Happy Consumerism!

It always bothered me that stores displayed Thanksgiving and Christmas paraphernalia so early in the year. It bothers me that corporations broadcast their wide array of products, capitalizing on the ingrained consumerism during the holiday season and ignoring the bleak disenfranchisement of Native Americans and religious significance of Christmas. Let's not forget the irony of having store wide sales to perpetuate consumerism the day after people give thanks for what they have. The concept of promoting consumerism through commercialism, however, is not one that is new to society.

The early 20th century was marked by dramatic commercialism and consumerism where "the rich [got] richer and the poor [got]- children" (95). Towering billboards blanketed  America, constantly blaring products and seducing consumers. It was easy to feed into corporate greed. In The Great Gatsby, even the "valley of ashes" (23), a gray and desolate city sandwiched between two prosperous cities, contains an obnoxious billboard. The billboard, displaying the "eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg" surrounded by a pair of "enormous yellow spectacles," presents a stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor. It establishes that those belonging to respected professions and the wealthy are quite literally above the poor as the billboard towers "over the solemn dumping ground."

Corporations have made it easy to tap into the taught consumerism and to ignore the wealth disparities among the population. While the early 20th century was a time of economic prosperity for some, many more were not able to enjoy the commercialized luxuries. Now, at a time of exponential wealth inequality, it's especially important to discuss the alluring power and redefine the role of commercialism.