vcc236 midterm Flashcards
Consumer Culture
(Author)
Williams and McAllister
consumer culture - commodity fetishism - Mcallister
- in commodification relations between people are hidden and relations between things become neutralized
- traditional advertising very rarely discusses production elements of brands but focuses on consumption
-
Consumer Culture
(Definition)
the creation and cultivation of self and social meanings from the marketing, purchase, and display of commodified goods
includes: symbolic qualities attributed to mass-produced goods, brand logos [and the brands themselves], product packaging, advertising campaigns, retail spaces, shopping activities, and consumption centred media content
- needs of imagination plays a large role as those of the body.
The Origins of the Consumer Society
Le Bon Marche
- the first department store 1852, Paris
Consumer Society
- built on mass production (factories) and consumption (cities and subarbs)
- strict separation of production and consumption
Mass Production and COnsumption: A Way of Life
individuals and commodities “produced” under fordism
Blase attitude
(Author)
Simmel
Simmels blasé outlook
(definition)
urbanites develop a “protective organ” to ward off the chaos of the city
- the tempo and bombardment of the sense demands a certain reserve on our part
- a psychological state people develop in urban environments. Since cities overwhelm individuals with endless stimuli—like sounds, sights, and social interactions—people become indifferent or emotionally numb to their surroundings. This is a way of protecting the mind from being overloaded
- it’s when someone seems uninterested or unfazed, not because they don’t care, but because they’ve become desensitized by the constant buzz of city life.
Simmel asks: what effects does city life have on the individual
(urban and rural)
(rural is black-and-white photo of a man and woman in front of house)
urban: city life bombards people with rapidly changing scenes, striking contrasts, and sudden surprises that catch them off guard
rural: life in small towns or rural areas moves at a slower, more predictable pace, with a steady and familiar rhythm for the mind and senses.
Contradictions of urban life
(Author)
Simmel
Black and White Image of People on Subway
Simmel Blase
In the city, urbanites develop a blase outlook for 2 reasons:
- urbanites develop a “protective organ” to ward off the chaos of the city
- “indifference between the distinctness between things”
- effect of the money economy
Metropolitan reduces everything to exchange value…
but there is importance for people to show who they are and make themselves noticable
Difference between blasé and contradictions of urban life
blase
- psychological response of individuals living in cities
- detachment or indifference that people develop to cope with the overwhelming stimuli and constant demands of urban life
- blasé attitude protects the individual from being mentally overloaded but results in people seeming distant
contradictions
- looks at the broader dynamics of urban society
- city life creates paradoxes—such as the tension between freedom and isolation, individuality and conformity, or excitement and emotional numbness
- contradictions describe the social structures and experiences that shape urban living.
Commodity Fetishism
(Author)
McAllister/Yano
Commodity Fetishism - Matthew McAllister
- For Marx, commodity fetishism means that when products (commodities) are bought and sold, people no longer see the labor and social processes behind them
- Instead, the product seems to exist on its own, disconnected from the workers and production methods that created it
- Marx compared this to a totem—an object believed to have magical powers, even though it’s just something humans made
- Similarly, commodities appear to have value on their own, hiding the fact that their value comes from human labor.
commodity fetishism seen
arcades in paris (outdoor shopping with roof coverings) 19th century
- invention of industrial luxury
- the arcade (shops) itself is a city
- commodity fetishism is about the commodity on display
Le Bon Marche 1852
- first department store ever located in Paris
Hudson department store NYC 1911
Simpons (now the Bay) at Queen and Young 1895
Dreamworlds of Consumption
(Author)
Williams/Murphy
Production and Consumption
(Author)
Murphy
Victor Gruen
(Author)
The Mall is Dead Podcast
What is Victor Gruen’s concept of the shopping center as private space acting as public space?
Shopping center: private space as public space
- Shopping centers appear to function like public spaces, offering a place for social interaction, relaxation, and community gatherings—similar to parks or plazas.
- Reality: They are privately owned spaces controlled by businesses, meaning behavior is regulated to encourage consumption.
- Gruen criticized how shopping centers try to mimic public spaces while prioritizing profit over public good.
example of Victors concept of the shopping mall
A mall has fountains, benches, and playgrounds, making it feel like a communal area. However, activities like protests or loitering can be restricted because the space is managed by private owners.
phantasmagoria
display and consumption of commodities
Tupperware Parties 1948-2024
(Author)
Clarke
tupperware mediation
- mediated the divide between public and private spaces in the suburbs
-
What role did Tupperware play in suburban culture?
Tupperware blurred the lines between public and private spaces by hosting parties in homes, allowing for social interaction and community building while emphasizing domesticity.
How did Tupperware parties create a public space?
Tupperware parties facilitated social gatherings where women could meet, interact, and build a sense of community in a relaxed, social environment.
