NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Fall 2013: Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:50pm, Room: B565
Lecturer: Dr. David Clearwater, Office: W886,
Office hours: Fridays, 1-3pm (or by appt.)
Email: c l e a d a (a) u l e t h . c a
Website: http://people.uleth.ca/~cleada/ (or use QR code at right)
Introduction and Course Objectives:
Media, advertising, marketing, public relations, and consumer culture… what else could be so quintessentially
modern? While advertising permeates almost every aspect of our existence and given the essential nature of consumerism,
we often do not engage with these concepts in a critical fashion. By asking ourselves how we define advertising and
consumer culture, how ads attempt to catch our attention, how they affect us (and if they do), and how we negotiate the
numerous and often contradictory messages and meanings in contemporary culture, we will arrive at a better
understanding of the role that advertising, marketing, and consumerism play in modern society.
The course will begin by introducing various approaches and theoretical ideas concerning both advertising and
consumer society, including the history of advertising and industrial society, the rise of modern forms of consumption, the
ways advertisements can be and are read by viewers, the meaning(s) and social nature of commodities, as well as the
historical role of consumer(s) and consumer desire. In the last half of the course we will explore selected issues surrounding
advertising and consumption, especially as these pertain to the first decades of the 21st century. Modern forms of
communication and media are an integral element for the dissemination of advertising, but the media also help fuel
consumerism and consumer desire. As a result, the relation between media and advertising will be explored as the basis of
contemporary consumer society as it has evolved over the 20th century. New as of 2009: given the financial situation in
North America and world-wide, we will also explore the current financial/economic crisis and its historical and
contemporary roots, including the role of consumption, energy, and credit in North America.
NOTE: Course designation: Fine Arts and Humanities.
PREREQUISITE(S): Third-year standing (a minimum of 60.0 credit hours)
EQUIVALENT: Fine Arts 3850 (Advertising and Consumer Society) (prior to 2006/2007)
Course Text:
1. Coursepack (Copyright-cleared Reading Package), available from UofL Bookstore. Please note that the
coursepack has changed from previous versions. Other readings/documentaries will be available online and on
reserve.
Assignments:
For all written assignments, please hand in a hard copy and submit a digital (PDF) copy via Moodle.
Assign 1: Reading Ads/Reading Commodities (4-5 pages)
Assign 2: Topic A or B (7-8 pages)
Research Paper Proposal (2 pages + bibliography)
Research Paper (12 pages + bibliography)
Attendance/Participation
Due: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4
Due: Oct. 21-25
Due: Nov. 4-8
Due: Dec. 4-8
n/a
15%
25%
10%
35%
7.5%/7.5%
I will be using the following letter grade/percentage equivalencies for all assignments:
Letter
A+
Percent 100-95
Excellent
A
A94-90 89-86
Good
Satisfactory
B+
B
BC+
C
CD+
85-82 81-78 77-74 73-70 69-66 65-62 61-58
Poor
D
57-51
Fail
F
50-0
Students with Disabilities:
Students with learning disabilities should contact me in the first two weeks of the semester if any special
circumstances/needs are required.
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
1
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Lecture Topics and Dates, Readings:
1. Introduction to Course: Readings, Assignments, Key Concepts (Sept. 4)
2. What is Advertising? History, Structure, and Definitions (Sept. 11)
Singer, Benjamin D. “Historical Factors in Advertising.” In Advertising and Society, 2nd Edition, 15-45. North
York: Captus Press, 1994. [Reserve]
Singer, Benjamin D. “The Canadian Advertising System: A Structural View.” In Advertising and Society, 2nd
Edition, 3-14. North York: Captus Press, 1994. [Reserve]
Bernays, Edward. “The New Propagandists,” In Propaganda [1928], Chapter 3.
[http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/bernprop.html#SECTION3].
Bernays, Edward. “The Psychology of Public Relations.” In Propaganda [1928], Chapter 4.
[http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/bernprop.html#SECTION4].
Screening:
Buy-ology (excerpt), 2001
Optional Readings (available from UofL Library, online or Inter-Library Loan):
Stole, Inger L. “The Rise of a Corporate Culture: Early Consumer Response.” In Advertising of Trial:
Consumer Activism and Corporate Public Relations in the 1930s, 1-20. Urbana and Chicago: University
of Illinois Press, 2006.
Jowett, Garth and Victoria O’Donnell. “Propaganda Institutionalized [Excerpt].” In Propaganda and
Persuasion, 2nd Edition, 117-121. London: Sage, 1992.
