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Commodity Fetishism In Mardi Gras

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Considering the fact that capitalism has an impact on the day to day life in the modern days, it has its negative impacts also.The revelry of Mardi Gras, with its vibrant parades, glorious costumes, and a cascade of colourful beads, is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm across the globe. However, behind this festive facade lies an industry that intertwines capitalism, commodity fetishism, and complex labor practices. The documentary "Mardi Gras: Made in China," directed by David Redmon in 2005, unravels the intricate web of bead production for this jubilant occasion. This essay delves into Karl Marx's theory of exploitation under capitalism and the concepts of commodity fetishism and ideology to understand the Mardi Gras bead industry's dynamics, …show more content…

Following Marx's thesis, capitalism reduces labor costs to increase surplus value and profits (Lapon, 2011). Marxist commodity fetishism baffles capitalist social relations. According to the "false consciousness" ideology hypothesis, capitalism makes people appreciate commodities independent of their work. Thus, people typically misinterpret exploitation and class conflict, giving power to commodities rather than workers. Some New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrants seem delusional when challenged about the beads' origins. Their answers reinforce commodity fetishism by implying that the beads have festive value. The "cynical reason" theory of ideology indicates that some people may know bead manufacture is exploitative, yet accept it as a result of capitalism. Some celebrators may acknowledge bad labor practices but accept them as a harsh commercial reality (Lavenda and Schultz 2018). In conclusion, Mardi Gras celebrators' thoughts about the beads' origin show how false awareness and cynical reason affect commodity fetishism in a capitalist society. Addressing Mardi Gras bead business concerns requires a diversified strategy. Promoting ethical and sustainable bead manufacturing comes

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David Redmon’s documentary, Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005) provides an insight on Karl Marx’s theory of exploitation within capitalism. It does an exceptional job at explaining how exploitation exists in a capitalist society by tracing the simple commodity of beads used in the festival of Mardi Gras in New Orleans while revealing the hidden picture of its social and economic effect on the factory workers. Karl Marx’s class structure theory of capitalism can be observed in Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005). The cycle of exploitation that the Chinese workers face is further expanded in the film by explaining how exploitation works under capitalism through the differences between society’s values, the conditions of labour that the workers are in to produce the Mardi Gras beads, as well as how commodity fetishism takes part into the continuation of exploitation.

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