Social, Cultural and Political Reasons Behind the Spread of the Consumerism

Question 1
Social, Cultural and Political reasons behind the spread of the consumerism
In the year 2020, the USA is an established “Super Power” in the world. Quite surprisingly this
country is not a superpower because of its military strength. It became a superpower because of
its economic edge over the other countries. Many countries in the Eastern world also describe
this “economic strength” as the “economic imperialism” force by a powerful economy which is
the USA. The progression of the USA to become a superpower of the 21st century has its
germination in the era of the 1960s when the economic policies of the country saw a major
change following the socio-economical and socio-political realms. The five trigger points that
propagated this change can be discussed as under.
1. The emergence of Kitchen Debate
When Vice President Richard Nixon advocated the “right to choose” for a customer in a public
debated which is popular as “Kitchen Debate,” He killed two birds from a single stone, first he,
paved the way for a “perfect competition market” where a variety of products catering to the
similar needs can compete and secondly he set the tone for the economic reforms for the country
where consumerism can play the role of a catalyst. Kitchen debate is a symbolic term that
represents the political will of contemporary USA to establish itself as a world power by the
virtue of its economic strength in the world.
This particular juncture of the social history of the USA can also be marked as the era of the
evolution of the “sociology of the consumerism.” Researcher Emily Huddart Kennedy,

identified this era as a milestone in the history of modern USA when “social fulfillment” of the
different type made an entry in the psychic of the country and concept of being an American has
changed (Kennedy, 2015).
2. The emergence of the new parameters of “self-fulfillment”
The emergence of an impersonal society can be attributed as a major characteristic of the US
society in the ’60s. This emergence changed the goals and ambitions of individuals. The
parameters of the solace and satisfaction changed drastically (Josen, 2015). Before the arrival of
the culture of consumerism, US society was unaware of the concept of “status symbols.”
However, during the era of ’60s consumer goods became a status symbol, they became a means
of gratification for the masses, marketing forces started promoting the concept of “more, newer
and better “to lure the masses”.
3. Urbanization and Social Dislocation
During the era of the 60’s, work-related migration forced a social dislocation for many families.
It was also the era of the emergence of nuclear families. A new culture gave way to traditional
family values. In the absence of steady social circles, the culture of consumerism fuelled up. The
culture of push-button products also added a sense of convenience in the products (Garber,
2016). These products introduced a new ergonomics in the life of the young population; many
innovative products find a space in the daily life of the Americans because of this addition of
ergonomics. The concept of “work, time and consumerism” also made an entry in the society.
Social expert Nigel Whitely finds this era as the heralding point of throw away culture
(Whiteley, 1987). this throwaway culture, later on, became the crux of consumerism and
consumption (Pertshuank, 1987).

The emergence of new technologies
The natural progression in the field of science floated some products that can be considered as a
luxury for the customers. Despite the high pricing of these products, these products became an
“object of desire” for the masses in the USA. The emergence of technology further added a new
speed in the concept of “more, better and newer.” The emergence of new technology also added
the concept of obsolescence caused by “social acceptance” and “peer pressure (Tantrman,
2016).”
Changing the status of the females in the society
During the era of 60’s the status of females was changing in society. It was the time of the
emergence of the fast-food industry in the country. To replicate the same fast food culture inside
the households the makers started to add “time quotients” in the products. Most of these products
were targeting females by adding efficiency in their life. This inclusion of the females in the
marketing efforts opened a new gateway of opportunities for pop artists as they became an
integral part of the advertising industry. The artist of that era created some messages which were
full of artistry and commercial messages imbibed in them (Cohen, 2016).
Question 2
“Push Button age” and “Changing role of Women in America”
When we consider “Kitchen Debate,” “Push Button culture.” and “transformation of the family
structure in the USA during the era of the ’60s, we find that a major change was taking place in
the society, many women were joining the workforce and creating an economic worth for
themselves in the mainstream economy of the country. The culture of consumption was creating

