"I want it ALL and I want it NOW"

"My term is 'competitive consumption', the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify-a 'reference group'." (pg 207)  This quote came from an author named Juliet Schor, who wrote about the politics of consumption in America.  After all it is the American way to spend everything we have so we can have a lifestyle that is out of our means.  We grow up thinking that the white picnic fence, and nice 4 bedroom home in a well polished suburban area, is what will make us fit in. The lifestyle that we are conditioned to strive for maybe more difficult than we thought to achieve, so America's business big wigs came up with game.  This game is called competitive consumption, and as you read in the opening quote it is a systematic way to get you to spend more money.

This game is being played amongst a vast amount of people who suffer from credit card and loan debt. "Total U.S. consumer debt: $2.43 trillion, as of May 2011 (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, released July 2011)."  With that amount of money we could solve the economic problems in the United States, and give money to third world countries. Our culture has been so transfixed on buying whatever we can that it is even something portrayed in on our televisions.  A lot of hit T.V shows and movies have used competitive consumption for entertainment.  Making this game for consumer domination fun, it will make the public more willing to play. A couple of examples I thought of was "Desperate Housewives", "Friends", and "Sex in the City".  My favorite example is from "Sex and the City", in a majority of episodes these four women strive to be fashionable in a city that runs on high fashion.  Carrie is always buying new shoes that will add to her endless collection, and Samantha always wants a better piece of property or access to every club.  This competitive nature leads to others wanting the same thing.  These shows are displaying to people that spending is a highly function in our culture, though debt is such a huge issue. 


References:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-industry-facts-personal-debt-statistics-1276.php#ixzz1ZJ87vtLM

Dines, G. (2011). Gender, Race, and Class in Media (3rd ed., p. 207). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE publication. 

I would love to have Breakfast at Tiffanys.

This week for our Communication 463 course we were discussing advertisements in the media.  There was a lot of great conversations about ads and how it shapes our society.  Though I do have a lot to say on this particular topic, I will start with something I found interesting from our text.  In Chapter 22 titled, "Image-Based Culture" the writer discussed on advertisements that have made us change cultural concepts.

I was blown away by this idea that an Ad man made me look at symbols differently, until I read about N.W. Ayers.  This was an advertising group that came up with the concept, "A diamond is forever".  In the late 1930's they pushed for the diamond to become an essential part to the engagement ring.  They made a simple act of true love become a highly financial gain. Now, with women in American culture craving a huge rock on there finger, because Ad men made they believe that means they are loved.  This is a super crazy ideal that now is a norm, and makes jewelers very successful individuals.

Just look at the most popular brand in jewelery Tiffany.  I started looking at there website to see how they continue to indulge in this fantasy, that when a man stays forever...he gives you a very expensive ring. They have a link to another website, that is sponsored by them about true love.

 http://www.whatmakeslovetrue.com/
 This website gives more consumers a push to purchase these rings because it is a symbol of true love.  This just shows me that in our image-based culture, a ring like this is acceptable though it is not a norm. That Ad man did get something right all those years ago because in our capitalist society a diamond from Tiffany, is what makes love forever...right?

References:
Dines, G. (2011). Gender, Race, and Class in Media (3rd ed., pp. 199-205). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE publication.

Disney is for gay families :)

In the last two chapters of our textbook titled, "Gender, Race, and Class in the Media", (how clever it has the same title as our course...hehe),  it took an in depth look into media ownership and family shows that promote companies advertisers products. After completing these two chapters, I had a funny thought/epiphany that the conservative Disney corporation, is supporting gay families.  I came to this conclusion because Disney owns the network ABC, and ABC's biggest primetime comedy show is "Modern Family".  "Modern Family", is a show about one large somewhat dysfunctional family that deal with real life situations and miscommunications.  The family that they show highlights is one about two men who adopted an Asian baby.  They go through the ups and downs of having a toddler and keeping their marriage stable.  These two are complete opposites and it is always interesting to watch them argue over little things that seem important to the other person.

Though the show is highly entertaining, gets good reviews from critics, and receives great ratings which helps make the network a lot of money.  I still wonder if the Disney corporation backs the programs message about acceptance and promote gay lifestyle.  In Chapter Three of our text there was a quote that I found particularly interesting, "Advertisers incorporated their message into urban ethnic working-class comedies through indirect and direct means" (pg 28), which means Disney's advertisers use "Modern Family", to promote certain products that could assist in the sales.  Does that also mean that "Modern Family" is just used for its money making potential or is the shows concept taken seriously enough to push the boundaries of social norm. 

I would like to believe that Disney produced this series because they want the audience to engage in different family structures, and maybe get over some biases that have resulted. from certain prejudices.  But, with the show making a lot of money and from what I have read about the capitalist perspective in media conglomerates, I am sure as the consumer and audience we will never truly know Disney's ultimate message behind, "Modern Family".  I would like to believe that Disney is becoming more liberal and expanding their perspectives to reach a wide range of people. 

Madonna and Lady Gaga-pop icons that always keep us guessing.

During my Comm 463 course we watched a short youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3CBUm7GrNI) that had a female scholar named Bell Hooks talked about Madonna.  She discusses the hypocrisy that is Madonna's image in our media.  Madonna was always an artist that used her sexuality and feminist values to promote her videos, songs, albums, and so on.  With her career lasting as long as it has, she is always changing her image and doing something different in order to stay successful in the music industry.  Bell Hooks found it fascinating that Madonna has gone away from her original beliefs and also exploited her sexuality to the further limits.  Madonna has made these choices in her career so she can continue to be essential in the capitalist society we live in.  The more money she makes the more power she has in the media industry.  Madonna is her own brand and if her going against her original ideals is what it takes to keep that power then she will.

With the new popularity that surrounds another pop icon of our generation, Lady Gaga I feel with follow in the footsteps of Madonna.  Both started off with great singles and huge success with their first albums.  Madonna would push the limits of sexuality, and religion; which is also what Lady Gaga does.  Lady Gaga always discusses her political agenda when it comes to equal rights for homosexuals.  At the MTV Music Awards this year Lady Gaga dressed up and acted like her ex boyfriend.  She did this to promote transgender people and prove that women can be as masculine as men.  Lady Gaga will continue to have amazing hits that will earn her a lot of money, but I believe she will in her later career be similar to Madonna, and give into the patriarchal world that we live in.

Though I do love these artists for being strong women in the media industry, sooner or later they give into the Uncle Sam become driven by sales and fame. They will always be pro feminism and explore with the different facets of the women psyche, but to keep their status afloat they will play along with the patriarchal and capitalist system that encompasses our society.