3. Reading & Interpreting, Part I: Ads and Meaning (Sept. 18)
Myers, Greg. “The Air in Your Aero.” In Words in Ads, 1-11. London: Edward Arnold, 1994.
Fowles, Jib. “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals.” In Common Culture: Reading and Writing about American
Popular Culture, Michael Petracca and Madeleine Sorapure, eds., 78-96. Saddle Rive, NJ: Pearson/Prentice
Hall, 2004.
"The Crash (Part I)." Audio documentary, BBC World Service, 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/09/090918_the_crash_one.shtml
Screening:
Buy-ology (excerpt), 2001;
Cool Threads (excerpt), 2002
Optional Readings:
Rutherford, Paul. “Introduction: Advertising as Propaganda.” In Endless Propaganda: The Advertising of
Public Goods, 3-16. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.
Fairclough, Norman. “Media and Language: Setting an Agenda.” In Media Discourse, 1-19. New York:
Edward Arnold, 1995.
Williamson, Judith. Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising. London and Boston:
Marion Boyars Publishers, 1978.
4. Reading & Interpreting, Part II: Commodities and Meaning (Sept. 25)
Andersen, Robin. “Road to Ruin: the Cultural Mythology of SUVs.” In Critical Studies in Media Commercialism,
eds. Robin Andersen and Lance Strate, 158-172. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Pralle, Sarah. “’I’m Changing the Climate, Ask Me How!’: The Politics of the Anti-SUV Campaign.” Political
Science Quarterly 121, no. 3 (Fall 2006): 397-423.
White, Patrick. “Off the Road, Big Boys.” Globe and Mail (Sept. 7, 2007)
[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070907.wlhummer07/BNStory/lifeMain/home].
"The Crash - The Age of Risk (Part 2)." Audio documentary, BBC World Service, 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/09/090925_the_crash_two.shtml
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
2
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Screening:
Rollover: The Hidden History of the SUV, 2002 [www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/]
Optional Readings:
Fry, Katherine G. “Starbucks Coffee: Cultivating and Selling the Postmodern Brew,” In Critical Studies in
Media Commercialism, eds. Robin Andersen and Lance Strate, 173-185. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2000.
Cole, Cheryl L. and Amy Hribar. “Celebrity Feminism: Nike Style, Post-Fordism, Transcendence, and
Consumer Power.” Sociology of Sport Journal 12, no. 4 (1995): 347-369.
Assignment 1 Due: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4
5. Changing Advertising Strategies… a Historical View // The Financial Crisis (Oct. 2)
Frank, Thomas. “Advertising as Cultural Criticism: Bill Bernbach versus the Mass Society.” In The Conquest of
Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism, 53-73. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1997.
Turow, Joseph. “In Mass Marketing’s Shadow.” In Breaking Up America: Advertisers and the New Media World,
18-36. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1997.
Goldman, Robert and Stephen Papson. “Introduction: Advertising in the Age of Accelerated Meaning.” In Sign
Wars: The Cluttered Landscape of Advertising, 1-19. New York and London: The Guilford Press, 1996.
The Persuaders, 2003 [www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/]
Also: check out Adflip (Archive of Classic Print Ads) [http://www.adflip.com/index.php].
Screening:
Buy-ology (excerpt), 2001;
Crash: The Next Great Depression (2008)
Optional Readings:
Rutherford, Paul. “Appropriation: Benetton and Others.” In Endless Propaganda: The Advertising of Public
Goods, 156-173. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.
Klein, Naomi. “New Branded World.” In No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, 3-26. Toronto: Vintage,
2000.
6. Consumption & Modern Society: What do Consumers Consume? // The Financial Crisis
(Oct. 9)
Schudson, Michael. “An Anthropology of Goods.” In Advertising, the Uneasy Persuasion: Its Dubious Impact on
American Society, 129-146. New York: Harper Collins, 1986.
McCracken, Grant. “’Ever Dearer in Our Thoughts:’ Patina and the Representation of Status before and after
the Eighteenth Century.” In Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of
Consumer Goods and Activities, 31-43. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1988.