How did Tupperware parties emphasize private space?
The parties were held in private homes, focusing on personal relationships and the domestic sphere, reinforcing the importance of home and family life.
Public versus Private space
(Author)
Spigel
What is the tension between public and private spaces in suburban culture according to Spigel?
There is a struggle to balance the desire for a private family life with the need for community participation, as families seek both comfort at home and social connections.
- television mediated the divide between public and private spaces
How do private spaces contribute to public engagement in suburban culture?
Private spaces, like homes, can host social gatherings (e.g., Tupperware parties), allowing families to socialize while maintaining the comfort and intimacy of their domestic environment.
What role do gender dynamics play in Spigel’s analysis of public and private spaces?
Women often navigate the roles of maintaining a home and facilitating community interactions, reflecting how suburban spaces are shaped by gender expectations.
Spigel’s thoughts on suburban cultures focused on balancing two conflicting desires:
- Creating a private, cozy home for the family (a personal retreat).
- Being involved in the community (participating in social life).
Suburbs were designed to help families manage both—offering private spaces at home while still staying connected to a broader community
Wink on Pink
(Author)
Yano
Author Yanos opinion on Barbie/Hellow Kitty Commodity and Meaning
The many different forms that Hello Kitty can take imply that, in theory, anything can be made cute. This means it can be turned into something innocent, fun, simple, attractive, and ultimately sellable.
Wink on pink, cool cute and playful
the wink creates the possibility of two-way interactions whereby cute might be cool and vice versa, kitsch might be art and vice versa, Hello Kitty might become anything at all and vice versa - Yano
Japanese cute-cool
(Author) & more
Yano
- The style is not just sweet; it’s an ironic and bold type of cuteness. It’s flashy and exaggerated, making a strong visual statement. This kind of cute is meant to grab attention and stand out in urban settings.
“I’ve been working on giving Hello Kitty a mouth my entire sex work activist career for 9+ years. in this sense,HK stands for the voices of Asian women sexuality, Asian feminism, Queer Asian women even… If Hello Kitty is the voice of Asian women, Aisan do, I try to give HK a mouth to speak for herself - Yano
Cool Hunting and the sub-cultural marketing doctrine
(Author)
Powers
what is cool hunting
- previous “cool kids” that are now adults go around seeking people that they think fit the definition of cool
- they thought they could find the edgiest trends and be able to influence the trajectory of trends
- would take pictures of “cool kids” put into a website and sell it to companies for lots of money
when did cool hunting begin
1990s, so 20th century
putting cool into historical context
- be anonymous and stand out from the crowd
- audiences are not stupid
- consumer culture critiques itself and society to sell more stuff
- consumer culture thrives on sub cultures
What is the subcultural market doctrine?
(Powers, coolhunting)
The subcultural market doctrine is a flexible framework that allows various groups to be used for similar business goals, focusing on their market potential.
How do subcultures serve businesses according to Powers?
Subcultures provide profitable target markets and ongoing sources of innovative resistance, which businesses can leverage for marketing.
What does Powers mean by subcultures being “cool”?
Subcultures are seen as “cool” because they represent unique identities and trends that can inspire others and drive market interest.
Hip Capitalism
(Author)
Frank/lecture/Powers
Consumption Definition
- multiple meanings
- ## derived from the French and Latin point to its ambiguity: pleasure and death, achievement and destruction, “life sustenance” but also giving “meaning to life”
The Origins of the Consumer Society
Le Bon Marche
- the first department store 1852, Paris
The era of history on cool?
1960s - present
the ultimate marriage of fetishized labour and commodity (Disney)
- you never see a character without its head, no matter the heat, if they faint, or throwup the head stays on
all retail workers are the subject of post fordism
(bring your whole self to work and your work to yourslef
- workers are required to align themselves with the brand strategy
- using branding to fetishize the realities of repetitive and monotonous retail work
what is a brand under Fordism?
- logo, image, trademark: nike swoosh, apples apple
- advertisers “impose” behaviour on consumer
what is a brand under post-fordism
- branded good as a tool which consumers create their own meanings and generate value for the brand
- image, consumer and corporate identity, and branding are just as important as the actual production of goods
- value-generating form of intellectual property
- self-branding and self-promotion
the metropolis and mental life
reading - Simmel
- Transformation of Consumption: Shift from limited, traditional consumption to mass consumption with standardized products and reliance on money.
- Moral and Social Implications: Greater choice leads to moral dilemmas, guilt, and anxiety over material desires and social comparisons.
- Historical Context: French history provides essential insights into modern consumer habits, with its consumption model influencing global practices.
- Economic Changes: Rise in purchasing power and credit availability transformed the consumption landscape from 1850 to WWI.
- Technological Innovations: Advances in technology lowered costs and introduced new products, altering daily consumption.
