Bateman Consumer Culture

In the introduction of Chapter 1 “Consuming Passions” “The Culture of American Consumption,” it talks about how American popular culture is grounded in consumption. With the media in our hand, it is a huge influence towards the advertising world. With how styles of clothing have been changing over time, this talks about how from the earlier times wearing a simple type of blue jeans can change between who wears them over the years. As stated, “ By the 1950s, however, blue jeans began to bear an additional class significance as “casual wear” for middle-class Americans.” (72). In 1970 these pants have then become a simple fashion wear. They have also been introduced as a hipster type wear. Then in 1980 through the early 2000s, baggy jeans were

Jordan Belfort is the notorious 1990’s stockbroker who saw himself earning fifty million dollars a year operating a penny stock boiler room from his Stratton Oakmont, Inc. brokerage firm. Corrupted by drugs, money, and sex he went from being an innocent twenty – two year old on the fringe of a new life to manipulating the system in his infamous “pump and dump” scheme. As a stock swindler, he would motivate his young brokers through insane presentations to rile them up as they defrauded investors with duplicitous stock sales. Toward the end of this debauchery tale he was convicted for securities fraud and money laundering for which he was sentenced to twenty – two months in prison as well as recompensing two – hundred million in

Through the Cold War, America was transitioning in various ways such as the way messages were shared, consumerism, and the constant race against the Soviet Union. During the years 1959-1964, Rod Serling, a New York writer and playwright began using one of the newest inventions, the television, as a way to share his opinion about controversial topics. The rise of the television allowed Serling to access to a larger audience whom he could share his opinion in the form of science fictional episodes in the show The Twilight Zone. Although the show seems ominous and a horror related TV show, it allows us to understand the effects and feeling towards topics such as a possible nuclear war, consumerism, space exploration.

The protagonist holds to his immature beliefs that by looking, acting and maintaining a false façade as a “dangerous character” (Boyle,114) it would bestow on him an the badness he desires.

The 1950s is described as the “‘golden age’ of capitalism,” where a comfortable standard of living became accessible to many new, middle-class Americans (991). According to Foner, “the official poverty rate, 30 percent of all families in 1950, had declined to 22 percent a decade later”(991). The poverty rate declined as more Americans entered white-collared jobs with increased wages. Essentially, the “American standard of living” during the 1950s was characterized by the ability of citizens to participate in the mass consumerist society; this was only possible through an increase in income. Jack Straus, the chairman of the board of Macy’s stated “‘The consumer is the key to our economy...The luxuries of today are the necessities of tomorrow’”(Foner 994). The American economy was based off of consumers; “In a consumer culture, the measure of freedom

In the novel "American Psycho" written by Bret Easton Ellis, Patrick Bateman 's use of violence and his wealth are exemplified in scenes involving the murder of his ex-girlfriend Bethany. As well as appealing to the idea to maintain an upscale image by any means such as purchasing expensive merchandise and taking the initiative to attend upscale restaurants. His actions with the implications of those elements reveal the consumptions of status and privilege. The detailed narration of Bateman 's intense violent acts and purchases of expensive products creates imaginary and conflict for readers to accept the appearance he is trying to come across to his associates and the general public. This may result in readers rejecting his character and concluding that he is worthy of the position in society, he desires to achieve or deserving of it. This plays a significant part in how to read this novel because it demonstrates the obsession of acknowledgment and the measurements individuals are prepared to grasp it. The only sense of acknowledgment Bateman receives from the other characters in the novel is his tan instead of his presence or success. Experiencing treatment like this can possibly help the audience understand his motives for preying on women. Feeding off the vulnerability and the weakness of women provides him with the confidence and authority that he lacks. Overall, the consumption of seeking prestige and praise through aggressive behavior towards powerless people

