Culure Jamming

When first looking up this terminology I found it strange that I could not find it in any of the dictionaries I searched in and that maybe like so much of the words used in today’s pop culture it was just another slang term. Then, on discovery of the origin of the world I realized that it’s quite difficult to put a meaning or definition on the term because it is best described as a form of ‘alternate media’. The term ‘Culture Jamming’ is defined in the Urban Dictionary as. ‘ The act of using existing media such as billboards, bus-ads, posters, and other ads to comment on those very media themselves or on society in general, using the original medium's communication method.’ Culture jamming has been around for decades and has been prevalent in every medium as a way of expressing alternate ideals, views and facts on topics in media and pop culture through an innovative and original way that draws the masses attention.

One of the most notable figures of culture jamming today is the Comedy Network’s most well known star, Stephen Colbert. Colbert is a comedian and political satirist who uses both of these qualities to give on a political spiel for a half-hour on fake news which is a parody of the conventional American news broadcasting and also political talk shows like the O’Reilly Factor. He entertains and informs viewers while criticising in a very well delivered and acted mannerism. “Like O'Reilly, we'll grab the most important word out of every sentence, `The,' for example. Also, I'll say, `I'm angry,' and the graphic will read, `Colbert angry.'” He sides himself as a right-wing conservative but in his delivery he is poking fun at all the Republican voters and media that sides with them. He focuses on news that sides with this group of people and pokes fun at American culture. He presents his statements and insights with humour, absurdity and condescending behaviour but attracts over a million viewers each night who receive a better outlook on politics, current government and national affairs. This is one of the most brilliant forms of attracting masses of people through the entertainment of comedy and enlightens viewers of the everyday news of what’s happening around them.

It’s amazing that upon discovery of this word I realize that it has been such a big factor of my life that I’ve overlooked. Punk Rock music, Borat, Daniel Tosh, Graffiti, The Simpsons all are valuable examples of culture jamming that aren’t given just for the sake of entertainment but are given with implications of takes on pop-culture, consumerism, news and politics. As human beings in 2009, we are exposed to more information in a given day then our ancestors a few centuries before us were exposed in their entire lifetimes. With a saturation of brand names, logos, icons and advertisements ‘Culture Jamming’ is the purpose of fighting back in response to corporate advertisers and propaganda with the aid of the media itself. It is a clever and very cunning dynamic to sweep the attention of the public and inform them of what’s going on in the world today.
Works Cited

-"Culture Jamming...What Is It?." www.jamming.wordpress.com. 16/03/ 2006. Word Press, Web. 23 Nov 2009. .

-Colbert, Stephen. "Think Exist." www.thinkexist.com. 2009. thinkexist, Web. 23 Nov 2009. .

-"Urban Dictionary." www.urbandictionary.com. 2009. Urban Dictionary, Web. 24 Nov 2009. .