Eric Buckle

Last time I did my blog on a somewhat obscurely considered component of consumerism regarding pet spending and I would like to continue that with fan spending. Specifically, the spending of sports fans on the sports they watch. Much like pet spending, it’s enormously ubiquitous, as most people are pet owners, so too are most people followers of sports. Therefore, a lot of people spend money going to the games, buying memorabilia, and autographs from their favorite players. Essentially, a professional sports team and even collegiate sports teams, depend upon fans to show up to pay to see them play and in part, pay for the accessories and related items.

One often hears the argument that teachers, firefighters, police officers and the like ought to be paid considerably more than they currently are. And that professional sports stars making in the millions (not even considering endorsement deals) in comparison is an affront to decency and a poor reflection upon our society. However, it is precisely fans paying to watch games, paying for those athletes’ jerseys and so forth, that ensure those stars will sign millions of dollars in contract and endorsement deals.

Let me put this in the proper perspective. “Spectator sports are unquestionably a big business in the United States; their revenues approximated $410.6 billion in 2009" (DeSarbo and Madrigal 1). To further understand how large that is, consider, that’s twice as large as the auto industry and seven times as large as the movie industry. Also, according to them, it comes as no surprise that the NFL and college football lead the pack in terms of “avid fans.” That is, fans that are more than mere casual watchers of the game – they invest time, money and emotion into the sport.

I, personally, only consider myself a “casual” fan. I’ll catch a Reds game from time to time or a Bengals game, but I am not going to spend $100 on a jersey or have a chance to go to the game itself. Granted, I don’t see anything wrong with investing time, money or emotion into the sport. That’s one’s prerogative, but at the same time, if those same people then turn around and complain about the salaries of teachers, that seems disingenuous to me. As an avid fan, you and everyone else likeminded, are contributing to the justification for said million dollar salaries.

Sure, make the argument that those service providers ought to make more money, but money on the level of athletes? It does no compute to me.

Works Cited

DeSarbo, Wayne, and Robert Madrigal. "Exploring The Demand Aspects Of Sports Consumption And Fan Avidity." Interfaces 42.2 (2012): 199-212. Sociological Collection. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.

Electronics and our Lives 

From the early 50’s electronics have been driving consumption in America, from the bulky television set to the latest smartphone. As consumers in America we have seen large changes in personal electronics and the way we use them. During this consumer change we see it occurring through the whole house. This consumer change also brought a rise in individualism in and out of the house-hold. This jump in consumption was prevalent in Boomer America were electronics were first produced on a large scale. The product that sort of started it all was the T.V which kicked out product growth in many different areas of industry. We as consumers today don’t realize the mass abundance of product we have at are finger tips. When RCA released there T.V set in the late 40’s 

only 60,000 households had them, compared that to 114.7 million in 2012. These numbers can be seen across a lot of other electronics throughout the past 60 years. When I think about how electronics have changed over the years I have started using them I found this pictures that sums it all up.

When I look at this I see how far we have come in such a short time, electronics have really driven consumers to branch out on an individual scale but still be connected with a click of a button.

Hilarious Commercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr1RHpbXtig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE6Jpd2TxWY

Commercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBDUfIllcig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIgRFQv92dM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

Successful commercials

U.S. Fuel Consumption

Fuel Consumption in the U.S.

One area of consumption that I think is particularly interesting to Americans today is the consumption of gas. With prices nearing four dollars per gallon, people have been forced to consider more efficient modes of transportation. I researched several news articles to try to get a better understanding of just how influential gas prices really are on our society.

            One of the articles I found was in the Washington Post and was entitled “$4 gas reinforces trend toward lower U.S. fuel consumption.” The article was written in April of 2012 and discusses how Americans have had to cut their gas consumption to levels that have not been seen in decades. This has, in turn, slowed down the climb in prices. The article goes on to mention that motor gasoline barrel supplies were at 8.6 million barrels per day in April of last year. This number was down 4% from the previous year. The numbers prove that people are becoming more and more hesitant to spend their hard earned money on gas. This will certainly have a tremendous impact on all aspects of the economy. If people are forced to spend substantial amounts of money at the pump, then they will not be able to afford some of the other luxuries in life. This could in turn be a vicious cycle on virtually all businesses.

            Another article I read was written in the Los Angeles Times and discusses a bleak outlook on fuel prices in 2013. The article cites the devaluation of the U.S. dollar and poor fuel infrastructure as the two main reasons for their claim. The hurricanes along the East Coast of the U.S. have weakened fuel facilities and this could become yet another reason for raised fuel prices. The article projects that prices could reach as high as $4.60 in cities such as Chicago and New York. This will definitely be something that we will all be watching very closely. Hopefully their projections are only worse case scenarios.