Hunter). This is shown highly through the use of Patrick Bateman, due to him being extreme concern over his superficial looks and the amount of material wealth he possesses (an example being when Bateman spends around 5 pages discussing his morning beauty routine – focusing on how the beauty product is the finest there is – and meanwhile also discusses his apartment, and about how expensive and tasteful all of his furniture is). Bateman is also used as a way to show how consumerism makes people a commodity - “everything is a commodity, including people”. This is especially apparent in his clear sexism – he constantly objectifies women, and never sees them as more than sexual exploits waiting to happen. Bateman tries to rationalise his behaviour of using people as commodities by saying “though it does sporadically penetrate how unacceptable some of what I'm doing actually is, I just remind myself that this thing, this girl, this meat, is

Patrick Bateman and his high class friends enjoy to live an extravagant life. They often wear all designer clothes and live in expensive apartments; “I am wearing a mini-houndstooth-check wool suit with pleated trousers by Hugo Boss, a silk tie, also by Hugo Boss, a cotton broadcloth shirt by Joseph Abboud and shoes from Brooks Brothers” (Ellis 64). Even with all that Bateman owns, he continues to seek more and more; “I’m looking at Van Patten’s card and then at mine and cannot believe that Price actually likes Van Patten’s better” (Ellis 44). Bateman, who was having dinner with his friends, proudly displayed his new business card when he felt one-upped by Van Patten’s business card. This took a hit to Bateman’s pride and he felt like he needed a nicer card than the rest of his friends. His constant desire to have the best clothes, technology, and items shows how greedy he is.

With the continuing development of Internet technology, news has never been shared faster. It is easy to access national and international news in seconds. Despite the fact that network news may be losing some viewers, online articles and news sites are gaining more attraction. News and media can have a significant impact on people’s perceptions of different cultural issues, thus affecting consumer culture. According to Bryant and Oliver (2009, p.9) “how a person feels about a particular issue may be rooted in his or her personal experience of in the general culture or exposure to the mass media”.

During the 1950’s art took a major turn in history from traditional styles depicting people and scenes of everyday life to abstract thoughts and ideas that were transformed onto a canvas to express emotions and ideals in society. People, events, and society have always impacted several styles of art, but the consumer culture in the 1950’s impacted art in a new completely unique way. Post WWII society was more industrialized and more focused on developing and selling new products. The postwar generation had more disposable income to spend on the latest and greatest products and the market turned to advertisements in mass media to get their products out there to consumers. With televisions and films increasing in popularity the market flooded these forms of media with catchy flashy ads that showed favorable people like movie stars using products. With the increasing use of mass media, the culture shifted to consumerism which effectively shifted art as well. Art was directly impacted by the consumer culture because of society’s use of advertisements, photographs, and films which artists like Richard Hamilton and Andy Warhol used those elements in their own works to portray the change of societal standards in a new modern style of art called pop art.

Advertisements are constantly everywhere persuading people to purchase something. Consumerism has essentially become a life goal in our society today. In both of these societies, consumerism is depicted in very similar ways. The book Brave New World and modern society both depict similarities related

The effects from the change in tone, created by Mary Harron, result in another completely different reaction from the audience. The reaction from the audience is to smile upon the main character Patrick Bateman and be amused by his slips of insanity. In Ellis’ novel the reaction from the audience during Bateman’s torturous performances are viewed as horrendous and demonic, nothing to make the reader amused.

In a 1990 book review, he praises Grant McCracken’s book, Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities, for how it stresses the importance of material good studies on their symbolic representation of social relations (Shackel, 1990, pg. 80). I emphasize this review because he repeats these sentiments in his works surrounding Annapolis in the early 1990’s and onward in relation to consumer goods. For example, in his 1993 book Personal Discipline and Material Culture, he cites McCracken’s idea of consumer goods being a part of how people symbolized their social status (Shackel, 1993, pg. 15).

Seapunk is a spin off from the punk community, with the theme of oceanic concepts. Seapunk as its own subculture has its own lifestyle incorporating history, how they differ from other groups, dress behavior, and satirical styles and rules.

Lack of individualism leads to lack of differentiation, and without opinions, emotions and connections to people characters in the novel not only lose their identity, but are almost unable to confirm their existence. In the novel, Patrick Bateman says, “There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can