Consumerism Archives - Public Seminar

Corporations

The Evolution of America’s (Un)protected Consumer

From government oversight to “financial literacy”

April 30, 2024 • by Basak Kus

Consumer protection started to be seen as a responsibility that individuals, deemed rational and capable, were expected to shoulder themselves, assuming they were provided adequate information about the terms of exchange. ...

The Evolution of America’s (Un)protected Consumer

Feature

The KonMari Method as Consumer Theory

How Marie Kondo helps us re-learn to love the things we buy

February 11, 2019 • by Andrew C. McKevitt

This essay was originally published on February 11 2019. I first sat down to watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo only after “Bookgate” had already erupted and passed. In early January, a series of viral tweets criticized Kondo and her “KonMari” tidying method for the suggestion that one ought to keep no more ...

Multi Media

George H.W. Bush, Exorcisms, and the Squatty Potty

Past Present Episode 158

December 11, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the death of President George Herbert Walker Bush, the resurgence of exorcisms, and the viral popularity of the Squatty Potty. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Forty-first president George H.W. Bush died recently at age 94. Niki mentioned ...

George H.W. Bush, Exorcisms, and the Squatty Potty

Uncategorized

Divining Desire

The rise of the focus group

February 24, 2018 • by Christopher Howard-Woods

On February 15, 2017, our Executive Editor Claire Potter met with journalist Liza Featherstone to discuss the launch of her new book, Divining Desire, about the development and legacy of one of the great curiosities of our culture: focus groups. We livestreamed their conversation on Facebook, which you can watch here. If ...

Feature

Refashioning Patriotism

Selling Fear as Part of The War On Terror

December 5, 2016 • by Maria Christoforou

Less than one week after the World Trade Center attacks, campaigns for the restoration of the American economy and the recovery of the former consumer confidence and spending habits proliferated across the country. By transforming the national tragedy into a commodity, these campaigns initiated a discourse of patriotic consumerism and ...