Once Upon a Time Warner

AOL instant messenger is a part of Time Warner's internet department and as we read in the chapter is a company that has been revolutionary in the areas of concentration of ownership and synergy. After the AOL and Time Warner merger, (now called just "Time Warner") the company grew in power and breadth of influence. How does this influence me? Well considering AOL instant messenger is a communication form and I usually ignore the obnoxious pop ups and format my settings in such a way that aim today does not assail my screen every time I sign on, I would say that the influence in this particular case may be less than in others. However for the sake of argument if I had the immediate appearance of aim.com set, I would daily be subject to the advertisements of films etc that Time Warner is producing at the time. This is the idea of synergy; that all components of this company work together in promoting itself. It makes sense. It also makes me think of Marx and the means of production. The privileged own the means of production, and whether we are aware or not, sometimes what seems like an outside endorsement of a product or film is really not neutral and objective in the least, but connected to the company in a deeply rooted way.