17th October 2013
w.f.17 National Cash register building, New York worlds fair 1939
Aims
Analyse the rise of US consumerism
Discuss the links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
Sigmund Freud-To understand the operations of consumerism at a deep level
Edmund Bernays
Consumerism as social control
A period in us history where consumerism arose.
Century of self Adam Curtis (2002)
No Logo Naomi Klein (1999)
Sigmund Freud 1856-1939
New theory of human Nature
Psychoanalysis- Theories were radical and shocking at the time. Argued that humans are rational and about co-operation
New theory of human nature
From our animal past we have repressed in us the lots of suppressed desires, which if not controlled can spur chaos Wanted to access the mind to control this chaos.
Animal instincts, violent and sexual forces
Society that stops us acting out these fantasies
Hidden primitive sexual forces and animal instincts which need controlling
the interpretation of Dreams 1899
The unconscious 1915
The Ego and the ID 1923
Beyond the pleasure Principle 1920
Civilisation and its Discontents 1930 - Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual. Human instincts incompatible with the well being of community. The pleasure Principle. He also wrote this concept known as the pleasure principle saying that if our desires are associated for sex and death and violence in a socially acceptable way, we are docile and happy. and not irrational but content.
Fundamentally civilisation will make us discontent because we cannot satisfy all our desires.
WWW1 1914-18 Found was depressed with the world war
It shouldn't be a surprise that ww1 is set out to destroy itself
Edward Bernays (1891-1995)
Press Agent for celebrities
Employed by public information during WW1
Post war-set up ' The council on Public Relations'
Birth of PR
Based on the ideas of Freud (his uncle)
Crystallising Public Opinion (1923)
Propaganda (1928)
1829 Easter day Parade- Every business can succeed if you can relate your product to one of these unassociated or any repressed unconscious instincts you can make people want or demand for the product.
At this time women couldn't smoke it was looked down upon, one tobacco company wanted to widen there market so they paid Bernays to organise a way that would make women want to smoke. So he arranged a lot of beautiful women to walk along in this parade then at a certain point they all lit up a cigarette, when they knew all the photographers were looking which were tipped off by Bernays. In the press it was said that the women were protesting and lighting the fire of protesting. Many women wanted to start smoking as it was a way to Rebel.
1924- Product Placement, Celebrity Endorsement, making objects part of the status glamour and sex appeal of the celeb that endorsed it. The use of pseudoscientific reports. System of rapid celeb advancement
Fordism Henry Ford (1863-1947)
Things are brought because of the illusion that they will satisfy some of our institutional needs.
Transposes Taylorism to car factories of Detroit
Techniques of mass production
Moving assembly line
Standard production models built as they move through the factory
Requires large investment, but increases productivity therefore profit increased and therefore wages increased.
Much more disposable income to send on things
Emergence and importance of brands
Becomes important to subscribe a ups to that product, self products apart.
Business feel like they have to do something else to the product to make it stand out from the rest.
Aunt Jemima's Pancake flour didn't sell because women thought they were less of a good mother, wife etc because they weren't making it themselves.
Changed it so instead you had to crack an egg into the mix, made it seem like the wife was more of a home maker. It was a psychology massive. Satisfied the desire to provide/feed etc. People believed that they were still cooking.
Gave people the idea who couldn't cook in an easy shortcut
1909- Zatgeist emergng
Oldsmobile
Two women are chatting inside while the man is driving
Esquiting the act of owning a car to the power of women
Pleasure is not just driving it is that you are in control, of every aspect of your life.
Catilac- Brand became more sophisticated
Chateau in the background implies status, affluence and success.
Culture starts to change from a society based on needs, to a society based on desires.
'I want a car because i want to be free, power'
Perfume- want to be a fantasy figure as those who are in the adverts.
Crisis of over production
Success of consumers at this stage no one ever get to the stage . No one says i have enough food car, shoes etc Fake desires
Marketing hidden Needs 1957
Selling emotional security
Freezers developed to spend more then actually needed
Emotional security of knowing that you have food there whether it is needed or not.
Selling reassurance of worth
Selling ego-gratification
Selling Creative outlets
Selling love objects
Selling sense of power
Selling a sense of roots
Selling a sense of immortality
We believe that fashion net firms our illusionary idea of who we are
Birth of society that believes they are free happy and successful. People are just given the illusion they they are successful.
1920 A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd
'Manufacturing consent'
Sold the idea they could satisfy their desires and become happy. People become happy because all of their desires were associated.
A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd.
If we can feed the bewildered herd with the illusion that all there dreams will come true and are satisfied what have is stable ordered easily controlled society.
Big businesses know what the people want and therefore should work with the government.
Russian revelation 1917
Lipperman spread the idea of intertwining governmental policy with PR. Stop revolutions occurring and the Russian revolution spreading to America
October 24 1929
'Black Tuesday'
The great depression
Politicians started to say that consumerism might not be the way to organise a society- not stable
Rosevelt to introduce systems of welfare and social security benefits, job creation and investments in industry
World fair of 1940 in New York
Built a 'futurama' model
3 miles wide and 6 miles long
Displayed the life that people could have
You can only be free if you start buying into this future, cars etc.
'Democracity'
Not really free but what extent to the governments carry out our policy when we vote?
Conclusion
-Consumerism is an ideological project
-We believe that through consumption our desires can be met
-The consumer self
-The legacy of Bernays/PR can be felt in all aspects of C21st Society
-The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation continue to this day
-To what extent are our lives free under the western consumerist system
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