Abstract
By constructively critiquing consumer materialism as a fantastic ideological form (Zizek, 1997), this article answered Rogers's (1998) call to develop communication theories that resurrect a place for the natural, affirm that humans are embedded in a nonhuman world, listen to nonhuman agents, and deconstruct binaries like subject/object, social/natural, and ideational/material. Through the lens of Zizek's (1989, 1997) interpretation of Lacanian fantasy, it was revealed that consumer materialism reproduces itself in consumer advertising (intersubjectivity), planned obsolescence (problematic of the fall), popular film (empty gesture), the Gross Domestic Product (symptom), and efforts to resist materialism manifested in presidential Earth Day commemorations (problematic of the fall and empty gesture). This essay concluded by articulating a transhuman, material, dialogic (Rogers, 1998) concept of productive-consumption as a means of transcending the signified Desire of the Other at consumer materialism's ideological core. Productive-consumption was illustrated with wilderness travel, food production, and meal preparation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
