The Passive Consumption of popular music
The third major claim that cultural consumption has become passive uses Sigmund Freud's theories in psychology that address social behavior. (Ironstone, 2013) Adorno and Horkheimer believed that through the process of both "standardisation" and the "pseudo individual" that consumers become distracted by the cultural commodities they consume giving individuals little time to reflect on their "social and class position in the world". (Ironstone, 2013) This led to Adorno & Horkheimer's final concept of "regressive consumption" which is the process of an individual becoming passively controlled by the cultural commodities they consume. As we continue to passively consume the Billboard "hot 100" manufactured hit or the reproduced pop bands we fall victim to regressive consumption. In the case of music it is up to the consumer to decide what to listen to as the music industry is intent on offering the consumer with a standardised commodity. With an inability to reflect on ones class keeps the imbalance of popular music in the hands of those who produce and distribute the cultural commodity. By passively offering repetitive and standardized commodities the music industry is able to control not only the profits but the consumer in the form of creating a set list of songs that are most popular at a specific date.