I found this lecture, focused on the rise of US consumerism from the early 20th century, extremely interesting, as it related directly to my chosen essay question.
One theory is that consumerism was created to keep people happy, docile and ultimately controlled, in the US after WW1.
Freud:
-Civilisation is not necessarily about improvement or development, and if it is, it comes at the price of happiness, as it oppresses our natural urges
-Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual
-When war broke out he took this as validation of his theory, that violence is simply the release of human urges which are repressed due to society norms
Edward Bernays:
-Freud's nephew
-Bernays created propaganda during WW1 in the US, which would now be regarded as public relations, therefore he is seen as the founder of modern day PR. In essence PR, marketing and propaganda are the same thing
-He believed that if people feel like their desires are being met it is easy to manipulate them
-One of his most famous acts was in 1929 when he hired actresses to take part in the Easter Day parade as 'debutants' but halfway through lit a cigarette, which was out of social comfort zones for young women during that time. This ended up escalating into a political and social statement, as it was linked to suffragettes. Around this time Bernays began to realise that if products are linked to desire and elegance, people are so desperate to satiate their oppressed urges that they unconsciously behave irrationally, often against their own good nature.
-Throughout his career, Bernays introduced, among other things, product placement, celebrity endorsement and pseudo reports
Fordism:
-Started the mass production of cars, and realised that mass production means more revenue, meaning higher wages for workers, which in turn means people have more money and can afford things easier, as a cyclical nature
One threat to mass producing retailers is that after the initial purchase, there is often no need to buy another, e.g. once you have a car, why would you need another?
This is one of the main reasons behind brand development, as the personification of the products put an emphasis on how this product can change your life, and the transformative power of commodity.
Because of this the advertisements begin to focus less on the actual thing for sale and more on the life you could have with it, a shift from need to want.
Vance Packard:
Revealed hidden needs:
- e.g. freezers are actually proven to be detrimental to saving food, as more is thrown out, yet it is seen as emotional support, as consumers feel safe knowing they always have some food
- e.g. you aren't there yet, but through buying that thing you will better yourself and become the person you want to be
- e.g. through adding more work for the consumer they feel like they are having more of an impact and are less lazy
- e.g. consumers feel that is they own this they will belong somewhere, either place or sub culture
Overall, consumerism seemed to replace the human desire with buying, which could be a reason the violence has stopped.
However, in 1920 Walter Lippmann, a PR manager thought that politicians are incapable of managing society, as they do not understand the principles of coercing the public. Therefore it became increasingly popular for politicians to hire PR workers to advise them on how to persuade the public and help their campaigns.
In addition, capitalism has a constant rhythm of boom and bust, an example of which is the 1929 Wall Street crash.
Because of this, Roosevelt began to take the focus away from the big companies and consumerism, due to his left wing ideologies, which led a lot of people to question their own views on consumerism.
Things to think about:
Consumerism is an ideological project
We believe that through consumption our needs can be met
Conflicts between who is actually in control
-To what extent are our lives 'free' under the Western consumerist system?
Research sources:
Adam Curtis- Century of Self
Naomi Klein- No Logo
Vance Packard- The Hidden Persuaders
No comments:
Post a Comment