Your answers will be graded in terms of how accurate, specific, insightful, and concise
they are. An accurate answer offers the correct information. A specific answer is well
supported with pertinent examples (e.g., from readings, discussions, lecture notes and inclass performances). An insightful answer shows some careful thought on the writer’s part. A concise answer accomplishes the above in an efficient, well-organized manner. Expend your ideas.
To realize the above aims, I suggest you: (a) read the questions carefully; (b) review the required readings and your notes; (c) draft each answer; and (d) refine the drafts into a final draft format – e.g., eliminate redundant information, firm up your support, and correct grammar, typos, etc.
YOUR ESSAY MUST BE AT LEAST TWO PAGES AND SHOULD NOT EXCEED
THREE PAGES, DOUBLE-SPACED, STANDARD MARGINS AND FONTS.
**Use a header to include your name and course number, or hand write your
information on the margin of your final printed copy.

QUESTION 1
Explain the emergence of consumer culture as it is discussed by Mike Featherstone. In your discussion, include the various instrumental factors that allowed consumer culture to develop. We discussed several key circumstances that influenced this shift; make sure to carefully include them all. In your discussion, include the ideological shift from puritanical values to hedonistic lifestyles. What are the significant distinctions between these value systems and how do they relate to the emergence of consumer culture?
Lastly, discuss your own final performance in terms of the value systems it both draws on and promotes to achieve its purpose. Use any of the consumer theory readings to do so.

Own performance:
“Make it Up”

Artist Statement: This performance will focus on makeup and how it affects the women that wear the products. The metaphoric concept that guided our performance was the literal meaning of the word makeup and what it represents. Makeup has become necessary for women and a daily ritual as well. As makeup users we look through the reasons of why we wear it and that it is not necessary for our daily life as we commonly think.

Cast of characters
Suki and Alejandra: roommates who live in the same apartment, they never wear any makeup; however, Suki has second thought about it. They are also students who present as a duo about the makeup.

Siri: Siri is the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. It allows you to use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. But Siri isn’t like traditional voice recognition software that requires you to remember keywords and speak specific commands. Siri understands your natural speech, and it asks you questions if it needs more information to complete a task.

Scene 1- Concepts demonstrated: Character contest
[SCENE: In the apartment]

Suki: [Doing makeup in the bath room for a long time]
Alejandra: [Knocking the door] HEY!!! SUKI!!! ARE YOU DONE? I ‘m gonna late for school…
Suki: ONE MINUTE! [Finish doing makeup]
Alejandra: oh god….
Suki: I am done [open the door], how do I look?
Alejandra: Umm…you look plastic ….
Suki: SOOOO mean!!….I want to try something different or something new, and you said I look PLASTIC [look upset]
Alejandra: yeah… makeup is literally to become someone else; like the word make up means making up someone else, plus you look nice without it
Suki: REALLY? Thank you, I could still look nice without any powder and eyeliner [taking to the audience]
Suki: oh wait [facing back to Alejandra] aren’t you late for school?
Alejandra: YES!! And I am waiting for YOU TOO!!
Suki: Sorry….Let’s go… (Source #6 & #9)

Scene 2- Concepts demonstrated: transformations
[SCENE: talking to siri]

Suki: hi siri, how are you?
Siri: I’m fine, thanks for asking.
Suki: [taking a picture on cell phone] do I look different today?
Siri: you did, can we get back to work now?
Suki: [laughing] what is the definition of makeup?
Siri: checking my sources, ok, here we go.
Suki: can you speak it out?
Siri: definition of makeup from dictionary .com, facial cosmetics, as eye shadow or lipstick, cosmetics used on other parts of the body, as to cover birthmarks, the application of cosmetics, cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance
Suki: so do I need makeup?
Siri: you look natural without it. (Sources #1 & #4)

Scene 3 -Concepts demonstrated: Lyric mode List Poem
Make up
[SCENE: Suki and Alejandra go through the ritual of makeup that they do every day].
Suki: Wake up in the morning
Alejandra: Take a shower
Suki: Get dressed
Alejandra and Suki: Pause
Alejandra: Brush my teeth
Suki: Look in the mirror
Alejandra: Wash my face
Alejandra and Suki: Pause
Alejandra and Suki: Look in the mirror
Alejandra and Suki: Look in the mirror
Alejandra: Correct what is wrong. Suki: (what’s wrong?)
Suki: Apply Make up
Alejandra: Foundation
Alejandra: Powder
Suki: Blush
Suki: Eyeliner
Alejandra: Mascara
Alejandra: And lipstick
Alejandra and Suki: Ready
Alejandra and Suki: Ready to start the fake up. (Source#7)
Scene 4 -Concepts demonstrated: Lyric mode Absence Poem
[SCENE: Suki and Alejandra try to find their identity under the makeup].
Suki: Where are you? [Looking around the room]
Suki: I can’t find you anymore
Alejandra: We used to be close [hugging own body]
Alejandra: But now, I don’t know where you are [looking down]
Suki: I look in the mirror but I only see
Suki: The memories of what we used to be [looking at each other]
Alejandra: Come back [whispering]
Suki: Come back [whispering]
Suki and Alejandra: COME BACK! [yelling]
Alejandra: I know you’re here
Suki: But different in some way
Suki: I try to find you and bring you back to me
Alejandra: But there’s something in the way
Alejandra: Separating me from you
Suki: I remember the days when it was only you and me
Suki: Natural and authentic
Alejandra and Suki: I want you back!
Alejandra and Suki: No makeup, no fake up. (Source #8)

Scene 5-Concepts demonstrated: Defamiliarization
Alejandra: Have you ever thought of the literal meaning of make up? (Holding lipstick). It actually means to create something else that is not real. A lot of women begin to hide their true selves at an early age and it is because of a very important reason.

Suki: Young girls start using makeup around the age of 13and from then on it becomes hard to not wear it. A person, who uses make-up as a mask, believes that it will transform them into someone they are not. This woman is likely to have low self-esteem or deem themselves to be unattractive or not attractive enough. (Source#

Alejandra: We are so used to have makeup in our lives that we forget that we don’t really need it and that we don’t need to wear a mask to feel good with ourselves. Next time that you find yourself wearing makeup question yourself if it really necessary to use it. (Source #2 & #3)

References

Popular
1. “HEY SIRI… WHO’S YOUR DADDY!?!?” Dir. Ramsey Mohsen. YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 May 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz-fmXX9QDI>.

Professional

2. Close, Barbara. “The Psychological Impact of Makeup from a Woman’s Viewpoint.” Helium. Helium, 06 Sept. 2007. Web. 09 May 2013.

3. “Latest Survey Results: Making Faces: A SmartGirl Makeup Survey Summary.” (n.d.): n. pag. Latest Survey Results: Making Faces: A SmartGirl Makeup Survey Summary. Web. 09 May 2013.

4. “Makeup.” Dictionary.com ,Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 08 May 2013. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/makeup>.

5. “Makeup.” WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 08 May. 2013. <Dictionary.comhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/makeup>.

Personal
6. Alejandra Garcia. “Ground Zero Narrative”. Personal narrative. 8 May.2013.
7. Alejandra Garcia. “Makeup”. Poem. May 8. 2013.
8. Alejandra Garcia and Cheng Hoi Ming. “Where are you?” .Poem. May 8. 2013.

9. Cheng Hoi Ming. “Ground Zero Narrative”. Personal narrative. 8 May.2013.