“Sumptuary Law.” Wikipedia. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumptuary_law]
"The Crash - Back from the Brink (Part 3)." Audio documentary, BBC World Service, 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/10/091002_the_crash_part_three.shtml
Screening:
Buy-ology (excerpt), 2001
In the Suburbs, 1957
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream (excerpt), 2004
I.O.U.S.A. (excerpt), 2008
Optional Readings:
Lewis, Michael. “The End.” Portfolio.Com, Nov. 11, 2008. [http://www.portfolio.com/newsmarkets/national-news/portfolio/2008/11/11/The-End-of-Wall-Streets-Boom/]
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
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NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
McCracken, Grant. “The Making of Modern Consumption.” In Culture and Consumption: New Approaches
to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities, 3-30. Bloomington and Indianapolis:
Indiana University Press, 1988.
Campbell, Colin. “The Puzzle of Modern Consumerism.” In The Consumer Society Reader, ed. Martyn J. Lee,
48-72. New York: Blackwell, 2000.
Twitchell, James. “Two Cheers for Materialism.” In The Consumer Society Reader, Juliet B. Schor and
Douglas B. Holt, eds., 281-290. New York: The New Press, 2000.
Murphy, Patricia L. “The Commodified Self in Consumer Culture: A Cross-Cultural Perspective,” Journal of
Social Psychology 140, no. 5 (2000): 636-647.
7. Mass Media and Political Persuasion (Oct. 16)
Rutherford, Paul. “Administered Minds, or Shaming the Citizenry.” In Endless Propaganda: The Advertising of
Public Goods, 138-155. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000.
Cunningham, Stanley B. “The Theory and Use of Political Advertising.” In Television Advertising in Canadian
Elections: The Attack Mode, 1993, Walter I. Romanow et al, eds., 11-25. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University
Press, 1999.
Also: Check out The Montana Meth Project [http://www.montanameth.org/] and Swift Vets and POWs for
Truth [http://www.swiftvets.com/].
Screening:
The Denial Machine, 2006
Optional:
Cooper, Mark. “Hyper-Commercialism and the Media: The Threat to Journalism and Democratic Discourse.”
In Converging Media, Diverging Politics: A Political Economy of News Media in the United States and
Canada, David Skinner, James R. Compton, and Michael Gasher, eds., 117-144. Oxford: Lexington
Books, 2005.
Assignment 2 Due: Oct. 21 - 25
8. Children, Gender and Advertising // The End of the Era of Cheap Energy? (Oct. 23)
Jacobson, Lisa. “Heroes of the New Consumer Age: Imagining Boy Consumers.” In Raising Consumers: Children
and the American Mass Market in the Early Twentieth Century, 93-126. New York: Columbia University
Press, 2004.
Kilbourne, Jean. “’The More You Subtract, the More You Add’: Cutting Girls Down to Size.” In Can’t Buy My
Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, 128-154. New York: Touchstone, 1999.
The Merchants of Cool, 2002 [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/]
Screening:
A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006) Part I
Optional:
Schor, Juliet. “Empowered or Seduced? The Debate about Advertising and Marketing to Kids” In Born to
Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture, 177-188. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Taylor, Alison. “From Boardroom to Classroom: School Reformers in Alberta.” In Contested Classrooms:
Education, Globalization, and Democracy in Alberta, eds. Trevor W. Harrison and Jerrold L. Kachur, 99106. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press and Parkland Institute, 1999.
Giroux, Henry A. “Learning With Disney.” In The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence, 6381. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, Inc., 1999.
9. The Cold War and Consumerism // The End of the Era of Cheap Energy? (Oct. 30)
May, Elaine Tyler. “The Commodity Gap: Consumerism and the Modern Home.” In Homeward Bound: American
Families in the Cold War Era, Revised Edition, 153-173. New York: Basic Books, 2008.
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
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NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Cohen, Lizabeth. “The Emergence of the Consumers’ Republic.” In A Consumers’ Republic: The Politics of Mass
Consumption in Postwar America, 112-129. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
Watch some of the following Sponsored Films available at the Prelinger Archives: A Word to the Wives (ca.
1955, 13 min.), According to Plan: The Story of Modern Sidewalls for the Homes of America (1952, 17 min.),
Opportunities Unlimited (1956, 17 min.), The Egg and Us (ca. 1952, 17 min.), Meet King Joe (1949, 10 min.), The
Responsibilities of American Citizenship (1955, 10 min.), Why Kill the Goose?: The Profit System (1955, 12 min.)
