The+Rebel+Sell-+Summary

//Author: Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter Magazine Title: "This Magazine" //
 * __The Rebel Sell__**


 * SUMMARY:**


 * anti-consumerism has become one of the most important cultural forces in our society
 * ex. //No Logo, Ad Busters, Fight Club, American Beauty//
 * these anti-consumerist products and literature have become widely consumed in the market- but isn't this a contradiction?
 * "How can we denounce consumerism and yet still find ourselves living in a consumer society?"
 * Thomas Frank (editor of //The Baffler//) tries to answer this question by saying:
 * these things that seem to be a critique of consumerism are really more like a "**critique of mass society**" (a theory that was developed in the late 1950's)
 * Some of the key ideas behind this theory were that:
 * capitalism requires conformity to function correctly
 * the system is based upon a generalized system of repression
 * individuals who resist the pressure to conform therefore subvert the system and aid in its overthrow
 * Capitalism requires:
 * Conformity in the workers
 * Conformity of education
 * Sexual repression
 * Conformity of consumption
 * The article relates the films //Fight Club// and //American Beauty// to the **critique of mass society**
 * provides examples of how the central characters "throw off the shackles of a conformist culture" and become what Frank would call a **rebel consumer**
 * Consumption is not about conformity- but //distinction//
 * the things that we buy are purchased to show that we are smarter, cooler, richer, etc. than others
 * this generates **competitive consumption**
 * people spend their money on the newest trend and once they see too many people jumping on the bandwagon, they get off and move onto something that is trendier (thus creating the cycle of waste that welive in)
 * "anti-consumerist" people are actually the most brand conscious
 * makes it easy to see how the critique of mass society can fuel consumerism
 * "anti-advertising" campaigns (like Ad Busters) are indistinguishable from genuine, brand-centered campaigns
 * we cannot really //downshift// and drop out of consuming
 * ex. SUV's are really unecessary to have in Canadian cities, but with so many of them on the road already, it is unsafe for others to drive smaller cars. Therefore we feel pressured to buy the SUVs to feel safe
 * while the consumption her and in many other cases is **defensive consumption** it still remains contributive to the overarching problem
 * authors suggest that our meer efforts to stop brand bullies is almost pointless; they reccomend that the government place certain taxing legislation on advertising campaigns- which would potentially slow the brand bullies down but definitly not stop them altogether
 * authors also note that it is important to realize that //**consumerism is not something that we get tricked into- it is something that we do to each other!**//


 * Reference**

Heath, J. & Potter A. (2002) The Rebel Sell. This Magazine, November http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2002/11/rebelsell.php