Aims of the Lecture:
- Analyse the rise of US consumerism.
- Discuss links between consumerism and our unconscious desires.
- Look at work of Sigmund Freud.
- Edmund Bernays.
- Consumerism as social control - limits or liberates?
century of self (2002) - Adam Curtis
No logo (1999) - Naomi Klein.
Sigmund (1856-1939)
Father of psycho analysis. Theories were radical and shocking at the time. Argued that humans are rational and about co- operations.
- New theory of human nature.
- From our animal past we have repressed in us lots of supressed 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 on these fantasies.
Freuds model of personality system.
Most of our actions are driven by what is buried beneath.
ID - where all the primitive desires and instincts are held.
Civilisation and Its Discontents.
- Given these animal instincts and that fundamentally we are dangerous people - dangerous species.
Our desires are incoptible with that of a civil society.
We all have this strong desire for violence.
Society composes laws and systems to keep a harmonious world.
Humanity will always be unsatisfied.
- The pleasure principle.
If our desires are associated and we are made to feel like we can act out on these primitive desires in a socially acceptable way. once our desire for pleasure has been satisfied, we are docile and happy not irrational and content.
Fundamentally civilisation will make us discontent because we cannot satisfy all our desires.
Forst world war. Freud was depressed with world war.
It shouldnt be a suprise the the whole world is set out to destroy itself.
Epitomy of the realse of mass instinctual morbid desire on a grand scale.
Death and destruction.
Post the first world war society goes back to normality after the west has won the war, the west become preosperous and has a lot of money and so the west develops and becomes an affluent place.
Nephew of sigmund freud - Edmund Bernays
press agent for celbrities.
During the war he worked for the propaganda office, The council on public relations' PR.
Started in America.
Employed the princiles of his uncle Sigmund freud.
Every business can succeed if you can relate your product to one of these unassociated or any repressed unconcious instincts you can make people want or demand for the product.
1929 easter day parade.
They wanted to smoke because it became a symbol of power, status, freedom and sex appeal.
Attaches something meaningless to a desire.
Product placement - getting products out on films.
Linking a celebrity to a thing, emphasises glamour and sex appeal.
The use of pseudo scientific reports.
'more doctors smoke camel than any other cigarettes.'
making people believe that desire in peoples lives was satisfying.
Fordism.
Things are bought because of the illusion that they will satisfy some of our instinctual needs.
Henry ford (1863-1947)
Techniques of Mass production.
Moving assembling line - much more rapid.
A society that had lots of stuff instead of view comodoties.
Productivity increased therefore profit increased and therefore wages increased.
Much more disposable income to send on things.
Emergence and importance of brands.
Becomes imporatant to subscribe a usp to that product, set products apart.
Business' feel like they have to do something else to the product to make it stand out.
Aunt Jemimas pancale flour didnt sell because people thought they were less of a good mother wife etc.
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 psychologocaly massive. Satisfied the desire to provide/ feed etc. People believed that they were still cooking.
Gave people the idea who couldn't cook an easy shortcut.
Zeitgeist emerging.
Oldsmobile.
Two women are chatting inside.
Equating 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.
Cadillac - Brand is much more sophisticated.
Chateau in the background implys status, affluence and success.
Culture starts to shift 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 consumerism at this stage, no one ever got to that stage.
No one says i have enough food, car, shoes etc.
False desires.
The hidden persuaders book - Vance packard.
- Selling emotional security.
Freezers developed to spend more than actually needed.
Emotional security of knowing that you have food there whether you need it or not.
Selling reassurance of worth.
Selling ego gratification.
Selling creative outlets.
Selling love objects.
Selling sense of power.
A sense of roots.
A sense of immortality.
We believe that fashion reaffirms our illusionary idea of who we are.
Birth of a society that believes they are free happy and successful. People are just given the illusion that they are successful.
1920- 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 the illusion that all their desires are satisfied what you have is a stable ordered easily controllable society.
Manufacturing consent.
Politicians are incapable to manage society.
Big businesses know what the people want and therefore should work with the government.
Russian revolution in 1917.
Lipperman spread the idea of intertwining governmental policy with PR.
Stop revolutions occuring 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.
rOOSEVELT 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 to what extent to the governments carry out our policy when we vote?
Conclusion: you are not what you own.
- Consumerism is an ideological project.
- We believe that through consumption our desires can be met.
- The consumer self lives to this day.
- The legacy of Bernay/ PR is alive in the 21st century society.
- The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation live to this day.
- To what extent are our lives free under the western consumerist system.
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