To uncover the motivation behind the purchase of millions of basically purpose-free small “crap” objects, Wendy Woloson describes in great detail the giant industry behind the “novelties” and “labor saving inventions” that actually are little more than useless cutlery, buttons, dolls and other commodities. Objects that were originally produced only to convince buyers that they […]
You are browsing archives for
Tag: American consumer culture
Music in the Age of Anxiety: American Music in the Fifties by James Wierzbicki (2016)
What may come to mind first when we think about the music of the 1950s in the US are probably the styles of Rock’n’Roll, Doo Wop and Rhythm and Blues. Wierzbicki however, in his study points to the many other musical forms that evolved in that decade, since changes and developments in American politics, society, […]
All-American Ads of the 40s by Jim Heimann and W. R. Wilkerson III (2014)
While the 1940s saw a terrible war and allied troops fighting on various continents, those Americans who stayed behind were assured of their role in the war effort not by fighting but consuming for the final victory. Even though many goods such as tires, gasoline, metals, fibers and sometimes even electricity were rationed, the marketing […]