A Brief History of the Horkheimer

So where did all this Horkheimer talk come from? Well...I guess it all began in the late hours of the evening while flipping through the channels on the tube - and stumbling across Jack Horkheimer's 5 minute show - Star Gazer. Jack is an over the top, charismatic instructor of the heavens...Reviled by some, adored by many - Jack sports an unflattering toupee as he urges his viewers to "Keep Looking Up!" We'd seen Horkheimer quite a few times, but it took us a while to become true fans. It actually happened much like an epiphany: one drowsy morning Monsieur made some obscure reference to a Horkheimer, and later that evening we happened to catch his show - which sent me into fits of laughter.

Soon I became enthralled with the word. Spouting it off on every occasion - even in nonsensical context. It helped take the mind off of worldly matters - this name. You've noticed. I know you have. This blog has become something quite different from what it was just a few short days ago. Anti-war and political protests gave way to rants and descriptive passages that may lead one to believe that I not only fell off the rocker - but got hit by a truck shortly thereafter. If you were to dial the house - you'd see how far this obsession has gone - hearing Horkheimer's voice over the answering machine - and a triumphant shout of praise in his name...

But curiousity led me to delve into the google banks in search of more interesting Horkheimers. Perhaps there was a product out there I hadn't heard of, a store - a city! Imagine living in Horkheimer township...Oh if only life were so sweet. What I found in my search has greatly influenced the past few days of my life.

Surprisingly enough, one can graduate with a dual degree in Philosophy and English Literature without ever once hearing, writing, or seeing the name Horkheimer. What a shock to find in my google search nearly 50,000 entries - the majority referring to Max Horkheimer. I continued reading and came across some quotes, passages, essays on, guides and notes, critiques, and even larger passages. I was amazed. I promptly requested Monsieur to procure a copy of Dialectic of Enlightenment which I began reading yesterday. I'm taking copious notes, pretending that I'm actually headed back to school...oh how I miss school - I'm finding it (the book) to be quite relevant to modern events - as regards issues like ClearChannel's dominance in the media and the lack of diversity in radio...a lot of Horkheimer deals with popular culture - like this portion - dealing with mass deception...

There were also numerous references to Horkheimer within articles such as this Salon.com article entitled Custom Jeans for Every Butt:

In the early 1940s, when American assembly lines pumped out everything from cars and toothbrushes to tanks and missiles, philosophers Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer began writing about what they dubbed the "Culture Industry" created by and through mass production. In "The Dialectic of Enlightenment," Adorno and Horkheimer argue that "under a monopoly, all mass culture is identical." In other words, the production of culture is dictated by a few, yet consumed by all.

References in Criticisms of Martin Amis work:

Well before Michel Foucault, Adorno and Horkheimer insisted that "power and knowledge are synonymous."

But as Jack Horkheimer already proved - there are more Horkheimers out there than at first we may believe. Horkheimers like Murray, Swinging Jim, and the poet David, and dead Republican Morris. Another historical Horkheimer comes in the form of brothers - E.D. Horkheimer and H.M. Horkheimer, seen here working for Balboa Films with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

One last thing -- anil long used Horkheimer in his tag line...I never claimed to be the authority on Horkheimer...I just happened to get mine stuck in the toaster and haven't found any instructions on how to get it out safely yet...

Posted by kevin at April 10, 2003 12:43 PM