America: The Commercial Country

America the Commercial Country

David Christian Toepfer

ENG122

August 26th, 2013

                  From the time of the Industrial Revolution until present day, America's interest and the
values that are placed upon originality have dropped drastically. There are still plenty of people out
there who value originality over a copy or in more technical terms a clone. But the vast majority of
American's seem to simply settle for what is cheap and readily available; in these current times it
seems quite evident that American's do not in fact truly value originality over a copy or clone.
American’s except the commercialized lifestyle and all the commodities that come with it. This can
be attributed to things such as: Fast Food, Big Box Stores, Drive-Up Convenience Shops, Online
Shopping, Mass Marketed Merchandise, Monopolistic corporations and many other larger
operation's that put a damper on the originality of our society as a whole. These types of
Monopolization's are all culprits in the decline of originality as an ideal and presence in
communities abroad. The value in which Americans place on original products, services and
resources are very low and they pay little attention to the unique value of an original product,
service, entity or resource.

Company's such as Wal-Mart make their presence known in a given community and take
place of many local retail stores by offering low prices and a wide variety of mass produced
commercially available products. They also incorporate other services and/or businesses within
their stores. Such store's as this destroy local retailer's that specialize in just about anything Wal-
Mart has a vast supply of.

It’s important to remember that any given community impacted by such an entity like that
of Wal-Mart is negatively affected in the essence of the community’s originality and the unique
appeal of local development and locally owned retail and service locations. Locally owned
business locations and services maintain a given communities unique appeal and set the tone of
that said community.

Communities that were once known for their unique downtown districts are now known for
their struggling downtown's and dwindling local economies. Big box stores in general are a terrific
example of the brand name life style that the average simpleton lives on a day to day basis. The
math is very simple; these types of stores are a one stop shop at reasonable prices. The old mom
and pop stores have nearly vanished abroad. It's ever so common to see vacant buildings in the
downtown district of mid-sized American cities where there were once many family owned retail
stores and services. The unique, traditional and original sense of community has been slowly but
surely declining and will continue too as corporate monopoly's take over every aspect of American
culture.
America’s exports affect the originality of other Countries and Vice Versa. An article from
The Journal of Consumer Marketing discusses in depth, the ways in which America affects other
countries by the exportation of goods and services, restaurant chains and big box stores. (Chen,
Hsiu-Li. 2009).

Movies, cartoons and all electronic entertainment mediums are among the most produced and
exported entertainment sources there are worldwide.
These internationally popular trades are a prime example of a worldwide monopolization of
electronic entertainment, involving many different companies and people in an effort to make there
pocket's bigger and our youth glued to the tube. There are positive electronic resources available
for the use of education and art as well, but the most widely publicized are the forms of
entertainment that lack any real interactive learning methods.
It's important to maintain core values and cultural originality with the unique foundation in
which a particular culture was founded upon. Its ever so common for culture’s to conform to the
worldwide socially acceptable medium. This is done every so often when referring to the
worldwide popularity of electronic entertainment.
The effects of video games on adolescent’s abroad, and how this effect's the imagination
and original thought process of today's youth is very apparent in modern society. In reviewing the
eBook violent video game effects on children and adolescents [electronic resource]: theory,
research, and public policy. (Anderson, C.A. 2007). They spoke of studies that have been
conducted and they have noticed a trend of violent behavior and acts of aggression in correlation
between violent video games and child gamer's. The author conducted some secondary research
based on preliminary lab trials of adolescents and video game play. Studies also show that video
games on a broad spectrum do infect have a negative impact on the adolescent’s imagination and
creative intuition's due to the fact that there primary source of entertainment is one that is
synthesized and artificial.

Now this is not all children as studies show, but a lot of today's youth are more concerned
with playing their favorite online video game then completing homework or socializing with
friends outdoors in the traditional sense of recreation. Video game's also hinder children that suffer
from ADD and some even believe that it may be caused by such fast and colorful movement's and
animations. These such stimuli promote swift decision making for adolescent’s and can cause
mental confusion that can hinder the mental growth process among many other things. There have
been other studies conducted over the years that show that today's cartoon programs with their
rapid animations are affecting young children in a negative manner. Children used to be more
creative and at an early age had a firm grasp on the importance of a unique lifestyle in which they
made their own entertainment with our without their parents help. The problem with the mass
production and commercialization of all electronic entertainment is that it takes away the process
of using your imagination to create a pastime.

