Consumerism

What is commodity fetishism?
The process through which commodities are emptied of the meaning of their production( the labor that produced them and the context in which they were produced) and filled instead with abstract meaning (usually through advertising). In Marxism, commodity fetishism is the process of mystification that exists in capitalism between what things are and how they appear. Commodity fetishism also describes the process by which special life powers are attributed to commodities rather than to other elements in social life. For example, to suppose that a brand of car confers self-worth is to engage in commodity fetishism. in commodity fetishism, exchange value has so superseded use value that things are valued not for what they do but for what they cost, how they look, and what connotations can be attatched to them. For instance, a commodity (such as bottled purified water) is emptied of the meaning of its production(where is was bottled, who worked to bottle it, how it is shipped) and filled with new meaning (mountain springs, purity) through advertising campaigns.
How do you think the relationships of consumers with branding had changed in the past couple of decades?
I think that the relationship of consumers with branding has changed dramatically over the past few decades. People are all buying into advertisers. I am pretty passionate about stuff like this. People are not grateful for what they have and it makes me sick. They would rather spend $1,000.00 on ONE pair of shoes, then pick up a pair that will work just as fine, for $20.00!I think that this is one of the many reasons why our economy is at a downfall. People are destroying this world. All of the money in the world, it doesn't even matter what country anymore is being wasted on getting these meatheads to see that they NEED this specific brand of shoe, them paying the obsene amount of moeny for it, and the richer are getting richer, as the poorer, poorer. Like stupid young 18 year old girls, they get their credit card offers, literally on there 18th birthday, because credit card companies know that they fall into the trap much quicker than men. Back in the day, people didn't have a problem with wearing a coat, just a simple coat, most were grateful that they could purchase one, after the great depression. Now all these fat little American kids get a new designer jacket, every season! This stuff really gets to me. There are starving people in the world, people being killed by their own government because they don't have the money to buy an airline ticket to get out of there, and here we are, wasting money on matierialistic, stupid things. And these peole don't even know what they are doing, this is life for them. Even when I was a kid, in the 80's toys lasted. My baby sister and god daughter are playing with toys that I did, 20 years ago! You buy them a new toy, made these days, and your lucky if it lasts til the next Christmas. Some times I am so ashamed to be living in the same world as these people. Anway, my answer to the question is that advertisers are certainly doing there job right, making consumers feel the need for a brand. And the world is getting sucked in.
What is metacommunication?How do advertisers use this to their advantage?
A discussion or exchange in which the topic is the exchange taking place itself. A "meta" level is a reflexivelevel of communicating. In popular culture, this refers to texts in which the topic is the viewer's act of viewing the text. An ad that addresses a viewer about the ways that the viewer is looking at the ad is engaging in metacommunication. Advertisers use this strategy by, getting consumers to see what the person that buys the advertised item looks like. An example would be some man looking at an ad for a Jeep Wrangler or something. The man in the ad that is looking at the automobile is an adventureous, rugged, tall, dark, and handsome kind of guy. But everybody knows that men who drive Jeep Wranglers are adventureous outdoorsy, kind of men. The man looking at the advertisement sees himself in the man, and wants to be more sdventurous, or manly, or whatever and then buys the Jeep to feel more like himself, or more like the man that he longs to be.