McJobs

In the book, the author discusses the ideal of employees who have skills, but cannot use them in their jobs. He says “The result is a high level of resentment, job dissatisfaction, alienating, absenteeism, and turnover”. This goes back to the power of authority brought up in “Ain’t No Makin’ It.” The boys of “Ain’t No Makin’ It” hated authority as well as felt resentment and alienation when authority was over them. This was especially apparent when the boys got older because they could not hold a job. It’s funny to think that this could be part of McDonaldization, but as we read, it is.

Predictable.

So we read part of the book describing how things were predictable and calculatable. People need to know that a product will be just as fun, satisfying, tasty or beneficial all across the board. It doesn’t matter where you go. The aesthetic of the stores all look the same, smell the same, have the same merchandise, etc. This is like the Big Mac or even the look of a McDonald’s restaurant. No matter where you go you will always know that McDonald’s will have a Big Mac with two patties, lettuce, onions, that special sauce all on a sesame seed bun. This is also similar in shopping stores that are franchises. Forever 21, a “hip” shopping store, will always have the same clothes in the stores and online. This also is another point for McDonaldization. Instead of going to the store and buying things, people can now turn to the internet and have things at the touch of a button. They don’t have to leave the comforts of home. They can have things when they want, how many days they want it in, etc. Our culture has become so lazy and dependable on efficient things.

Time Is Money

"Time is money and money is time." Making things faster and efficient has taken our society by storm. Internet is always trying to get faster, cars are always trying to get faster, e mail replaces postal service mail. EVERYTHING IS FASTER! Highways make transportation faster, chain restaurants make food faster, having a gas station every 20 miles makes things faster. Everything must be faster in society today. I don’t know a time where if things weren’t fast. If it’s not fast it’s deemed not good. Take for instance a restaurant. You want to sit down, have your food within 15 minutes then leave. Everything has to be fast. Wasting time is wasting money, and I feel our society is really starting to take hold of this idea. But sometimes, having something that is made cheap or fast doesn’t always equal a better product. It may be worse than the product that took just a little longer and can with hold for a long long time. So which is better? Fast way or slow way? I don’t know the answer yet. I’m still working on that myself I guess.

Does Faster = Better?

McDonaldization is the idea that our society is obsessed with time and how to make everything faster. Our society is so wrapped up in this ideal. I don’t like McDonald’s because of it’s food quality. But this is just personally. I know a lot of people who pick up McDonalds because it is convenient. It’s easy and fast food for a reasonable price. You drive up to the window, you place your order and you’re out. Food is a basic necessity in life, and well McDonalds prepares the cheap and efficiently. Efficiency equals more time you have to do other things. Time is important to us. Can’t we just slow down a little bit?

A Reflection I guess...

So, after talking about gender roles in the last blog, my boyfriend and I were talking and I realized some things. My boyfriend has a hot temper because of his job. He knows that I don’t like it when he’s angry cause he takes it out on me. So, he tries to calm himself down before talking to me. I realized that maybe I am a person who is promoting the false self. Because I was satisfaction in the relationship, I am trying to make him cater to me. This is just my point that I was trying to make in the last blog. We are always trying to make others happy. We are always in a constant struggle to try and please other people.

Another thing that brought about this blog is reality t.v. shows. I must admit that I am a t.v. junkie, and I like to watch reality t.v. shows. One of these shows is called Rock of Love 2 with Sharron Osbourne. I feel like with a lot of reality t.v., people put on this front and depict someone that they really aren’t. I feel like the maybe by having these things so visible in our society, it strengthens the idea of being submissive to other people and to trying to make other’s happy. I dunno just a thought.

False Self

In life, no matter it be work, school, friends, etc. we are always putting on an act. O.K. well maybe not all the time, but sometimes. Like the book says, we have a false self for the gratification and satisfaction for other people. I worked at retail store called Honolua Surf Company. Everyday, we had to put on an act for customers to make THEM happy. It didn’t matter if they were pricks or assholes to us, we had to be of service to them. I don’t understand why. This can also be seen through genders. For instance, if you are not nice to a customer and are a female you are considered a bitch. The customer will complain the manager, you get a warning, and the list goes on and on. We are a country so built on other’s doing things for us it’s unreal. Also, we can see that sometimes this is prevalent in the home. Mother’s come home from work, but instead of taking time for themselves, they have to take care of their family and cater to them. Instead of having some time and space to relax, their thoughts and feelings must be pushed aside in order to make their family happy. This is a gender role that is placed on by society. Dad works hard at work so he gets time to relax. The mother also works hard at work, but also must take care of the house and the family. Why is this so? American’s are so fixed on this ideal that its hard to wean them off of it. Kinda screwed up.

November 4, 2008 – EPIC!

Today was one of the most historic days of our countries history. Barack Obama, an African-American man who grew up on the small islands of Hawaii is now the president of the United States. That is epic.