vcc236 final

Question 1

What is commodity activism?

Answer 1

• blending of consumer behavior with political and social activism
• involves individuals expressing their political, ethical, or social values through the purchase and use of branded goods or participation in corporate-led campaign
• boycotting brands as an eg

Question 2

Commodity activism in the neoliberal moment
(commodity activism)

Answer 2

Cultural and social aspects once considered outside the economy are now shaped and defined by economic measures.

Question 3

Commodity activism in the neoliberal moment
(Neoliberalism)

Answer 3

A theory that suggests human well-being improves when entrepreneurial freedoms are encouraged within systems emphasizing private property, free markets, and free trade.

Question 4

Neoliberal Brand Culture

Answer 4

• individuals construct political and cultural identities
• non-economic culture and identity are expressed and validated through market-driven roles, like working at Gap, Starbucks, or Disney.”
• Image, consumer and corporate identity, and branding just as important as the actual production of goods
• Investment in image-building… becomes as important as investment in new plants and machinery

Question 5

Emphasizes immaterial labour

Answer 5

defined as the “labour that produces the informational and cultural context of the commodity

• Can include paid work or “free” labour like user-generated content

Question 6

Immaterial Labour

Answer 6

• demand that the worker put on his or her own life experience, communicative competency, and sense of self into the job
• we see “the very study of human subjectivity” put to work for capital

Question 7

The promise and peril of commodity activism
(blanket condemnation)

Answer 7

• A harsh critique
• deceptive marketing tactics
• manipulate consumers and maximize profits.

Question 8

The promise and peril of commodity activism
(Uncritical exuberance)

Answer 8

a new authentic form of activism that reflects critically on social and cultural issues

(Kaepernick kneeling during many NFL national anthem to show protest against racial inequality and police brutality)

Question 9

“Free Self-Esteem Tools?” And the Dove Campaign

Answer 9

• commodity fetishism as extension of commodity fetishism
• Commodity fetishism as the de-politicization of feminist ideals and their transformation into a lifestyle commodity
• Doves campaign is an example of commodity fetishism, but also presents a more complex case than simple corporate appropriation of feminism

Question 10

Immaterial Labour and Authenticity

Answer 10

“immaterial labour” in building the brand together through consumer-generated content

• Destabilizing boundaries between consumers and the brand
• # BeautifullyRealMoms

Question 11

The Commodity Activism Balancing Act
(Naomi Klein)

(Kaepernick not standing for national anthem)

Answer 11

• from Nike’s point of view, these ventures are not ‘brave’
• in response to being told ‘shut up and play’, what these athletes have shown is that its really powerful when they don’t
• Kaepernick is an incredible; activist and what he’s done is historic

Question 12

Anti-Chevron ad by Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay

Answer 12

• advertisement that’s full of “emotionally captivating” imagery
• happy people, ocean, babies, flying birds
• with a funny voice over saying how “chevron doesn’t give a fuck about their consumers or their babies or their dogs”
• and that the human brain can only retain so much so we graso the images rather than the voice
• example of Detournement
• “Rerouting spectacular images, environments, ambiances and events to reverse or subvert meaning”

Question 13

Adbusters Media Foundation

Answer 13

• formed in 1989
• Primary work: publishing Adbusters: Journal of the Mental Environment
• Encourage and promote resistance to capitalism and consumer culture
• Promote media activism

Question 14

Kalle last on Demarketing

Answer 14

• Challenging consumer culture by rediscovering authenticity and promoting a lifestyle that values spontaneity, real experiences, and being truly alive over wealth.
• uncooling our consumer culture, reclaiming the real, recovering what has been lost since consumerism became the First World’s new religion.
• One of the greatest secrets of demarketing the American dream is detourning it, in the public imagination, with a dream that’s even more seductive. Whats better than being rich? Being spontaneous, authentic, alive

Question 15

Culture Jamming

Answer 15

jamming the consuming culture signal: artful, playful, political, transgressive and (sometimes) anonymous

Question 16

Alternative Hedonism

Answer 16

how to find pleasure in a consumer society without consuming stuff

• alternative hedonism is premised… on the idea that even if the consumerist lifestyle were indefinitely sustainable it would not enhance human happiness and well-being beyond a certain point already reached by many