Screening:
The House in the Middle, 1954
A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006) Part II
Driven to Despair (2008)
Paper Proposal Due: Nov. 4 - 8
10. Social Media: Fans, Fandom & Consumer Participation (Nov. 6)
Pullen, Kirsten. “I-Love-Xena.com: Creating Online Fan Communities.” In web.studies: Rewiring Media studies
for the Digital Age, ed. David Gauntlett, 52-61. New York: Arnold/Oxford University Press, 2000.
McConnell, Ben and Jackie Huba. “Filters, Fanatics, Facilitators, and Firecrackers.” In Citizen Marketers: When
People Are the Message, 1-30. Chicago: Kaplan Publishing, 2007.
Screening:
Trekkies (excerpt), 1997
Otaku Unite! (excerpt), 2004
Optional:
Jenkins, Henry. Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge, 1992.
Jenkins, Henry. Fans, Bloggers and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture. New York: New York University
Press, 2006.
11. Selling Sickness? Health, Pharmaceuticals, and Mass Consumerism (Nov. 13)
Parry, Vince. “The Art of Branding a Condition.” Medical Marketing and Media 38, no. 5 (May 2003): 43-49.
Moynihan, Ray. “Selling Sickness: the Pharmaceutical Industry and Disease Mongering,” British Medical Journal
324 (13 April 2002): 886-891.
Mintzes, Barbara, Silvia N. Bonaccorso, and Jeffrey L Sturchio. “For and Against: Direct to Consumer Advertising
is Medicalising Normal Human Experience,” British Medical Journal 324 (13 April 2002): 908-911.
Screening:
Two for One, 2003
Drug Deals: The Brave New World of Prescription Drugs, 2001
Optional:
Rand, Theodore. “Pop That Pill” (Online) AlterNet (February 12, 2004).
[http://www.alternet.org/story/17835/]
Big Bucks, Big Pharma: Marketing Disease and Pushing Drugs, 2006 (Available at UofL Library)
Cassels, Alan and Ray Moynihan. “Pharmaceuticals for Healthy People.” Le Monde diplomatique. May
2006. [http://mondediplo.com/2006/05/16bigpharma]
Schlosser, Eric. “What’s in the Meat.” In Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, 194222. New York: Perennial, 2002.
12. Hypercommercialism: Mergers, Branding, Product Placement (Nov. 20)
Newell, Jay, Charles T. Salmon, and Susan Chang. "The Hidden History of Product Placement." Journal of
Broadcasting & Electronic Media 50, no. 4 (December 2006): 575-594. [http://0search.ebscohost.com.darius.uleth.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=27403809&site=ehostlive&scope=site]
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
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NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Jenkins, Henry. “Buying into American Idol: How We Are Being Sold on Reality Television.” In Convergence
Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, 59-92. New York and London: New York University Press, 2006.
Screening:
Behind the Screens: Hollywood Goes Hypercommercial, 2002
Optional:
Klein, Naomi. No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. Toronto: Vintage, 2000.
Deery, June. “Reality TV as Advertainment.” Popular Communication 2, no. 1 (2004): 1-20.
McChesney, Robert W. and John Bellamy Foster. “The Commercial Tidal Wave.” Monthly Review 54, no. 10
(March 2003): 1-16.
Kretchmer, Susan B. “Advertainment: The Evolution of Product Placement as a Mass Media Marketing
Strategy.” Journal of Promotion Management 10, no. 1/2 (2004): 37-54.
Nitins, Tanya. “Are We Selling Out Our Culture? The Influence of Product Placement in Filmmaking.” Screen
Education 40 (2005): 44-49.
Goldman, Robert and Stephen Papson. “Suddenly the Swoosh is Everywhere.” In Nike Culture: The Sign of
the Swoosh, 1-23. London: Sage Publications, 1998.
The Monster That Ate Hollywood, 2001 [www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hollywood/]
13. Consumer Effects: Environmental, Politics/Globalization, Obsolescence (Nov. 27)
Schlosser, Eric. “Why the Fries Taste Good.” In Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, 111131. New York: Perennial, 2002.
Packard, Vance. “Planned Obsolescence of Desirability.” In The Waste Makers, 53-67. New York: David McKay
Company, Inc., 1960.
Taylor, Betsy and Dave Tilford. “Why Consumption Matters.” In The Consumer Society Reader, Juliet B. Schor
and Douglas B. Holt, eds., 463-487. New York: The New Press, 2000.
Screening:
Frankensteer, (excerpt) 2005
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, (excerpt) 2005
“It’s the oil, Stupid” McLaughlin Group, 2007
“Face of War” McLaughlin Group, 2007
“What’s Inside” Wired Science, 2007
Optional:
Jeffery, Clara. “Want Irrigation With That?” Mother Jones 28, no. 1 (March/April 2003): 26.
