Consumerism and a few words.

[Deborah]

http://www.realitysandwich.com/no_so_comfortable

And consider watching the video called Century of Self; particularly are the mentions of Edward Bernays.

KR CP

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yea, I really do need to watch that. Why? Because I have read WAY too many early Freudian/post-Freudian psychologists (more than is good frankly). So yea I'd get into it.

[catherine]

Interesting article--and I'll watch the video, although I'm still angry with Edward Bernays for exploiting women's desire for the vote and independence by manufacturing an association between smoking tobacco and being independent. Tobacco use probably doubled in the early 20th century because of him.

[ApatheticNoMore]

My signature probably relates. Love and work were Freud of course (a psychologically healthy person should be able to love and work.) But what kind of work? Routine labor, or creative work? Alas there's not enough of the later to go around, Betty Friedan's fantasy world to the contrary notwithstanding.

The American dream, ah well, meh that's just owning houses that few in my generation around here can afford anyway (but it should be the apex of our aspiration according to conventional wisdom). Plus the American dream is just general consumerism in general. Better to aspire to love and creative work than that perhaps, but not easier.

[JaneV2.0]

Good grief, another--rather soporific--suburban hate rant. "And since these detrimental aspects are so hidden from view, suburbia poses one of the greatest threats to our survival as a species." Really? I think not. But then, I found psychology classes boring and pointless, and Freud laughworthy, what with his fixation on sex and his p3nis. (Have to say I rather liked Jung)

I think the American Dream has always been the freedom to fashion your own best life.

ETA: I don't think it's healthy for too many people to be crammed into too little space, like rats in too-small cages. If I remember correctly, psychologists have studied this phenomenon. I recall a lot of aggression and other dysfunctions among their unfortunate rodent subjects.

[LDAHL]

Why is it nobody uses the term “American Dream” anymore except as a straw man for something they disapprove of? Have we really become that intellectually enfeebled? And when did we become so infantilized as to assume ourselves to be empty vessels to be filled up with the blandishments of the more meretricious elements of the chattering classes? If that were true, wouldn’t we still be sacrificing our children to Moloch?

Is it even conceivable that people might prefer a bit of elbow room? Does it have to be a syndrome? Does every choice we don’t like need to be attacked with puerile psychobabble?

[ApatheticNoMore]

What on earth are you talking about?

As for the article: I find it somewhat unfocused, like I do many such articles. The section on work in the beginning and ADD on the end were not really tied in well at all. Geez, I should be an English teacher. :O Why people work is honestly so much deeper than consumerism that ... (it's fear of not having enough money, it's a desire to be part of society (the action) etc.) Anyway, if you really want to make all those links you need to tie it a lot tighter than that article did IMO.

The middle part was the interesting part (about Bernays mostly). The article tried to tie it with Friedan and how housewives were seriously marketed to. Oh I don't doubt they were. But I really don't see housewives as being any better/more profitable for capitalism than a two income family, in fact I see them as less so. Two incomes working 40 plus hour a week jobs, and you're picking up convenience food, paying for daycare, oh and it now takes two incomes to buy the same house that one income used to. Not to mention what doubling the employees in a labor market does to wages. Whatever there are other benefits to women working (less dependence) but a hopelessly naive view of all jobs being wonderful fulfilling, isn't exactly a strong argument in the case.

I think there are heavy costs paid to achieve what society deems essential for success (a million dollars in retirement funds, a 1/2 million dollar house - that's an ordinary house in the ghetto btw, remember where I am) and that yea a lot of other stuff could be sacrificed to be that hyper-successful (perhaps not love, although maybe, but definitely could conflict with more fulfilling work). Hence my sig.

[Deborah]

Thank you's for your interest and comments. I'm eating your dust. grin.

It opened my awareness to how easily I was influenced after my great grandparents were treated by the pr campaigns... and wonder at how many generations were influenced before this show came out. I wasn't dumb I just didn't know what was going on until recent years.. TY

[jp1]

I think Apathetic hit so many nails on the head. And I think the article completely missed the fact that people wouldn't be into consumerism if in fact it got them to buy stuff they don't want. But they DO want it. After all who doesn't want all the nice things that money can buy, whether its appliances to make one's life easier or trinkets to make one's house more beautiful. Or, for that matter, things like modern shampoo that gets our hair clean. The american dream has always been about buying stuff. To say that people don't want that stuff is naive. Of course we want that stuff because the american dream is about having an easy, enjoyable life. Stuff like washing machines and dishwashers make that dream a reality.