Sunday, February 13, 2011

Signs

In the introduction to Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright-Sided the sign that is depicted is positive thinking. One of its concrete forms is a smile. We as Americans are so obsessed with being happy and having positive thinking that we go to extreme lengths to get it. For example, taking drugs just to get rid of any bad feelings; “Americans account for two-thirds of the global market for antidepressants, which happen also to be the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States,” (Barbara Ehrenreich’s). Manufacturers have recognized Americans obsession with always having positive thinking, which they have, began to capitalize on it. In 2006 a book titled The Secret became a best seller due to its teaching that positive thinking can manifest itself in economic and social growth. However, the Bright-Sided introduction aims to warm Americans that too much positive thinking can be bad.

Positive thinking can become like a cloak that prevents one from seeing or preparing for downfalls. Ehrenreich’s gives numerous examples of the government over looking warning signs in an attempt to promote positive thinking. By doing so, the government can be blamed for the lost of thousands of people lives and jobs. These examples included, the dams breaking in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina, financial meltdown in 2007, and even the failure in the Iraq War. I believe that what this sign, positive thinking, says about American mass culture, is that we are a culture that does not like to be sad. We love our optimistic and positive nature, and believe its one of the reason we strive as a country. But if we as Americans do not relinquish some of our obsession with positive thinking the consequences could become even more deadly.

In “Two Cheers of Materialism”, by James Twitchell, the sign that is being depicted is materialism. The physical forms of materialism are objects that people buy. People don’t just buy these objects; they also put meanings and attach memories to them. Suddenly the one small physical object starts to mean much more. Twitchell states that “…human beings love things. In fact, to a considerable degree we live for things. In all cultures we buy things, steal things, exchange things, and horde things…Often these objects have no observable use,” (Twitchell). Twitchell points out that the American culture is based upon materialism. Twitchell states that if you ask young American teens to define democracy they will define it as the “freedom to buy anything you want.” Which is not at all wrong.

“Recall as well that freedom to shop was another way to describe the right to be served in a restaurant that provided one focus for the early civil rights movement. Go back further. It was the right to consume freely which sparked the fires of separation of this country from England. The freedom to buy what you want (even if you can't pay for it) is what most foreigners immediately spot as what they like about our culture, even though in the next breath they will understandably criticize it.”

The criticism that materialism faces is that it can cause excessive waste. People buy thing that they have no use for. People then become categorized as hoarders or shopaholics. Which can lead to financial problems, and depression. In conclusion, materialism is part of the American culture that will never be removed. It is both good and bad. The world is developing consumerists culture, and America is leading the way. We cannot get away from the materialism but we as Americans can each put an end to the waste it causes.

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