Packard, Vance. “Progress Through Planned Obsolescence.” In The Waste Makers, 68-77. New York: David
McKay Company, Inc., 1960.
Dec. 4 - 8 – Final Research Essay Due…
Good luck with exams, have a great Xmas!
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
6
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Assignments:
Assignment 1: Reading Ads / Reading Commodities (4-5 pages): 15% due Sept. 30 - Oct. 4
Choose three or four advertisements as the basis for your analysis. The ads should represent a particular ‘type’
or ‘class’ of commodity (i.e. sports cars, cosmetics, electronic gadgets, children’s toys, cleaning products, pet
food, alcohol, diet supplements, fast food, etc.). The choice of the ads and the type of commodity is up to you.
However, it is best if you choose a commodity (or a commodity associated with a particular subject or subculture) with which you are familiar. You will write a four to five-page essay where you analyze the different
meanings that the ads are trying (and not trying) to communicate. Discuss each ad individually but also discuss
the similarities between each ad. You should analyze the ads themselves but also think about the more general
social meanings that this type of commodity communicates. You may want to:
- Describe the dominant meaning that the advertiser/manufacturer is trying to communicate to the viewer,
- Discuss the main target audience or demographic(s) (general or specific target audience, male/female, low
income/high income, age, taste, sub-culture),
- Discuss the source (i.e. magazine), the larger social context, and relate this to the intended target audience,
- How the dominant message addresses the audience (appeal to status, emotion, guilt, utility, comfort,
desire/sexuality),
- How the aesthetic properties of the ads (imagery, language) establish/enhance this message,
- How this type of commodity intersects with larger social issues (i.e. ideological, political, ecological, gender
or racial issues). Does the ad address these meanings or suppress them (i.e. can the ads be read in a
subversive manner)?
- Evaluate the claims being made about the product. Can the product live up to these claims?
- Describe your own personal reaction to the ads (do they offend, seduce, etc.) and, perhaps, how other
social groups might interpret the ads
The selection of ads: In order to ensure the timely return of assignments, you are only allowed to select static
print/online ads and/or select ads from the DVD-R that I will hand out in the second week of class. If you are
selecting your own print advertisements, make sure to include information about the source
(magazine/newspaper/website, month/year, etc.) and include the ads (or colour copies) with your essay. If
you decide to work with print or TV/screen ads from the DVD, then make sure to list each ad (provide a
descriptive title and the year) as well as the specific filename of the ad as it appears on the DVD.
Note about the DVD-R: The ads on the DVD-R come from my ongoing collecting of print, screen (TV/Film), and
online ads. Most are in jpeg, pdf, and mpeg form and should open in your favorite image/video viewing
software. If you encounter problems, you might try VLC Media Player. It is free and open source and can
handle a range of odd codecs and formats (it is available for various operating systems here:
http://www.videolan.org/). Also, the filename for each ad gives an approximate description of the ad and the
year it was recorded (note, in some cases the ad may have appeared in previous years). You can provide a
more formal title to refer to it in your essay and use the date provided but make sure to also include the
specific filename when listing your ads in the bibliography.
Assignment 2: Choose Topic A or B (7-8 pages):
25%
due Oct. 21 - 25
Topic A. Reading Yourself as a Consumer
This project is more personal. I want you to evaluate some of the ideas about consumerism that we cover in
the readings and in class in terms of your own lifestyle, attitudes, and consumer habits. Keep track of some of
your consumer activities by describing and identifying your own consumer purchases (or what you would like to
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
7
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
purchase) and activities (i.e. how much time you spend shopping and where). You should think about the type
of consumption you partake in:
Durable Goods: electronics, clothing, domestic appliances; Consumable products: food, alcohol, soft
drinks; Services: professional, recreational, health or beauty; Entertainment/Media: live
music/clubbing, CDs, video/DVD rentals, video games, digital downloads, online subscriptions, sports
and recreational activities; Communities/Demographics: which communities/demographics you belong
to or are placed in; etc., etc., etc.
Do certain patterns arise? How much of your life does or does not involve consumer activities? How should we
define consumer activity (does it extend over every aspect of our lives)? Also, try to identify the main reasons
why you consume (enjoyment of shopping, enjoyment of the act of purchasing, the influence of advertising,
status and social differentiation, brand identification or brand avoidance, consumption as a social activity).
