Structured Analysis: The Cult of Domesticity and Consumption in The Home Chapter 4: Pop Art and Consumer Culture Haardikaa Goswami Z5246178
Structured Analysis 1. The five social, cultural and political factors that contributed to the rise of Consumer Culture in American household in 1950s and 1960s are as follows:
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Mobility of Population in an urban environment The geographical and social mobility of the population increased with urbanisation, leaving a personal impact on oneself in terms of one’s cultural and traditional belonging. To born and die in the same community that was well rooted meant to have lived in a social set up that shaped one’s belonging to a tradition and a culture, preventing the feeling of alienation that cannot be easily avoided in an everchanging physical environment. Therefore, urbanisation was accompanied by mobilisation of troops, in search of better opportunity and lifestyle, which lead to a constant disconnection with one’s traditional environment governed by the many social and cultural influences. To achieve the lacking wholeness and a sense of selffulfilment, the consumerism in American household increased, depicting an all new society that was shaping its tradition based on the consumption made, where the only culture that brought people together and helped them find their place in the community, was Consumer Culture.
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Politically strengthening the belief of National integrity through consumption During the Cold War period of 1950s, the American government officials were finding creative ways for its population to adopt the Keynesian Programs, economically analysing the effects of consumption in terms of its output and inflation effects. For this, an exhibition in Moscow which focussed on an ideal American lifestyle saw a political debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. United States and Soviet Union shared a tense relationship since WWII, where they allied together against Axis Powers (Editors, 2019).1 The history between the two nations and the increasing consumerism in United States, lead to the famous “Kitchen Debate” between the two, where America was portrayed to be an ideal for prosperity in a classless society. The debate which focussed on consumption of “washing machines” as a means of economic and political stability, lead to an all new consumerism, shaping Communism and national integrity among classes in the States, proving how consumption can bring in stability with more power and national security than war and weapons.
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Achieving an easy lifestyle through the “Push-button Age” The push button came to be a recognition of scientific and military usage in the first place. A “push-button” depicted massive disruption through nuclear explosions, in the society’s head, as also conveyed by media. But it was not so. The “push-button age” had a bigger meaning when it came to consumption. The push-button was like the military in terms of the power that it carried along with itself, through its consumption. In a broader sense, the push-button depicted the consumer capital in the era of technology, where quick and easy push-button appliances were providing a better lifestyle in an American household. This introduction of the push-button
Structured Analysis appliances and an ever-growing consumption for such appliances meant a greater consumerism, and this can be directly linked to the “kitchen debate”, where consumption meant power and national stability. In this way, the military advancement became more accessible, with a “push- button” in the American household, rather than on the battlegrounds. When push-button era took over, kitchen became the most important space in the household. It was that space where all the expensive equipment was, which meant a display of consumerism. It was the space where family would spend a lot of time and neighbours would gather in. The kitchen was described as the “cheerful”, “joyous” and “the heart of home”. This consumption made the working-class enter a so-called respectable domain of the society, which meant self-fulfilment. 2
Figure 1 1950s Blender, Source:
https://www.pinterest.com.au/astrop eat/vintage-blenders/
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Figure 2 1950s Washing Machine, London Source: https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/514766
Marketing Efforts and Advertising Consumption meant more advertising, which in turn meant, attracting people to consume more and to add to the capitalism and achieve a comfortable lifestyle. This advertising need lead to creative efforts by the artists, where imagination took over reality. Pop- Art was one of the major communication methods in spreading the message of mass production and consumption. Also, the consumption of newer appliances in the American household meant a major market shift by discarding conventional methods of living. Thus, advertising also lead to promoting the “less” important conventional homeware, sold at a cheap price in “bold letters”. Advertising of services also caused major lifestyle changes in American society, where chains like McDonald’s gained utmost popularity, with their cheap, quick and streamlined services. This consumption of services and effortless comfort lead to a greater satisfaction and a feeling of self- fulfilment while also belonging to a prosper society, thus, causing an increase in the consumer culture.
Structured Analysis According to Nigel Whiteley, design played a major role in market research and motivational research in 1950s America, which had a well-established consumerist society. This design empowerment lead to a better marketing communication, with industrial design playing a top-notch role in advertising, making the American society more than ready for consumerism.3 •
Kennedy’s Tax Reduction Scheme Kennedy’s Council of Economic Advisors believed that reducing the tax will mean more economic growth and higher employment rate. This was Kennedy’s Tax reduction scheme and enacted upon by Johnson in 1964. According to this scheme, tax reduction would mean leaving an additional amount with an individual to spend or invest and thus, increasing consumption. When an individual spends on a product or a service and gives profit to another business, the funds are put into circulation. This means that everybody in the society is consuming and giving back to economic growth. Therefore, the society circulated most of its disposable income on consumption, causing a rise in Consumer Culture in 1950s and 1960s, based on the tax reduction model. When one analyses inflation through Kennedy’s Scheme, it sums up the Keynesian theory, but also defeats it by subliming the concept of economic growth, where credit fills the gap, where inflation and output is not based on savings but consumption.
