The Pleasure Production And Alienation Of Mass Culture

This article is based on the rise of the China mass culture in the second half of the twentieth century.With the great improvement of material life and diversification of the life style,Chinese people also suppressed by their life and work,and feel anxious due to the social transformation.Furthermore,affected by commodity logic and mass culture introduced by the economic globalization,the pursuit of pleasure and advocacy of human liberation has become the main demand of culture product for Chinese people.In this context,the mass culture is gradually alienated because of its commercial characteristics.Economic benefits become the main pursuit of mass culture,and delight production becomes the main approach to pursuit economic benefits.The social education responsibility of mass culture is gradually left behind.From the perspective of mass culture products,this article explores the experience of the audience in the society of spectacle to discuss whether the feeling of delight from the mass culture can bring self-realization,or will be unconsciously trapped even weaken rational and subjective consciousness.Firstly,with the descriptive analysis,this article considers the “Happy Camp” as a typical case of mass culture aiming at producing delight.Then,according to the theory of John Fiske,this article explores the mechanism of delight and subjectivity with two delight running patterns avoiding types and producer type.Finally,using spectacle society theory,the article finds that the resistance and self-realization are based on a fantasy spectacle world which is a kind of subjective,non-physical and fake “self-actualization”.The alienation of mass culture mainly shows in three aspects: constructing spiritual emptiness,creating fake demand and producing post-emotionalism.The rational and subject consciousness of the audience gradually weakened in the constructive spectacle society.Lastly,this article puts forward three ways to improve the development of mass culture: the first is to return to nature and reflect the real life.Secondly,develop green entertainment and improve aesthetic taste.Thirdly,integrate entertainment concept and promote cultural implication.