Obamarama and Generation Y; Consumerism, Race and Social Change

In 2000 a man who was not democratically elected became president of the United States of America. I am embarrassed to point out that 4 years later we re-elected this man to another term in office. This term culminated in a clusterfuck of deceit, mistrust, ignorance and shame. It is no wonder the entire world held their breath in anticipation of the fateful day Barack Obama replaced G.W. Bush as President of the US. Entering the presidential political sphere at such a time, Obama faces immense pressure to rescue Americans from nearly a decade of discouragement and rehabilitate the global standing of the US as well as our stance on domestic and foreign issues.

While I am thrilled to live in a country that supports a black man as commander in chief, man am I sick of hearing about the race issue. I am quite frankly disturbed that in 2009, we are just now welcoming the first minority to the presidential stage. That last year was the first time a man from a minority race and a woman were seriously considered in the presidential running. That in a collective attempt, carried out by various media outlets, to remind the US and prove to the rest of the world that America is a country free of racism, we have been bombarded with over the top, unconvincing propaganda, proving just the opposite. Case in point: constantly assuming Obama’s role as a black man, and obsessively defining him on the basis of this factor, despite his lifetime of immersion in white culture; and inauguration footage deliberately showing overwhelming amounts of non-white attendants in a transparent attempt to appear comfortable with diversity. Enough already.

To directly quote the online issue of the Wall Street Journal “(At the inauguration) America caught a glimpse of a hopeful racial future…” (bold emphasis in original article). This urges me to wonder A) if there is a presumption that America lacks a racial past and present, and B) if Obama’s place as president has shattered this notion. I guess someone has to break the news that our new president did not in fact birth an entire nation of minorities, so that on January 20^th, 2009, someone might speculate that his leadership post opens a gateway to some undiscovered dimension where Americans of different races co-inhabit. I understand and respect the role that race plays in personal life experience, but until we collectively stop typifying Obama as a black man and cooperatively accept him first as a person, and pending the day we can approach each other in the same manner, we are only perpetuating this facade of the US being a racially equal meritocracy.

It is no secret that Gen Y is a major demographic target for Presidential Candidates. Reach the young people and theoretically they will facilitate the most change over the longest period of time. Even though P. Diddy’s death threats against non-voters in the 2004 presidential election (“Vote or Die”) came off comically hostile, it paved the way for the 45% increase in 2008 voter turnout. According to a national exit poll, 2/3 of voters in the 18-30 year old cohort cast their ballot for Barack. In short, in a nation notorious for miniscule voting participation, the young folk are really starting to deliver.

Throughout the season of campaigning, the political buttons, shirts or bumper stickers an individual obtains say a lot about the person – and the willingness to spend money on these commodities indicates to others the level of commitment of these individuals. The emotion generated by Obama’s campaign is in big part due to the fact that we as voters are intended to feel territorial over our political beliefs. What I find interesting is that the campaign essentially played on our emotional attachment to attachment – a strategy that works to sell ideas to any and everyone. More often than not, consumerism exploits human sentiment, however this time it played out in favor of the people, with Obama’s electoral victory.

In the US the idea of ownership, and maniacal acquisition of frivolities for the purpose of enriching the quality of life, penetrates every aspect of existence. No one is exempt.

Before we are born, our parents are pressured into purchasing for us the right stroller or the cutest possible outfits. When we pass on, there now exist eco-friendly burial options, dubbed “the couture of coffins”. The couture of coffins. This sense of personal expression via material consumption has been the one sure-fire way to reach and influence people.

Consumerism is a facet of post-industrial society that flourishes regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, the state of the economy, times of war, or the toll it takes on the environment. It is a godawful entity that constantly bitch-slaps our souls, but nonetheless one on which you and I thrive. However no matter what, people will indulge in luxuries not essential to survival. There are very few people in the world that can accurately say that consumerism has never been part of their life. Being so, we should make it our duty to steer consumerism in the direction of social change.

It feels as though no generation before ours has been so simultaneously tied to possession of objects and ideas and yet so posed and equipped for social change. What we own and who we are exist in a state of symbiosis. As the world evolves into an ever growing melting pot, Gen Y appears in the foreground as the highest group potential for social progression. It seems illogical to ask this or any generation to expel consumerism from daily life and would be close to impossible to initiate. But presently as the youngest adult cohort, and the generation most affected by this presidency, we should be doing something.

If Obama delivers on his major long-term goals, notably health care reform and alternate energy sources, the butterfly effect will generate global change. This poses great challenges as we enter the New Year and the dawn of the new presidency: to be aware of areas of improvement and to simultaneously use mass consumption as a tool for change. First and foremost we, as a generation, must be willing to initiate the transformation: to evolve our idea and present manifestation of consumerism into a more productive model.

Given the inevitability of this consumerism, at least we are beginning to move somewhat in the right direction. Yes, rubber bracelets have dubbed supporting a cause trendy (and they come in all different colors!) and true, the “Green Movement” essentially tells people that they can save the environment by buying more shit. Nonetheless, people are supporting causes and are more aware of their “eco-footprint”. I suppose instead of judging each other on “materialistic” grounds, we can now tell at a glance who is being a better citizen-consequently guilting each other into environmental awareness submission. Much to my dismay, many feel that they reserve bragging rights for whose “eco-footprint” is smaller and deem it necessary to point out whenever I am single handedly destroying Mother Nature. My general response to this is, “Fuck the trees! Let the mother burrrrn!” I am only kidding-but this elicits an amusing and therefore desired response of utter disgust and lets that person feel superior to me all day: all week if they are especially conscientious. I do what I can. Pay it forward.

But I severely digress.

Call me cynical but my point is that we should not expect a miraculous and instantaneous turnaround due to the mere fact that Obama is finally in office. Obama is wonderful, charming, insightful, genuine and competent in ways Bush could never be, but he does not possess superhuman qualities. As much as we hope and support and are rooting for Obama, he cannot turn nuclear waste into delicious and non -toxic rice pudding (okay so maybe that one is just me) and unfortunately he cannot rid the world of all trace memory of Brendan Fraser (fairly certain the latter is not just me). There is no doubt in my mind that Obama is a catalyst for improving the US, and subsequently any nation affected by our fluctuating system – his term goals include school and health care reform, mending the current economic crisis, empowering science, finding and using alternate energy sources and peace in the Mid East – but it is easy to forget that he is one single human being. This is not to say that we should abandon all faith. Realistically, everything happens in small seemingly insignificant (but in reality, crucial) steps in the direction of social revolution. The fact of the matter is that President Obama will be held responsible for everything that does and does not happen during his term, but rather than criticize the individual we should scrutinize the realm in which American politics operate.

It is extraordinarily difficult for one man to change the rigid foundation of a stubbornly established system and we have to be wary of letting our impatience get the best of us. Social transformation does not occur simply because a leader says it should. Social transformation happens when individuals decide to collectively become the movement. The unity and sense of pride and nationalism created by Obama-rama is perhaps the push society needs to band together and initiate change. If Gen Y takes the initiative to cooperatively support each other in pursuit of individual and communal advancement worldwide, future generations will follow suit. There is no denying the electric air of hope blossoming here in the States and on the global level, and this is a very powerful and moving thing. However, regardless the leader, it is essential that we remember our individuality and freedom within the collaborative spirit of society. Human nature supports a correlation between people in groups and influencing higher rates of irrationality - Salem witch trials, anyone?