People in general (and especially politicians) love to talk about the American Dream – the idea that competitive individualism and hard work pay off with guaranteed steady progress up the economic ladder. The “dream,” as such, is theoretically attainable for anyone who is willing to chase it. But what if this were not true? Have you ever stopped to think about how you came to believe this?
The American Dream speaks to us all in different ways. Realistically, then, there is not just one dream, but in all likelihood, there are many dreams, even if they are just a variation on a theme: “If I work hard I will be rewarded.”
Why do some people believe in the dream fervently, whereas others do not? How might the extent to which someone embraces the dream (or rejects it) depend on social factors (i.e. circumstances of their upbringing, which includes family status, household wealth, social class, and education)?
Regardless of whether or not one “believes” in the dream, the power of its allure is real. Here is the simple formula that comprises the dream:
“hard work = wealth/success.”
Here again, the beating heart and soul of this type of thinking is an American obsession with competitive rugged individualism and self-reliance. This makes it acceptable to do things like applaud people for giving up vacation, family time, and leisure activities. So much so, that many people work themselves to death to prove themselves worthy of the dream. This formula for success has become so culturally ingrained it almost functions as a social law.
And so it follows, the people who can’t “make it” are those who fail to exert sufficient hard work and effort to achieve success. When or if they fail, it is assumed that they made a “choice.” To quote Donald Trump, from his book “Crippled America,” people who don’t buy into this vison for America are looked at in terms of “disgust,” “weakness,” “losing,” and “pathetic” (Lowndes, 2020).
Presently, during a time when nations the world over are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is curiously only in the United States that we see people calling for, at best, benign neglect, and even worse in some cases, outright death for the elderly and disabled. Don’t want to risk exposure at your minimum wage job at the grocery store or care home? Too bad. Toughen up. Sux that you don’t have a strong immune system. When people are deemed no longer useful for business, many of their fellow Americans are willing to let them perish. All because they are deemed no longer productive members of the work force.
The rhetorical oppositions of work vs. welfare, self-reliance vs. dependence, individuals vs. the state, citizens vs. foreigners are all oppositions that are animated by the social categories of race, gender, and class—they run deep in American political culture. All are reflected in the politics of the pandemic right now, and offer a grim political vision of American freedom (Lowndes, 2020).
The fact that so many people fail and fall through the cracks, as it were, is more indicative of a flawed economic system than it is ant given individual’s work ethic. Failure, defined in economic terms, is not always a simple matter of being lazy.
Alternatively, those who are either wealthy or have good paying jobs are considered the good people, as indicated by their success. And how do we know they are successful? Well, they usually have the “toys” to prove it (i.e. nice cars, nice house) which proves they worked harder than the average person. In short, they “made it” through their own individual efforts. Right?
This logic, unfortunately, only accounts for a limited spectrum of dynamics that may influence a person’s opportunity for success. It fails, for example, to take into consideration that people’s life chances, more often than not, are determined by not only factors associated with their birth, which includes access to family wealth, but also access to institutions and other opportunity structures (check out the voluminous body of social mobility research that proves this) .
Briefly put, one’s attained success in life is not a simple linear formula predicted by the single magic variable of “individual effort.” The reality is more complex than this.
Dreaming But Not Believing
According to a recent annual American Values Survey of 4,500 Americans, nearly half of Americans who once believed in the American dream (defined as working hard to get ahead) now think it no longer exists. Similarly, close to half of all Americans over 18 think their generation is better off financially than their children’s will be (Pathe). That’s pretty bleak.
What symptoms are Americans experiencing that have led to this gloomy outlook? With the results of the survey, the Public Religion Research Institute created an Economic Insecurity Index to try to pinpoint the source of the American economic malaise. They asked their survey participants whether they’d experienced any of six different forms of economic insecurity: Had they reduced meals or cut back on food to save money? Were they unable to pay a monthly bill? Did they put off seeing a doctor for financial reasons? Had they lost a job or had hours reduced? Were they receiving food stamps or unemployment benefits?
The most common reported economic insecurity reveals there may be a less publicized dimension of human suffering compared to layoffs or unemployment: food insecurity, with 36 percent of respondents saying they’d experienced it. Why food? For a lot of Americans, this is the one budgetary item that they may feel they can manage/control (compared to whether or not they pay a monthly required bill) and so they find it is the easiest expense to cut.
Research demonstrates that blacks, more than Hispanics or whites, have had to cut back on food for economic reasons [note that there are variations among whites based on social class, particularly when education is indicated as having/not having a college education]. These factors are strong predictors of who will have to make food sacrifices.
Even more sadly, the research documents there is increasing food insecurity among college students. In light of this, colleges are establishing food pantries as a way to help combat the problem.
The PRII study additionally found that most Americans have a decidedly negative self-evaluation of their financial situation. Roughly 4-in-10 Americans say they are currently in excellent (7%) or good (34%) financial shape (down 50% from 4 years ago in 2010) while a majority of the public report being in only fair (37%) or poor financial shape (20%). In 2010, half of Americans indicated they were in excellent (9%) or good (41%) shape financially (Pathe).
Today, only 30% of Americans believe the economy has gotten better over the last two years, while 35% say it has gotten worse, and 33% say it has stayed about the same. Keep in mind, this is occurring at a time when the stock market is performing at an all-time high. That says something about who is benefitting (and who is not) from our economic policies in the United States. More on that later (Pathe) [Note: most stocks in the United States are owned by members of the top 1% of society].
Psychology & the Virtue of Selfishness
Imagine for a moment a person who enjoys great wealth and status. What would happen to them if they discovered that the success and privileges they enjoy are not the result of their own hard work? In other words, how do they process the fact that the model of hard work = wealth/success doesn’t really explain their particular case? They are forced to confront what is perhaps an uncomfortable contradiction; one that may provoke an existential crisis (something they would rather avoid). Psychologists call this mental disconnect “cognitive dissonance.”
To overcome the disconnect/cognitive dissonance, wealthy people have to create a competing narrative: one that lets them return to a state of mental balance. Otherwise, they might have to ask themselves: Do I truly deserve what I have? Do other people deserve to not have the things that I have? Is it fair that I have things (despite not having worked hard) when other people work hard, can’t claim the success that I was given, and thus enjoy the same things that I enjoy?
This is why many people who identify as wealthy/financially well-off (and even those who aspire to wealth) put extra effort into rationalizing that they are the “natural” beneficiaries of their own hard work and virtue (I’m genetically smarter, work harder, etc.). I should point out here that this is not to say that they don’t work hard. Many do. But many more do not for reasons that they are the beneficiaries of wealth handed down to them by parents, family, etc. This goes on quite a bit with some middle class people too (think about someone you know who inherited a family business).
Perhaps more than others, they invest a lot of time and effort to stress the hard work = success logic. That’s because they have to continually prove to themselves and everyone else that 1) they too are hard-working people who are worthy (not frauds, lay about heirs/idle rich); and 2) the poor are truly poor because they refuse to adopt a hard-working enterprising lifestyle.
As the economist and social philosopher Max Weber points out here, they can never be satisfied that they have simply been fortunate; they have to continuously work to prove they have a right to their financial rewards/fortune; and they want make extra certain that everyone else is assured that they deserve it (because they themselves can never be assured). They’re gaslighting us all while they gaslight themselves.
Avocado Wars
This leads me to sidestep into one of the more recent meme wars that perfectly illustrate this contradiction – the avocado wars! Millennials, in particular, have taken a bashing, as they are told they spend too much money on luxury food items, including avocado toast and brunch. As the logic goes, they are more or less told “your financial problems are not the result of a broken economy; they’re the result of your self-indulgent food choices.”
So along comes Mr. Moneybags – let’s call him Avocado bruh – a supposed “self-made” millionaire to point out the error of their ways:
But as it turns out, here’s what’s really going on:
There are many examples of this type of thinking in our culture. The fact of the matter is that most people in the United States who are financially well off – not that there are not exceptions to this – probably got that way the old fashioned way – they inherited wealth or were given the money. Imagine what you could do if someone gave you a pile of money?
Looking Out for Number One
When all else fails to sustain the delusion, appeals to the philosophy of Ayn Rand are often trotted out as a means to claim some literary credibility. Rand’s writing, as demonstrated in works like Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness, is often used to justify a moral philosophy that refuses any ethical basis for a social contract (an ethic that recognizes mutual social obligations to others), particularly when those social obligations are thought to be achieved at the expense of curbing individual desire and ambition.
We know from interviews with Rand that she modeled the protagonist (Danny Renahan) of her first novel, Anthem, on the notorious serial killer, William Edward Hickman – a despicable psychopath if there ever was one. This was her first-draft portrayal of what she conceived as her “ideal man” which she would later refine and portray in the Atlas Shrugged character, John Gault. Rand writes in her journal entry:
“[Renahan] is born with a wonderful, free, light consciousness — [resulting from] the absolute lack of social instinct or herd feeling. He does not understand because he has no organ for understanding, the necessity, meaning, or importance of other people … Other people do not exist for him and he does not understand why they should.”
This is the psychopathic model of rugged “individualism” as Rand imagined it; it is a model for behavior that continues to inspire people (and many politicians among them), who fantasize about life free from mutual obligations and “government interference.”
