Consumption and Christmas...
There is always a magical tingle in the air around that time of year in accordance to the capitalist calendar. Can you smell it? Does the spirit to spend burn within you as well?
All other hallmark holidays aside, one predominantly stands mightier above the rest where the harvest is ripe and ready for the swarming hordes, Christimas time.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17558.aspx
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17868.aspx
As shown in the articles, there is striking evidence of how this ritual, arguably a social process now as Silverstone would say, consumes people entirely. Offering stress management, valet parking or personal shoppers, these forms of assistance promote consumption even more so while making people believe they are providing some form of relief. It is as if the media now offers a guideline and service to further promote, assist and aid on such repulsive, indulgent habits.
Christmas time is particularily interesting. The reason I introduced this entry in such a way is to provide an insight on consumption's relationship to time. Preparation and management are of critical importance for the feast. The calendar is indeed marked by events which highlight the process of consumption, "The seasons are marked by our willingness to consume and celebrate whatever ripens" (Silverstone, 81). What I am getting at is that time is now commodified more than ever and no longer even needs to be read. Commodified time is that which now regulates consumption.
Perhaps mentioned earlier, Consumption too overlaps with play and performance. We pay, play and display. Going back to the arcticles however, an important question to consider is media's relation to consumption. The media abide by this calender of commodified time most of all, offering services and products people don't need, constantly luring us and persuading to join the carnival of madness, sadly, the only form of socializing for many these days. Of course, considering many advertisers and corporations support/fund media outlets this comes as no surprise that media promote consumption to the fullest, increasingly if anything. Rarely, if ever, do they mention how to cut back such habits and simply offer solutions to our "stress". Pathetic!
Anything to keep the machine going at all costs.
Save yourselves.
All other hallmark holidays aside, one predominantly stands mightier above the rest where the harvest is ripe and ready for the swarming hordes, Christimas time.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17558.aspx
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17868.aspx
As shown in the articles, there is striking evidence of how this ritual, arguably a social process now as Silverstone would say, consumes people entirely. Offering stress management, valet parking or personal shoppers, these forms of assistance promote consumption even more so while making people believe they are providing some form of relief. It is as if the media now offers a guideline and service to further promote, assist and aid on such repulsive, indulgent habits.
Christmas time is particularily interesting. The reason I introduced this entry in such a way is to provide an insight on consumption's relationship to time. Preparation and management are of critical importance for the feast. The calendar is indeed marked by events which highlight the process of consumption, "The seasons are marked by our willingness to consume and celebrate whatever ripens" (Silverstone, 81). What I am getting at is that time is now commodified more than ever and no longer even needs to be read. Commodified time is that which now regulates consumption.
Perhaps mentioned earlier, Consumption too overlaps with play and performance. We pay, play and display. Going back to the arcticles however, an important question to consider is media's relation to consumption. The media abide by this calender of commodified time most of all, offering services and products people don't need, constantly luring us and persuading to join the carnival of madness, sadly, the only form of socializing for many these days. Of course, considering many advertisers and corporations support/fund media outlets this comes as no surprise that media promote consumption to the fullest, increasingly if anything. Rarely, if ever, do they mention how to cut back such habits and simply offer solutions to our "stress". Pathetic!
Anything to keep the machine going at all costs.
Save yourselves.