Skip to main content

culture jam

Culture jamming, is the act of using existing media such as billboards, bus-ads, posters, and other ads to comment on those very media themselves or on society in general, using the original medium's communication method. It is based on the idea that advertising is little more than propaganda for established interests, and that there is little escape from this propaganda in industrialized nations. Culture jamming differs from artistic appropriation (which is done for art's sake), and from vandalism where destruction or defacement is the primary goal.

The word, "culture jamming" comes from the idea of radio jamming: that public frequencies can be pirated and subverted for independent communication, or to disrupt dominant frequencies. The Situationist International first made the comparison to radio jamming in 1968, when it proposed the use of guerrilla communication within mass media to sow confusion within the dominant culture. (Kalle Lasn, the founder of AdBusters magazine, wrote a book entitled Culture Jam, but the term predates his title.)

Culture jamming is a form of activism and a resistance movement to the hegemony of popular culture, based on the ideas of "guerrilla communication" and the "detournement" of popular icons and ideas. It has roots in the German concept of spass guerilla, and the Situationist International. Forms of culture jamming include adbusting, performance art, graffiti art and hacktivism (notably cybersquatting
lets go out and culture jam that fucking Halliburton billboard
by Logan Marshall November 29, 2004
mugGet the culture jam mug.

culture vulture

A person or an organization making profit using unhonorable practices from a culture they do not care for.

Example in Music: Major record labels signing the latest viral rapper, exploiting them for the max returns even if their music sucks.

Example in TV Shows/Movies: Creating and popularizing a gay character in the pursuit of the LGBT community's cash.

Example in Video Games: Selling DLC for the same price of a full game, selling micro-transactions items that should be in a game for free to start with and selling Pay To Win items that will give players a huge advantage over other gamers in a competitive environment.
These people do not understand hip-hop culture, they just want to make a profit from it. Bunch of corporate culture vultures!
by escoboyyy August 6, 2018
mugGet the culture vulture mug.

Culture of Criminality

The Three-Ring-Shit-Show and Mafia-inspired Don-Jester that is now at the helm of the U.S. Executive branch.
Oh, did you hear about the latest fucked-up presidential Tweetstorm?

You can spare me the details. It's all the same bullshit--just part of our dumbed-down, callous and irresponsible Culture of Criminality...
by YAWA March 22, 2019
mugGet the Culture of Criminality mug.

Culture Cypher

5 Percenter (Nation of Gods and Earths) lingo for 40. As used in the infamous Wu-Tang 7th Chamber skit on Enter The 36 Chambers album by Ghostface. The number 4 is equal to culture and the number 0 is equal to cypher (as in a circle which is a full 360 degrees cypher). Disregard the other definitions of Culture Cypher on here as they are completely inaccurate.
"I'm comin to get my culture cypher god"

Not 40 oz. bottle of beer, he means his glock 40 as he first said his boy just got shot in the head.

"I let the culture-culture bust"
-Nas on "New York" refering to his .44
by TheRealMonk January 26, 2011
mugGet the Culture Cypher mug.

culture of chaos

A description of the inner workings of the Trump White House.
We worked for years in this culture of chaos because we thought he was unfairly vilified.
by Dr Bunnygirl April 18, 2019
mugGet the culture of chaos mug.

culture club

Probably the greatest and one of the most unique bands of the 80's. With the help of Boy George (George O'Dowd) Culture Club released hit after hit in their few years of success. "Karma Chamleon", "I'll tumble for ya", and "Do you really want to hurt me?" are some examples of the songs that defined Culture club. They broke up shortly after breaking out into the spot light though because of inner turmoils amongst the band, including boy George's drug addictions
Let's go dancing to some Karma chameleon by Culture club
by Anthony DeAngelo February 7, 2006
mugGet the culture club mug.

Culture Head

Is any person that embraces any particular set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and actively practices the same characterizations of an institution, organization, group or community.
Suzie and Johnny embrace the vegetarian culture and practice not eating animal or animal bi-products, as the people in their pro-vegetarian club practices as well. Thus, Suzie and Johnny are culture heads.
by AlwaysWordGeeking March 6, 2009
mugGet the Culture Head mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email