Not only is this thinking deeply depraved, it’s the polar opposite of the altruistic empathy for others that Christian moral philosophy mandates for its adherents. Neither does it constitute an effective basis for governance. One cannot aspire to live in a complex modern “society” governed by rules and cooperation if one imagines they are an unaccountable free-agent.
Boot-strapping Psychology
Where it really gets interesting is when we look at the different ways this type of thinking manifests among people of average means – the “boot-strappers.” These are people, who generally worked to overcome some level of disadvantage, but through their own efforts (and often with help) managed to “bootstrap” their way to success.
As a result of having undergone this experience of working hard, with no perceived help from others, they now feel that everyone, regardless of obstacles that they might encounter, should similarly be able to overcome disadvantage and achieve success. Compared to the wealthy person, who often inherited their privilege, the existential anxiety that this person experiences is bit more complex. So let’s take a closer look at this person.
Not having been blessed with the luck to be born into privilege, the rugged individualist/bootstrapper must contend with at least two significant fears: Fear #1: someone might discover the “secret” of their less privileged/low birth past, thus they work even harder to maintain the veneer of success – success they further equate to evidence of their inherent “goodness” as a person (the very thing that they hope distinguishes them from the people and social groups they are aiming to stand apart from). Fear #2: That if they stop working, even for a minute, they will fall back to the low place from where they ascended to success and in the process cease to be a good person.
Buying into the American Dream is critically important to the intellectual disposition and psychic make-up of the “bootstrapper.” While they might perceive they derive some limited benefits from the current system, their social relation remains one of subservience to true wealth. But rather than recognize this, this person would rather “shoot the messenger” that dares point out these facts and contradictions. Consequently, they are easily aroused and become upset when anyone dares to unmask the system of exploitation from which they only marginally benefit.
Personal responsibility narratives run a close second to beliefs in rugged individualism, and maintain a powerful hold in compelling conforming behavior among the rich and poor alike. Nevertheless, regardless of how popular or entrenched the thought process might be, one thing is certain: it is a fatal error to assume that people without money are lazy moochers. People don’t simply “choose” success. Again, success is not a simple calculus of hard work plus the sum total of our individual choices. There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface that explains success.
The same people who lay claim to boot-strapping ideology are likely also to subscribe to the belief that there is no such thing as structural poverty (or structural racism, etc.). In denying this, they put the onus for failure totally on the individual. It’s the secular version of the prosperity gospel that has in the recent era destroyed the social justice mission of many churches.
The idea that individuals alone are responsible for what happens to them is not supported by empirical research and evidence. Notwithstanding, the idea, as such, is highly destructive and corrosive of our collective social well-being.
To this end, we would all be better served if we simply questioned and attempted to understand the root causes when there are so many people not doing well. At the very least, we should be open to considering that attaining the American Dream for many people is not as simple as many of us so desperately want to imagine.
Sources:
Excerpts from this post were derived from the article by Simone Pathe, “Why half of U.S. Adults No Longer Believe in the American Dream.” Last accessed May 2016.
Public Religion Research Institute, Economic Insecurity Index, by Daniel Cox, Juhem Navarro-Rivera, and Robert P. Jones
Discussion Questions:
How do the two-car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream? What vision of the dream are they each selling?
What kind of language and symbols do they employ to motivate potential car buyers?
How do the ads subtly (and not so subtly) exploit issues of race, class, and gender?
What is George Carlin’s basic argument about the American dream?
How is Carlin’s argument similar to Marx’s argument?
Do you think the American Dream can be attained in today’s society? If so (or not) comment on your own experience trying to “live the dream.” Do you think it is attainable for you?
What do see potentially getting in the way of your success and ability to live this dream?
Artist: David Horsey, LA Times
I think the American dream is something that is becoming less and less obtainable as the years go on. Prices for almost everything keep going up while the wages people earn remain the same. I do not think the American dream is something I can obtain myself. The American dream is not something that is easily obtained and it is not just hard work. Many other outside factors have a role in it as well. It is circumstantial whenever opportunities are presented to you, events that happen in the country that give you a better chance at living the American dream etc. There is also your origins to consider, if you are a white cis male you have a better chance at obtaining that dream than someone who is part of a minority. Unfortunately racism plays a role on how much easier or harder it is to obtain the American dream.
I think the American Dream can be reached in todays society, but it will take more work than it did 20 or so years ago. The American Dream is harder to reach today due to income inequality, high education costs, and an incredibly challenging housing market. If anyone feels strongly enough abut wanting to live the American Dream, they will work hard enough to make it happen. Although some people today could work hard and still not reach it. Everything is still rising in prices and will continue to make it more challenging as the years go by.
Potential barrier for me to achieve the American dream could be economic instability, the high cost of living , and competition in the job market, all of which make financial security more challenging. Also, balancing work with personal well-being can be tough, as pursuing career success often demands sacrifices that may detract from other aspects of life.
Carlin frequently pointed out that the American Dream is only accessible to the wealthy elite who have the resources and power to maintain their wealth. He argued that while the Dream tells you that anyone can make it if they try hard enough, the economic and social system is structured to keep the rich on top and the poor struggling. Car advertisements often tap into the American Dream which traditionally symbolizes the idea of freedom, success, and upward mobility through hard work and personal achievement. A luxury car ad often connects to the idea of the American Dream as personal success and wealth. The ad typically shows a successful and confident person driving a sleek, high-end car, highlighting that this individual has “arrived” in terms of their career and lifestyle. The car represents not just a mode of transportation, but a reward for hard work and perseverance. The advertisement targets consumers who aspire to reach this level of success. The car is marketed as an aspirational object that signals status, sophistication, and exclusivity.
Having worked many part time jobs I can somewhat understand what it is like to work long hours at a job that does not pay for everything that a person might want or need in life. Throughout the entire country the success of accomplishing the American dream is seen from everyone whether it be from social media or heard by word of mouth. The act of having enough money to not only live comfortably but buy flashy clothes, jewelry, or cars is the goal for everyone worldwide. Yet the odds of the average person without the help of an outside force accomplishing this dream is decreasing rapidly due to the economic and socioeconomic forces. The main reason for this is that people are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into their post school education hoping that after those years they will be able to get a job that over time returns on that investment. But what many students are realizing is that many of the jobs that start them on their career path pay the same amount of money as a part time job you could get during highschool would pay. Making the incentive to go to college and live out this American dream almost unachievable to attain.
The car advertisements make it seem like that the car is the item that will move you into the great future, a great promise. It relates with the American dream in a way because they both have that same sense of wanting more for themselves that can’t be attained in the same place all the time. They are trying to sell the idea of when you have that new car, it is going to be something that you can cherish forever then. They will use seductive terms for the cars, they will show the car from a lot of different angles, and have low exposure to really set the mood of the commercial. They will also most likely have a man and woman be in the ad, and most of the time they are in a relationship, having a good time. They will subtly put the man as the driver while the woman is the passenger (the stereotype that women can’t drive well). Even though the ads are not targeted towards a class, it seems more amusing to the higher class. His argument was that the American dream is not as achievable easily since it gets more controlled by wealthy people constantly. Personally, it could be because I am an immigrant myself. We came to America in 2005 because we had this opportunity from this program from America and my family had no choice but to take it. My community was not being treated well in Russia, and all the problems originate back to many years, so in a way this was a safe solution for us. The things that can get in the way could be laws getting overturned in the government, or people not being open minded about certain things like religion or nationality.
The American dream is different for everyone. We all have different American dreams, yet I personally don’t think we’ll ever fully achieve that dream. The American dream isn’t seen the same way by everyone because we all have our on views on the world and have different aspirations. I personally don’t think the American dream is achievable because there’s always something changing everyday is America. We’re constantly going through inflation, lockdowns, people can barely get a job or keep one etc. There’s so many obstacles that keep happening in America that having an American dream is exhausting to have. With all these obstacles and challenges, it stops people from wanting to achieve their dream, because they start to get unmotivated and give up in it. If we didn’t live in a world where everything was constantly changing and prices to things are constantly going up, then the American dream would be so much easier for people to achieve. I personally don’t think i will be able to achieve the American dream
because coming from a low income household it’s a lot more different to work your way up to achieve a sustainable and successful career which makes it harder to achieve any American dream.
The two-car advertisement engages with the idea of the American dream because Success is described as achieving your goals such as becoming wealthy, having your dream home and luxury car etc. “The American dream”, described is if I work hard, it will pay which is true but at the same time it takes most of your life to get where you need to be and if your lucky maybe you have a easy way out but anything you do it always takes work. Also, with the cost going up on everything it is making it more difficult for the newer generation to get to there goals such as college intuition cost, food, housing and more. If you ever notice car ads are in a nice scenery and luxurious. As said hard work =wealth and success but why does nobody have any money after all the labor they have done, and the reason goes back to the expensive living even for middle class and lower class.
I do believe in the American dream there are a lot of obstacles on the way to get to where I want to be it is not that it can not happen it just takes hard work and dedication and if I put my mind to it, it will happen and takes motivation I believe in not giving up and failure is not an option.
1. How do the two-car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream? What vision of the dream are they each selling?