The music industry is a prime example of the commercialization of the entertainment
world. There are many artists who are but puppets on a string, if there lyrics are not prepared for
them then you can bet they are screened and polished before final recording. Record labels have
standards that an artist must adhere to destroying the originality of the music all together.
The modern day commercial music market has been for quite some time moderated by
large corporate record labels and for that reason is un-unique and more like a clothing line or brand
name than a piece of auditory art. It is ever so common to see music artist’s venture into clothing
lines, body fragrances, video games, movies and so on. This is a great example of the dollar sign
coming before them being a true “Artist”. That term is very loosely used among today pop and hip
hop icons. (RASHOD D. OLLISON 2006)

It’s important for musicians and artist’s to stay true to their ideals and moral standpoints. So
many artists begin with a mindset that is all that of their own; but over time adapt to a new way of
thinking showing in there finished product and this is often attributed to the moderation of a record
company. Independent artists are truly pioneers and heroes of our current times. They choose to do
it themselves from recording, production, marketing and publication. They do every aspect of what
a record label would do for them but they complete these tasks completely by themselves retaining
their own way of doing things staying true and unique in there form of art which is music.

Many American’s nutrition regimen. It’s ever so common to
supplement a home cooked meal for the convenience of a fast food restaurant or drive through
window. The fast food market is very competitive and these different restaurant chains fight hard to
provide delicious, cheap and convenient meals on an everyday basis. (Sanburn 2012)
Fast food has been a very common substitute for a home cooked unique meal for many
years now. We are entering a new era of fast food restaurants and as well ones that aim to give you
that at home feel. These businesses have taken away from the unique pleasure of cooking for
yourself and eating at home with the family. Just as the Industrial Revolution changed the
evolution of the family culture in our country by bringing men into the workforce and keeping the
women at home with the children, fast food has had a dramatic effect on the way that families
uniquely interact with one another. Unique interaction promotes strength within the household and
communities. Now a day’s people choose convenience over genuine products or services and it
really shows in our society in the way we conduct ourselves in this alpha-independent manner.
It’s important for families to maintain core values such as eating together at home so that
they may proactively communicate with one another discovering new things and gaining new
insights every day. Fast food chains are making the citizens of the United States overweight and
unhealthy. The ingredients are usually cheap and synthesized. It’s much better for families to adapt
to a unique way of dining together at home cooking for them instead of relying on the cheap and
convenient alternative which is ever so consistent and unhealthy.

In conclusion, you can clearly see that the impact of the commercial corporate world and
the utilization of mass production and marketing of products and services have dramatically
impacted society as a whole on a broad scale. Monopolies have taken over the unique originality
appeal of most small town American societies and negatively impacted the local small business
income levels and success rates. As well mass marketing and production of internationally popular
video game systems, title's, and entertainment multimedia have also impacted this generation of
adolescents on a very clear level. New technologies have put almost a complete end to the movie
rental business, as companies such as Netflix and Redox have taken over the movie rental and
multimedia industry. Companies such as Amazon.com have changed the way America shops and
have also hindered the unique originality of small businesses that operated as online retail
servicer's. It seems as if technology and the men at the very top are slowly eating away at the
nation's and the word's value of the term original or unique. It seems ever so simple for today's
average American man or women to simply settle for what is cheap, convenient, and the socially

                                                        References

Arts, G.M., & Stone, K.E. (2012). Economic Development Quarterly; Revisiting Wal-Mart’s
Impact on Iowa Small-Town Retail. 26(4), 298-310. Retrieved from
http://edq.sagepub.com/content/26/4/298
Chen, Hsiu-Li. (2009). Journal of Consumer Marketing. Effects of country variables on young
generation's attitude towards American products: A multi-attribute perspective. 26(3), 143-
154. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/docview/220127743
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ENTERTAINMENT:; Drive-through business aims to be alternative to Redbox,
Netflix. Idaho Press-Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.infoweb.newsbank.com
Stuart, A. (2006, Jan). Digital is music fans' boon but industry seeks to unlock riches. Agence
France-Presse. Retrieved from http://www.infoweb.newsbank.com
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Management. Retrieved From http://www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/
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