The Effect Of Advertising On Men As Consumers From 1880-1930 And Its Research Paper

The Effect Of Advertising On Men As Consumers From 1880-1930 And Its Impact On American Culture - Research Paper Example â€Å"Consumption has long been central to American identity, culture, economic development and politics† (Glickman 1), and it has been termed as the national pastime of the United States. Consumerism or the various ideologies and movements built around consumption forms the core of economics and politics. America is known as a ‘consumer society’, this concept includes material wealth, infrastructure, an economy dominated by mass production and mass consumption, political factors and the country’s national identity. It is essential to study the male consumer to break the association of consumerism and consumption with women and feminity which distorts history’s perspective of gendered consumerism. The Role of Men in Consumerism and Advertising Swiencicki (p.238) states that â€Å"American men consumed about twice as many recreational and leisure goods as women†, spending about 30 percent of the family’s income for this purpose. Further, male consumption and consumerism are neither marginal nor dependent on women. Late-Victorian, non-rural white men appear to have spent a great deal of free time consuming numerous goods and services. However, it would be inaccurate to consider either men or women as the primary consumers. Men are primary consumers of commercialized leisure, entertainment, and recreation; while women are primary consumers of domestic and family goods (Swiencicki 238). ... The Role of Men in Consumerism and Advertising Swiencicki (p.238) states that â€Å"American men consumed about twice as many recreational and leisure goods as women†, spending about 30 percent of the family’s income for this purpose. Further, male consumption and consumerism are neither marginal nor dependent on women. Late-Victorian, non-rural white men appear to have spent a great deal of free time consuming numerous goods and services. However, it would be inaccurate to consider either men or women as the primary consumers. Men are primary consumers of commercialized leisure, entertainment, and recreation; while women are primary consumers of domestic and family goods (Swiencicki 238). According to Heilmann & Beetham (pp.127-128), women are responsible for 75 percent of purchases, therefore advertising should be subtly modified to motivate women to buy. Women are understood as responsive to visual and emotional appeal. Hence advertisements aimed to offer a positive image of women which they would like to identify with. For example, using New Woman imagery, a series of advertisements for brandy run in BIZ in 1923 featured women several times larger than the men in the picture. These advertisements with an underlying flirtatiousness portrayed men as dependent on women who were stronger than them, and also appeared reassuring. While the woman is depicted as posing coquettishly, the tiny man pleads with her to allow him to have some of the brandy she holds in a bottle behind her back. Similarly, a robin in a top hat perches on a woman’s hand to drink the brandy she holds. On the other hand, Swiencicki (p.214) argues that â€Å"pre-Depression, white men consumed many commodities that were not purchased by women†. Many if not most men’s leisure and social