Car ads connect owning a vehicle with success and fulfillment, showing that cars represent independence and a better life. These ads promote a version of the American Dream where success is linked to material wealth, suggesting that having a good car leads to happiness and stability.
2. What kind of language and symbols do they employ to motivate potential car buyers?
Ads use hopeful phrases like “drive your future” and images of family trips and adventures to create an emotional appeal for buying the car.
3. How do the ads subtly (and not so subtly) exploit issues of race, class, and gender?
The ads often feature white, middle-class families, implying they are the ideal buyers. They may also show men making decisions and women in supportive roles, reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes.
4. What is George Carlin’s basic argument about the American Dream?
Carlin argues that the American Dream is a misleading idea that suggests hard work guarantees success, while many face systemic barriers that prevent them from achieving it.
5. How is Carlin’s argument similar to Marx’s argument?
Both Carlin and Marx criticize capitalism for creating inequality and false hopes, stating that the American Dream mainly benefits a privileged few while leaving many behind.
6. Do you think the American Dream can be attained in today’s society? Comment on your own experience trying to “live the dream.” Do you think it is attainable for you?
I do think that the American Dream can be attained through todays society because you can anything if you put your mind to it. My own experience is that when me and my family went on a road trip and i got to experience things i never thought i could do. I do think it is attainable because anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
8. What do you see potentially getting in the way of your success and ability to live this dream?
Challenges include high living costs, job insecurity, and economic issues like inflation, which make it harder for people to pursue the American Dream.
When I look at the ads they show a version of the American Dream where owning a nice car means you’ve made it in life. They suggest that success and happiness come from material things, like driving a flashy vehicle. They use words like “freedom, adventure, and success.” You often see happy families or individuals enjoying life or dancing, making you feel like buying the car will lead to those good times, and the perfect life.
The ads usually feature families that fit certain stereotypes, often ignoring diversity. They also suggest that success is just a car away, which overlooks the real life challenges many people face, especially those from different backgrounds. When colored or minority people are represented, it’s not the proper way.
Carlin said that the American Dream is kind of a (scam) He thought it keeps people from recognizing the significant inequalities that exist and that not everyone has equal opportunities to succeed, and that’s why his argument is similar to Marx’s because they both emphasize the idea of success isn’t just about hard work. They argue that social structures and class struggles play a huge role in who truly gets ahead and pours with opportunities.
In my opinion, with society right now, I think the American Dream feels harder to reach today. With rising costs and student debt, it’s tough to see a clear path to things like owning a home or having a stable job. The education system does not teach young people in high school how to tackle those issues, and young adults are shocked about how it’s nearly impossible to live the American dream, especially people who are immigrants, and minorities, who have fewer chances of reaching this dream.
Car ads often show cars as symbols of freedom and success. Luxury car ads suggest that owning a fancy car means you’ve made it, while family car ads focus on safety and happiness. They use words like “freedom” and “success” and show pictures of open roads and happy families. These ads can also add into stereotypes by showing certain races in specific roles, targeting wealthy people, and showing men as drivers and women as passengers. George Carlin argued that the American Dream is a trick to distract people from real problems like economic inequality. This is like Marx’s idea that the working class is misled by those in power. I think the American dream is attainable in today’s society. I do think it’s much harder than it ever was because of the high costs. I am confident that I can achieve the American Dream because I have the work ethic to accomplish it. I don’t see any scenario where I would let myself not accomplish it. I work because I want to put myself in a better position for my future. The only thing I could see getting in the way of my success is myself. If I lose my work ethic, then I won’t achieve the American dream.
I appreciate the article’s critical analysis of the “American Dream”, an idea which many hold in high regard, but may also secretly have their own suspicions about. Like for example, a highly religious person with absolute faith in God/the power of Jesus Christ may ask themselves the question “If my god is indeed real, and not solely based on my culture/upbringing, why do people in other cultures or countries, with differing religions and gods have the same strong belief in their faith? Why don’t they believe in my god as well?” The same belief and simultaneous suspicion falls on critical thinkers who strongly believe in the American dream. They ask themselves “If the American Dream is real, and anyone who works hard enough can achieve success, why are some of our hardest working citizens (such as miners, factory workers, etc.) paid so minimally? Why are there so many hardworking people in poverty?” I also found it enlightening when the hypocriticism of the wealthy/successful was brought to light. I often see the “stop buying avocado toast” meme, but doing further research would’ve led me to discover the millionaire’s contradictions (he had major help from his boss and refraining from buying avocado toast had little to do with his success). It shows how the dream is pushed and emphasized, maintaining its reputation despite many people’s harsh/contradictory realities.
I think a lot of people believe that the American Dream is becoming more and more difficult to achieve. It is still an attractive idea, however, the rising costs and income inequality add complexity in reality. In my personal journey, I am dedicated to chasing my own dream through hard work and determination, despite the challenges that come my way.
Is it possible for me to achieve it? That is a mixture of positive and negative elements. I have specific advantages, but I know many people face significant challenges. This makes me think about how success is often impacted by circumstances, not just by hard work and determination.
Several barriers, such as economic uncertainty, could hinder my achievement. The pressure from society to constantly succeed can cause a great deal of stress. Also, structural issues like social inequality can result in an unfair environment for everyone. These challenges are a sign that the American Dream goes beyond individual effort; it demands a full understanding of opportunities and success in society
The two-car advertisements engage with the idea of the American dream by using the cars to advertise some kind of idea of success or being rich. The vision they are selling is high class and luxury. They use language calling these items the “dream” and luxury items to symbolize this dream which are completely unrealistic ideals for most Americans. The ads exploit issues such as race, class and gender by stating that hard work equals success thus equals the American dram which is unrealistic because different races and genders and classes all are weighted differently in society and some people need to work even harder because of their status. George Carlins argument is an illusion to keep people happy in an inadequate environment, the idea of the American dream is just a weapon used to keep economic control. Carlins argument is like Marx’s because they both think that these ideologies are used to keep society in check. I think the American dream cannot be attained in today’s society, the only way would to be a millionaire, what I have learned as a working college student is that hard work does NOT pay off, it does discipline wise but rewards wise there is no benefit. The American dream s only attainable to me if I am lucky enough to hit the lottery, otherwise I will never have the life I truly want because I will never make that much money, not to sound too negative I am perfectly happy with my life just a lot of the wants I have are unattainable such as a large house, luxury cars, and millions of dollars in my bank account!
It seems to me that everyone’s definition of the American ideal these days differs. Even if my idea of the American ideal differs significantly from everyone else’s, I think I can create my own version of it and achieve what I consider to be the American dream. I could also realize the concept of the American dream. To reinforce what they already believe about the world and how specific individuals need to act in the commercials, they are going to use a variety of strategies. Advertising that uses gender to make explicit or covert statements on physical appearances, for example, has a big impact on today’s youth and men and women. I still believe in the possibility of the American Dream, but I also think that more people are realizing the world they live in. I’m going to keep putting forth my best effort to succeed. It all comes down to living each day to the fullest and enduring as long as I can. I think there are a lot of obstacles in my way of reaching my objectives and leading the life I desire, but growth and change are necessary parts of existence.
I think the American dream has somewhat changed or become more personable over the years. Back in the day the American dream was the same for everyone and it was a specific looking house with a white picket fence and the perfect husband and perfect wife and two children. The car advertisements portray the American dream showing a happy couple with a nice car. Most car advertisements are aimed towards men showing them how much more “masculine” it would make them with a big pick up truck. I feel like the “ American dream “ is achievable for me. My idea of the American dream is to have a nice job and a house while being able to travel. I can potentially see not making enough money in the future to live my “dream” of traveling while still having a home and children. I feel like you have to sacrifice one or the other when you have dreams to travel and have children.
Modern advertisements play on, and push, stereotypes regarding race, class, and gender. With car commercials in particular, they’re often targeting men and through stereotypically masculine things I.e., fast sports cars make you more manly, and they’ll oftentimes have a lot of women in these advertisements in an attempt to get people to correlate that car with success and women. Similarly with Rolex, expensive “high class” watches, when you see someone wearing one you would assume they’re rich and important people. However, people aren’t really buying these cars or watches because they’re that good of quality. They’re buying the social status that comes with it. The average lower- middle class person just can’t afford these things, which is what makes them a status symbol. In today’s society though not everyone can achieve the “American Dream” and possess these items. While some, but certainly not all, may be able to create a comfortable life, the majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. There is a large gap in the distribution of wealth, which hinders a lot of people from being able to achieve the same success as the wealthier citizens. Most people have to take on some sort of debt to buy a car or further their education, so before they’ve really even had a chance to put themselves out into the world they’re already at a disadvantage. These people cannot “pull themselves up” to the same extent that someone who’s parents paid for their college or inherited a large sum of money would be able to.
