Culture Jam - Kalle Lasn

Kalle Lasn, publisher of Abusters and activist, is a leading figure in the culture jamming movement. I have recently read Lasn's book 'Culture Jam: How to reverse America's suicidal consumer binge' which argues that 'America is no longer a country. It's a multitrillion-dollar brand' which sells it's image and ideals to the rest of the world. The book also describes how consumer culture has evolved into Guy Debord's concept of the spectacle, 'real living had been replaced by prepackaged experiences and media-created events.'   

(Culture Jammer's Manifesto)

Lasn explains who the jammer's are by saying directly what they are not, Lefties, feminists, slackers (...) he also states what the jammer's will do: 'We will uncool its fashions and celebrities, its icons, signs and spectacles. We will jam its image factory until the day it comes to a sudden, shuddering halt. And then on the ruins of the old consumer culture, we will build a new one with a noncommercial heart and soul'

Within the first chapter 'Autumn' a particular section stood out to me. Lasn makes the point that we are now overloaded by information, we are presented with so much information that it is no longer 'useful' and that the quality of the information around us is hyped and in most cases stretches the truth. We have seen so much that we lose our ability to be shocked by what we see. Lasn describes 'the erosion of empathy' he uses the example of the image of a starving child, which we have know become used to seeing on television,  'The first time we saw a starving child on a late-night TV ad, we were appalled. Maybe we sent money. As these images became more familiar, though, our compassion evaporate.'

When considering Lasn's points on consumerism, capitalism and culture jamming I want to consider arguments against Lasn, such as if he is being too extreme, whether 'Culture Jam' widely focuses on opinion rather than fact or whether Lasn could be bias in anyway.

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