Viral Culture and Media Advertising: Savan, Wasik, and Group Dynamics
This essay synthesizes arguments about the relationship between viral culture and media advertising, drawing on Leslie Savan's analysis of African American vernacular in U.S. marketing and James Surowiecki's theory of group polarization. The paper examines how cultural elements—particularly Black English slang—infiltrate commercial messaging and shape consumer behavior, while also considering instances where media appropriation of cultural language backfires. Through discussion of case studies like the controversial 2010 Toyota commercial, the essay argues that while media can adapt cultural vernacular for advertising reach, the process is complex and often divisive. The paper further explores how group dynamics and polarization affect collective judgment in response to media messages, suggesting that decision-making structures influence whether crowds generate wisdom or conformity.
- Introduction: Culture, Media, and Social Dynamics: Culture and media shape each other through interaction
- African American Vernacular in Commercial Advertising: Black English slang transforms U.S. marketing strategies
- The Toyota Case and Backlash Against Cultural Appropriation: Failed ads show limits of Savan's positive thesis
- Group Polarization and Collective Judgment: Deliberation radicalizes group opinions, not moderates them
- The Flaws in Decision-Making Structures: Crowd wisdom depends on decision-making system design
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What makes this paper effective
- Integrates multiple theoretical frameworks—cultural linguistics (Savan) and group dynamics (Surowiecki)—to explore a single phenomenon (viral culture in advertising).
- Grounds abstract concepts in concrete examples, particularly the Toyota commercial controversy, making the argument tangible and relatable.
- Acknowledges nuance and counterarguments: recognizes that Savan's positive framing of Black vernacular's market influence overlooks negative reactions and cultural backlash.
- Identifies structural failures in decision-making systems, moving beyond individual bias to systemic critique.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper employs comparative source synthesis, using one author's argument to test or complicate another's. Rather than simply summarizing Savan and Surowiecki separately, the writer juxtaposes their insights to show how cultural linguistic patterns (Savan) interact with group dynamics (Surowiecki) to shape advertising outcomes. The author also practices critical reading by noting what Savan "forgets to mention"—gaps in existing analysis that the synthesis itself partially fills.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a broad introduction positioning culture and media as reciprocal forces, then narrows to Savan's specific argument about Black vernacular in marketing. A case study of the Toyota commercial grounds this discussion in controversy, revealing limits to Savan's framing. The final sections pivot to Surowiecki's group polarization theory to explain why media audiences respond to cultural content so divisively—connecting individual and collective behavior to underlying decision-making flaws.
Introduction: Culture, Media, and Social Dynamics
In today's world, humans are inherently social creatures. We thrive through many different forms of interaction—word of mouth, texting, and internet communication. We are also influenced and swayed by media. But what is the relationship between viral culture and media advertising? How do the arguments of Leslie Savan and Bill Wasik differ and relate to each other?
Culture and media exist in a dynamic relationship. Sometimes culture adapts media, absorbing it and affecting how media operates or how culture itself changes. Other times, certain cultural groups resist media influence entirely, rejecting it to preserve their way of life. In still other cases, media merges into different cultures almost invisibly, without people fully recognizing the shift. When we hear the word "culture," we typically think of how different people around the world live, speak, dress, eat, and celebrate. This is indeed culture, but it encompasses far more meanings, and understanding how culture relates to sources such as media requires deeper analysis.
African American Vernacular in Commercial Advertising
In Leslie Savan's essay "What's Black, Then White, and Said All Over?" Savan explores the importance of African American vernacular in the United States today. Black English has fundamentally changed American society through new terms and slang that continuously evolve. Slangs such as "yo," "what's hanging," "bae," "hook up," "ain't," "ight," and "thot" have been adopted into contemporary discussions, songs, magazines, and television programming, causing an incredible transformation in marketing strategies.
Black slang has clearly affected many companies seeking to reach young audiences through advertisements. Not every commercial employing this tactic, however, was attractive to consumers. For example, commercials advertising alcohol often feature attractive women to promote the product. The logical connection between women and product quality may be puzzling, yet consumers often respond to the impulse: "This attractive woman likes it, so I should buy it." Such commercials sometimes draw consumers away rather than engaging them effectively.
Group Polarization and Collective Judgment
James Surowiecki offers another crucial lens through which to understand these dynamics: his concept of group polarization. This occurs when members of a small group take extreme positions on opposite sides of an issue. Some members adopt an extreme "yes" position while others take an extreme "no" stance, with little middle ground. Surowiecki identifies the dangers of group polarization by observing that "deliberation does not moderate, but rather radicalizes people's point of view" (Surowiecki, p. 479).
What Surowiecki argues is that small group discussion on contentious topics drives participants toward extremes rather than consensus. He examines many situations in which crowds produce poor judgment, arguing that cognitive failure occurs because group members become too conscious of others' opinions and begin to emulate and conform rather than think independently. Although Surowiecki acknowledges that crowds can be swayed by persuasive speakers, he identifies the root cause: the decision-making system itself contains fundamental structural flaws.
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