Discussion Topics

We talked about producing and consuming last week as does Certeau in this chapter. We talked about how consumers can be producers as well like in culture, and that is why there is a distinction between consumers and users. I understand that the distinction is there and that there is a difference between a product and what a product stands for. What I wonder is why there is such a dominant system between producer and consumer in the first place, especially when he says consumer are also producers? I also wonder why the view of popular culture is a negative one to begin with. I understand that the idea of an outside entity telling the public what is popular or not can be intimidating, but is the effect really constricting our ability to be free thinking or is it just the we use popular culture as an escape for entertainment?