How do you view yourself and your consumer habits? Are you proud/shamed by your consumption? How
might others interpret you and your purchases? How might marketers ‘see’ you and do you easily fit into
recognizable demographics? Does that excite or bother you? How has media imagery affected your
perceptions of the world and how you (should) consume? Has media imagery influenced your consumption (as
a child, teenager, or as an adult)? Finally, address the issue of western consumption and its long-term viability.
Do you worry about the level of your consumption or that of the average North American? Should we limit our
consumption so that future generations can also consume at our levels? Do you worry about the effects of
North American consumption (pollution, end of cheap energy, etc.)?
Be honest and frank in your discussion and try to figure out what ‘consumer society’ means to you: do
you love it, do you hate aspects of it, does it leave you indifferent or worried about the future? Tables, graphs,
illustrations, or photographs can be submitted with your essay.
Topic B. The Causes and Implications of the 2008 Financial Crisis?
This essay will be more research based. Essentially, you are to investigate the various causes of the current,
ongoing financial crisis and write a short essay where you present evidence and discuss the potential
implications. You should pursue some or all of the following questions.
What were the specific causes? What role did the 'toxic' assets stemming from the housing market and
the sub-prime loans play? What role did 'financial instruments' like credit default swaps play?
What were more general causes? What role did deregulation of financial markets over the last two
decades play? What role(s) do the financial media play (are they astute observers or simply cheerleaders)?
What role did even more general, or structural, causes play? How does the continued shift from a
production-based economy (an economy based on manufacturing and the production of goods) to an economy
based on consumption and easy-to-access credit help create such circumstances? Is the availability of credit
and the general population’s lack of financial knowledge a continuing problem?
Even more generally, how does the U.S. and global financial situation contribute to this? The U.S. has
essentially been using deficit spending for the last fifty or sixty years and the current situation is dire with a
federal debt estimated at well over 14 Trillion dollars; the rest of the world is not much better with
financial/real-estate bubbles and ballooning debt loads creating massive uncertainty.
Also, you might also consider the question: is the Western model of constant growth of the economy
and consumption sustainable in the long run?
Finally, you should address the question of what this means for modern consumer society, consumer
expectations, the middle-class lifestyle, etc. How do you see the current financial situation affecting your own
future (short-term, long-term) and the consumer lifestyle that grew out of the late 20th century?
While these are very complex questions and it will probably be difficult to come to any definitive
conclusions, do your best to support your opinion with suitable evidence from your research. Also, there is a
growing number of articles on the topic available and you might find the following documentaries and source
materials from the 2007-2008 period to be useful as a starting point:
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
8
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Conversation with George Soros, Bill Moyers' Journal,
Bill Moyers talks with one of the world's most successful investors George Soros about the global capital meltdown, how he
saw it coming, and what can be done now.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10102008/profile.html
Conversation with William Greider, Bill Moyers' Journal, PBS
For years best-selling author William Greider sounded the alarm about Washington's unholy alliance with Wall Street and
the failure of the Federal Reserve and other regulators to take preventive measures to avoid disaster. Now, he offers some
suggestions to the question everyone is asking: "What do we do now?"
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03272009/profile.html
Lewis, Michael. “The End.” Portfolio.Com, Nov. 11, 2008. [http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/nationalnews/portfolio/2008/11/11/The-End-of-Wall-Streets-Boom/]
Kevin Phillips on Bad Money, Bill Moyers' Journal, PBS
Bill Moyers sits down with former Nixon White House strategist and political and economic critic Kevin Phillips, whose latest
book Bad Money explores the role that the crumbling financial sector played in the now-fragile American economy.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09192008/profile.html
I.O.U.S.A. - One Nation. Under Debt. In Stress.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=270867650600562607&ei=tzWlSraUNoeWqAPUvsC_BA&q=I.O.U.S.A.&
hl=en#
Or, watch the 30 minute version from the official website: http://www.iousathemovie.com/
The Debt Dilemma, Bill Moyers' Journal,
Does America's $9 trillion federal debt mean we are mortgaging our future and jeopardizing individual savings, healthcare,
and retirement for generations to come? Bill Moyers gets a reality check from Public Agenda's Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson,
co-authors of Where Does the Money Go?
