Fiske (2003) explores what he calls a "theory of incorporation" through the case study of ripped jeans. As he explains, ripped and faded jeans can be understood as a form of resistance against commodity culture. Wearing jeans that are ripped signals the wearer's resistance to replacing what would normally be understood as worn out.
This small sign of resistance is incorporated by jeans manufacturers like Calvin Klein when factory made rips and tears are marketed as fashion. Fiske (2003) argues that this incorporation robs such signs of resistance of their oppositional value. He describes this as containment, since it allows the act of resistance to continue, but only in a controlled way.
Finally, Fiske (2003) uses this case study to discuss the political meaning of popular culture. Fiske (2003) argues that popular culture is always a site of negotiation between the top and bottom. For Fiske (2003) change can only come from the bottom, since those at the top of the power relations will be resistant to losing their power.
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