I think the American Dream is something that is different to every person, yet regardless of who you are, you are never going to fully attain the American Dream. The American Dream is not something that everyone sees the same way because it can mean something different to every person. A person of color might see the American Dream as actually being free from everything that once made them feel inferior. The American Dream to someone might be the future they see for themself. Either way, the American Dream is different for every person. And I think it will never be attainable because there is always going to be something either preventing you from reaching it, making it very difficult, or it is not going to be what you want so your vision of what it once was changes. Plus if we actually did reach the American Dream, then what would we do? If the American Dream is the best thing to be reached, then there is nothing that follows. Therefore, it will never fully be reached. There is always going to be some obstacle regardless of what that obstacle is. And because everyone has their own perspective of the American Dream, everyone’s obstacles are going to be different. And sometimes the obstacles get so challenging that the person stops trying to get to that goal. They give up on their American Dream because they figure that if it is that hard to obtain then it is probably not worth it. Which leads into another problem. Some people expect what they want to be handed to them on a silver platter that they do not realize that they have to fight for what they want. And once they figure out that they have to work for what they want, they no longer want it because it cannot be handed to them. But nonetheless, the American Dream is something that is different to every person, and will never be attainable because of the obstacles that follow the journey to their end goal.
Do you think the American Dream can be attained in today’s society? If so (or not) comment on your own experience trying to “live the dream.” Do you think it is attainable for you?
I think that today the American Dream is changing and becoming more diverse for each person. I think it’s important to understand that having unique dreams in important and the previous American dream is somewhat outlandish to expect. Realistically everyone is trying to live the dream as all of their life they have been advertised and fed this ideology that to be successful in like you must fit into these molds. Today anyone can live any dream they want, but there is a new level of struggle that comes with it as more and more people are losing out with economical factors preventing them from achieving their success. It’s difficult to achieve dreams, but not impossible. It feels almost wrong to describe it as an ideology of “hard work pays off” when so many people are working extremely hard and have little things to help them survive. Some of the most successful people in the world had an extreme amount of help to get them where they are. Having influential people to not only provide help, but wisdom can help anyone achieve any dream, regardless of how it’s shown in the media.
The American Dream is the belief that hard work can lead to success and freedom. It often ties success to having specific achievements. Many people see the American Dream as reaching a high point in their career. In my view, it’s less about freedom and more about financial security.
Media and popular culture often reflect how Americans view their dreams. Movies, for example, often depict characters achieving success as a representation of the American Dream. It’s like saying, “Work hard, get ahead.” These days, many people in the United States strongly believe in this concept. They think you have to work very hard all the time, even if it means sacrificing time with your family or your personal interests. But I think it’s a mistake to think that only by working excessively can you achieve the things you desire. Success is about more than just material possessions; it’s also about personal fulfillment and happiness.
The American dream portrays the idea of a perfect life for many Americans. Many believe that the harder you work, the more successful and wealthier you will be in the future. These car advertisements reflect on the American dream because it shows an image of a fancy car, a nice house, and a happy family. The game advertisement exploits issues of race by showing a straight and easy shot for the white man, while the black man has a long path full of challenges to success. I think the idea of the American Dream is still attainable, but I believe more of society is waking up and accepting the reality they get, at least for me. I will continue to work the hardest I can so that I can be successful, but my idea of an American Dream is not owning the biggest house or fanciest car. It is about surviving and living the fullest life that I possibly can. I think that there are many obstructions that can get in the way of my success and ability to live my dreams, but life goes on and growth and change is very important.
I think the American Dream can be attained if everyone tried to do what they needed to do in order to get it. In order to achieve the American Dream people have to have hard work, dedication, and passion. I think I could achieve the American Dream because when I have my mind set to something I do everything in my power to obtain whatever it is I wanna do. I know that there will always be obstacles in my way of trying to achieve my goals. I also feel like everyone nowadays has their own perception of what the american dream is to them. I feel like my version of an american dream is way different then another and I feel like I can make my own version and achieve what my perception of american dream. I could also achieve the definition of what an american dream is as well. In the ads they will exploit different things in the stereotypical way they perceive things and certain people to act. For example, when advertisements use gender in ads containing subliminal or direct messages about physical appearances have a big impact on men, women, and youth today. Many of the huge advertisements for clothes and makeup will always try to make a point about what makes a person beautiful and what looks to be the beauty standards. Later they cause self esteem issues with the many different ads trying to advertise what the beauty standard is for these young girls and boys.
The American dream is the notion that through competitive individualism and hard work, anyone can achieve success. However, I don’t think this is always realistic. There are hardworking people who never attain success or the “American Dream”, while some very successful individuals do not necessarily work hard as hard for it. The Great Gatsby highlights this paradox through characters like Tom, who had generational wealth, and Gatsby, who worked tirelessly to join the upper class. Though we see examples of people overcoming odds through determination, it is much more difficult for those outside the mold of privilege. The American dream often assumes straight, white men as the default, overlooking systemic barriers for marginalized groups. While hard work and grit alone can lead to success in some cases, the playing field is not level for all. The American dream narrative oversimplifies success by focusing on individual hard work when privilege and structural factors also play key roles.
Ads and the American dream are very subtle manipulation techniques used. By telling someone something good, pandering to them, it’s easier to control them. To get you to bey what you want them to. And since it’s so subtle the blatant favoritism towards the white man, gives them the impression that life isn’t hard, and that you aren’t trying hard enough. You can never achieve the American Dream, because it’s not real, it’s all just fantasy words to control people and what they think they want
The American dream is an idea in place to motivate people to live traditional, hardworking lives. I do not believe that it is very attainable because similar to one of the quotes in the article, many of the richest people who are living the lives that people strive for do not work hard. They have other methods of becoming successful, making it impossible for the average American to get to this.
Recently, I feel that people have been catching on to this, especially with how the economy has changed. Several years ago, it may have been very possible to achieve the American dream, but because of the lack of availability of jobs, low pay, and similar factors, there are so many obstacles to becoming successful from just working hard. Young people especially face this issue because more people in their late 20s or early 30s are not as “stable” as they were in the past. Being able to get a job is harder, so getting a house is harder, making starting a family harder. This cycle prevents people from reaching the American dream. Oftentimes, older generations refer to this as “being lazy”, which further pushes people to feel that they are failing at working towards success. It is also incredibly difficult for low-class people to change their financial situation because of low pay and lack of jobs. To these people, the American dream is truly not possible because of the way that society functions.
George Carlin had a lot to say about the American Dream, and he didn’t like how it made it seem like if you work hard, you’ll automatically become successful and wealthy. He thought that this idea put too much pressure on people to work nonstop and made it seem like it was the only way to be successful in America. Carlin believed that this way of thinking had become so ingrained in American culture that it was like a rule everyone had to follow. He also thought the American Dream was used to praise people who gave up things like vacations and family time to chase after success.
Carlin’s argument is similar to what Karl Marx talked about. Both Carlin and Marx disagreed that success is solely based on how hard an individual works. They believed that things like your social class, the resources you had access to, and the rules in place played a significant role in determining how successful you could be. They also thought that the American Dream and the capitalist system often hid the unfairness and problems in society by blaming individuals for their failures.
In conclusion , they both criticized the American Dream for focusing too much on individual hard work and not enough on the more prominent factors influencing success. They believed that this dream was used to keep inequalities in society going and to make the current economic system seem fairer than it was.
Well, George Carlin had a pretty interesting take on the American dream. He argued that the idea of the American dream is just that—an idea. He believed that it’s a way for the rich and powerful to keep the rest of us hopeful and distracted while they continue to benefit. Carlin saw it as a way to maintain the status quo and keep people striving for something that might not be attainable for everyone.
Carlin’s argument shares some similarities with Marx’s argument. Both Carlin and Marx critique the existing social and economic structures, highlighting the exploitation and inequality that they believe are inherent in capitalist societies. They both question the notion of the American dream as a means of social mobility for all, arguing that it can be a mechanism to maintain the existing power dynamics. Both Carlin and Marx emphasize the role of class and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. While they approach the topic from different perspectives, their critiques revolve around the idea that the American dream may not be as accessible or equitable as it is often portrayed.
I think the American dream is still attainable in today’s society. There are a lot of factors that determine whether or not someone is successful in life, and unfortunately some of that is out of their control at birth (family wealth, support, region), but is still attainable, though far more unlikely. At the end of the day America provides far more freedom and tools to allow for economic mobility. Even before the founding of our nation people immigrated to America for unique freedoms. Ever since millions have travelled across the globe to pursue the economic promise, to play the game and hopefully win. As I stated earlier, I think this dream is attainable for everyone, but is often harder for those who fall through the cracks and are abandoned by society. The dream is not possible without hard work, but hard work isn’t necessarily the only ingredient for the dream. I think this dream is attainable to myself, I am already fortunate enough to go to college and have an education, as well as support from my family to allow me to pursue my career and do the same for my future kids.
I believe that the American Dream is very for any person of color and/or people under the poverty line. Sure hard work can pay off, but it’s only if you have those connections. Getting to the “American Dream” is just about being as rich as you can, not just being comfortable. When you have those resources that already rich families have, you already have the ideal American Dream. Immigrants come here for a better life; which yes we are probably better than where they come from, but we don’t treat them as so. They have to work 10 times harder than everyone else just to get a quarter of what a white lower middle class family might get. The American Dream was made by white men, for white men. When this whole idea came about no one thought that any woman or person of color would ever have any rights. It wasn’t created for us.
