Extra reading Flashcards
What does Baudrillard view as part of the problem of demythologising the consumer world?
Semiology. He saw structuralist linguistics and semiology as perpetuating capitalism.
What does Baudrillard believe Disneyland camouflages?
Baudrillard believes that Disneyland camouflages the fact that reality itself shares the same principles of Disney, and the fact that infantilisation isn’t bound to the encouraged playfulness in the parks, but much more widespread. The simulated worlds of Disney merely mask the fact that reality isn’t actually real any-more, in order to insure that the reality principle isn’t threatened.
What is a quote from Baudrillard that demonstrates the mixing of commodities and signs?
“Consumption is the stage where the commodity is produced as a sign, and signs (culture) are produced as commodities”
What is Disneyization concerned with?
How capitalists can re-align themselves to keep their customers happy. Disney do this through the application of business principles to their themed environments. Their only concern is with maximising profits.
How must Disneyization be viewed?
With an instrumental and scientific rationality, as it is a capitalist venture.
What are the four principles of McDonaldization?
Predictability
Efficiency
Control
Calculability
Why is theming particularly important?
Because although theming has little to do with the primary activity (eating, sleeping etc), it is a major driver in getting consumers to visit the environment. The experience becomes more important than the quality.
Theming taps into what?
Sense of identity, feelings of nostalgia, links to memories and intertextuality
What is a quote that demonstrates Baudrillard’s view on the social aspect of postmodern advertising?
“The ambiguity of advertising: it provokes us to compete; yet through this imaginary competition, it already invokes a profound monotony, a uniformula… advertising tells us, at the same time, “Buy this, for it is like nothing else!”… but also: “Buy this because everyone else is using it.”
Baudrillard is perplexed by the paradox of advertising’s attempt to instil a sense of collective individuality in the public’s psyche.
What does Baudrillard believe that our purchases reflect?
Our innermost desires, to the extent that he views it as being interwoven with our psychological production of the self.
What does Stromberg suggest that advertising offers?
Advertising offers the image of the transformed self; and consumption offers the means of effecting that transformation
What is an example of the interweaving of advertisements with consumption?
Women’s magazines, where the featured stories make the advertisements seem more appealing, driving consumers of the magazine to also consume the product, in the hope of self-transformation
In general, what impression does advertising give consumers?
That they should not be content with who they are/what they look like in their current state, and that they should feel ashamed if they do not make attempts to transform, as all they need to do to change is consume the correct products.
What is hyperconsumption?
Hyperconsumption is the societal obsession with excessive consumption. America is becoming increasingly obsessed with consumption, with $11,262 billion being spent in the third quarter of 2015 alone. This wealth is then redistributed to producing countries such as China, as discussed by George Ritzer
What is an example of society being persuaded to consume?
George Bush telling the American public to consume (whether that was via shopping or trips to Disneyland) in the wake of the 9/11 attacks
What has began to replace products?
The brand name attached to them, as it is more recognisable and easy to remember (e.g. A Sony TV as opposed to a particular model)
Baudrillard believes that status can be established by…
Collecting a series of objects and products. There is no longer perceived to be a class system in place in postmodern society. If you can afford goods with a high status attached to them (e.g. latest iPhone, latest Air Jordan’s from Nike), you are rewarded with a higher sense of social status
What type of object that Baudrillard highlighted relates to the topic of nostalgia?
Bygone objects - signify time and past, represent a narcisstic attempt to regress to childhood and find Mother (representing origins) and Father (representing authenticity)
What did Barthes view as being particularly relevant to the Fashion System?
Fashion magazines, perpetuating both image and written clothing
What are nine of the main types of theming?
Gottdeiner outlined nine different themes: Tropical paradise Modernism and progress Nostalgia Wild-west Status Arabian fantasy Urban motif Fortress architecture and surveillance Classical civilisation`
What is Main Street USA
A cleverly disguised piece of hybrid consumption within Disneyland that is essentially a supermarket
What other principle does merchandising have close ties with?
Hybrid consumption, as merchandise is one of the main points for consumption in these environments, rooted in the mass production of souvenirs
