The American Dream In 'Commodify Your Dissent' By

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Today’s society is filled with unrealistic representations of what it means to be successful. People often emulate the culture represented through advertisements and social media. As a result, people lack finding their individuality, due to conforming to advertisements’ norms and popular culture. This is shown throughout James B. Twitchell’s “What We Are to Advertisers.” Twitchell explains that following advertisements, consumption communities are often formed, eventually leading to stereotypes such as people of lower of classes struggling to reach a common desired goal. Thomas Frank’s “Commodify Your Dissent” and George Packer’s “Celebrating Inequality,” describes that if everyone is conforming with everyone else, they are not fulfilling their American Dream. The American Dream is being financially stable without having any worries. One has reached their fullest potential and their dedication is shown. As people increasingly worship popular culture and the cult of celebrity, they give up their ability to achieve economic dreams they once thought to be possible.
Thus with
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Frank demonstrates “Advertising teaches us not in the ways of puritanical self-denial, but in orgiastic, never ending self-fulfillment” (153). Therefore, people become caught in this spree of want because the commodities are popular and having what everyone else have creates joy. For example technology is a service in high demand today, when the latest iphone or android phone is released; despite having a functional phone, everyone wants the latest technology. Everyone wants the latest technology so that they can be part of a specific class, thus proving Twitchell’s point. Consumerism becomes involuntary and increases based on wants and a sense of belonging rather than purchasing goods that one

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