Aims
- Analyse the rise of the US consumerism
- Discuss the links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
- Sigmund Freud
- Edmund Bernays
- Consumerism as social control
Century of Self - Adam Curtis
Theoretical film
2002
No Logo - Naomi Klein
1999
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
- New theory of human nature
- Psychoanalysis
- 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)
- Civilization and its Discontents (1930)
Freud's model of personal structure
The consciousness and mind (everything that we think about) but only the tip of the iceberg. We think our actions are conscious and rational but most of them are driven by what is beneath, the area which he calls the Id. This is where all of the primitive desires and instincts are held.
1930
- Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual
- Human instincts incompatible with the well being of community
- The Pleasure Principle - If we are allowed to act out of these primitive desires (sex and death) momentarily once the desire has been satisfied we are dosile and happy and content
For Freud the first world war was a testament to all of his theories. It was the epitome of this release on a grand global scale.
Edward Bernays (1891-1995)
- Press Agent
- Employed by public information during WW1
- Post war - Set up 'The Council on Public Relations' - The birth of the term PR - Started in America post WW1 with Edward Bernays
- Birth of the PR
- Based on the ideas of Freud (his uncle)
- Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923)
- Propaganda (1928)
- 'Torches of Freedom' - Any kind of business can succeed if you relate it to any of the animal instincts (repressed)
The 1929 Easter Day Parade
- Bernays was employed at a Tobacco company to get women to smoke. He created a publicity stunt and paid debutantes to walk down the parade. The cigarettes were seen as torches of freedom.
- This made women want to smoke because in the public consciousness it had become a symbol of power and sex
1924 - American mass production came about
- Product placement
- Celebrity endorsements
- The use of pseudoscientific reports
Linking a celebrity makes something automatically look like it is part of a celebrity lifestyle. He could represent the celebrities so they would gain money from the campaigns that he would also gain money from. Politicians got involved as well. The president of America was known as being an unpopular boring man who employed Bernays to make him seem interested and gain more supporters. He was re-elected on the back of the campaign.
Fordism
- Henry Ford (1863-1947)
- Transposes Taylorism to car factories of Detroit
- American was investing in more technology
- Requires large investment, but increases productivity so much that relatively high wages can be paid, allowing the workers to buy the product they produce
- If productivity increases then the profits increase as well so this created high wages
The Model T Ford
The importance of brands and the emergence of branding comes about. This is the starting point for our modern consumer culture. Products marketing themselves as if their products are more special and distinguished from the rest. The start of a situation where business themselves feel as though they have to do something else to make their product sell. The system of PR and marketing very quickly became very popular and successful.
The reason the Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour didn't sell at the start is because at this focus group what people were saying (housewives) felt guilty and ashamed because they felt they were cheating and felt they were less of a good mother or less of a good wife. What they did instead was change their product so you had to crack an egg into it and then it became incredibly successful. This was based on the psychological analysis from the focus groups.
1909
This advert has got two women talking in it. An image where it is totally targeted at men and equating the act of owning a car to the act of power. Power over women, the knowledge that you are in control of your wife, in control of your destiny, and Edward was very proud that he was one of the first people to link sexuality to owning a car.
Culture starts to feed off 'needs'. Chanel for example is a society based on desires. I really want a car because I want to be free. I want a perfume because I want to be like the movie star in the adverts. This fantasy figure.If you don't manufacture a false desire people will stop spending. Incredibly clever marketing.
1957 - Marketing hidden needs
- Selling emotional security
- Spend more than you actually need to feel secure (fridge freezers)
- The emotional security of knowing that you have food and can provide for your family
- Selling reassurance of worth
- Selling ego-gratification
- Marketing companies realised that they could target housewives
- Selling ego-gratification
- Selling creative outlets
- Selling love objects
- Selling sense of power
- Fashion reaffirms the illusion of who we are
Blow in her face and she'll follow you anywhere - ego gratification
1920
A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd 'manufacturing consent'. This points to a new way of governing society that will actually stop world wars.If we can feed the bewildered herd, the illusion that all of their desires are taken care of, you will have an easily controlled society.
Russian Revolution 1917
They had a social revolution where the workers overran the wealthy.
October 24th 1929 'Black Tuesday'
- The acceleration of profit for the benefit of the country
- Stocks fell and loads of people lost their jobs
- The bottom fell out of every industry and this started the great depression
Roosevelt and the 'New Deal' (1933-36)
- On the back of a promise to introduce systems of welfare and benefits, better pensions, retirement ages, a mass scheme of job creation and an investment in industry
- Rather than a big business for the benefit of society this was about governmental control of society
- This was really unpopular for the big businesses, they were anti-roosevelt
The World's Fair
- An exhibition 3 miles wide 6 miles long with buildings made for it, seemingly about all that is great about American culture
- Effectively a big piece of propaganda
- Futurama model of how the world would look if you replaced your faith in business and this consumer culture
Democracitiy - The idea of individual freedom with big business (featured at the world's fair)
Conclusion
Conclusion
- To what extent do the government rule our policies?
- Freedom is a very peculiar term
- You are not what you own
- 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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