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02152008/profile3.html
Inside the Meltdown, PBS Frontline. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/
The Warning, PBS Frontline, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/
Breaking the Bank, PBS Frontline. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/breakingthebank/
The Secret History of the Credit Card, PBS Frontline.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/view/
Dot Con, PBS Frontline (2001). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dotcon/
UoL Library (VHS): http://darius.uleth.ca/search/t?SEARCH=dot%20con&searchscope=1&SORT=D
The Ascent of Money, PBS Frontline. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ascentofmoney/
Research Paper Proposal (2 pages + bibliography):
10%
due Nov. 4 - 8
The paper proposal serves two purposes: 1) to get everyone thinking about the final paper, and 2) to allow you
to build a topic (in consultation with me) that is both interesting and meaningful to you. You can construct a
topic entirely of your own choosing or you can build a specific topic from the general topics listed below. You
should also apply some of the ideas from the lectures, coursepack, reserve readings, and film screenings that
deal with specific marketing issues, advertising methodology and/or theoretical issues relating to consumerism.
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
9
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
You are encouraged to conduct your own research, as well as see me during office hours to discuss
your ideas and the possibilities for additional bibliographic sources. Write a two-page proposal (11 pt. font,
1.5 line-spacing) where you discuss the essay topic and the main points you intend to cover. Try to have 7 –
10 entries in your bibliography (three of which must come from your own research in the library and online).
(Note: Articles from Wikipedia will not be accepted for the Bibliography.) This proposal is not binding. While
I do not suggest that you change your topic entirely, you can expect that your topic may change slightly as you
write the Research Paper.
Possible Paper Topics:
Advertising to Children
Advertising to Children in Schools
Advertising to Teens
Advertising Standards Canada and the Consumer Complaints Report: Public Debate over Ads
Athlete Endorsements and Celebrity Endorsements
Benetton: Controversy Advertising or Social Consciousness?
Blurring the Boundaries Between Ads and Content: VCRs, PVRs, Zapping, Product Placement
Body Image (Male or Female), Advertising, and Unintended Consequences
Branding: Corporate and Personal Identity
Breakfast Cereal Mascots: Their History and their Relationships with Children
Commodity Fetishism: the Symbolism and Ideologies of ____ (SUVs, iPods, Nike, etc.)
Consumerism and Sports (Corporations and Arenas, Advertising)
Consumption and the Environment
Corporate Ownership and the Media
Cosmetic Surgery and Body Fragmentation in Advertising
Culture Jamming: Debates on Culture and Public/Private Space
Department Stores and Women as New Consumers
‘Greenwashing’: Using Environmental Advertising to Sell the Image of ‘Green’ Products
History and Debates of Cigarette Advertising
History and New Forms of ‘Planned Obsolescence’
History of Culture Jamming and Anti-Advertising
History of the Department Store and the New Forms of Consumerism
Men and Body Image: Body Shape and Politics
Nutrition, Children, and Fast Food Advertising
Personal Identity and the Commodification of Self
Pharmaceutical Companies and the Debate over Direct-to-Consumer-Advertising
Political Advertising: History and Issues
Privatization, Corporate Sponsorship and Education
Product Placement: History and Issues
Social Responsibility in Advertising
Subliminal Messages in Ads: Conspiracy Theories and the Question of Advertising Influence
Television and Sport: Spectatorship and the Commodification/Sexualization of Athletes
Tweens and the Media
Viral and Word of Mouth Advertising: History and Issues
Virtual Advertising and Product Placement (TV, Film, Video Games)
Virtual Advertising and Video Games: New Directions and Issues
Women and Body Image: Body Shape and Politics
Women Athletes, Sexuality, Advertising, and Sport Culture
Research Paper (12 pages + bibliography):
35%
due Dec. 4 - 8
The final research paper will build upon your Proposal (see above) submitted earlier in the term. All students
will receive written comments and suggestions on the Proposal, which you may want to incorporate into your
Research Paper. Please keep the following in mind: I am not interested in your opinion (there are thousands
of blogs currently cluttering the internet that contain little more than uninformed beliefs, so we do not need to
add to it). I am, however, interested in the evolution, change, and refinement of your opinion as you conduct
research and expand your knowledge of a specific topic. Research is therefore crucial to the success of your
paper. When discussing your ideas I want to see you make reference to the ideas and theories of others who
have written about the intersection of the media, marketing and culture with regard to your specific topic. The
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
10
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
paper, itself, should be a minimum of twelve (12) pages (11 pt. font, 1.5 line-spacing) with footnotes and
bibliography.
