Rating: 
Summary: Too Little Too Late
Review: Kalle Lasn seems to think there's still hope that Americans might extricate themselves from the corporate-sponsored totalitarian cultural nightmare under which we live. I don't. However, for those inclined to agree with him -- and who still think it's worth participating in the war against civilization and intelligence that's being waged by the G.C.M (Global Corporate Mafia) -- then by all means check out this passionately argued book. In my opinion, the battle's already been lost, but then again, Lasn's defiant, admirable stance might be able to make you feel otherwise.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best of the genre
Review: I subscribed to Lasen's magazine, AdBusters, for over a year. While I agree with his politics and ideals for the most part it is clear that Lasen isn't a typical scholar in this area. There are some parts of the book where I agreed with the point he was trying to make whole heartedly, but had to roll my eyes at the logic he was trying to use to persuade the reader. I would suggest something by Sut Jhally, Jean Kilbourn, or Naomi Klein if you're looking for a well reasoned argument for why advertising is destroying our lives.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid materialism & get back into participating in life!
Review: This a life-improvement book in that is unravels the history of Media & Corporations evolution of power & the de-evolution of our real lives for this superficial saddened existence, and not enough of REAL LIFE. Culture Jam reminds us all to stop suffering from too much media: get out and enjoy what you love now, and stop moping... especially about money and possessions!This book reminds us all to go outside and enjoy life. In our pursuit of "happiness", or what we think will "make us happy" this book reminds us to not forget to enjoy the real moment. It also devolves the history of corporations' escalation of power, the use of media to limit consumer information, and the mental affect of always wanting more stuff, and how although we are a rich and successful nation, we have one of the highest rates of depressed, and unhappy people. This book is a GREAT READ! It definitely motivated me to reassess my success, my needs, and to separate my belongings from my happiness. What a great feeling, and a worthwhile read for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Arguments, No Solutions
Review: Why are we all willing to do everything the media and big corporations tell us to do? Why is it that we all have to wear the name brand clothes, buy the name brand food, and watch TV for hours on end? What is so important about the name of a product? In Culture Jam, Kalle Lasn attempts to not only answer these questions but he also gives suggestions on how to change the culture behind them.
Lasn states that the media and large corporations control not only the things we buy but also the way we think. The media only shows what they want the public to see and what economically benefits them. They refuse to allow ads that have competing views with those of their main contributors. For example, the Adbusters Media Foundation has tried to have their ads promoting "Buy Nothing Day" and "TV Turnoff Week" aired on the primary networks. The three major networks have always sent them away with no airtime because these ads would be against their financial interests. Lasn makes the argument that the media should not be able to pick and choose what to show to the public. The "memes" from corporations should be able to be contrasted with opposing "memes" on all television networks. Lasn believes that if the Adbusters "memes" are heard, they will eventually triumph over the corporations "memes".
Large corporations have the money to control the politics and media in this society. These huge moneymakers define what is "cool" and the majority of society listens. Also, corporations have been given the same rights as individuals so they cannot be controlled. Lasn argues that these rights should not be granted to corporations because they are not individuals but only large emotionless entities.
The problems with our culture that Lasn described in his book were somewhat insightful but his solutions to these problems were lacking. Most of the problems involving corporations and the media were issues I had already known about but could be helpful for someone who did not know as much about this topic. I thought that after describing all these problems, Lasn would have some revolutionary solutions but he had nothing of the sort. Instead, he addressed small things that could be done on an individual basis, many of which I disagreed with or did not see the relevance of. For example, I do not see the relevance of yelling "politely" at some bank tellers to get another window open. I am not trying to say that it is a bad thing to do things on an individual basis. It is just that Lasn alluded to having something bigger than that to say.
I thought this book was well written and interesting despite my qualms with it. I would suggest it to those who do not know much about these sorts of issues and to those who are looking to do smaller acts of "rebellion".
Rating: 
Summary: Culture Jam: Brought to you by advertisers of AD Busters
Review: Culture Jam: This Commercial Brought to you by AD Busters This book was a well-written piece of propaganda. It draws attention to the growing problems of society. It views the country known as the USA as an individual corporate entity known as America™. The book then goes on to describe the current problems of society, which span from mental illness to the loss of natural resources to the loss of cultural resources. It associates these problems with the ever-growing society and popular culture.
It does do a good job of bringing up the problems one-by-one, then explaining how the current societal trend has contributed to it. One of these problems is the diminishing attention span of the younger generations. This was explained as a result of increasing "jolts", or sudden jumps in action, on TV. These jumps increase the viewer's expectation of instant sensory gratification. No lecture no matter how interesting can compare to 60 jolts per minute.
This is what I think is the AD Busters strongest argument, the comparison between events in reality and those in virtual reality. That due to the increasing pressures of society, a faceless fantasy world is much easier to stomach than a world of real people and surreal expectations, many people are changing their lives to allow for there technological addiction.
The goal of the book is to "wake-up" the minds of the individual. That is to get them to stop accepting the popular culture as the correct culture. An example is the correlation of the current trends of body images and the increase in eating disorders. It has been a well-debated topic.
The problem with the book is that after most solid points it brings up tangents obviously slanted to prove a point. This tactic is common in all forms of propaganda. The disappointing part was that the book had spent time warning the reader about this and instructed them to look past such claims. One such claim was a causal relation between beauty pageants and exotic dancers.
