Blog Entry 5: Start Paper 1

How we define ourselves is to a large part controlled by what we consume that outside our material possessions (or what we can afford to attain) we have no idea who we are. There are three important components to the self: the material self, the social self, and the personal self. Our material self is made up of our material possessions; our house, car, clothes, etc. The social self is made up of our personal relationship; family, friends, coworkers, and our community. The personal self is more abstract; it is what is left when the material and social self is taken away. It is us as an individual independent of the components of our self dependent on other people and things. Our character, soul, etc. The two readings we have read so far have discussed these three components of the self in a consumer society. Without material possessions to consume, would we still know who we are? Would we still have a self?
The first reading discusses the evolution of the social self, through an examination of the material self. Cross discusses how the new culture of spending contributed to the formation of the social self. He discusses how products helped immigrants become parts of communities, identifiable to others as a part of the majority. Our possessions signified social mobility, and changed how we relate to one another. As our material self influenced our social self, it also became a part of our personal self-identity. Cross describes cars, foods, hats, and clothing (material objects) as characteristics we could choose for ourselves. The importance of the material self (and its influence on the social self) raises the question: could our social self survive the loss of our material selves? And if these two facets of ourselves were lost: would our personal self survive? Cushman’s article provides evidence to suggesting it would not. A only fulfilled sense of self has become empty in our modern society of consumption. Cushman examines how as we face the loss of our sense of self, new professions have developed in an effort to prevent the loss of the self, and to fill the void of the empty self. These two new professions are advertising and psychotherapy, and their prominence in our lives provides further evidence to the argument that our sense of self is no longer strong enough to stand alone.

The constant image in my head after reading the articles and discussing them in lecture is a peacock showing off its shiny feathers to potential mates. The U.S. is a culture based on consumption and this ideal has been shaped by corporate interests through advertisements and the media. The cigarette ad campaign geared toward females smoking helps to illustrate how corporate interests can directly influence the values a society adopts. But back to the peacock reference.
Men, who historically have held the role as provider and protector for women, need to find mates and spread their seed. In today's consumer based society, men buy the biggest, shiniest cars they can afford and most expensive shoes as a way to promote the fact that they have a disposable income and thus can put that money toward providing for the woman. In this sense, they are like the peacock-showing off their feathers for potential mates.
It's interesting to think of this kind of action from a female perspective as well. Beyonce, in all her glory, has led the charge in the rise of the independent woman- one who is strong and can provide for herself. Do women buy the shiniest, most expensive bags for the same reasons that men buy big, bad-ass trucks? My current stance is that yes, women buy these products to show off their social status and attract men through the display of their wealth. But, in the end, what do I know, i'm just a poor college student with dull feathers. :D

Today, we think it is important to get things right away. We have an idea of happiness as something that can be handed to us. But in most cases, it is something that we strive for; it is not something that we can buy. We tend to overestimate the amount of happiness we will attain by purchasing an item - even when it is something that will theoretically give us more confidence in our appearance, like plastic surgery. Advertisers convince customers that real happiness is having their product. For example, we assume that by simply buying and using a certain perfume, we will become immediately irresistible to the opposite sex, and in turn be happier. Unfortunately, a lot more goes into a happy relationship than scent. When I was a kid, I would watch Barbie commercial and want the Barbie because the commercials convinced me that I would become like the girls in the advertisements - like a princess. In reality, I would get the Barbie, play with it, but not really feel much different. But I would watch another commercial, and immediately ask my parents for another Barbie. The funny thing was, it was essentially the same doll, but with a different outfit. Every time, I fell for the same advertisements, only to be disappointed in the results. Looking back on those days, I now realize that true happiness was playing with the Barbies with my friends. It didn't really matter what doll it was. But through manipulation by advertisers to convince me that I would be a different person by buying their product brought me to believe that it did matter.

Because of the influence of advertising and the connection with identity, people consumer past the logical necessity.
People are highly influenced by advertising. Since the beginning of modern advertising, smart marketers were able to manipulate the emotions of the viewer to encourage them to abandon logic and abandon thoughts that tell them that they do not really need something. People know that they do not really need a suv that they can take off-roading because they live in a suburb. However advertising tells the consumer that if they own that car then they also own a certain lifestyle. A lifestyle that is much better then the one they actually have. Therefore people consume past the limits that logic tells them too.
In fact, advertisers have been so successful at convincing the consumer that not only do the buyers want the product, they feel like the product has a connection to who they are deep down. The product lets the world around them know that they are important, are valuable, and are unique. The buyer forgets that the product is sold to millions of other people across the country but feels like it is them alone who owns it and them alone who truly deserves it. Because of this people consume and they consume a lot so that their identity is completely whole.

