Modelos y formatos del discurso cultural massmediático en la sociedad globalizada.

Abstract

The aim of the thesis is to explore the culture industry's discourse and the ways it turns into a dominant discourse while concealing its artifice. The study of this industry is closely related to politics, as industrial practices involve complex interaction between administrators and administered. Furthermore, the study entails a reflection on globalisation with a view to unearthing the rapid spread of political actions and discourse practices seen recently displayed. Despite the fact that the analysis focuses on the United States, most of the discourse practices referred to could be easily applied to Spain. Besides, the object of this study is framed in the eighties, during the so-called conservative revolution inaugurated by Reagan. My analysis focuses on the cultural response to this political movement through Frank Zappa's work, as it provides a comprehensive mirror of the cultural responses to Reagan's conservative discourse and political actions. The first part of the study centres on a contrastive analysis between Zappa's and Reagan's ideological postulates. According to Zappa, rock music constitutes a non-conformist stimulus pitched against the culture industry's dominating paradigms. In this sense, the musician is a commentator on society. The second part analyses the different power mechanisms implemented by the American government, from its discourse practices to its political actions, with particular reference to corruption, scandals and the censorship within the culture industry. The conclusions drawn throughout the whole analysis revolve around Zappa's main objective, which was to educate young people by means of rock music. Therefore, the study intends to define rock music as a response to the establishment's ideological homogenisation and may be regarded as a starting point for the analysis of the discourses generated by the culture industry.