This essay looks at the connection between consumerism and capitalism. Cronk s main

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1 Cronk, Rip. "Consumerism and the New Capitalism." Art On The Rebound A Collection Of Essays On Art And Culture. Westland Network, Web. 17 Jan < This essay looks at the connection between consumerism and capitalism. Cronk s main argument in this essay is how the experience of American culture has been replaced with consumerism in a capitalist society. Cronk argues that the consumer has become greedy and obsessed with possessing material goods rather than partaking in art, family, and religion. The author mentions how capitalism has changed for the worse because of advertisements and brands. He writes that consumerism is one of the major reasons why capitalist systems are so predominant. Rip Cronk is a muralist in Southern California. His work can be seen all over Venice and has influenced the revival of Venice culture. Rip graduated with a Masters in Fine Art from the University of New Mexico. Since then, he has been responsible for many murals found in Hawaii (where he also opened up an art studio) and Switzerland. The essay is entitled Consumerism and the New Capitalism and is one of the series of essays Cronk has written about culture in the post-modern era. The intended audience in this essay seems to be culture enthusiasts or other artists who are interested in the transformation of politics and how it has influenced American culture. Just as he is interested in the transformation of art ideology in the coming age, it seems as though his audience would be artists who are interested in this topic as well. I am interested in using this text for my essay because it deals with America specifically. It is important to discuss the Western view of capitalism in my essay and how it has affected popular culture. This being said, Cronk discusses Western capitalism thoroughly in his essay. He briefly mentions brands and the growing distinction between rich and poor which is pertinent to my topic of popular culture, advertisements, and branding. I also want to use this essay because I want to explore how America has changed to incorporate capitalism in everyday life.

2 Cronk discusses how America has changed to support capitalism which I believe is very important for my essay as well. Lindstrom, Martin. Brandwashed Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy. United States: Crown Business, Print. This book highlights the main theme of brands in society and how people succumb to marketing ploys and advertisements every day whether they know it or not. Lindstrom goes in depth as he discusses different marketing strategies and how the subject matter of advertisements play a huge role in how much of the product gets absorbed into the minds of customers. Pertinent to my essay specifically, Lindstrom writes about brand differentiation and how people want to look a certain way by getting expensive brands. In a society that s importance comes from how much money an individual or company owns, brands are becoming more prominent in Western society. It is because of these brands used in popular culture that Western capitalist societies continue to exist and thrive. Martin Lindstrom used to be a marketer for twenty years before turning against it completely and writing about the secrets behind advertising and marketing. He attended the Academy of Advertising and eventually joined the BBDO. He was well known for his marketing abilities as he became an advisor to many CEO s, celebrities, and others. However, once he observed how advertisers get consumers to buy, he felt disheartened by what he saw so he decided to go against all that he worked up to be. The intended audience for this book is consumers. Lindstrom wants to target shoppers and brand users with this book to unveil the ploys that are used in marketing. Marketing ploys are revealed so that we as consumers are self-aware and can fight against multi-million dollar companies that are settled in capitalist societies. I am considering using this book for my essay because brands go hand in hand with celebrity endorsements and other material

3 goods that come from celebrity status. I want to examine how brands and celebrities play crucial roles in Western capitalist societies. Not only this, but I want to explore how the purpose of marketing using brands and advertisements lead to detrimental effects in our society like the enlargement of the differentiation between the rich and the poor. Lipschutz, Ronnie D. Political Economy, Capitalism, and Popular Culture. United Kingdom: Rowman And Littlefield Publishers, Print. The main idea of the book Political Economy, Captitalism, and Popular Culture is the Western economy. He describes the value that we as humans put on money and how it dictates our life. He explains the way we use money and the different functions it has (exchange, using to purchase goods and services etc). Lipschutz introduces different relationships in each chapter and expands on each of these relationships with relevant evidence. For instance, the author discusses the relationship between economics and politics. He specifically deals with capitalism in the sense that it is something that has grown to be an essential part of American culture. As Lipshutz discusses, value is added to everything in society and it is because of this, that the age of consumerism is growing. He also introduces the relationship between capitalism and popular culture, or as he describes it, money and desire. In this chapter he examines how desire transforms into material objects and how these material objects further separates class distinctions between the rich and poor. Ronnie Lipschutz is a professor of Politics and Provost of College Eight. He works at the University of California, Santa Cruz but has been a visiting professor for other schools specializing in Politics and International Relations. He is the author of several other books such as The Constitution of Imperium and Globalization, Governmentality and Global Politics: Regulation for the Rest of Us? ("Ronnie D Lipschutz, 2012). This text is intended for

