Commodity Fetishism In Consumer Culture

Many Americans love shopping, especially during the holidays, with its captivating discounts and sales, which lead to uncontrollable splurges on irrelevant things. According to Quindlen, this is an example of America’s crazed consumerism and it is absolutely absurd. In her article, “Honestly, You Shouldn’t Have”, she states that there is currently an assumption that purchasing American merchandises symbolize an act of patriotism and at the same time, build a strong economy. She also states that we, as Americans, need to acknowledge important spiritual values such as friends and family rather than material goods.

A capitalist society encourages exploitation of workers through consumerism. This can be observed in Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005) by recognizing how use-value, exchange-value and surplus-value in our society promotes exploitation. The documentary provides insight that the usefulness of a thing, or the use-value, is often disregarded when people purchase commodities to keep up with trends rather than for its use. Exchange-value exists within capitalism, where consumers are not as interested at an item’s usefulness. Rather, they are more interested in its monetary value and what they can obtain in exchange for the

Joshua Shavel Consumer Nation 10/5/17 How Consumerism Changed America America is often described as a nation of consumers. This description usually has a negative tone, implying that Americans are materialistic, and in comparison to the majority of other countries, this is true. Many people accuse Americans of having a level of consumption that is actually wasteful in a lot of ways. Finding the difference between “needs” and “wants” is difficult in a consumer nation, where options are almost limitless. Consumerism can also bring about positive change, though, and this is especially true in the United States.

Mark Spitz states that “he was crestfallen when he ate at another location for the first time” and he recognized the “same stuff on the wall” (189). This moment is crucial because it emphasizes how even the most precious and sentimental aspects of our life are a result of consumer culture. Many aspects cleverly crafted to appear as a one-of-a-kind product or experience actually result in a slightly customizable template. Similarly, Sorensen explains consumerism as “the capacity to realize and replicate itself by borrowing against the guaranteed promise of the future as the site of more of the same and of endlessness of reproduction without difference” (562-3). Whitehead further supports this idea by illuminating the reproduction of a one-of-a-kind

Within this critical literature review, the article which will be under analysis is “low- income families and coping through brands: Inclusion or stigma?” which was written by Kathy Hamilton in 2012. The article concentrates on the coping strategies used by single parents and low-income families to avoid stigmatisation and threats upon their social identities. Therefore, to avoid stigmatisation these low-income families may take part in conspicuous consumption where families may spend a lot of money on luxury goods to make themselves look better, which can give them a sense of economic power and acceptance within society. However, due to the rise of ‘chav’ culture surrounding single mothers, it can be much harder to move away from stigmatisation,

The environment is pledging an elitist appeal but the warm colors found in the image attract the populist group. In Jack Solomon’s “Masters of Desire the Culture of American Advertising” he explains a paradox in the American psyche. He argues that Americans simultaneously desire superiority and equality, as a result, advertisers create images that exploit those opposing conditions. He emphasizes that America is a nation of fantasizers. He sums up that advertisers create consumer hunger by working with our subconscious dreams and desires in the marketplace.

Advertisements are always finding unique and creative ways to appeal to the public’s wanting ear. Advertising companies use everything from bright colors to cute animals to appeal to the audience. Roland Marchand is a professor of history at the University of California, and in a selection from Marchand’s writings titled “The Appeal of the Democracy of Goods”, Marchand discusses one of the many techniques available to advertising: Democracy of Goods. Marchand provides the reader with a brief history of the Democracy of Goods and what is actually is. Marchand defines Democracy of Goods as “equal access to consumer products” and he refers back to it quite often when discusses other details (Marchand 211).

Throughout history, consumerism has been defined and changed by aspects such as war, changes in work and production, and government policies. Americans have been able to consume more luxuries over time and have had more control over the way the economy progress and even when to call it to a halt. Consumerism has benefitted American citizens by putting money back into their pockets through policies and procedures such as the New Deal and the increase in union power. Workers’ wages have increased due to consumer and their unions have become more powerful over time. Consumerism is not a thing of the past, but rather a favorable advantage of the future that has allowed America to progress and benefitted American

Notably a lot of are behavior for shiny new objects is fueled from what is seen in everyday existence. The extravagant life style of the upper class which is on constant display across many media broadcasting outlets around the world for everyone to see and desire. Prompting individuals impulsive reaction to make purchases for what they see; even though they know otherwise they can not afford it. The textbook gives numerous accounts to why America has become a nation of mass consumption and what triggers people impulse to spend in relation to material possession and the American Dream.

The concept of consumerism was first brought to my awareness in First Year Writing. I admit, before this intro course, I was indeed ignorant of the negative impacts that consumption had on society. FYS opened my mind to the dangers of over-consumption, and more importantly, helped me see beyond what meets the eye. Take for example, Disney, a seemingly innocent corporation, a company’s whose name is practically synonymous with the notion of childhood innocence. Upon initial judgement, one would assume that Disney is merely harmless family entertainment.

Individuals even in a state of zombification are looking for self-definition in the shopping mall. The commodity fetishism empowers the capitalist system and allows the individuals to live a utopian fantasy of autonomy (Bishop 2010: 247). People believe that they are free when they buy an object of their desire. However, in a sense they indirectly fall victims of exploitation, which is the purpose of the bourgeoise (Bishop 2010: 247). Just as zombies never satisfy their appetite for human flesh, consumers cannot restrain themselves from buying.

In Anna Quindlen’s essay, Stuff is Not Salvation, she argues that one cannot determine how “better off” they are, by the amount of belongings they possess. Quindlen states that Americans have, “an addiction to consumption, so out of control that it qualifies as a sickness.” However, she is not just referring to an addiction to buying meaningless items, but the idea that people are purchasing items when they have no money. Quindlen validates her argument with the tragedy of a walmart employee that as trampled to death on Black Friday, and the concept that many people have lost their sense of appreciation and gratefulness. She also argues that there are indeed things we need, however, a large majority of people’s perception of want and need are obscured.

Everyone in the world in the world seems to know who the Kardashians are, wherever you look they seem to appear, on billboards, magazines, in salons, on the internet, pictures of them are plastered everywhere. The Kardashian family is popular culture. In this essay I will be discussing consumerism, the role of technology in consumer culture and materialism in accordance to the show Keeping Up With The Kardashians and the Kardashian family, and explaining it through conflict theory. Conflict theory dictates ideas coined by Karl Marx (1818-1833) who has divided the social groups into two classes, the bougeousie and the proliteriate. He states that because of the inequality in the power balance and the bourgeousie having a capitalist hold over the proletariates, they abuse their power over the proletariates.

Consumption In Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, the concepts of consumerism and utopia are continuously compared and discussed in tandem with one another to decide if any correlation between them is present. Although people may argue that the humans belonging to the World State are happy, their lack of simple human pleasures such as love, religion, intellect, free will, etc, denies the people of actual joy. Since the government is what controls these pleasures by glorifying consumption, the World State’s culture and consumerism must interrelate. The government's control of common human experiences and characteristics such as love, pain, religion, and free will result in the total dependence on the state.

Commentary Essay on Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today The American people are focusing more on materialistic items, people are shopping for pleasure more than necessity. This article comments on how people are shopping to release stress or to gain pleasure. Even though the article was written in 1984, it is still pertinent to modern time. In Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today by Phyllis Rose, varied sentence length, different point of views, and anaphora are utilized to prove that society is becoming consumed in materialism.