The American Dream can be attained in today’s society just not for everyone because there are a lot of people in the United States who have different backgrounds and come from different countries. I do believe if you work hard enough you can achieve the American Dream but like I said before people come from different countries and have obstacles to obtaining that American Dream like my parents come from Mexico and I have seen them work hard enough for 20 years and have not moved up far. I believe someone who was born and raised in a suburban area has a better chance of being successful. Do I think it is attainable for me to live the dream honestly yes because I’m putting in the hard work in college to pursue my college degree and working hard to have a better life in the future, the only thing I’ll say that is getting in my way to be able to live this dream is the student debt I’m going to be in when I graduate from college. The American Dream is something I would like to work on and achieve in life.
The American dream is something that everyone has fantasized about. Most people would think about becoming a millionaire or traveling the world. Some of these people do obtain their dream they are chasing but some people end up giving up on their dream and live a life of regret. I do believe that the American dream can be attained today but I think it is a lot harder to achieve the dreams people have. I have a couple of dreams that I would like to come true and believe that they can be attainable for me. My first dream is becoming wealthy. I believe that this dream is attainable for me because as long as I do everything right and get the career that I want I will be financially stable. My next dream is to travel the world. I’ve always been fascinated by different cultures and too see how people from around the world live their lives. My final dream is to try and become a professional MLB player. This is by far the most difficult dream that I am trying to achieve but as long as I work hard and stay healthy I think it could be possible.
Car ads, intriguingly, often find a way to align themselves with the nebulous concept that is the American Dream. They slyly position cars as symbols of personal freedom, success, and achievement, employing all those snazzy catchphrases like “unleash your potential,” “drive your dreams,” and “elevate your status.” They’ve got this knack for making it sound like owning a specific car can be a huge life-changing. What really grabs your attention is how they craft these visuals. You’ve got these swanky, well-equipped cars, gliding down those wide-open roads, with scenes that are all about contented families or high-flying individuals living lives dripping with luxury. It’s all about tugging at those deep-seated desires and aspirations. These ads are like magicians, weaving illusions. They don’t just peddle cars; they sell you the dream of owning that car as your golden ticket to living the American Dream. It’s like they’re saying, “This isn’t just a car; it’s the enchanted key to making your wildest dreams come true.” It’s incredibly captivating and taps into our collective yearning for what we envision the American Dream to be.
As for the current state of the American Dream, I think it’s to be expected. When the American Dream is simply summed up as, “Work hard to achieve success and wealth.” Doubts should arise. It is not only the American Dream that promotes this idea but there are many countries or places in the world that closely link hard work and success so that people can work hard. The practicality of this idea is much less than his ideal because reality has more uncertainties. For example, a student wants to study in the best university. It doesn’t mean working hard enough can help a person to get into the best university. There are a lot of talented people in the world, and maybe they only need half the effort to achieve the highest achievement. Not to mention that they will also work harder. In addition, many factors are unavoidable. For example, the financial situation of the family, the richness of the resume, and the element of luck. These factors are like the underlying factors that are not mentioned in the American dream, they may seem unimportant, but they are all indispensable. People are not stupid either, because there will always be people who are aware of the existence of these problems. Then the beautiful imagination of the American dream will be self-defeating. I don’t think hard work is stupid, on the contrary, I admire those people who work hard very much. But it is a very inaccurate and misleading statement to put an effort on the basis of untrue results.
I believe that the American dream can still be attained in the US. However, not everyone has the same opportunities to achieve this goal. The formula “hard work = american dream” does not necessarily apply to all individuals. Some have had to work harder than others and others have not had the need to work at all. An example of the latter would be a typical spoiled young adult to whom their parents gave everything in life. You can often catch these people on internet videos screaming “do you know who my dad is”, after they can’t get what they want. Also, I don’t think everyone’s version of the American dream is the same. To some the American dream may consist of mansions, expensive vacations, luxury cars, money and jewelry. Others’ version of the American dream may consist of just living a fulfilling life with enough to provide for their family.
Nevertheless, oftentimes not even all the work in the world may be enough to make ends meet. The desire to achieve one’s goals however is so powerful that some people may find themselves choosing illicit means to get what they want. The website post says that “there isn’t empirical research and evidence” that supports the idea that an individual alone is responsible for their own outcome. There are many factors throughout life that affect whether or not an individual can be successful in life and disregarding that fact is very destructive to all of us as a society.
The two-car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream by showing the audience a depiction of success and patriotism with the houses and the flags. The one with the man and woman kissing shows that success and wealth makes someone able to find a partner. The one with the red truck shows that being American and living in a suburb is the ideal.
They show American symbols like the flag and Statue of Liberty which appeal to people’s sense of patriotism. They show houses which symbolize wealth and stability.
The ad with the man and woman includes two white people with a large house and luxury vehicle. This is something that almost no one in the lower classes could achieve with only hard work.
I think the American Dream can be attained in today’s society, but it is difficult. I think it is only possible by going to college or finding good opportunities. I feel like college is a requirement to get almost every high paying white collar job because they require lots of schooling. The American Dream can also be attained by learning and getting jobs in certain trades.
Ads can sometimes subtly or not-so-subtly exploit issues of race, class, and gender to appeal to certain audiences or create emotional connections. Some ads may use racial stereotypes or tokenism to appeal to specific racial groups. This can reinforce stereotypes or make individuals from those groups feel targeted or misrepresented. Advertisers often play on class distinctions. For example, luxury brands may use images of opulence to appeal to a sense of status, while budget brands might use affordability as a selling point. Gender roles and stereotypes are frequently exploited in advertising. This can involve reinforcing traditional gender roles or using sexualized imagery to sell products. On the other hand, there has been a shift toward more inclusive and gender-neutral advertising in recent years. Ads always find atleast one group to cater to, because that’s what it’s meant to do. This is how they gain customers or views or whatever the case may be.
George Carlin’s Argument about the American Dream:
Carlin was critical of the traditional American Dream, which often emphasizes material success, wealth, and consumerism. He believed that this pursuit of material possessions and the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality had led to a shallow and unsatisfying way of life. Carlin argued that the American Dream had been reduced to a pursuit of “stuff” and financial success at the expense of more meaningful and fulfilling pursuits.
He often humorously pointed out the absurdity of this consumer-driven version of the American Dream, suggesting that it had become a distraction from the deeper and more important aspects of life, such as relationships, personal growth, and happiness. Carlin’s commentary on the American Dream was often a critique of the values and priorities of contemporary American society. Carlin’s argument was that the American Dream had been distorted into a pursuit of material wealth and status, and he encouraged people to question these values and seek more meaningful and authentic sources of fulfillment in their lives.Success can be achieved through patience and hard work, it doesn’t have to come right away and can come from achieving and enjoying life.
The American Dream can be attained in today’s society, just not by everyone. And for some, not as easy as others. I am realizing that everyone comes from different backgrounds and that makes a huge difference in who they are and how successful they will be. Of course someone who was born and raised in a suburban area has a higher chance of being successful. Children who grow up in these areas usually attend schools with better education funding, therefore providing better educational resources. And of course it would be more difficult for a child who was born in an area of full of crime and poverty to become successful. It is almost always possible, but a child in this type of neighborhood has way more obstacles to face while trying to learn in school and coming home and completing homework than a child living in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Personally, my environment affects my ability to be successful the most. I am sure there are other people who are the same way.
In society today the American dream is a goal that all Americans want to achieve but it is also something that is getting harder and harder to obtain for everyone. People want the big house with the front lawn and the white picket fence but with todays society you want more than just that house.
After viewing both commercials, one can see the disparity in society between the minority and the majority. The hubris and patriotic tone of the white man in the Cadillac commercial cannot be ignored as he lists the achievements of Americans and how the country surpasses others. While this could have been an attempt to make one feel “proud to be an American”, it comes off as arrogant. The commercial opens with him standing in front of his accomplishment, a big pool and backyard. As he walks through the house he keeps naming off accomplishments. There was no personal example of the mans hard work in the whole commercial. one would assume that the speaker had a relatively easy climb up the economic ladder into the world of the upper class. For some people who are born into wealth, this is their convenient and lucky reality. I think this was a good example to show If you are born into money the American Dream is a lot easier to accomplish.
The American Dream idea that competitive individualism and hard work pay off with guaranteed steady progress up the economic ladder. However society has constructed this idea into an unfair system. The second image says “In American Mythology, people are rich because of “hard work.” Yet nobody can explain why those who do all the actual labor have no money.” I agree with this statemernt alot because it is evident in the labor system. Minorities are valued less and it shows in their compensation. Many of them also work in mostly fast food restaurants. This quote also ties into the poor labor work that is done in foreign countries such as China. China is known for its labor, where people work in factories in order to sell things such as clothes, shoes, and accessories. However, workers get paid as low as one dollar and work more than fifteen hours a day.
The American dream is an idea that is taught to children that tells them that competitive individualism and hard work will make them successful in the future. This, however, isn’t really true in today’s American society. The top 1% of Americans receive most of the wealth because of inheritance, and those people live in fear that people will discover that they did not earn their wealth through hard work, but were simply born into it. The other believers in the American dream are the “Boot-Strappers” who are often influenced by Ayn Rand’s work. They believe that hard work and individualism are the sole indicator of success in society, even going so far as to hide their less privileged past. They also believe that they must continue to work to achieve success and once they stop, they cease to be a valuable member of society. This thinking is inherently flawed because they’re still working for the top 1% who achieved their success through inheritance and not reaping the full rewards for their hard work. Overall, I think the American Dream is an outdated concept from a time when the wealth was more evenly distributed, and it outdated in today’s society where the billionaires inherit all the wealth from past generations.