4 economic scholars dealing with the importance of money in society. It contains historical references and political terms that can also be used for those interested in politics. I am considering this book for my essay because although I am not looking at a political stance on capitalism, I want to use this book for the details it offers in popular culture. Especially dealing with Chapter Two (Money and Desire) I want to use the examples that Lipshutz offers to support my claims about how brands and material goods are being used to enforce capitalism even further in Western Society. Mainwaring, Simon. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World. United States: Palgrave Macmillan, Print. This book begins with the author stating that although there have been disastrous failures of capitalist systems in the past, capitalism could be used for the betterment of society in the future. Mainwaring begins by acknowledging the vast difference between those living in poverty versus those living in extravagant wealth. He further expands on this by explaining how many countries suffer from greed. This book not only looks at how capitalist systems can be changed so that society can benefit positively from it, but how we as individuals can take part in this change by coming together as a community. Further into his book he indicates how brands and consumerism can benefit capitalist societies if they work together as a cohesive group instead of separate money driven individuals. He offers solutions such as using social media and talking directly with consumers in order to ensure that capitalism is put in a positive light rather than a negative one. Simon Mainwaring is the founder of We First which is a firm bent on helping brands come together in order to create a positive impact on society. In addition to this, Simon is part of the Sustainable Brands Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Diplomacy, and the Royal Society of Arts in London ( About Simon, 2011).

5 Mainwaring s intended audience are branding companies that desire a change in the society around them. He is targeting companies that have members who want to come together as a group to benefit positively from capitalism and still support it. I am interested in using this text for my essay because it includes ideas on how we as a society can come together to change the negative light that is placed on capitalism. I think it is important to address the positive aspects that can come from capitalism and not just focus on the negative. Instead of trying to remove capitalism from society, Mainwaring gives options on how brands can use their profits in an alternate way so that society benefits from their wealth, not just themselves. This is important for my essay as I will be discussing the impact that brands, celebrities, and advertising has on capitalism and how these topics can be used for change, which is what Mainwaring s book is all about. Marshall, David P. Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture. Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press, Print. This book discusses the power that celebrities hold alongside other multimillion dollar corporations in a society that dwells on economics and money. It discusses the importance of the celebrity figure in these societies and what contributions they play in a capitalist society. The author specifically focuses on the power that these influential people hold while also exhibiting how power is used by celebrities in Western society. He also takes the individual status of the celebrity and indicates how they play a part in the origins of capitalism. P. David Marshall is involved in the Department of English at the University of Queensland in Australia. He is the director of the Media and Culture Studies Centre. This text is made for students or scholars involved in popular culture or the media. He intertwines the historical and political aspect of stardom in order to create a text that

6 delves deep into the role of the star in Western society while utilizing his strengths in this topic. I am considering this book because I intend to look at celebrities roles in capitalist societies and how they play a huge role in mass marketing and advertisements for capitalist societies. Celebrities are constantly discussed in the tabloids, on television, in award ceremonies, and all over the news which is a huge indication on how influential they are in Western society. The power that they have is instrumental to the economic system we have today and is an indicator of the capitalist ideas that are embedded in popular culture. For celebrities to endorse in these messages of capitalism is largely important to Western society as a whole, and the obsession with money that it presents to other countries. The role celebrities have in this money-driven society is something I will be discussing about in my essay alongside other topics such as the roles of advertisements and brands in capitalist societies as well. Marketers use the image of celebrities to promote material objects, such as cologne or perfume, which goes to show the capitalist messages that are included in everyday life. The relationship between celebrities and capitalism is something I will be looking at throughout my essay. Works Cited "About Simon." We First. We First, Web. 20 Jan < "Ronnie D Lipschutz." Politics. University Of California Santa Cruz, Web. 20 Jan