culture jamming come in the form of ‘subvertisements’ in which big glossy company ads are made into satire (look them up on the Adbusters site, though there are plenty in the book too).
But there is more said in this book than simply "stop buying so much". There is something innately life-affirming about his approach here. It’s not venomous, but bracing, and it can completely pull us in. Wake us up. He is a fantastic writer, and he fills this book with a great deal of information that is not made readily available because it is the sort of thing that damages brands. There are things that will make you angry, though, as Lasn reminds us, anger isn’t always a negative emotion: sometimes it is your gut telling you that something must be done.
This book has the capacity to really get you riled up, and put some fire in your belly, fire that we desperately need, even in the UK. This is my only criticism of the book; that it seems to suggest that only the Americans are image and consumption obsessed, when it is becoming a pandemic. We are the people who can stop it, and have to: for the sake of our planet, and our mental health.
In the spirit of the ethos of this book, anyone who wants to is more than welcome to borrow my copy (though you’ll have to ignore the occasional angry outburst in the margins). Just drop me a comment. For that matter, I’ve a ton of the magazines too, should you wish to explore those.
Now. Go forth and read.
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