Adbusters Magazine
- Duane Smets
- Feb 2, 2005
- Series: Other
Adbusters magazine is unlike any other magazine because it has no ads. The magazine has become a key participating leader in a revolution brewed by people who call themselves "culture jammers."
Culture jammers are a collective of "artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age." Their aim, "to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century." Their name coincides with their mission, to try and jam up present ideologies and the forms that allow them to create “a culture gone wild.”
Adbusters says our "toxic culture" has "stolen our clarity of mind." What we need is no more Prozac and other drugs that "throw us into mental dysfunction." Instead, do "simple things like not living alone and keeping close contacts with family and friends, live more fully, live in the moment, live more slowly and live more locally." They call this mental ecology.
  
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Corporate capitalism and Western consumerism are the enemies of this movement. In a quest to bring about huge economical change, Adbusters recently sponsored the first BNC day, "Buy Nothing Christmas." The message, spend less, care more.
They also have partnered with the "Blackspot Anticorporation" group who is trying to bring about change in business with "true cost economics." The plan, the death of brand America and its corporations. Instead of shoes and other items made in sweatshops in other parts of the world, make a simple shoe that works, and sell it without goal of making a profit. No more greed, just fair wages that meet peoples needs.
The methods of these culture jammers include all kinds of things: from writing in any publication they can, to creating clever artwork with a distinct message, to secretly stuffing college economics textbooks with manifestos, to poster tagging, to starting antipreneural businesses, to fighting the system in courts, to taking professorships at colleges.
So, Christians and Adbusters, what do you say? Here is a smattering of my thoughts.
Adbusters is a non-Christian movement but in many ways is more active and clear in the pursuit of their goal than we are about bringing spiritual revolution. Many of the sentiments of Adbusters seem to line up with the teaching of the Bible. Things like, renewing our mind, being stewards of God's creation, caring for and giving to all who have need, and not seeking our own benefit, prosperity, and power.
The biggest freakin' wrench in being a Christian is the duplicity of our hearts. We say we love our neighbor, but they are starving and we are going out to dinner. We say we depend on and trust God and we can't go a day without drugs, coffee, or T.V. because we are so afraid of pain and trial. Our passions and convictions as Christians often waver because we are still in a state of being renewed until we die or Christ returns. In this regard, Adbusters can be a great instrument to help keep our heads straight. God uses all kinds of means to aid us in our spiritual battle, perhaps this is one.
Perhaps the most significant thing about Adbusters is that much of what these culture jammers are involved in are things Christians could be doing or participating in as expressions of the gospel. We may mince here and there, and ought to judge everything with Scripture, but my question is, if the revolution comes, will you be ready and what one will you be fighting for?
Duane Matthew Smets currently serves at Kaleo Church. Smets holds a Masters in Theology from Talbot School of Theology. In addition, Duane has over five years of pastoral and evangelistic experience formerly being an internationally licensed minister in the Foursquare denomination. Currently, Duane is in the process of preparing to plant a church. Read more of his musing at theresolved.
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