the need for the procurement of additional money and females of that era were ready to come out
of the house. The push-button age came into existence intending to support these working
women, most of the products launched during this era were catering to the needs of “work, time
and consumption” of the goods (Becker, 2016).
It was the time when the developers of various types of technologies were chasing the needs of
women, one such example can be of cake mixing. Painter Rosenquist painted an immortal
commercial painting depicting an “angel cake” this painting was an embodiment of technology
supporting a cut down in the time of cake mixing. The depiction of the female as an angel
embodies the new-found status of women in contemporary society (Hara, 2012).
Time became a commodity for women because they were also playing the role of a homemaker
at the same time. The commercial artists of this era tried to add a sense of time-bound
ergonomics in all the products. The example of a push button grinder can act as the best
corroboration of this theory. Many companies added multiple buttons in a grinder while claiming
that homemakers and women can adjust the speed of the grinders by their needs (Ward, 2012).
The health and wellness of the homemaker or the females also became an important issue during
this period. The commercial artists of that era employed their artistic skills to add a sense of
wellness to the products. The product developers of this era started exploring females as the
decision-makers; it allowed them to add subtle artistic hints in the mainstream commercial
messages (Baker, 2012).
Column writer Megan Graber indicates the emergence of another trend that was related to the
“objectification of women” in the advertising campaigns. Two diverse trends started rolling in
the market, on one hand, the advertisers were trying to cater to the senses of the females because

they were acting as the main decision-maker behind the purchase of the household goods. At the
same time, the promoters of the goods also added some sensuality in the messages to lure the
males who were participating in the process of deciding on purchasing push-button technology
(Becker, 2016).
Painter Wesselman’s great nude series of 1962 is a poignant example to corroborate this fact.
This legendary milestone of Pop art indicates the changing phase of the women in that society.
The changing role of the women in that society can be adjudged with the help of a statement
made by President Richard Nixon when he said that consumption is the key to the new US
economy where consumerism holds the keys of a different kind of socialism. Women certainly
have a stronger role to play in the future because they hold the strings that can ensure more
consumption of the goods. Apart from an increased purchasing capacity they can also promote a
culture of consumption because they hold a major stake in the decisions made by a household
(Schor, 1999).
Question 3
‘Falling shoestring potatoes” by “Clase Oldenberg” is a masterpiece depicting the emergence and
victory of consumerism and consumption. Besides being a masterpiece in the culture of pop art,
it is a great example of abstract art presented by the painter. The empty sachet of paper placed
over a random column made by the French fries symbolizes the flagship of the “Fast food
industry” during that era. If the USA won the moniker of being the “fast food nation” of the
world then this painting can be dubbed as an ideal flag for this deemed fast food nation
(Baudrillard, 2005). It is relevant to see this pop art under a series of many other artworks like

Giant Hamburger and Rosen quest’s pushbutton. All the three paintings have commercial
viability, yet that are artistic.
An art lover can comprehend this painting under multiple frames of mind; the approach of this
work of art is universal. The use of some iconic symbols of our time with a streak for creativity
makes it an immortal artwork. “Falling shoestring Potatoes “symbolizes the advent of the fast-
food culture, it symbolizes the omnipresence of fast food joints in the USA. To understand its
symbolic importance we need to have a look at the clash of ideologies on the economic fronts of
the USA. It was the time when an economist was debating over the importance of the
expenditure on the military power-driven solutions. Another fragment of the economists was
advocating the need for the procurement of the soft powers. Let’s now compare the “Falling
shoestring Potatoes” with a battlefield memorial carrying Gun and helmet of a martyred soldier.

Image 1: A comparative diagram showing the symbol of “Battlefield Martyrs” and
“Shoestring Potatoes”
The above-mentioned diagram shows an uncanny resemblance between a universal symbol of
military power and shoestring potatoes. While studying “shoestring potatoes” from a literary
point of view, it is important to understand the mindset of the economist of the era when this
marvel of pop art was created. The depiction of “shoestring potatoes” can signify the fact that the
economic powers of the USA were replacing the Military powers in the mission of conquering
the world. This painting can also be interpreted as a symbol of the flagship of the “soft powers”
over the “hard powers.”
Other paintings of the same era like Giant hamburger were depicting the monstrous scale of the
pervasion of the fast-food industry in America, shoestring potatoes can be termed as an insignia
of the victory of the fast-food over the other culinary cultures that were prevailing during that
period. The undertones of the “Shoestring potatoes” can also be explored with the help of the
cold war which was going on between the USA and Russia. Russia was advocating a different
kind of socialism where the necessary utilization of the goods was holding the key. The USA, on
the other hand, promoted a different kind of socialism under which consumption, consumerism
and soft powers were holding the key. The shoestring potatoes” can also be deciphered as a
symbolization of soft weapons representing the victory of consumer-driven socialism.
As a work of art this painting can entice a viewer to draw multiple interpretations, in the above
paragraphs we captured two such interpretations, however, this is not the end. This masterpiece
captures the very essence of consumerism to its very best.

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