Huge department stores such as Macy’s stand for almost everything that Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer despise. Arguably, department stores minimize a person’s capability to act and think in a logical and self-governing manner. Adorno argues that “standardization develops due to the ability of the ‘people in power’ to regulate the manufacturing of cultural goods in order to try and gage and control what people like and want to buy to increase how much profit they make. Furthermore, he states that “under monopoly all mass culture is identical” (Adorno 1). Indeed, whether it be a sweater, a pair of shoes, makeup or jewelry, Macy’s offers multiple versions of the same product, promoting standardization and pseudo-individuality. Additionally,
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Although customers are lead to believe that they can make a unique choice in regards to what they like, their choice has essentially already been made for them. For instance, even though Macy’s offers a variety of products from Michael Kors, Nine West, Ivanka Trump and Coach, all of the aforementioned brands are fairly similar and have been chosen by Macy’s prior to the customer’s choosing. Furthermore, Adorno and Horheimer’s state that “the consumers are the workers and employees, the farmers and lower middle class. Capitalist production so confines them, body and soul, that they fall helpless victims to what is offered them” (Adorno 6). Certainly, people sometimes shop for fun to buy things they believe will help them forget about worries like work and escape from reality unaware that they are partaking in partipulation—where “the audience participat[es] in its own manipulation” (Jhally 251)—and allowing themselves to be sold things that they do not …show more content…
Sut Jhally claims that advertising, which has grown to be a devious influence in our lives, puts an emphasis on consumerism by relating the attainment of goods and other services with pleasure. Jhally states that ads want to make people believe that buying whatever product the ad is selling will allow them to reach ultimate happiness. Consequently, “a commodity-image system”—one where the main part of a person’s identity (how successful they are and how well they meet society’s expectations) is defined by material items—developed. Jhally further mentions that Quality of life surveys have shown that what people believe makes them happy is "personal autonomy and control of one's life, self-esteem, a happy family life, loving relations, a relaxed mention-free leisure time, and good friendships" (Jhally 251). Indeed, both the large poster of Kendall Jenner only wearing Calvin Klein lingerie in the women’s section of the store and the poster of a woman getting a ring from a man in the jewelry section of the store show that ads portray some of the things that a lot of people want (in this case being thin and attractive and a loving relationship) with an implication that those people could have what they dream of if they buy the items the ad is selling, allowing Macy’s to sell ideals to people. Other ads such as a poster of Allison
Although customers are lead to believe that they can make a unique choice in regards to what they like, their choice has essentially already been made for them. For instance, even though Macy’s offers a variety of products from Michael Kors, Nine West, Ivanka Trump and Coach, all of the aforementioned brands are fairly similar and have been chosen by Macy’s prior to the customer’s choosing. Furthermore, Adorno and Horheimer’s state that “the consumers are the workers and employees, the farmers and lower middle class. Capitalist production so confines them, body and soul, that they fall helpless victims to what is offered them” (Adorno 6). Certainly, people sometimes shop for fun to buy things they believe will help them forget about worries like work and escape from reality unaware that they are partaking in partipulation—where “the audience participat[es] in its own manipulation” (Jhally 251)—and allowing themselves to be sold things that they do not …show more content…
Sut Jhally claims that advertising, which has grown to be a devious influence in our lives, puts an emphasis on consumerism by relating the attainment of goods and other services with pleasure. Jhally states that ads want to make people believe that buying whatever product the ad is selling will allow them to reach ultimate happiness. Consequently, “a commodity-image system”—one where the main part of a person’s identity (how successful they are and how well they meet society’s expectations) is defined by material items—developed. Jhally further mentions that Quality of life surveys have shown that what people believe makes them happy is "personal autonomy and control of one's life, self-esteem, a happy family life, loving relations, a relaxed mention-free leisure time, and good friendships" (Jhally 251). Indeed, both the large poster of Kendall Jenner only wearing Calvin Klein lingerie in the women’s section of the store and the poster of a woman getting a ring from a man in the jewelry section of the store show that ads portray some of the things that a lot of people want (in this case being thin and attractive and a loving relationship) with an implication that those people could have what they dream of if they buy the items the ad is selling, allowing Macy’s to sell ideals to people. Other ads such as a poster of Allison