This is very roughly what I wrote in class and now just reading over it again I probably won't want to write about it and I'll have to go back through the readings again and pick something out.

The merging of online shopping and self checkout at stores seriously damages the quality of communication. Going out to run errands becomes purely that, it is less usual to run into people at the store and just talk and catch up because now people are soley fixated on just getting what they need the quick and easy way. People used to be able to to chat with their cashiers, but with self check out that relationship is eliminated and people are encouraged to just rush in and out and limiting their communicating behaviors. Grocery shopping has become an actual chore rather than an enjoyable leisure trip that I had grown up acustomed to, no longer does my mom go to Safeway and have the capability to casually run into friends and be able to stop and chat. Now everyone seems to be in a rush and it's hard for them to focus outside of their own personal destinations that often friends walk right past each other without realizing it.

I would like to discuss the irregularities that have arisen from the consumer society. Begining with the abnormal influence advertisement has presented as a guide to the consumer of what he should consume rather than what is truly required. Both past readings have argued a dependence on consumption as it aids in forming a sense of identification, as prior institutions of guidance have either declined or become extinct. Culture apears to be transmitted rather than born with providing grounds for discussion regarding the replacement of traditional influences by advertisement campaigns and social expectations derived from these campaigns. The creation of credit further proves that spending at the rate an individual in a consumer society is unnatural, as an aid to promote this behavior had to be enacted.

The onset of american consumer society and the boom of the advertising industry has shaped and molded the hopes, dreams, and behavior of Americans. the products big companies sell instruct us on the proper lifestyle, changing the way in which Americans view themselves. Ads for deodorant say we don't smell good enough; ads for shampoo tell us that our hair isn't as smooth and sleek as it should be; ads for acne medication tell us our skin isn't clear enough. Daily we are surrounded by ads suggesting we conform to the appearances of the airbrushed models and actors in the commercials and print ads. Consumer society insists that we must conform, creating a feeling of unworthiness in those that cannot. The new culture trend has turned many into followers of consumer products and advertisers into puppeteers, teaching the masses how to dress, smell, and act. Our culture is filled with seemingly meaningless and unimportant items that are central to the existences of many people. Unfortunately the fact that the consumer culture is central to the lives of many people, these frivolous things replace relationships and worldly awareness. The need to conform to the ideals presented in advertisements for products has caused many horrible consequences. the need to look like models and actresses causes many women to develop eating disorders and resort to plastic surgery. As a whole, America has entered enormous amounts of debt to "keep up with the Joneses" who are just trying to keep up with some other family, creating a vicious cycle.

When I think of the articles we have read thus far, the catchphrase “Keeping Up With the Joneses” comes to mind. Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, Americans measured their self worth based on their skills, family name, and possession of land. Consumerism gave rise to social mobility in that people became more inclined to define themselves by their possessions. The beginning of the 1900s was a time when Americans believed happiness and self-satisfaction could be obtained through consumption.
I would like to discuss the relationship of consumerism and the subconscious because I find Freud’s and Bernays’s propaganda intriguing. In the film, ‘Century of the Self’, the main point was to show how advertising was aimed at influencing people through their emotional being rather than their rational being. By influencing emotions, households focused on consumption to raise their standard of living in relation to their societal peers.

The total domination of consumerism in our society today is not something I think about often. I certainly participate in it, whenever I watch commercials, go shopping, or read a magazine. I do know it makes me feel good to buy something new, and if a commercial is especially noticeable chances are I may respond by purchasing the product. Through these two articles I have been forced to examine more closely why I and others act the way we do, if human nature is inherently a blank canvas waiting to be filled by the culture of it's era.
I hate the idea from "The Empty Self" that humans are incomplete and unable to function unless the world is explained to them. However, there may be some aspects of truth to this. Everywhere, advice is offered-on the cover of magazines, in self-help books, on HGTV. It's like we don't know what to do, and someone has to tell us. This sounds a little ridiculous written down, but when I think about it in terms of myself it makes more sense. I love to read articles that can explain to me why I feel or act the way I do, reassuring me that I am normal. I like to read about how I can make my hair healthier,, or my makeup less clumpy. Although I don't think I've ever actually read a self help book cover to cover, I'm not opposed to it-the titles can be pretty catchy. Does this prove the thesis of "The Empty Self" true? Are we really just blank canvases waiting for outside input to make us who we are?