-

Question 17

themes of Alternative Hedonism

Answer 17

• A call to consume and work less as a source of pleasure
• Slow city / slow movement / ethical consumption
• Contrasts to environmental doomsday thinking and techno-optimism
• “Defetishization of goods” and “increasing awareness of the real price of goods” (44)
• Questions the accepted wisdom: the good life = higher GDP
• Emphasizes the environmental costs of economic growth

Question 18

Brand Called You
(What is a brand? )

Answer 18

• Traditionally, it is an image, logo, trademark: Nike’s swoosh, Apple’s apple, Coca-cola’s trademark lettering
• Advertisers “impose” behaviour on consumers

Question 19

Brand Called You
(Under Post-Fordism / Neo-liberalism)

Answer 19

• Branded good as a tool through which consumers create their own meanings and generative value for the brand
• Image, consumer and corporate identity, and branding just as important as the actual production of goods
• Self-branding and self-promotion - “You are the brand”
• Emphasis on lifestyle and immaterial labour

Question 20

Brand Called You
examples

Answer 20

Apple, Starbucks, Disney, the Gap

Question 21

Commodity Activism

Answer 21

• the contradictions and tensions of commodity activism
• Dove, Nike

Question 22

Culture Jamming
(concepts / themes)

Answer 22

culture jamming, subverting, demarketing, “uncooling consumption, detournement

Question 23

Car Busters: Uncooling the Car

Answer 23

• founded in 1998 in Lyon, France
• Mandate: encourage the building of cities around alternative forms of transport
• Critique car culture and promote alternative forms of transport
• In the tradition of the Situationists: critical mass bicycle rides and breakfast in the street

Question 24

Alternative Hedonism

Answer 24

• alternative hedonism, defetishization of goods
• Bill Cunningham New York

-

Question 25

Japanese cute-cool

Answer 25

he look is not sweet but highly ironic, no-holds-barred cute. It is in-your-face cute as a highly stylized, overwrought visual aesthetic. It is cute that performs for the street. - Yano

Question 26

do the thing subvert the thing

Answer 26

paradoxical approach to consumer culture, where individuals or groups participate in the very systems they critique, using their involvement as a platform for subtle resistance or critique

Question 27

do the things subvert the thing
(Simmel’s Metropolis and Mental Life)

Answer 27

Doing The Thing: In the metropolis, individuals engage in consumer practices to stand out and express individuality, as the urban environment emphasizes the need to “be different” and “make oneself noticeable.”

Subvert The Thing: While participating in these practices, some individuals resist conformity by redefining individuality, moving beyond commercialized or standardized expressions.

Question 28

Do the Thing Subvert the Thing
(Bill Cunningham (Bill Cunningham New York))

Answer 28

Doing the Thing: Cunningham was deeply embedded in the world of fashion, attending major events and photographing individuals who participated in consumer-driven fashion culture.

Subverting the Thing: He celebrated authenticity over luxury and rejected personal profit, subverting the commodification of creativity and fashion trends by focusing on genuine self-expression

Question 29

Do the Thing Subvert the Thing
(Commodity Fetishism (Marx))

Answer 29

Doing the Thing: As in mainstream consumer culture, engaging with commodities and treating them as independent, magical entities.

Subverting the Thing: Revealing the hidden labour and social systems behind these commodities, challenging the fetishized view.

Question 30

Do the Thing Subvert the Thing
(Alternative Hedonism (Soper))

Answer 30

Doing the Thing: Participating in consumption but shifting focus to pleasure derived from non-materialistic lifestyles, such as slowing down or emphasizing sustainability.

Subverting the Thing: Rejecting overconsumption and capitalist growth while still finding joy and fulfillment outside the mainstream consumer paradigm.

Question 31

Do the Thing Subvert the Thing
(Cool Hunting and Trend Forecasting)

Answer 31

Doing the Thing: Subcultures create authentic trends and styles, which are often commodified by corporations.

Subverting the Thing: Subcultures resist the full absorption of their identities into consumerism by continuously evolving and staying ahead of corporate co-optation

Question 32

Do the Thing Subvert the Thing
(Consumer Society Reader)

Answer 32

Doing the Thing: Individuals and groups define themselves through consumption practices, using goods to construct identity.