           

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-17/business/35453836_1_gasoline-prices-oil-prices-higher-gas-price

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/08/business/la-fi-mo-2013-gas-prices-2013-20130108

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/19/us-gas-prices-dip/

Smokin' Advertising

Tobacco advertisements have changed very little over the last 50 years or so. Companies continue to utilize women to make smoking appear sexy or a young accomplished man to make smoking seem cool or trendy. But as of late, tobacco advertising is simply overwhelming! Tobacco advertisements are everywhere you look. They are in store windows, on top of taxi cabs and in every magazine.

It is impossible to drive or even walk anywhere without running into a billboard or sign for cigarettes. And we wonder how America's youth gets it in their head to try a cigarette. In 2006, the five largest tobacco companies spent, on average, $34 million a day on the marketing for cigarettes. It is the most out of control portion of advertising in the country.

They cover every single age and demographic there is. For the lower income demographics, they offer "knock off" brands that are more affordable to them. They brand name their cigarettes to target different cultures and nationalities. Brands such as Rio and American Spirit have been used to target the Hispanic and Native American cultures. Cigarette brands like Camel even offer packs in the color pink to target the young girls. 

They make it impossible to not be drawn into the smoking world. A study in May 2007 by the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, showed that retail marketing directly increased the likelihood that youth would start smoking. As if that's not enough, they now offer "buy one get one free" coupons to increase the affordability of cigarettes for youth. Studies have shown that the cheaper the cigarettes are, the number of smoking youth increases dramatically. Tobacco companies are marketing geniuses, they manage to put cancer, disease and eventually death into nearly every hand of one of the most intelligent populations in the world.

American Lung Association. (2013). Tobacco Industry Marketing. American Lung Association. Retrieved April 13, 2013 from, http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/factsfigures/tobacco-industry-marketing.html

Great Commercials

Old Spice-Terry Crews
http://youtu.be/LCl5uyn5K7k

Old Spice-The other guy
http://youtu.be/owGykVbfgUE

Dodge Challenger
http://youtu.be/BqpJvey-7-s

Ford Shelby GT500
http://youtu.be/fbo1iaL0Lco

Doritos
http://youtu.be/M8QZo4mybGA

Cheetos
http://youtu.be/qI-1-cVDrz0

Commercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=aeZC1BrIunA&NR=1
- The old spice commercials are awesome, not only are they funny as hell, but they work with the humor that is on the packaging, my stick of deodorant at home is Old Spice Original and on the back it says "If your Grandpa didn't wear this, you wouldn't exist."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRTUxP0_NM8
-on the other hand the geico commercials are becoming semi-annoying, the lizard with the british accent isnt as funny as they think it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc
-and last but certainly not least is Sarah McLachlans animal cruelty video, it plays on my emotions and it is so sad that it makes me have to flip the channel. I mean sometimes i feel bad when i go fishing and now i have to deal with this? I used to volunteer at an animal hospital because i love animals but there has to be a different way to get through to people. I think the purpose of the commercial is negated by the want to flip the channel as soon as it comes on.

John M. Westover

Some of my favorite commercials are:

AT&T Commercial "Hold On I'm Watching This"

Volkswagen Commercial "The Force"

Staples "WOW! That's a Low Price!"

3 commercials that i feel are annoying are.

Starburst- Berries & Cream

The sham wow commercials

M&M the newer commercials

3 Commercials I think do a good job of promoting their product in a unique way.

AT&T "Up Top" with NBA Legends

Budweiser Clydesdale's Superbowl Commercial

Microsoft Surface Tablet Commercial

Some of the most annoying ads in my opinion-

Chanel ad

Kay Jewelers wants to sell us more diamonds

The most annoying iPhone commercial

Clay

Suburban Society

Reading Glickman’s article about consumerism and the modern home has made me think about our modern homes today, including subdivisions that seem to spring up overnight.Glickman references a speech from our lovely president Richard Nixon, whereas he states, “You will see a house, a car, a television set- each the newest and most modern of its type we produce.But can only the rich in the United States afford such things?” (298) His notion still holds extremely true today, that we are a nation of consumers, who, throughout history have competed with one another and attempted to reach the highest living standard possible for all people.

