Both Marx and Chomsky discuss the idea of conformity. While Marx talks about conformity within the bourgeois and Chomsky talks about the influence of mass media, they both strongly agree with the idea that people are conforming to one likeness. In the text excerpt from the “Communist Manifesto” Marx explains how everyone is becoming one. He focuses on the idea that several classes meshed in two very distinctly different classes, the bourgeois and the proletariat. He argues that all the classes are being told to conform to fit one standard. Chomsky’s argument basically says that we are becoming what the media wants us to be. Both arguments verbalize that people are conforming to be something that they are not.
In the summary of “Manifestoon” directed my Drew he pointed the deceiving nature of children’s cartoons. People perceive them as just funny little skits that entertain children but what they don’t think about is the hidden message. Drew points out that an overwhelming amount of children’s cartoons empower the “ "trickster" and they use such assets such as wit to overpower a character that is physically stronger. This plays up the use of your brain and goes against some of the ideas of conformity cause it is not even close to the norm. People are used to the stronger of the two winning and this presents an argument that not all things are necessarily what we are taught to conform to and believe.
Marx concluded his argument with the phrase “Workers of all countries, unite!” Due to the increase influence of mass media people that have access to common amenities such as television and the Internet are all becoming one in the sense that we are being swayed by the propaganda that is now part of our everyday lives.
The idea of the Trickster in cartoons is a good metaphor for the way the media acts towards us. We seem to become hypnotized by the media and shut our brains off to what they are really telling us and the ideas/products they're selling. The connection you made between the two makes a very good point and I think one thing that takes that point even further is the fact that even as children we are subject to this commercialism in the media. Most children grow up watching these tricksters in the cartoons learning the way the media works. However it is only when we begin to question and really put to work our critical thinking that we the proletariat can rise against the bourgeoisie tricksters and become independent of the media message.
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