"It's The Economy"

I recently spoke with a close friend who I've known since high school. As we were catching up he told me finding a job hasn't been the easiest thing to do. I could relate to the difficulties that he has experienced. For example, the types of jobs he is looking for aren't available, and his resume isn't the most eye-catching either (I suffer from both of these). He then mentioned to me that his mom made, or makes, a comment about how easy it was for her to find a job when she was his age, and that she thinks it's easy to find a job. And then he said the thing that caught my attention. He said something along the lines of "she doesn't understand, we have a terrible economy, there aren't jobs available." I gave him a terrible response like "furreal," and then began pondering something. It seems that everyone I know attributes their economic situation to the economic recession. While I am aware that the economic recession has had a devastating impact on people all around the world, no one, especially the media, is blaming other aspects that shape their pitiful economic situation. There's not much being said about race and unemployment, gender and unemployment, class and unemployment, the private ownership of the means of production, stock holders, racist/classist social policy, geography, etc.

Perhaps it is worthwhile to mention that this reflects how economists/politicians evaluate the economy/society, that is, through indicators that do not reflect just or unjust economies or healthy societies. The absence of intersectionality in the conversation about the economic condition of individuals and society supports the claim that politics is not about the well being of society, but about the well being of institutions like the economy.

Considering Commodification

About a year ago I worked on a research project for my qualitative research methods class where I spent time with members of the electro dance music scene. When I started the project I had no idea what it meant and what it still means to be a raver or even what a 'real rave' was. After about a month of spending time in the scene I started to believe that the venue, people, and scene I was studying were not the things I thought they were. I entered the project with the understanding that I was studying ravers; it wasn't until I spent some time studying and observing the subjects did I realize that I was studying the product of a commodified subculture. The venue wasn't an authentic venue for 'real raves,' instead of a warehouse the events I attended were hosted in clubs. Instead of cultural beliefs like PLUR (peace, love, unity, and respect) constituting the collective conscious, drugs, sexual activity, etc. were. And instead of collective self-organization playing a role in the events, business owners were planning and throwing the events. Despite the fact that raves lost many of their core qualities, electro music was never able to be kicked out of the culture.

This is the role of commodification; to turn something, a service or item, into something that can be sold -- but more importantly, sold to the masses. Throughout history we have seen the commodification of products, services, and subcultures (punk culture), destroy the things we loved and needed. This was my reaction when I realized the rave scene had been commodified, packaged, and sold to the masses. But what I have recently realized is that by commodifying raves, electronic music -- one of the pillars of the rave scene, electronic music was able to enter the mainstream -- something that I assume the first DJs thought never could happen. Even though raves have been commodified for the masses, 'real raves' still exist and are being sought out by individuals who were reeled in by commodified raves.

Drawing from this example and the idea that commodification is the act of turning a product or service into something that can be sold to the masses, I feel that political subcultures can gain political power by commodifying their ideas for the masses.

COMODDIFY YOUR POLITICAL SUBCULTURE!