Consumerism: How the Buying Public Has Shaped Popular Culture and History

This paper was written in order to examine and explain the phenomena of consumerism in relation to happiness within the current popular culture. Given our society that seems to be defined by what someone bought rather that what they thought, this research has a great deal of relevance and will make some interesting statements about the value system of people in the modern world.

Consumerism

There are conflicting theories over the years that state that money can't buy happiness, and conversely, those who say that do not know where to shop. Beyond eliciting a chuckle, these sayings make a dramatic statement about our culture and the importance that is placed on material goods and gratification from them as a source of happiness. Within modern culture, consumerism has become a sort of micro culture of its own. Loosely defined, consumerism is a set of beliefs and values, perhaps even a way of life that places the obtaining of material possessions, and the actual process of obtaining them, at the top of the list of priorities for those who believe in the concept (Sussman, 2004). In extreme cases, as with a compulsive gambler or drug addict, consumerism becomes all encompassing. As a part of popular culture, consumerism has its American roots in the period following World War II. Upon returning home from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific, American men got down to the business of pursuing pleasure and leisure time activities. The post war boom in manufacturing made available scores of various automobiles that people bought in huge quantities in order to make up for lost time and also because of the fact that the period of World War II saw rationing and shortages of goods to the point where upon the end of the war, Americans wished to exercise their economic freedom once again and buy big ticket items like automobiles with a vengeance. After the automobile began to boom, and people settled down to start families, buy homes and settle into neighborhoods, the consumer machine began to work at full capacity once again, providing other items like appliances, furniture, and eventually the television into the home. With the television came of course commercials, which reached every member of the family and continued to fuel the fire of consumerism like never before. Eventually, the purchasing of goods became a defining quality for people to the point where it provided happiness.

Happiness

Happiness and consumerism are essentially linked; while happiness is hard to quantify or to write a definition for, as one person said in regard to happiness, "I can't define it, but I know it when I feel it" (Annas, 2004). Simply put, it is fair to say that happiness is a relative term for different people. However, the obtaining of material goods has become such a part of everyday life, that it provides happiness when people are buying, and causes sadness when no buying is taking place. For many, it seems to be a shield against the harsh realities of everyday stresses. In fact, the buying frenzy of modern life has become so prevalent, and people have collected so much material, that self storage facilities are becoming one of the most successful and growing retail businesses in America (Brennan, 1997). This is because the average person has purchased so much merchandise that they do not need that their homes and garages can no longer hold the contents of their lives. As necessity is the mother of invention, since people find themselves with too much merchandise, rather than risk some type of disappointment or unhappiness by parting with things or heaven forbid stop buying additional things, people would rather go through the time, trouble and expense of maintaining a self storage locker in a dedicated facility or warehouse of some sort. Much of this "stuff" will never see the light of day again, but it serves as a security blanket for those who feel that consumerism validates them and makes them happy. Therefore, the link between consumerism and happiness, at least for some people, is established.

Consumerism as Part of Pop Culture

Consumerism has grown to contribute to pop culture, and pop culture has made significant contributions to consumerism as well. As a kind of mutually exclusive relationship, one feeds the other and both grow as a result. Regarding pop culture, Americans as a whole place a tremendous value on material goods and the obtaining of them. Much as the ancient peoples placed a value on crops or spices, we today judge each other, and expect to be treated in a better way, based upon the sheer volume of tangible items that we have accumulated. When watching television, the people who seem to enjoy the biggest acclaim are not always the most talented or the best looking, but are often those who have the most material possessions. As an example, Donald Trump is not exceptionally good looking or talented; granted, he is a skillful businessman, but that is not what gives him the fame that he has achieved in the mainstream, but rather he has gained the status of a pop culture icon because of what he represents- good old fashioned buying power and consumerism personified. Admittedly, the goods that Trump collects-priceless works of art, homes, helicopters and the like-are out of the reach of the average person, it could possibly be that the fact that these items that are collected by him in great quantities are out of reach of others that almost makes him as a folk hero in the popular culture of the modern American scene. He has taken consumerism to a new level, and has gained wide acclaim as a result of it. Gone are the days when the fastest runner, the best speller or the most talented golfer were the heroes of the culture. Today, those with the most toys win, or so it seems. In the modern society, the only time that talented athletes are revered is when they are seen in commercials using the latest cellular telephone or smiling on a box of sugar coated cereal.

Happiness Within Pop Culture

There is a great deal that can be said about happiness as an element of pop culture as it relates to consumerism. Within the complex, dollar-driven world of modern America, happiness is often measured by the size of the vehicle in one's driveway, or the memory that their I-Pod contains. Happiness is a commodity that seems to be able to be bought as an accessory with every item that is piled into the home or locked away in the personal storage lockers of people from coast to coast. The instant gratification that comes with material possessions, and the fact that credit cards make instant gratification through material ownership possible, makes the pursuit of happiness essentially a financial transaction at the local mall. As people become more and more scattered due to work and family commitments, things fill the emptiness within the human soul and provide what we perceive to be happiness. Hopefully, we will someday realize that while material goods can bring happiness, they are no substitute for the human experience.

Closing Thoughts

In this paper, there has been an attempt to show how people seek and gain enlightenment, and what they perceive as happiness, from material things. Moreover, we worship pop culture figures who collect and stockpile things. As a final thought, every effort should be made to make sure that we all do not become materialistic buying machines but rather look into our own hearts and try to enhance our lives through the joy of human interaction.

References

Annas, J. (2004). Happiness as Achievement. Daedalus, 133(2), 44+.
Brennan, T. (1997). Social Evil. Social Research, 64(2), 210-234.
Sussman, C. (2004). Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire. The Historian, 66(1), 211+.