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Generational Religious Decline Due To Consumerism In Neil Gaiman's American Gods

935 Words4 Pages

Essay
Ksina Valdes
Professor Bajorek
ENC 1102.006
31 March 2018
Religion VS Marketing: Generational Religious Decline Due to Consumerism in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods
In Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, the ancient mythological gods are losing strength to the new Americanized gods, which causes a war for worship. After three years in prison, protagonist Shadow Moon is anxious to return home, however, he is let out early due to his wife passing away. On his flight to the funeral he crosses paths with a man named Mr.Wednesday, who is the ancient god Odin. Mr. Wednesday offers Shadow a job and takes him under his wing in his plan for the war. Fueled by their worshippers, Shadow is introduced to the “New Gods” and the power they now withhold to …show more content…

Gonzales talk about marketing and how it’s changed over time along with every new generation. Diving into the philosophy of ritualization within branding, Gonzalez talks about marketing and how loyalty to brands have changed over time along with every new generation. In the past, marketing was about selling and promoting a company's goods, however, the baby boomer generation changed that. Not having a particular bond with what used to be the ride or die brands for specific products, baby boomers were more interested in the least expensive items. This changed the way marketing directors sell their products because they now had to create and sell the brand itself. To battle this disassociation, they would have to create a strong sense of familiarity, community, and environment that psychologically with just the name of the brand it would be chosen over any other product. This also gives the company freedom to branch out of just one specific product type in the marketplace and explore variation with …show more content…

Going into depth about our consumer society, Piskin explains consumerism as a branch of global capitalism that has made its mark on the world. Consumerism appeals to each individual, their identity, and their preferences; leaving aside little space for traditions and rituals. Hence why in the age of modernity our society is distancing itself from previous traditional lifestyles such as religion. Religion has not totally disappeared, since the consumer society borrows from religion in the form of symbols, spectacles, and display. However, when taken from religion and brought into the consumer society the meaning of these symbols and displays are

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