A common theme that has been expressed throughout our readings in this class thus far has been modern society's need to consume. The first article we read dicussed the history and evolution of our society beginning from the 1900s and following the continuous evolution and social changes that occurred throughout the mid-1900s. This time period specifically brought about immense and rapid "progress" technologically and socially and the culture of the American people turned into one of a "consumer society." The second article presented an idea describing the average modern day American as an "empty self." Psychotherapist and author of the article, Philip Cushman, described this empty self as a condition of the modern human in a developed nation to feel incomplete, unimportant and inadequate with in our world today. He pointed to industrialization, urbanization and the lack of community, tradition and sense of shared meaning that came with these phenomena as the culprits by indirectly weaking our sense of "self" and importance, and caused us to turn to consumables and the utilization of advertising for our own self-fulfillment. Though both articles take largely varying material and approaches to getting their points across, the modern American's dependence on a consumerist society is weaved throughout each in a subtly disapproving manner.

Consumption has played a very important role in the human society. New products changed the human society because we made our life easier and more convenient by using the products. But,in a sense, the action of consuming something is more important than using the new products. This is because consumption itself can give a person his or her own identity.
As consumption was getting important,sellers tried to control buyers. Namely, advertising got started to manipulate consumers. Therefore,in terms of importance, advertising has replaced with consumption.

Most advertising seems to be targeted at people’s feelings or emotions about themselves. There does appear to be something missing within ourselves. People look for something to fill that void. Something to give us a sense of who we are. Advertisers try to convince us that by purchasing their product, we can become that suggest self that’s better than who we are now.
For this first paper, I want to write about how consumerism has been fueled by advertisements manipulation of consumers’ self-esteem. The advertisements try to convince people that they need to consume in order to be happy with themselves. Not only will they like themselves more but other people would like them more too.

Consumer loyalty to familiar products is a topic that stuck out to me amongst the readings thus far. For the paper, I would analyze the trend of consumers buying a certain product because they recognize it face or logo on the box. Similarly, I would discuss their hesitancy to try other products without these logos or faces on them. Personally, I think people have a comfort zone that they don't like to venture out of which contributes to this product loyalty.
Another important factor to this trend comes from advertising. People often take the word of advertisements and commercials to be true - thus limiting which products are bought. For example, when was the last time you saw a commercial advertising the best sleep or the best taste from a generic brand product? This leads to the hesitancy of consumers to choose the less advertised or familiar products, despite the price difference, in favor of the advertised product they saw on a billboard or commercial.

So far, this is what I have for the ideas but I think there's definitely room for me to elaborate and provide more examples.

I agree with the perspectives of both Cross and Cushman in many instances. I do believe that there is some intangible, created need to consume. I think it derives from the pursuit of a better life, basically. People want to be viewed a certain way, and they buy things accordingly. That is common knowledge. What is more interesting I thought was that this just becomes an endless cycle in which the person seeks to find gratification through doing so. Something else that I found interesting was the argument that men for a period lived vicariously through their wives. I guess the public measure of a man was what he had to offer to his wife.
One thing I did not agree with was Cushman's overall attitude toward people. He discussed them as if everyone was uninteresting and insignificant. I know that there is more to Americans than consumption. I personally think that Americans are not empty. I feel that consuming is just a common added aspect to our lives that makes our society more complicated.

I would like to think of myself as a rational person who buys products with well thought out, logical reasons. However, I can see now how strong of an impact advertising and media has on my decision making -- even the little, unimportant ones -- actually, especially the little, unimportant ones. Because, I am the consumer all the articles are talking about; the sort of person who can't go a day without texting on my iPhone, obsessively checking my e-mail, watching youtube videos, or waiting for updates to pop up on facebook. I used to think I bought Starbucks coffee because I liked taste but is a tall latte really worth the $3.25 I paid? The truth is, the price of the paper cup costs more than the actual liquid inside so what I'm actually paying for is the cool factor of toting around a plastic container between classes.

Now I'm beginning to question how much I really need all the things I thought I couldn't live without a few weeks before and also admitting a little to myself that I might have an "empty self".

As these articles and our discussions point out, we have structured our culture around consumption. While this is not how it has always been, the focus on buying and flaunting seems to be set in our minds as the "natural" way. We have been socialized to believe that consumption, shopping, and material objects are the key to our happiness. However, this continued emphasis on buying has placed us in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. If we cannot afford to shop, how are we going to be happy? As the documentary, "Century of the Self" points out, we used to be happy without buying. Will we be able to go back to a state of happiness based on friends, family, human interaction, and books? Or are we destined to continue searching for the next big ticket item to prove to others how happy we are? Is bragging and coveting the only form of communication we have left? I argue that we are stuck in an endless cycle. We no longer know how to live without the items that have cost us our economic stability.