Subverting the Thing: Anti-consumerist movements and ethical consumption challenge the logic of commodification and promote alternatives to endless consumption.

Question 32

Detournment Definition

Answer 32

• tool for resistance
• exposes contradictions and manipulation in marketing and advertisements
• flips mainstream symbols, revealing their hidden dynamics and creating space for critique and meaningful change

Question 33

Detournment examples

Answer 33

Subvertisements (Culture Jamming): Altering corporate ads to critique labor exploitation, overconsumption, or environmental harm
- An anti-luxury car ad that emphasizes pollution rather than freedom

Anti-Fetish Campaigns (McAllister): Exposing the human and environmental costs hidden in the “magic” of commodities

Question 34

Culture Jamming Definition
(coined by adbusters)

Answer 34

• form of creative resistance against consumer culture
• uses tactics like: detournement, and subvertisements to critique system of capitalism

-

Question 35

What is Soper’s concept of alternative hedonism?

Answer 35

Alternative hedonism critiques consumerism by advocating for pleasure derived from sustainable, mindful living over excessive material consumption. It emphasizes slowing down, ethical consumption, and reducing work and consumption as sources of well-being, rather than relying on GDP-driven growth models

Question 36

How does Soper’s alternative hedonism contrast with North American consumer culture?

Answer 36

North American consumer culture ties happiness to material goods and overconsumption, which leads to environmental harm and personal dissatisfaction. Alternative hedonism rejects this, promoting fulfillment through non-materialistic and sustainable practices

Question 37

Provide an example of alternative hedonism from the readings

Answer 37

Bill Cunningham’s focus on authentic self-expression and creativity in fashion, rather than materialistic luxury or trends, exemplifies alternative hedonism

Question 38

What is culture jamming?

Answer 38

Culture jamming is a form of resistance that disrupts and critiques consumer culture by subverting its symbols and messages, often using tactics like detournement and subvertisements to challenge corporate dominance.

Question 39

How does culture jamming subvert mainstream advertising?

Answer 39

By altering ads or symbols, culture jamming exposes contradictions in corporate messaging and critiques the commodification of culture.

• For example, a spoofed Coca-Cola ad might highlight health risks instead of promoting happiness.

Question 40

Apply Lasn’s understanding of culture jamming to an example.

Answer 40

Adbusters’ subvertisements critique consumer culture by reimagining corporate logos, such as turning Nike’s swoosh into a commentary on sweatshop labor.

Question 41

What is commodity activism?

Answer 41

Commodity activism blends consumer behavior with activism, where people express social and political values by purchasing branded goods or participating in corporate-led campaigns.

Question 42

What are the tensions at the core of commodity activism?

Answer 42

The main tensions include:

• Empowerment vs. Profit: Brands promote empowerment while profiting from consumerism.
• Individualism vs. Collective Change: Activism is reduced to individual choices, overshadowing systemic solutions.
• Authenticity vs. Appropriation: Corporate co-opting of activism often dilutes its meaning.

Question 43

Provide an example of commodity activism and its critique.

Answer 43

The Dove Real Beauty Campaign critiques beauty standards but reinforces consumerism by tying empowerment to purchasing Dove products, illustrating the tension between genuine activism and corporate profit.

Question 44

What does Simmel mean by “the metropolis places emphasis on striving for the most individual forms of personal existence”?

Answer 44

Simmel argues that urban life creates a need for individuality and distinctiveness as a response to the anonymity and overstimulation of city living.

Question 45

How does Simmel’s idea both perpetuate and subvert consumer culture?

Answer 45

• Perpetuate: Individuality is often expressed through consumer goods, which fuels consumerism (e.g., fashion as self-expression).
• Subvert: As seen in Bill Cunningham’s photography, authentic creativity and personal style can resist commodified trends and highlight non-commercial individuality.

Question 46

Connect Simmel’s idea to an example.

Answer 46

In Bill Cunningham New York, individuals use fashion to stand out in the metropolis, but Cunningham’s focus on authenticity critiques consumerism by celebrating creativity over commodification.

Question 47

What is detournement and how does it relate to culture jamming?

Answer 47

Detournement recontextualizes cultural symbols to subvert their original meaning, often used in culture jamming to critique consumer culture and corporate messaging.