The central theme of the two advertisements is that you can achieve your goals if you work hard enough. The American dream is precisely what it is: “a dream,” as seen in the first image, which features a loving family, a large home, and a great car. Due to a broken system, it is far more challenging for many people to realize their dreams, as demonstrated by the board game image where a white American earns turns and spaces while an African American loses numerous rounds. Some people find it incredibly difficult or even impossible to realize the American ideal. Even white Americans from the working-class struggle with difficulty to advance in life. Being born into wealth is the easiest method to realize this desire. If you have the money, you can do whatever you want and earn more money. The main thrust of George Carlin’s argument is that everyone works to ensure that there are no opportunities for people to rise to higher social classes in America. Because greed is at the center of everything, this perspective resembles that of Marx. The so-called owners oppose others’ financial success because they fear losing control of the situation. I believe that the American ideal encompasses more than just becoming rich. I believe it has more to do with you succeeding in circumstances where it is impossible in other contexts. Therefore, I do think it is possible, especially for me, but regrettably not for everyone. My decision to pursue my American dream is essentially the only thing standing in the way.
The American Dream is the belief held today that, through hard work and good decision-making, people can end up living comfortable lives and pursue other pursuits, such as family and community. This can be seen in any car advertisement, where it is often a family in a nice house that is able to afford a new car. As such, this is set as a standard for modern Americans. While many people do not believe this is a reasonable or obtainable goal, I believe differently. I just believe that people I have been lied to on what it takes to obtain the dream. For the past 40 years, people have been told that college is the only path to reach the American Dream when it simply isn’t true. Many people that work blue-collar jobs can live comfortably, without ever having to go to college. Also, with the widespread use of credit cards, many people are in constant cycles of debt, making it difficult to ever save up money to advance their economic situation. I believe that if people think through what careers they want to go through before going straight to college and avoid unnecessary debt, they can reach the American Dream. The only thing that concerns me about preventing Americans from reaching that dream is the current economic system, in which the Federal Reserve oversees currency. They hope to maintain a 2% yearly inflation rate, which decreases the value of the dollar by over 20% over 10 years. As such, unless we constantly raise the minimum wage to keep up with inflation, people are never going to get ahead.
The American Dream can be defined in many different ways; it only depends on who you ask. My “american dream” wouldn’t hold the same definition as a person from Nevada, but they would probably have some of the same qualities. As Americans we are known for having hard work heavily related to success, though that is true no matter how hard some people work they are handed disadvantages right and left. While others who are more privileged have a clear and made path for them without having to do any of the work to get to their destination. All of the different ideas of the american dream exist but one part that is probably true for most is; the harder and more you work, the more money you make, the happier and stable your life will be. Money truly makes the world go round in our society today and that’s the part I dislike the most. We should be focused on how to spread wealth and equality throughout all societal classes. There is no reason there should be such a large difference of work to be done between a person with all the american dream advantages and a person who has got any.
The American Dream is the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. The two-car advertisement engages the idea of the American Dream by showing people what the “dream” hypothetically looks like. It highlights that you should have a loving wife with a big house and a nice car representing freedom and choice. Although the idea of living the American Dream seems obtainable, it realistically isn’t. Some people work all of their lives trying to obtain the Dream but just aren’t able to. George Carlin’s basic idea of the American Dream is that you have to be asleep to believe it. Essentially he is stating that the American Dream only works for people who found their way through the spectrum and are on the right side of the economy by chance. If you are just a working-class citizen, it’s most likely you will not be in the Dream and be considered a loser. I do believe that the American Dream can be obtained to this day with regarding all of opinion. I really do believe you have to work hard to achieve the American Dream you want. I only find it hard to obtain because realistically I haven’t tried to get there yet. There are many things that can get in the way of obtaining the American Dream. I feel like the main thing will be the changing economy and the laws. Yes, you might work hard all of your life, but the rise and cost of things are only going up as well.
The American dream is the idea that through hard work and dedication anyone can make money and improve their economic status. The first picture shows what this dream is supposed to look like with a loving family, a big house, and a nice car but the American dream is exactly what it is “a dream”. For many people, it is so much more difficult to achieve this dream because of a flawed system as shown by the board game photo where an African American is losing many turns compared to the white American who gains turns and spaces. The American dream is extremely hard to attain or impossible for some people to achieve. Even working-class white Americans have an extremely hard time getting a leg up in life. The best way to achieve this dream is to be born into money. If you have the money you can make more money and do whatever you want. For me, I hope to achieve it at least in a modest way with a nice house and a happy family and we don’t have to worry about food. I’m hoping by going to college and getting a good job I can achieve this but in the end, I’m just hoping because there are no guarantees. The thing that I see getting in the way of me achieving this is money because you need money to go to college and pay off loans and that is a big problem for me. I don’t come from money and my family doesn’t have much but if I make good money in my career I won’t have to worry about money and I can do whatever I want and live my best life. I can see how growing up in a run-down neighborhood or town can make this dream so much harder as it does for so many Americans and I’m fortunate to be where I’m at now because I went to a good school in a nice town.
People who don’t believe in the American Dream are viewed as weak, disgusting, losers, and miserable. The American Dream is the idea that people can achieve success and fortune through freedom. People who don’t appear to be living the “American Dream” are viewed as being underprivileged or losers. So what exactly qualifies someone to have the “American Dream”? People who can afford pricey vacations, expensive cars, and pricey homes are living the American ideal in today’s culture. Through social media and ads, society has produced this idea. On television and social media, it appears to be so simple, yet obtaining it is difficult. We need to recognize that it’s not always as simple as wealthy individuals online make it appear to be for someone to acquire these materialistic goods. Vehicle advertisements always include a happy couple, a large, gorgeous house in the background, and typically American flags. These are signs that let Americans know that having a great car is a goal that many people share. But for some Americans, this ideal can resemble something else entirely. Everyone has a different perspective of what their dream entails, therefore we need to be aware that some people may not consider these materialistic objects as their ideal in society. Some people could view having a well-paying job as the American Dream, while others might want a large mansion. Everyone’s dream is different, no one should be ashamed of what it contains. One shouldn’t be characterized as a loser or weak simply because they value more than another person.
The American dream is an ideology that values freedom as opportunities for success achieved through hard work. The American ideal places a lot of emphasis on materialistic things. Advertising for two-cars plays with the idea of the American Dream. I think that the idea of the American dream includes having two cars, a large house, and well-paying jobs. This is part of the American Dream, in my opinion. It seems to me that freedom has nothing to do with it and everything to do with wealth. Advertising has demonstrated how Americans evaluate their dreams. Advertising for cars, people displaying their expansive and expensive homes that they acquired through success, and people utilizing their possessions to show what they can buy with their wealth are all examples of this. “Work = Success/Wealth.” The United States now has an obsession with this way of thinking. Americans believe that in order to achieve success, people must work hard continuously, even if doing so means losing time with their families and fulfilling personal interests. I think it is a false belief that they can only achieve these materialistic things they desire by working themselves to death when it’s more than that.
The American Dream is talked about all the time. This essentially means the harder you work, the more successful you will become (hard work = success). This dream can be attained by anyone who is willing to put hard work into something, but sometimes people aren’t willing to put in the work. In return, they are seen as “weak” or “pathetic” from society because they did not want to put in the work to gain that success. When looking at the car advertisement, its portraying the dream as having a big house, a fancy car, a good job, and a happy family. Who wouldn’t want to have those things? However, when looking at the board game advertisement, it really shows how different it can be for different races. For example, whites have a straight shot to the American Dream while blacks must go through many different obstacles before they are able to attain this dream. I believe the American Dream is still attainable in today’s society, but I feel like it is much harder to attain for most people. Today, everything is getting so expensive, and many people cannot afford it now. That means people must work even harder than ever before. Although, how hard are people willing to work before it is too much? At some point, people might become exhausted from all the work they are putting in to reach the American Dream, especially if they aren’t making progress.
The American Dream is the idea that competitive individualism and hard work pay off with guaranteed steady progress up the economic ladder. I do believe that this is realistic. Even now, a bunch of people around my age seem like they have reached this goal already with fame and money just from social media. They got themselves started and everyone else fed along with it. George Carlin makes a valid argument against the American Dream by stating that the government only wants people to be smart enough to work and complete the task at hand, however, not smart enough to realize the current situation. He believes that the government wants us to be oblivious to the decreasing wages, and long hours that we must put in to make a living for ourselves. He basically elaborates on the fact that the American Dream has been made to the government’s ideal dream.