Suggested Structure:
1. Introduction… [1 page]
2. Start with a general overview of the topic(s)… [approx. 3-4 pages]:
- general history or timeline
- **overview of ideas, issues and concepts, relevant individuals/authors/research
- definition/discussion of relevant terms and concepts
3. Use of specific examples and case studies… [approx. 5-6 pages]:
- application of concepts/terms
- discussion of specific examples or case studies
- discuss how example relates to issues/concepts (#2)
4. Conclusion (compose this last)… [1-2 pages]:
- tie up loose ends
- you do not have to come to a specific conclusion but aim to provide a concluding discussion of your
entire essay
Attendance / Participation:
7.5% / 7.5%
An attendance sheet will circulate during each class. Four (4) or more absences (with or without a valid
reason) will result in a grade of ‘F’ for Attendance/Participation. At the end of the term, you will receive a grade
based on your attendance record, mature and considerate conduct in class, questions and comments made
during class, etc. I realize that not all students are as comfortable as others in speaking regularly during
seminars. I will accept other activities as participation. For example, I am always looking for new and
interesting articles for use in the coursepack. Therefore, you can also submit articles or essays (from scholarly
journals, newspapers or magazines, etc.) that you come across in your research. In addition, you can submit a
file folder with your final research essay that includes photocopies of interesting articles that you came across.
For articles or essays to be considered you must include a full bibliographic reference for each (author’s name,
title, source, volume numbers and/or date, and page numbers).
Citation Style:
A brief guide is available on my website to help you in preparing footnotes and bibliographies for your research
papers and assignments. You are required to use the Turabian citation method with footnotes and
bibliography (it is based on the Chicago manual of style and is widely used in the Faculty of Fine Arts). You can
use the brief guide on my website or consult the full guide in the UofL Library:
Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations.
Edition 5th ed. / revised and expanded by Bonnie Birtwistle Honigsblum. -Publisher Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1987.
Call no. (UofL Library): LB 2369 T8 1987
The Citation Guide and a Guide to Essay Formatting are available from my teaching website here:
http://people.uleth.ca/~cleada/citation_essay_guides.html
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
//
University of Lethbridge
11
NMED 3250(N)
// Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture
Links & Resources:
The Age of Persuasion / Under the Influence
Official website: http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/ (Archive),
http://www.cbc.ca/undertheinfluence/index.html
An excellent and long-running CBC radio program on advertising, marketing and public relations hosted by
Terry O’Rielly. It was originally known as The Age of Persuasion and is now called Under the Influence. The
program is broadcast on various CBC channels. An archive for Age of Persuasion programs, where files are
streamed (for free) is available. The current episode of Under the Influence is available on CBC’s website and
past episodes can be purchased on iTunes.
Some Useful Advertising Sites for this Course:
Ads of the World http://adsoftheworld.com/ Advertising community and archive.
Ad Flip www.adflip.com An archive of classic print ads… searchable and listed by decade, etc.
Ad Forum www.adforum.com A site devoted to advertising and marketing resources. They also have many ads
freely available for viewing.
Ad Land/Commercial Archive http://adland.tv/ Resources, ads, discussion. Some free content and one month
subscriptions are quite inexpensive.
About Face http://www.about-face.org/ About-Face “aims to combat negative and distorted images of
women. And its Gallery of Offenders names names. But the site comes with a caution: ‘Extreme sarcasm. Enter
at your own risk.’”
The LivingRoom Candidate http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/ Archive of advertising from past US
Presidential Campaigns.
Ad Classix http://www.adclassix.com/ Ad Classix is a sales site for vintage ads. Provides a good collection of
vintage ads but resolution is low.
Medicine and Madison Avenue http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/mma/ A site devoted to historical
examples of medical/medicine advertising in America.
Advertising Standards Canada (ASC):
General Website: http://www.adstandards.com/
Canadian Code of Advertising Standards: http://www.adstandards.com/en/standards/theCode.aspx
Gender Portrayal Guidelines: http://www.adstandards.com/en/standards/genderPortrayalGuidelines.aspx
ASC Ad Complaints Reports:
http://www.adstandards.com/en/ConsumerComplaints/adComplaintsReporting.aspx
Media Smarts (formerly Media Awareness Network):
General Website: http://mediasmarts.ca/ A Canadian website set up as a media resource for teachers and
parents. It includes information of advertising and marketing.
Fall 2013 //
Department of New Media
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University of Lethbridge
12