It is very apparent advertising and the media play a very significant role in the choices we make. As a society it seems that we seek gratification on materialistic things. These material objects often define who we are. We often assume that these items will make us happy, but ultimately who we are as people is what defines us.

I am seeing more clearly how consumerism is used to fill the void of the empty self. It is evident particularly with advertising geared toward women who are made to feel they can never achieve the ideal. Men are also subjected to it by making them feel they are not strong enough.

It seems that society wants us to feel empty to promote the cycle of consumerism.

When studying consumerism, the following things stand out and come to mind:

Manipulative Advertising "Both Advertisers and their critics agreed that consumers (especially women) were passive and that the functions of ads was to manipulate rather than to inform." (p. 10) This also ties into "Torches of freedom". The female cigarettes were a good example of how the media can definitely turn a product into a "statement" and be able to make commission off of it.

Appealing Advertising to Woman and or children. Why? (p. 10) In history, woman have always been seen as the weaker sex, physical, emotionally, etc. Women and children must both be naiive and so the media targets woman and children who are "too weak minded to think for themselves.

Molding Americans: "Products could be used to shape personal identity and social relationships." (p. 9) Advertisement is more like clay. The media is trying to sell a product, but sometimes the don't think about the effects it can have on people. A good example of this is the female cigarettes+emotional appeals= importance and self validation.

Consumerism has affected society greatly. Products define who we are on a superficial level. Therefore, this superficiality is promoted as the most meaningful component of a person. "Looking good" for example, is seen as more important than having an interesting personality because more products can be sold in that area.

Beauty, a once subjective thing, is advertised as an absolute. People feel their perception of beauty is unique and authentic, yet it resembles that of almost everybody else within a culture.

For the first paper, I am interested in writing about the gendered identity and its construction through consumption in America’s modern era. While we have already discussed the different shopping patterns between men and women in class (such as how much they buy and spend, what exactly they purchase, for what reasons, and so on), I would like to delve further and question how does shopping create masculinity and femininity? Or can it? And if we do live in such an isolated, individual-focused society, as written by Philip Cushman, then why is it there a dominant, ideal image of masculinity and femininity that most people can either identify with or attempt to achieve? How do “consumption communities” reinforce or deconstruct our gendered identities? (Cross pg. 21) I agree with Cushman and his argument that we are all socially constructed through various ways in our particular era and locality.
Thinking about it more now, I would like to also write about the gendered identity, the consumer identity, as well as the classed identity. I argue that they are all interconnected. In order for one to purchase products to fulfill their identity, they will need the money to do so. The “proper…manner” for men and women to follow is linked to class (Cushman pg. 602). If being a proper woman, for example, is having the latest fashion trends and styles, dutifully performing their daily beauty routines, and so on, then this ideal form of femininity is for those women who not only have the money to purchase these things but also have the time to focus on these practices.

Both readings have a lot in common, in the sense that both talk about consumerism in North America, although one is geared more towards the psychological aspects of it. “Setting the Course” was a better reading because aside from being easier to understand, I feel it gave examples of different ways the U.S. has become the way it has. I feel like the second reading was a bit abstract because of all the information compacted into the article; there were lots of names and years. On the other hand, Cushman gave a lot more examples relating to culture, values and the economy, like credit. In all, I agree with what both authors were trying to prove, that the U.S. is a very consumer oriented society.
On the contrary though, I disagree with Cushman when he talks about our minds being “blank slates.” I believe we are born with some knowledge and therefore we could not be “empty” selves. Although we have lost some sense of community and values, it does not necessarily mean we are empty.

This is what I wrote in class, it's only a rough summary of my focus no argument yet.
In "Setting the Course," Gary Cross describes the origin of consumerism and the drastic change to modern consumerism. He explains that consumerism developed to influence people to spend on unnecessary goods and how their goods determined an individual's status. Discretionary spending was a major factor in the rising of the consumer society. Shopping became a way to gain status and it made society very competitive. This was the "dark side of consumerism," a conscious or subconscious competition to acquire the best items, this was during the early 1900s, but I believe this is still going on today.

Consumerism also impacted gender and culture. Cosmetics became a huge deal to women, especially immigrants who were the target of advertisements. Advertisements influenced women to express their beauty and sexuality, something that had never really been done before. Culture clash occurred because different generations wanted to follow American culture and fall into consumerism while their foreign-born parents did not.

I disagree with the comments here, but the post does contact on a few of this.