In Praise of Consumerism

"In Praise of Consumerism"

In James Twitchell's essay, "In Praise of Consumerism," he states that producers "splash magical promises over their goods" in order to make a sale. He believes we are not duped into buying stuff, but we demand it. The overwhelming amount of material goods available on the market today isn't "exploiting our desire" but rather fulfilling our needs. Since when did our self-image dictate what and why one product is better than the next? For me and my parents, it's hard to say. I think the massive rise in consumerism all started with the Industrial Revolution and the sudden ability of the working class citizen to acquire the latest and greatest goods. During the 18th century, many of the goods were more like amenities and in some way improved the quality of life. The complete opposite is true for today. The products we consumers buy today are considered luxuries. The products of that time period became a measure of success among consumers. That was just the start