Reading about the suburban sprawl of the 1950’s made me think of the rural-suburban sprawl I have noticed in the areas around here.The descriptions of the goods that were purchased and the testimonial quotes from everyday citizens have made me realize that our lifestyles aren’t much different from those of the mid twentieth century.In the article, it was mentioned that the suburban lifestyle promoted homogeneity and practical racial segregation.I see the suburbs as a sort of safe haven for families, where children can be sheltered from the realities of the outside world and where keeping up with your neighbors can be the quintessential purpose in life.

When I see these “suburbs” spring up around here, on what was once rural farmland, it makes me wonder what kind of people will be living there.I can think of a number of places in Ross, Harrison and Hamilton which used to be dominated by farmland , now covered with prefabricated homes “starting around $200,000” as the sign says.I think that suburbs are ultimately a bad idea.I think the notion of homogeneity and segregation are the primary figures of my reasoning.I know a lot of people from the suburbs who are sheltered, ignorant of other cultures and entitled to everything because of how “affluent” they see their families as being.I also think that the article does justice to reflecting how people in suburban fantasy realms were ultimately unhappy; the craving for material possessions can only make you happy to an extent, it cannot make you a fulfilled human being.What do you guys think, are suburbs a good idea?

Clay

Cheap Consumerism

Dave Dale discusses in his article the way we have become a throw away society.  He says that it's more common for Americans to buy under-priced processed foods that are more like poison than food, than go to the farmers market and spend a little extra.  It's partially about saving time and the laziness of our culture he says.  He argues that as long as the void is filled we don't care what it is that fills it up.  He goes on to talk about a laptop he bought and how the screen cracked not long after his purchase.  He says that the whole ordeal would have been cheaper had he just thrown that one away and bought a brand new one.  This is part of his argument for how our society is "throw away."

So, are we a throw away culture?  I certainly see how the fast paced style of American culture would seem that way on the surface.  If you dig a little bit deeper and look at our history you will see things differently.  Duct tape was invented for the sole purpose of being able to fix anything that breaks if you ask anyone.  I don't believe we are really a throw away culture unless you look at the fast food industries but when I think of consuming I don't think of actual food I think of products.  It's not in our nature as a society to throw things away (see Hoarders).  The generations before us fixed things and I believe that has been passed down a great deal.  Products are made in a cheaper fashion and you do have to spend a little extra if you want that extended warranty or insurance on your product.  Think of your toothpaste tube.  Do you throw it away when it seems to be gone or do you squeeze every last bit of toothpaste out of it until it has no further use?  Dave Dales article was interesting but I disagree with him greatly on the nature of our society as consumers.  I've always thought of Americans as ones to mend a fence before building a wall, unless we are talking about immigration.  We buy products, and use them until they can no longer service us in any way.  So, what do you think?  Do you view our consumer culture as a throw away society?

 http://www.nugget.ca/2013/03/15/cheap-consumerism-killing-us-slowly

The Things You Own Now Own You

The idea of buying a home in the suburbs and filling it with up-to-date appliances and various home furnishings has been illustrated as being a major goal of millions of Americans, as well as a tool in which success is measured with regards to obtaining “the American dream.” Despite what most advertisers, manufacturers, and even economists want you to believe about employing such a process in order to achieve this goal, there are many negative aspects and downsides to buying a home and furnishing it with consumer goods such as televisions and expensive furniture. I have owned my home for the last five years and it has its ups and downs. Disagreements and arguments between my wife and I have been caused by many different instances and aspects related to improving and/or repairing our home. Money is always an issue sitting in the back of our minds with regards to the house. Elaine Tyler May mentioned these various issues in her article. She writes, “Suburban homes filled with material possessions could not always compensate for the dissatisfactions inherent in the domestic arrangements consumerism was intended to enhance and reinforce. In fact, those very domestic arrangements, although idealized and coveted at the time, were the source of countless miseries” (Glickman, 313). While many people believe that reaching and sustaining this particular goal will lead to happiness, I think that taking on this responsibility causes a large amount of stress that leads to other negative effects such as diminished mental health and unhappiness within the home. A great quote from the novel (not the movie) The Fight Club prompts critical thinking on this topic. Chuck Palahniuk states, “You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.” I think he hits the nail on the head with regards to home ownership in the suburbs and the problems that arise in relation. Do you think that the problems that result on an emotional/health level due to chasing the American dream of moving to the suburbs and using consumerism as a tool to find happiness is a major factor in our society today? What are some alternatives to this line of thinking regarding owning a home and furnishing it with expensive possessions? What are your thoughts on the assessment that “the things you used to own, now they own you?

May, Elaine T. "The Commodity Gap: Consumerism and the Modern Home." Consumer Society in      American History: A Reader. By Lawrence B. Glickman. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP,     1999. 298-      315. Print.

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/68729-fight-club