GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBALIZATION AND HYPERREALITY: CULTURE HYPERREALITY: CULTURE

IN THE AGE OF RONALD IN THE AGE OF RONALD McDONALD McDONALD

GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBALIZATION AND HYPERREALITY: CULTURE HYPERREALITY: CULTURE

IN THE AGE OF RONALD IN THE AGE OF RONALD McDONALD McDONALD

A Tale of ArchaeologyIn the Year 2997

Archaeologist Gucci Toyota Rolex, a recent graduate of Ralph Lauren University(Once Karl Marx University) in Budapest, sits in his IBM Sensatorium seeking clues that will help him under- stand the obscure origins of the major world holidays. He believes that some of these holidays, including Coke Day, Elvis Day, Saint Johnny Walker Day, The Day of the Levis, Sony Feel-Man Day, and the

Feast of the Seven-Eleven, may have originated almost a millenium ago in the 20th or 21st century. But the evidence is far from clear. No major catastrophe or war has obliterated the relevant data. In fact, the period since the likely origin of these holidays is now known as the Pax McDonald’s, due to the extended period of World peace that was ushered in after McDonald’s first entered what were then known as China, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. This signaled the peaceful global conquest by Saint Ronald McDonald, at a time when McDonald’s sold only food products and the people of the

World spoke a variety of languages. No,the lack of data is instead because at some point after the development of United World Government and Entertainment Incorporated, history simply lacked any tension to make it interesting. There was also convincing evidence that history was a source of discontent and neuroses. So when people learned to stop recording the trivia of daily and yearly events, history stopped as well.

As a result, even the details of Saint Ronald’s birth and life are lost in the mists of antiquity, along with the biographies of lesser

Deities such as Colonel Sanders, the Michelin Man, and Mickey Mouse. Although he accepts the catechism that history is bunk, Gucci hopes that if the roots of current celebrations and their patron saints can be pieced together, this proof of divine inspiration will help stop a strange socio- pathology spreading among a growing number of the people of the earth: heretic asceticism! Not only does this barbaric and nihilistic cult refuse to worship Saint Ronald, they reject all of the major world holidays and refuse to consume the associated products and services to which they are

constitutionally entitled. Recently they have also begun to boycott such sacred sites as Marlboro Country, Ford Country, Sesame Street, Disney Universe, and even McDonaldland. What is worse, they fail to show any enthusiasm for the games, even when such arch rivals as Nissan and Toyota Contest. Obviously, such heresy is dangerous and threatens not only the economy, but essential human values. Gucci has no desire to kindle nostalgia for a long dead past, but by returning to the origins of World holidays, perhaps the nonbelievers can be made to accept the legends celebrated by these holidays and their sacrilegious apathetic behavior can be stopped before it spreads further.

A PLAUSIBLE SCENARIO?

Yes and No

GLOBAL CORPORATIONS

In 1990, 60 countries (excluding Eastern

Europe and those with less than 1 million

people) had GNPs < $1 Billion

In 1990, 135 Multinational Corporations

had revenues > $1 Billion

GLOBAL POP CULTURE

Historically: Slow Culture Contact Through Soldiers, Merchant Traders, Missionaries, & Immigrants

In the Global Village: New Ambassadors Include Ronald McDonald, Big Bird, Michael Jordan, Santa Claus, & Tourists• Santa Among the Hill Tribes• Big Bird in China• Ties & Chivas Regal in PNG

HOMOGENIZATION: NON-PLACES & WORLD TASTES

Airports, Hotels, & Shopping Malls Levi’s, Sony, Toblerone, Mercedes Pastiche: World Music, World Cuisine, World

Wide Web Global Standard Package Consumption Community Creed: Gucci, Rolex,

Armani, BMW, Johnny Walker, Bang & Olufsen, these are the things in which we believe.

GLOBAL CAPITALISM & GLOBAL CONSUMERISM

1979 & 1989-1991 Measuring Materialism

• Status Competition Supplants Envy Avoidance

• Relative Deprivation & Deservingness

• Sacrifices--Cigarettes in Romania & Bangladesh, Food for Refrigerators, TVs without Electricity

Tensions, Frustrations, and Scapegoats

ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS Nationalist Resurgence Revival of Localism Consumer Resistance Local Appropriation of Meanings of Consumer

Goods Hybridization (Creolization)

• Two-Way• Coca-Colonization• Banana Republicanization

REVIVAL OF LOCALISM?

“We Indians… Why do we assume

imported is better? Why do we think local

means cheap?… Why do we think

anywhere ‘abroad’ is better?…

Why don’t we believe in ourselves?”

FROM AN AD IN A BRITISH MAGAZINE FOR EX-PATRIOT INDIANS:

HYBRIDIZATION

Chinese New Year, Singapore McDonald’s

Year of the Monkey

Hong Bao Envelopes

HYBRID MCDONALD’S

Ramadan in Turkey “Free hot Iftar soup if you buy the ‘menu’

during Iftar hours”

HYBRID COCA COLA

“Forever Happy and Free-Spirited” Faces of Coca Cola

• Atlanta

• Romania

The 1996 Summer Olympics• Atlanta

• Sydney

Local Cultures are Not Just Appropriated; They are Also Stylized & Trivialized• Theme Parks & Megamalls

• Themed Countries & Package Tourism

• Mexico as Gringolandia

GLOBALIZATION &HYPERREALITY

HYPERREALITY

On Preferring Hyperreality to Reality• The Real Thing (Henry James, 1893)

• The Great Victorian Collection (Brian Moore, 1989)

• Las Vegas

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

Advertising is Inherently Hyperreal Criticisms of Sanitized, Stylized, Fantasy-Driven

Presentations is Not New: McDonaldization, Disneyfication, Carnivalization, Trivialization, etc.

How Sinister is Ronald McDonald & Buying the World a Coke?

Is Finding our Myths and Fantasies in Corporate Icons so Bad?