White Noise The invasion of Consumerism in a PostM Essay Example For Students

White Noise The invasion of Consumerism in a PostM Essay odern Family The Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family Consumerism is taking place everywhere. Whether we like it or not, it has come to invade our everyday modern lives. Steven Miles, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Plymouth says How we consume, why we consume, and the parameters laid down for us within which we consume have become increasingly significant influences on how we construct our everyday lives (1). Consumerism has even gotten to the point of affecting the way we go about living and controlling our personal and social lives (Miles 5). Wherever we go and whatever we do, consumerism is praised as the answer to all of our problems, an escape from some of the harsh realities of our lives. We will write a custom essay on White Noise The invasion of Consumerism in a PostM specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Don DeLillos White Noise depicts the different aspects of consumerism and the effects it has post-modern family that it invades. That specific family is the Gladneys from Blacksmith. For the Gladney family, Jack, Babette, Heinrich, Steffie, Denise, and Wilder, consumerism is a way of life. It is something they are always taking part in, even if it is unconsciously. Consumerism is incorporated in with virtually every activity the family takes part in, whether it be eating out, spending a day together at the shopping mall, or making a quick stop at the supermarket. Jack Gladney is a patron of supermarkets and shopping malls (McInerney 36). Jack alone, but more frequently with the company of one or more family members, makes trips to the supermarket. The supermarket has come to be a major point of intersection in todays culture (Conroy 97). Among the busy and bustling crowds of people, Jack often runs into acquaintances, most commonly a colleague from The College on The Hill, Murray Jay Siskind: The two girls and Babette, Wilder and I went to the supermarket. Minutes after we entered, we ran into Murray. This was the fourth or fifth time Id seen him in the supermarket, which was roughly the number of times Id seen him on campus. (35) Even Jacks daughter, Denise, runs into a group of friends during one shopping trip. They all gather together to look at books and talk. Jack also has many significant conversations with Murray while casually strolling up and down the aisles of the supermarket. On one such occasion, Murray tells Jack how happy he is to be in Blacksmith, in the supermarket, in the rooming house, on the Hill (36). He continues to say I feel I am learning important things every day. Death, disease, afterlife, outerspace. Its all much clearer here. I can think and see (36). With Murray expressing his feelings to Jack, it is almost as if these encounters at the supermarket are replacing customary Aside from being a meeting grounds, the supermarket is filled with many consumer goods conveniently in bulk. Jack describes this in one of his many trips to the There were six kinds of apples, there were exotic melons in several pastels. Everything seemed to be in season, This kind of abundance of goods is seen in just about everywhere. Ten years ago, most supermarkets stocked about nine thousand items and now todays stores carry over 24 thousand (Wolkormir). Most of these items come from a can or box and can be cooked in the microwave or require no cooking at all. This explains why the number of hours parents spend cooking is going down at an increasingly rapid rate and why McDonalds so proudly displays outside their restaurants, Over 1 Billion Served. Fast food restaurants play a big role in todays growing consumerism. Americans enjoy more restaurant prepared food than ever before. Carrie Reynolds, a fast food restaurant consultant says, we eat out today more because it fits our high-speed, consumer-mad lifestyles(qtd. in Silver 42). Almost half of every dollar spent in 1999 was spent eating out, and that figure is expected to up 53% by 2010 (Silver 40). .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .postImageUrl , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:hover , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:visited , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:active { border:0!important; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:active , .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue0e82041934b2498d1d0730774fd226b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay on Poverty And Its Effects On America Essay The Gladneys are seen eating restaurant prepared food frequently, whether it be Chinese take-out night or dinner in a car outside of a commercial strip of fast food restaurants. This is common for families, especially because it is convenient for the parents busy schedules. Fast food may be convenient and seems great at the time, but in the long run, can eventually kill. One in five children between the ages of six and seventeen is overweight and if current trends continue, nearly half of todays .