The “aura” of any creation in society – from art to ideas – is the authentic, original version in its primary “presence in time and space” (Benjamin 220). In his essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin theorizes that the mechanical reproduction of art (the replication of a painting or even filming an actor’s performance of his “natural state”) destroys the essence, truth, or aura of the work, which in turn separates art from its historical ritual (i.e. going to a unique event that is irreproducible outside of the “here and now”) and blurs human sense perception of every social “reality” in its time and space. In other words, the reproduction of a work of art changes society’s sense perception of the “reality” in which the work was created – reproduction destroys the historical significance of the work by making it easily accessible in any time and space, while threatening human sense perception of the aura because a reproduction is produced by someone with a different perception than the author of the work. Benjamin argues that the mechanical reproduction of art threatens the notion of authenticity and that when one can view art without the authentic work, the entire function of art is altered. It is no longer art for art’s sake or a historical ritual – it is a political, social, and economic tool (224). Film is a great example of how the artistic reproduction of nature alters original perception. Benjamin states, “While facing the camera [the screen actor] knows that ultimately he will face the public…that new anxiety which…grips the actor before the camera…[results in] an artificial build-up of the ‘personality’ outside the studio” (231). Thus, the actor’s awareness of the camera makes his seemingly “natural” body language artificial. And this exploitation of nature’s aura is fueled by capitalistic agendas.
I would argue that the “cyber aura” does not exist. The eternal accessibility of any website, picture, video, or sound clip on the Internet counters Benjamin’s notion of “presence in time and space.” The vast amount of producers and senders in the cyber realm makes it rare for one to view, read, or listen to an authentic file that has not been altered by other producers or has not replicated an original work from society. As we observed with the YouTube videos we watched in class, you can access a unique moment online, but it is often altered or edited (i.e.: polka music added into Ashlee Simpson clip) which diminishes its authenticity, you’re not experiencing the “aura” of the unique moment because you’re not there in time and space, you may have preconceived notions of the image which affects your perception, and since you can watch things on the Internet years after they occurred in reality, your perception of the issues at hand may have “historically” changed.
In his essay “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception,” Theodor Adorno argues that every aspect of society and human behavior is mediated by the “culture industry,” or the social implementation of ideas, normative behavior, and industry practices by authority to fulfill economic agendas. He states, “To speak about culture always went against the grain of culture. The general designation “culture” already contains, virtually, the process of identifying, cataloging, and classifying which imports culture into the realm of administration” (Adorno 104). Thus, culture is a highly schematized ideology that imparts boundaries, restrictions, and necessities on the human mind and life, implicitly destroying individual autonomy, while concurrently perpetuating the notion of individuality and freedom of thought and action. Culture is a business – individuals are essentially brainwashed into believing they have autonomy over their existence, when in actuality, every choice they make has a consequence pre-determined by authority and manipulated to fulfill financial motives. Adorno states, “Under the private monopoly of culture tyranny does indeed ‘leave the body free’…The ruler no longer says: ‘Either you think as I do or you die.’ He says: ‘You are free not to think as I do…But from this day on you will be a stranger among us’…Disconnected from the mainstream, he is easily convicted of inadequacy” (105-106). Thus, if one does not adhere to the guidelines of the culture industry, he faces social exile and incompetency – he is forced to follow the culture model to ensure his success and survival in society. Adorno states that even when we’re out of the public eye, during our most intimate moments and unconscious impulses, we’re conforming to the culture industry’s “apparatus of success” (136).
I believe that the “cyber industry” is a microcosm of the culture industry in that it perpetuates distinctions between socially normative or applauded behavior and socially condemned or base behavior. For example, Facebook would be classified as “socially normative” and pornography would be classified as “socially stigmatized.” The Internet user is faced with a plethora of web organizations to join or reject, each of which has been socially deemed “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to view or take part in. In relation to the notion of cyber aura, if the cyber realm largely consists of replication, the cyber industry should mirror the culture industry in its format and motives. Thus, our behavior on the Internet is mediated by social definitions of “good” and “bad” sites, resulting in conformity to the cultural “apparatus of success” and essentially limiting our freedom of choice through the threat of stigmatization and “social exile.”
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” New York: Schocken Books, 1968. Print.
Adorno, Theodor W. and Max Horkheimer. Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception.” Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2002. Print.
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