The book presents the culture jamming ideals; these ideals are presented using the same technique that they are arguing against. The format given the content is highly disappointing. The book is littered with jolts, catch phrases and one-sided points of view. At one point it discredits bioengineering of food even after it states that it is so it will grow in infertile soil. The heroes of Culture Jamming called the Situationists supposedly met and discussed this topic over absinthe, a highly alcoholic liqueur mixed with a toxic herb. So this movement to draw people out of their virtual reality was inspired by those of an altered state of mind. It is a good example of one side but it teaches inside of the book to not except just one side. The book is of a slanted topic of Culture Jamming interrupted with commercials for AD Busters. It is the literary equivalent to TV, where he is almost counting on the reader not to pay attention to what he had just said.
Rating:
Summary: Can Anti-Consumerism Save The World?
Review: Kalle Lasn brings forth challenging questions and revolutionary solutions to the issue of consumerism in Culture Jam. The reader definitely gets a strong idea of where Lasn stands on this controversial topic. The author is an anti-consumerist who is deeply rooted to his commitment of changing this world into one where material possessions and international mega-corporations become unimportant and powerless. This, of course, seems like an extremely challenging, if not impossible task in a world dominated by corporations like McDonald's, Phillip Morris, and Nike. But Lasn does an excellent job of laying his experiences and ideas into a nicely written, easy-to-read novel.
Culture Jam is written in four parts titled Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Each season gives the reader a better understanding of what consumerism has done to America and the world in general, how the masses can unite and overthrow this trend, and what the world may possibly become if consumerism were reversed. Lasn seems very activist-oriented and ready to lead this new revolution of people he termed "culture jammers." Culture jammers would fight to "uncool" and "depopularize" consumerism and mega-corporations around the world. This would come in the forms of protests, plugging the airwaves with anti-consumerism ads, and simply not purchasing unnecessary merchandise and products. In other words, Lasn is a proponent of returning to a simpler life when people weren't judged by what they drive, eat, and wear and corporations didn't modify unique cultures found across the globe.
I found a lot of truth in Lasn's arguments against consumerism and how it is turning a diverse world into a homogenized society dominated by corporate rule. He is very firm in his beliefs and are worth reading by anyone, regardless of their stand on this issue. I started Culture Jam with a somewhat similar attitude to Lasn's on the state of consumerism in today's world. But I can definitely say that I'm not on the exact same wavelength as him in regards to the issue being presented.
Although some of his ideas and opinions are similar to mine, others seemed a little extreme for me. I could sit here and say that I only shop in thrift stores, live on a diet composed of all organic food, and ride my bicycle everywhere I need to go, but that would simply be a lie. I too partake in the guilty pleasures of purchasing brand name clothing when I can afford it, occasionally stop in McDonald's for a quick fast food fix, and drive my car if I'm not in the mood for exercising. And this is true of many people in the United States and around the world. I'm not saying that I participate in these activities on a daily basis, but instead realizing that complete abandonment of these practices would be a huge change in my lifestyle. But reading books like Culture Jam really get me thinking on a higher level of how even one person's actions can affect many. This is what I'll remember next time I feel the urge to needlessly spend money on products that will only put more power where it doesn't belong: corporate America.
Rating:
Summary: Fighting MTV While Becoming MTV
Review: I nearly jumped out of my chair while reading the first few pages of this book. No one had expressed the current state of the American mental environment or the break-down of personal and family relationships as well as Lasn had. There is nothing quite like the feeling of thinking you were isolated in your opinions, and then realize that someone else believes passionately in the same things. Lasn's descriptions of a media-saturated world in which family life has become a dull joke, where self-esteem is in a constant state of assault by advertisers, and our culture is being stolen are very, very powerful. Unfortunately, Lasn ultimately fails in his search for meaningful ways to deal with these issues.
For starters, I found myself cringing slightly when he used the phrase "Culture Jammers" to describe those who participate in anti-media action. For someone who wants to "uncool" America, that phrase is a little, well, *cool*. Even if I did paint over billboards, I'd never want to be labelled a "Jammer." Isn't labelling part of the problem?
Lasn also despises television and it's numbing parade of images and commercials, yet he combats this by...making more commercials? He speaks of "meme wars," but television memes are inherently hollow and disposable, and I fear the more Lasn tries to participate in the logo and opinion-in-less-than-30-seconds culture we've gotten ourselves into, the more anti-media activism will be reduced to, ironically, another media fad.
Ultimately what Lasn doesn't touch on enough are the personal solutions to these problems. Turning off the television and the CD walkman are a lot harder than I thought, but in the end it feels great to minimize those things in one's daily life. Most importantly, I'd like to see Lasn encourage silence instead of shouting, writing over soundbytes, and individualism over labels. In a nutshell, he should turn off the television instead of being part of it.
I do not mean to come down too hard on Lasn. I greatly admire the work being done through Adbusters, and the messages it is sending out. Nor do I believe that media exposure for these issues should be frowned upon. I just believe that rather than combating soundbytes with more soundbytes, as Lasn seems to suggest, that he resists the labelling and noise that we all have come to despise.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn¿t put the book down.
Review: Lasn bring to 'de-light' what we all know, but were too afraid or numbed out to discuss. This book is a must read to anyone who questions where all this meaningless consumerism is taking us.
I have felt a misplaced rage towards society until I read Lasn ideas. I have learnt to use this rage towards a grassroots project I am developing in Brazil. The book is truly inspiring.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's my review?
Review: I wrote a review already. How come it isn't up?
Rating:
Summary: Very Provocative
Review: This book is for people who are generally unaware of the global financial dominance of corporations and the all consuming thought control of the mass media, the ideals that a great country were based on and how the people of the United States have been sidelined by the political agenda of the power elite. The book is not based on conspiracy theories as some skeptics might think, but fact, all the evidence is right in front of your face, all you have to do is open your eyes.
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