Consumption

Initially, I did not consider how much feminism actually exists from a technological standpoint. Consider the technologies available to our society that make household work bearable. The dishwasher, the clothes washer and dryer, the iron, the garbage disposal, the vacuum cleaner, the blender, etc. And even newer technologies are being introduced such as, the Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner no bigger than a dinner plate that roams your house and does the work for you, along with Swiffer's which have nearly replaced brooms and mops altogether. Swiffer recently added a vacuum to their dust busting alternative, as well. And when you think about all of these things, think about how they are advertised.

Tonia Modleski's essay 'Femininity as Mas(s)querade: A Feminist Approach to Mass Culture' explores consumerism and women from a mass culture standpoint. It is obvious which kinds of technologies are marketed to women and those that are advertised to men. When the Dirt Devil commercial flashes on the screen, who is wielding the vacuum under whom's feet? And consider this LG washer & dryer commercial. The look of utter desire and temptation in that woman's eyes epitomizes the idea that "women's habit of consumption [is] nearly as unavoidable as death." (49) Coincidentally, the technological products being marketed to women are kitchen appliances, household cleaners, and the like. This has not changed since the dawn of advertising.

So, what about other technology? This Mac vs. PC ad exaggerates the aesthetics of their product (represented by a male) and it's functions by using a female model to represent something that was created by the Mac. Although the iPad commercial represents both genders by merely their hands and feet. All of the Blackberry Torch commercials I have found, are geared towards men or have no gender connotations whatsoever.

Modleski’s essay also mentions a “leftist view of popular culture” which I understand to be that of its cause of distraction to society. Modelski quotes from Manuel Puig’s novel Kiss of The Spider Woman saying, “It can become a vice, always trying to escape reality like that, it’s like taking drugs or something. . .” I think that pop culture today has much to do with technology and many Americans may benefit from a leftist view of it. Not only are women consuming these technologies on a daily basis, but men and children alike. The essay discusses consumption in a “readerly” manner by women, and a “writerly” or masculine manner by men. However, from a technological standpoint, I think it is safe to say that most all of us consume technology in an excessively “readerly” manner.