The Role Of Consumerism In American Beauty

Furthermore, American Beauty challenges common sense views such as how money and wealth is seen as the measure of success, and that through commodities individuals will find happiness, however this is often a fallacy perpetuated by the mass media. By subverting the ideology of consumerism Mendes condemns how worth of an individual is determined by what they consume and own, rather than the qualities of them. He refers to how the mass media uses propaganda in advertising to indoctrinate individuals into adopting consumerist values such as hedonism, which restrains freethinking and choice. American Beauty demonstrates how reality can often become synonymous with simulations, and that through capitalism individuals are controlled to consume commodities

thereby perpetuating “conspicuous consumption” (Veblen 1912), and “spectacle culture” (De Bord, 1931). American Beauty goes beyond fault-finding and negative evaluation, as audiences are forced to question how social relations are used to conceal sinister realities. For example, in American Beauty Mendes subverts the idea of individuality whereby it is assumed that individuals are free and autonomous by the character of Lester Burnham. However, are individuals truly free? That is are we truly able to do what we wish without fear of judgement and intolerance? Has technological influences and the rise of celebrity status forced individuals to examine and compare their lives to others? Perhaps, the idea of individuality is rather an illusion that aims to conceal the reality of enslavement and indoctrination by institutions, in order to keep individuals coerced. In this way through Mendes’ visual text he has compelled me to interrogate and discern representations shown through the media, in order to liberate myself as a means of empowerment and autonomy. Through critiquing the ideology of consumerism I am compelled to recognise that commodities do not necessarily validate existence and worth but rather superficiality and short term gratification. I also am compelled to understand how consumerism can mask a sinister reality, whereby large businesses and companies exploit workers through sweatshop labour in order to generate profit for their own self-serving purposes. In a way, I recognise that consumerism has a omnipresent dominance in my life however through discerning and questioning my reality I am able to liberate myself from values such as superficiality, hedonism and self-indulgence in order to transcend and become autonomous, free.