“EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY: THE DANGEROUS SPREAD OF COMMERCIALIZED CULTURE”, by Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor, stated many ways advertising has negatively affected our country. The authors appealed to pathos by including children in their observations, and how there is an increase in child obesity. This gained the support of many parents and families reading this article. Although this article may have gained support from families, it is not easily readable. The language the authors used can be quite complex for someone who is not very knowledgeable about commercialism. For example, the language included, “commercialism”, “corporate welfare”, “privatization”, “free market ideology”, and “material acquisition” (491-492). Therefore, this article is more directed towards people who are interested in politics and the economy, including professors. In addition, there were many examples to support each claim presented by the authors, but there was not enough reasoning in between each piece of evidence. An example would be in the paragraph named “Government Brought to You by…”(494). This paragraph lists multiple pieces of evidence that supports how local governments use advertisements as a revenue source (494). Although the evidence supports the claim, there is not enough reasoning to make the assertion stronger. Another factor is that the article had a slight slippery slope effect. It discusses the many negative aspects of commercialism from child obesity to global warming. The article tries to link how commercialism leads to many harmful factors, but it continues to jump from one idea to the next without any strong support. Schor, one of the authors, did a study to show how depression is significantly linked to advertisements, but there was no information on what study had been done, or what credentials she has to perform a valid study. It would have significantly increased the strength of their argument, if this information had been provided. Lastly, there was no rebuttal paragraph to state the opposing view. If the authors refuted reasons against commercialism, and they stated a couple reasons in support of it, then their argument would have had a nice concluding stance.
Overall, commercialism has contributed to many positive and negative things in our society. There are always good and bad aspects to advertising. There may be a very good product out there that will help the lives of many people and commercialism can contribute to that. However, there can been greedy advertising companies that only want to make more money. In the end, it is up to the individual. Commercialism is not forcing people to buy a product or telling kids too eat more junk food. People are responsible for themselves, and if a parent allows their child to eat a dozen snickers candy bars because they saw it on their television, then responsibility is on that parent. It is no one else decision on what products an individual should use, other than that person. If the issues are child obesity, self-esteem, and global warming, then the focus needs to be readjusted to society’s mental well being. Commercialism is only one factor out of many that are contributing to these issues. Therefore, commercialism is not significantly harmful to society.
