Consumerism and the New Capitalism

[Clara T]

Consumerism and the New Capitalism

Essay by R.Cronk

The traditional cultural values of Western society are degenerating under the influences of corporate politics, the commercialization of culture and the impact of mass media. Society is awakening from its fascination with television entertainment to find itself stripped of tradition, controlled by an oppressive power structure and bound to the credit obligations of a defunct American dream.

For the public at large, the integrating and transformative experiences of culture have been replaced by the collective viewing experience and by participation in consumer trends. The American public has been inundated by an unending parade of commodities and fabricated television spectacles that keeps it preoccupied with the ideals and values of consumerism.

Consumerism is the myth that the individual will be gratified and integrated by consuming. The public fetishistically substitutes consumer ideals for the lost acculturating experiences of art, religion and family. The consumer sublimates the desire for cultural fulfillment to the rewards of buying and owning commodities, and substitutes media-manipulated undulations in the public persona for spiritual rebirth. In the myth of consumerism, there is no rebirth or renewal. And there are no iconic symbols to evoke transcendent truths.

While consumerism offers the tangible goal of owning a product, it lacks the fulfillment of other cultural mythologies. Consumerism offers only short term ego-gratification for those who can afford the luxury and frustration for those who cannot. It exists as an incomplete and inadequately engineered system of values substituted for a waning cultural heritage.

http://www.westland.net/venice/art/cronk/consumer.htm

[kenny blankenship]

1. I agree completely, consumerism is the end of humanity the hollowing out

of the subject, the death of the soul, in fact I'd go so far as to say that...oooh look shiny new cellphone!
Shiny object!
Shiny object!

...uh..what were talking about again?

[billbuckhead]

2. Liberals should just take a chunk out of WalMart for practice

Excellent essay. I like the part where he says that consumers have only begun to realize their power.

[necso]

3. Nice piece.

I might add "science, literature, craft" (at least) to "art, religion and family" though.

And "academic nihilism" is a little strong, "parochialism" might be better. Plus I just might add something like "breakdown in family and community". (This is not solely the outcome of the other two things.)

[The2ndWheel]

4. Slap a Wal-Mart sign on

the panopticon, and there's your future. Although, I guess having a sign on it would defeat the purpose.

[AX10]

5. one word: "Wal-Mart'

.

[G2099]

6. Great essay - thank you

[OneBlueSky]

7. highly recommended . . . though it's depressing to realize that . . .

the Beatles' "Revolution" has been running as a Nike commercial for at least ten years now (mentioned in the essay, which is dated 1996) . . . SONY and/or Michael Jackson should be shot for licensing a cultural treasure to sell sneakers . . .

[OneBlueSky]

8. though Sunday "blue laws" can never happen again . . .

wouldn't it be nice if we, as a nation, designated one Sunday each month as a day of reflection . . . no tv broadcasts, no cable, no movies, no internet, no radio, no stores open, no advertising of any kind . . . devoting 12 days a year to removing the nation's consciousness from the consumerist grid would at least demonstrate that life without iPods is indeed possible, if not preferable . . . at least for a little while . . .

(dream on, yutz! . . . )