The American Dream is the idea that competitive individualism and hard work pays off with guaranteed steady progress up the economic ladder. The dream is attainable for anyone who is willing to chase it. Nearly half of Americans who once believed in the American Dream now don’t and think it no longer exists. The American Dream is based on looks and how we view things, for instance lots of flags and people looking happy, the people use something that everyone will look at and will grab their attention. The American Dream consists of having a big nice house, nice cars, and basically the luxuries of life. The American Dream is 100 percent possible today, but depends on work ethic and not depending on everything being handed to you like most Americans rely on today. The American Dream is something that everyone wants, but only few will work for and achieve the goal of having it. We all want the luxuries of a big house and nice cars, but the difference is who will work for the dream and who is gonna wish for it and never put the effort to achieve it. The American Dream is something I would love to achieve and something I plan to work toward in my life.
The American dream is not always something that’s cracked up to be. “Anyone willing to chase it, will be able to sustain it”. What these rich politicians don’t understand is how privileged they truly are. 90% of all politicians has a in, whether it’s through friends, family, or spouse, they have that foundation of a start. About half a million Americans live out in the cold and have no roof over their head. In most of the lower economical population’s crime thrives, why is this happening? Politicians waste their money on unnecessary things rather then fixing school systems where they are needed. Establish a good foundation for jobs for future households so they can make a living and not have to act criminally to afford living. Studies show that blacks and Latinos and some whites roughly 36% living in lower economic neighborhoods cut their food budgeting because its easier to manage then a bill. How could one live the American dream because people are just sleeping outside and being lucky to eat. But then you have “leaders” who get cooked a meal every night and have water and a warm bed to sleep in. The American dream is one sided and will always be one sided. It’s for the wealthy not the poor.
Advertisements that contain the American Dream concept always sell the product very well. The two-car advertisement for example is targeting the theory that every American wants to have a successful job, a house with cars, a happy family, and more. This is the ideal American Dream. The advertisement uses American flags, a big house, and a happy couple to portray the visual of the Dream. It creates a sense of need for the viewers to buy the car. Some ads, such as the board game at the bottom of the article, exploit social issues in a strong way. I like advertisements like these because they get the point across to the viewers in the best approach possible. George Carlin’s basic argument about the American Dream is that it Is not possible to achieve in most cases. This is because it is a dream, not reality. In 2022, the American Dream has changed drastically. I believe that this is a good thing and it’s better to have more diverse dreams in our society.
This a super interesting article because so many companies who advertise do such a great job at selling this concept. I think the reason why car advertisements are so effective when selling cars is because in America the American dream, part of it is buying materialistic things and owning cars and houses and having a family and all these things. So, when you go to buy a car or go look at a car, they advertise the fact that this is what every single American wants, to own a car. They use a lot of American flags and people who look super happy they use symbols and pictures that everyone wants to look at. They use pictures of cars I front of big, nice houses with your family in the car and all these different things. To make your more likely to purchase a car. I do think the American dream can be attained today, but I think it is harder because of the fact everyone has more things and more money and huge houses and a lot of cars. But yes, I think I can attain it and I want to attain it at some point.
The American dream is being individual and having your hard work having actual positive outcomes. The two car advertisements engage in the American dream because they emphasize in the hard work paying off and focus on wealth, with a family, and having a good job with support around you. The language and symbols used are the American flag with the red, white, and blue in order to motivate car buyers because these symbols are the only ones with color to show “America”, where the American dream is present. This idea is to show the life in the pictures is prevalent in America. These ads also exploit issues of gender because the man is the owner of the car and is dressed fancier, where this is not the case in some households. Also, in this picture it is a white couple, so it seems like the “American dream” is only prevalent to this race. George Carlin’s basic argument about the American dream is that it is not possible to achieve in most cases because it is a dream and rarely leaves the mind. Carlin’s argument is similar to Marx’s because they both say the American dream is achieved through actual freedom, which is hard to achieve when in the working class. I believe the American dream does not exist in today’s society because of the word ‘guaranteed’ in the area of economic progress and climbing up the ladder. I have seen my mom work for 7 years now and has not moved up far in the economic ladder despite her high work ethic. I believe this is not leaning in my favor because I do not come from a rich or wealthy family, so I am not starting high on the ladder.
Yes there is no question that the American dream has changed over the many of years. But the American only got bigger and bigger as time past. In todays world the American dream is different for everyone. With the American dream being different for everyone a lot of people want the same thing as the American dream. That American dream is to be happy, have a nice house, nice cars, be married, have a family and just all the stuff you always dream in life to have in the future. In today society I think the American dream is a very hard process to make happen but it is possible to live the American dream. For people who really want the American dream they really need to work hard for what they get and what they have. If you don’t put the time and effort into what you want then that American dream is going to be hard to come by but it definitely is possible!
The American Dream or the idea of it has drastically changed since it’s inception. What was once a frontier full of possibility has become its own entity and developed nationwide. What was once considered a dream could now be considered one’s worst nightmare, for example a property in the country, spending your life living off the land and raising a family is not a common goal for Americans. Clearly the age of information has changed this dream drastically, with a much higher focus on wealth than ever before. Just as everything else, these are the effects from a number of causes and not just one. For example what was once considered a living wage and a wage that could support a family is not sufficient enough in today’s world to live off of for a few months yourself, let alone supporting another human being or even a family. The golden era of the American Dream was the result of a national pride instilled after two World Wars and a very large amount of arrogance of the fact that unless you were white, the American Dream would almost never become a reality. In today’s world I do not believe there is an “American Dream” because there is not really a pride in America, and that most people really don’t have a dream in America that could not be lived out elsewhere, given the choice.
I feel as though the American dream only happens to certain people more easily than others. Everyone wants the dream of being successful, happy, stress free , along with a nice house and family. Depending on your background, it can be difficult for most to get the dream they want. For those that grew up in better neighborhoods with better jobs and better education, they are more likely to achieve their version of the American dream, while other come from lesser neighborhoods with poorer education or lower paying jobs which can make it harder for them to achieve their version of the dream. However, the ones that may have a poorer background, a lot of time work twice as hard as the one who came from a better background and end up achieving their version of the American dream. Life is what you make it. Although it may be harder for some and may even take longer, it’s still possible to people to achieve it.
In today’s society the American dream is a goal that all Americans want to achieve but it is something that is getting harder and harder to obtain. People want the big house with the front lawn and the white picket fence but with todays society you want more in that house. After viewing both commercials, one can see the disparity in society between the minority and the majority. The hubris and patriotic tone of the white man in the Cadillac commercial cannot be ignored as he lists the achievements of Americans and how the country surpasses others. While this could have been an attempt to make one feel “proud to be an American”, it comes off as arrogant. The commercial opens with him standing in front of his accomplishment, a big pool and backyard. As he walks through the house he keeps naming off accomplishments. There was no personal example of the mans hard work in the whole commercial. one would assume that the speaker had a relatively easy climb up the economic ladder into the world of the upper class. For some people who are born into wealth, this is their convenient and lucky reality. I think this was a good example to show If you are born into money the American Dream is a lot easier to accomplish.
I think that the “American Dream” is as alive now as it has ever been, but of course with technology the way it is achieved is much different. The “American Dream” has been transformed over the years from the hard working men and women in factories in the early 1900s to now where you can dance on an app or make videos and have a great living. I think that in todays society there are just more ways to accomplish the illustrious American dream. Advances in technology has broadened the horizons to new opportunities that were not the same as they were back then. We now have new markets today for space travel, electric cars, renewable energy. People like Jeff Bezos are a great example of the “American Dream”, going from selling used books online to the wealthiest man in the world. He is the reason people are drawn to take a slice out of the cake that is the American Dream. I think that people who don’t believe in the American dream because they are lacking motivation and or just enjoy where they are and don’t want to move from that place.
I hate to admit this, but in my personal opinion the “American dream” was never real and could never be obtained the way people think it could. The entire idea that an average person could rise through the ranks and become as rich as the fictional James Gatsby. While it may have been hard to obtain this dream back during its inception in the 1930’s. It has only increased in difficulty, with the rise of technology and social media. As well as the decline of the importance of education, we are seeing each generation either give up on working towards high paying jobs due to the cost of college (both time wise and fiscally). Or we are seeing them try and fulfill the fantasy of becoming an online celebrity, obtaining millions of dollars and thousands of fans by dancing to 12 second clips of music. While the latter is only a small percentage of people, the majority of us are affected by a continuous struggle, where we are born and how we are raised contributes greatly to how we develop. If we are born at the bottom of the food chain into poverty we are less likely to get a GED go to college or even get a stable job. While the people born into generational wealth live off the money made by people before them. Two separate circles that are very hard to be broken out of. Getting the American dream today is nye impossible, there are so many obstacles: race , sex, family origin and status are just a few of the things you need to have in order to be successful. However, since none of us get to decide our outcome with the “birth lottery”, we are stuck with what we get, making everything complicated from the start if you get a bad role.
For years, American TV shows have been romanticizing the idea of the American dream. This could be seen in everyday programs or TV commercials. In these, the American dream was defined as work hard and you will succeed. It’s something that has been observed for decades and is still present today. It’s seen in movies, social networks and even in the smallest advertising sign. Because every person is clear about what the American dream is and how to achieve it since before they can even be aware of what it really is.