2. The “push-button age” was a recognised era of consumption of home appliances which were responsible for providing an easier, effortless and a quicker lifestyle in the American society during the 1950s and 1960s. The “push-button” was closely linked to nuclear disruptions that could easily sweep out the enemy in the push of a button, but it was not a direct application of this explanation. This era of consumption had a similar meaning in terms of power, but the power began from an individual household in America, that when considered, made a much bigger impact on national integrity and economic stability. The “push-button age” referred to the consumption of home appliances that worked on electricity and reduced human effort and provided a better lifestyle to the people. When home appliances started to give the blue-collar and middle-class families a better lifestyle, the attainment of a respectable position in the society and the sense of satisfaction started causing more consumption of these appliances. Home appliances saw more marketing than innovation in the 1960s, as a means of increasing consumption strategy. With diverse nature of these products, an affordability criterion was never considered to be causing a disruption in the consumption patterns, in fact, the consumption of these appliances started to revolutionise the role of women in the American society. With the advancement of home appliances and the easement of lifestyle, more time and energy of a middle-class wife could now be channelized out of home. Therefore, the push- button played a major role in empowering women and helped them pursue a career. When this happens, a cycle of consumption is formed, in which a family income increases with more income coming into a
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Structured Analysis household, and this causes a greater need (or greed) for a better lifestyle, meaning, more consumption and more eras like the “push-button age”. The homemaker woman believed in decorating her house and was easily fascinated by ornamented products. This caused the design innovation to cease. Design was easily influenced by assimilation rather than vice-versa. But the design thinking gradually changed in the mindset of the working woman, who started appreciating sophistication over decoration, which also empowered the sinking design industry, beginning from appliance design. 2
Figure 3 1950s Window into a Future, Ideas, Observations and Handy Shortcuts Illustrations, Jim , July 2013 Source: https://blog.id.com.au/2013/id-news/fun-stuff/the-push-button-age-howeverything-old-is-new-again/attachment/push-button-age/
3. Claes Oldenburg’s Artwork, “the Falling Shoestring Potatoes”, made in 1965, is a description of the consumer culture in America in 1960s. It describes the conquering of fast food via food establishments like the McDonald’s that took over traditional meals in America, and the softness of the material defines its seductive attraction from the consumer. The shoestring fries also represent the shifting staple diet of the Americans. During 1960s, Americans had become a classless society of consumers. Goods were produced to satisfy the appetite of consumption, with strategies to always increase consumption. When push-buttons made life easier, canned foods were introduced to provide quicker options in households where the women were now working, which were misinterpreted for war food. The acceptance of canned food made the idea of readymade fast food seem acceptable, where consumption was the key. This fast food was not an appetizing meal, but let’s say, the era shaped its popularity, and thus, consumption. The giant “Falling Shoestring Potatoes” are an interpretation of this fast food popularity that ‘conquered’ America, and the fast food joints kept on mushrooming to fulfil the popular demand. But, this kind of consumption was not new. America had been seeing the consumption trend since post-war period, where urbanisation was followed by the major
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Structured Analysis trends like technology growth, mass production, advertising, pop-art culture, push-button era, women empowerment, processed food and finally, fast food. Fast food as a service was favourable because it was the time when women were stepping out of their homes to work, stepping from their traditional housewife practices. Thus, eating out became a more flexible option for these families observing newly found working women. A general interpretation of the super-sized artwork sums up the ‘conquering’ consumer culture in America. The artist’s use of cloth in making of the artwork defines the seducing fast food that is hard to resist. Although not as appetizing as the traditional meals, the fast food overtook the charge of flavour, causing the rise of a dependent unhealthy society. How most McDonald’s restaurants smell of the same fries, attracting a large crowd to a fascinating world of fast food winning over home cooked healthy meals, cannot be ignored. This materiality can also be significant as a necessity like the necessity for clothing, clothing that is cheap and desirable. A broader interpretation would suggest the creation of a trap for attractive goods (or their packaging) and services that invite consumers, and the cycle of consumption never ends.
Figure 4 Falling Shoestring Potatoes, Walker Art Centre, Jennifer Simonson, September 2013 Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/09/20/arts/photos-oldenburg
The poem below sums up the interpretation in broader terms and a critical review of the ‘enormous’ and ‘attractive’ consumer culture with respect to the “Falling Shoestring Potatoes”.
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Structured Analysis Look, look at the falling shoestring potatoes, Becoming harder to hold on and easier to let go, Sulking from a giant bag, and never getting wasted, For the consumer is running and running to catch them untamed. Conquering the nation with the fascination of a sultry taste, The shoestring potatoes defeating the staple and its haste, For I found my way to where I belonged, With my money to consume it all. Where my timing is never tested, and my body never rested Running and running for the ends to meet For my house needs more than the necessities. So, drooling and drooling over the shoestring potatoes Until they drool over me, Like everything else in the world of consumption Super-sized and heavy over my control I chase the shoestring potatoes like I have chased everything else, For I worship consumerism for a goddess. The consumer culture in America has shaped its lifestyle, which may not always be favourable. As much as consumption is important for economic growth of a society, the household requires a family to be fulfilled by physical and emotional values, which do not require consumption of products to achieve a lifestyle. Bibliography 1. Editors, H., 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cold-war-history. [Online]. 2. Nickles, S., 2002. More Is Better: Mass Consumption, Gender, and Class Identity in Postwar America. American Quarterly, p. 581-622. 3. Whiteley, N., 1985. Pop, Consumerism and the Design Shift. Design Issues (Vol. 2, No.2), p. 31-46.
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