CA BLOG: HOLLYWOOD SELLS THE AMERICAN DREAM
Regina Blaszczyk’s American Consumer Society, which examines the history of consumer society in America from the end of the Civil War to modern times, also discusses the role that Hollywood has played in shaping said consumer society. Blaszczyck tells of how “…movies exposed mainstream Americans to the goings on in style centers like New York City and Chicago.” (p. 103) In essence, Americans saw ways of life and lifestyles that they would ordinarily be exposed to in their small towns. For people living in places like Muncie Indiana, terms like Jazz Age, swing music, and flapper girls meant nothing to them until they saw them in films. Theatre houses served not so much as places of escape but more as gateways to other more fantastical worlds. “Movies expanded middle-class horizons by showcasing the lifestyles of the rich and famous, lives of adventure, glamour, and sexual innuendo.” (p. 105) Indeed, over the years movies have popularized many trends by showcasing subcultures such as flapper girls, motorcycle gangs, and artists, among many others.
It would seem however that in recent years, the power of cinema to inspire mass consumption and to popularize products has diminished. Few films in the last few decades have launched fashion trends or introduced words and terminology that have become a part of everyday vernacular. After the debut of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951 the popularity of plain white t-shirts, such as the one sported by Marlon Brando’s Stanley Kowalski, skyrocketed. As did the demand for Triumph motorcycles after the same actor rode one in The Wild One in 1953. Films acted as advertisements because they “…showed Americans how others lived, exposing consumers to new outlooks and lifestyles.” (p.105) People would emulate screen characters in everyday life, not just for Halloween. Films used to inspire outfits, not it seems they just create costumes.
What are the social event films nowadays? Some might argue that franchises such as Harry Potter or the Pirates of the Caribbean have generated enormous profits from merchandising. But those films are few and far between, and those franchises already existed prominently in popular culture before their film adaptations. Some say that television and the internet have chipped away at Hollywood’s substantial control over popular culture. Television shows like Mad Men have been credited with reviving interest in retro 1960s clothing and hairstyles. But what was the last film to profoundly impact the way everyday Americans dress? My question is, do films still have profound influence on everyday consumer habits? Have they lost their touch, or has their influence simply changed? After all, the two aforementioned franchises have grossed billions of dollars in revenues from merchandise sales.
- Jeff Walsh Section 01
I choose to believe that movies still do help influence consumer habits. While I have to agree that due to the use of CGI and whatnot, the popularity of movies like Harry Potter and Twilight have caused consumers to spend more on merchandise and misc. items rather than tangible goods. The only issue is that movies like these have the popularity that using CGI brings. Many of the top movies from the past few years have "inspired" people more than they have been advertising to them. After watching Toy-Story 3 and The Fighter, I had a serious urge to be nicer to people as well as pick up boxing. But still, there are still movies out there like Transformers that prompted people to buy yellow Cameros and such. I don't see the popularity of these types of movies ever coming back, but we can always be hopeful
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt, movies such as Harry Potter have generated enormous merchandise sales across the world. However, I feel that such movies have not influenced consumerism in general; Harry Potter gave room for sales of it's own merchandise. Wands, brooms, invisible cloaks, and taped up glasses do not constitute even a marginal portion of America's economy; these products are not considered everyday materials. In terms of overall consumption, such movies have a reduced impact on the sales of everyday goods and necessities. I can vividly remember an iconic scene from the movie "Fight Club", in which Brad Pitt with his defined physique drenched in sweat and blood, smokes a cigarette as he gloats in victory. This singular image stands out to me today because it represents how cigarettes were portrayed as cool to the public by being used by one of the most appealing and handsome stars in Hollywood. Movies that promote the consumption of goods, which are derived from the same original film, have very little influence on mass consumption of goods in America. On the other hand, films that glorify everyday products by having them be used by superstars can have much more significant contributions to consumerism as a whole.
ReplyDelete-Dhrupal B. Patel, section 01