This is something that is constantly talked about. Even more so when you are surrounded by immigrants and hear how they ended up in this country. Regardless of their stories, each and every one of them arrive here with one purpose; to follow the famous American dream. In my opinion although the American dream is real it must also be stressed that it’s not for everyone. Some people have more benefits than others to achieve it. Obviously hard work helps a lot but the reality is that to achieve success in the United States you need more than just the desire to better yourself. Because it depends so much on your background, a person raised with a poor education will not have the same chance of success as a person with a first-rate education.
The American Dream can be attained in today’s society, just not by everyone. And for some, not as easy as others. I am realizing that everyone comes from different backgrounds and that makes a huge difference in who they are and how successful they will be. Of course someone who was born and raised in a suburban area has a higher chance of being successful. Children who grow up in these areas usually attend schools with better education funding, therefore providing better educational resources. And of course it would be more difficult for a child who was born in an area of full of crime and poverty to become successful. It is almost always possible, but a child in this type of neighborhood has way more obstacles to face while trying to learn in school and coming home and completing homework than a child living in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Personally, my environment affects my ability to be successful the most. I am sure there are other people who are the same way.
I think the advertisements try to allude to different versions of the American dream. Regarding the Cadillac ad, it tries to illustrate the idea that hard work can lead an individual to success, thus directly alluding to the American dream. The Ford ad does show some underlying similarities, with the general message being work hard = success. With that said, it also gives the idea that physically working hard not just for you, but for the community, can lead to success. The Cadillac commercial uses symbols of the “ideal” American Dream, that being the classical nuclear family (assuming the man in the commercial has a wife), white-collar work, and the idea that the U.S. should not be like other countries, in order to sell their vehicle. The Ford commercial, however, uses symbols like the landfill, blue-collar work, and environmentalism. The most obvious difference between the commercials is the race and gender of the spokesperson, with the Cadillac ad having a white man and the Ford ad having a black woman. Another difference that can come to mind would be the assumed class between the two individuals, with the man in the Cadillac ad assumed to belong in the upper class, while the woman in the Ford commercial is assumed to be somewhere in the middle class. George Carlin’s argument about the American Dream is that those who are of higher class and wealth have more say over the government and country than does the average person who resides within it. Furthermore, in association with Marx, Carlin argues that those who do manual labor and those within the working class are being taken advantage of by those who are most wealthy or the capitalist class. Going off of the general idea of the American Dream, I would argue that it can be obtained, however not by everyone, because those who are disadvantaged may never obtain the ability to live this dream, especially when concerning those who suffer from poverty. Now if measures were taken to ease said poverty, then they may have a chance, albeit slight, of obtaining this dream. Regarding my life, I have been fortunate enough to have been born into the family I am in and to have lived where I live. Furthermore, I am extraordinarily lucky that my parents were willing to help fund my college tuition. With that in mind, I do believe that, for me, the American Dream is obtainable, and I will do everything I can to get where I want to be, however, it would be naïve of me to think that I am where I am purely due to my work alone. I owe most of it to luck and my parents. The obstacles I see in my way are getting my degree, getting into law school, and finding a long-term job.
I think that both of the car advertisements both are aimed at selling the “American Dream”. They both engage with the idea of the American Dream because they both seem to feature the American Flag and also a white house in the picture. The first car advertisement also features a woman and a man kissing on their car which encompasses the dream of having the perfect house, family, job, and vehicle. Although the second car advertisement seems to focus more so on living in a town and having a perfect home. The two main symbols that I see are the American Flag and also white houses which kind of plays on the white picket fence aspect of the American Dream. I thin that everyone has mostly the same idea of the American Dream but different versions. I I don’t know if the American Dream is attainable necessarily but I would hope it would be for some people. It al just depends on everyones specific idea of the American Dream. Some things that might get in the way of me attaining the “dream” are potentially job availability and the success I have in my career. I would love to have a nice house and a family of my own in the future but there are unpredictable things that happen. I think the American Dream is portrayed as something thats easy to do and that everyone should strive to achieve it. But thats not that truth, it’s harder to attain the American Dream than is portrayed. Yet everyone may not achieve or want to achieve the idea of the American Dream.
Growing up you’ll hear many people talk about the “American Dream”. This is the assumption that hard work pays off in every any anything you do and with hard work you’ll be successful. After reading the article Selling the American Dream it talks about how peoples mindset on this topic. Majority of society believes if you aren’t successful at what you do or in life it is simply because you are lazy. I do not agree with this because of all the other factors that can be overlooked. We all know being successful will never be an easy road but as long as you are truly trying you should never feel as though you are lazy or aren’t working hard enough to accomplish and complete those tasks and goals. The article also talks about to different kinds of people in the world. The first one is “boot-strappers”. These kind of people who work to overcome some level of disadvantage but through their own efforts often with help. These kind of people also have the mindset that everyone regardless of the obstacle, everyone should be able to overcome any battle, and the second is someone who has two significant fears that sticks with them with everything they do. These kind of people are under the impression that the minute they stop working hard they will fall back to poverty. Also they work so hard so no one can see the struggle that they had to go through not wanting them to know that they didn’t come from wealth and people there to hold their hands every step of the way.
Personally, I believe the American Dream is desired by few because it is unrealistic. Not everyone can afford to have the perfect car and the most luxurious house because the system is rigged. The higher social class you have, the less work you do while seeing more money. The lower the social class, the harder you work, and the less money you have. Average American’s work their butts off but never see the appropriate compensation, and when they struggle the higher class tells them it is because they did not work hard enough. Meanwhile the higher class is filled with trust fund babies, who were given 1 million dollars just for getting through graduation. Their “hard work” of investing said 1 million and turning it into 5 million is what success looks like. If you ask me, I say it is ridiculous for the average person and college student to believe if we work hard enough we will have what we truly desire is bullshit. I can bust my ass throughout college, and I guarantee I will end up with government assistance sometime in the future because the trust fund babies, who run the country, decided it’s time for a change that will result in layoffs at the company I work at.
What I continue to see in all areas of Berks County in particular, is that the folks who have little to nothing whether it be in in the Twin Valley school district or the Wyomissing school district is that there seems to be an overload of complacency but yet at the same time a hell of a lot of complaining and finger pointing. I understand that everyone has a different view of what the American dream is, and that’s a good thing…otherwise it wouldn’t be your dream, it’d be everyone’s which would take away individuality and everyone walking around like robots. If you ended up either staying or ended up back in your home town and you’re in your 30′,40’s etc. and you’re happy, then there’s no issue. However when people are complaining that ” I don’t get paid enough or “don’t worry the paper mill will be back up soon” you’re flat out lying to yourself. You’re creating a hole and ultimately your own miserable fate. What I’ve noticed more and more is that people don’t like to take responsibility for their actions or choices. Of course we all get jammed up from time to time or go thru rough patches but this world is full of opportunity and purpose. If you don’t see or refuse to see that because, God forbid you leave your comfort zone, then that’s on you. It’s your future, it’s your life. Make the right choice, for no one other than you and your family. It’s your dream, the American dream.
Both car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream. They both try to sell people on the idea that people who work hard are able to attain objects that are desirable to everyone. The main focus is a materialistic viewpoint in both commercials where the car is the coveted prize. George Carlin makes a valid argument against the American Dream by stating that the government only wants people to be smart enough to work and complete the task at hand, however, not smart enough to realize the current situation. He believes that the government wants us to be oblivious to the decreasing wages, and long hours that we must put in to make a living for ourselves. He basically elaborates on the fact that the American Dream has been fabricated to the government’s ideal dream.
I apologize for not hitting the deadline, but I wanted to share this idea because I thought it would be a great discussion topic for class. In regards to the first-to-last question, I think the American Dream is entirely achievable. By American Dream, I mean that you are guaranteed a spot well away from the poverty line. However, this is only truly even remotely possible if four “pillars of opportunity” are met. This idea stems from how higher education is the staple of higher-paying jobs. The first one is getting through primary and secondary school. This is the basic foundation of some minimum wage jobs and, of course, higher education. The minimum wage is still clearly not enough to get away from poverty, so the second pillar is to get accepted to a college. Many people seek the “paper,” so your wits will prove that you can handle higher education whether you want to learn or not. Not many people really get through this part, but this is not necessarily the hardest part. Arguably, the hardest pillar is to be able to attend, pass and pay for higher education. All three parts are what gets you the closest to a job or breakthrough that will get you that house and life that everyone wants. Passing and especially paying are very hard to do. This comes down to your geographic location – if you’re poor, paying is almost out of the window (unless you receive a scholarship) and passing comes down mostly to genetics and sometimes down to living conditions (imagine people stressed out by poverty or having no opportunities at all). The fourth and last pillar comes down to the job market’s state – getting the job you signed up for. I’ve had family members that have gone for certain jobs and degrees and got out with ones that have nothing to do with their fields like psychology to construction. Some people don’t even come out with their job until several months later having to work near the poverty line until they got their job or got something completely different that paid somewhat well. It’s a sometimes-win situation unless extensive job researching has been done around secondary schooling to the start of college to find a job in demand.
If I had more time to research, I’d fill this comment up with evidence and statistics because I could take an extensive amount of time looks this kind of stuff up. I might do my final paper on this.
No problem. I like your thinking here. Keep digging. And yes, a great paper idea!
The two commercials both are heavily focused around this whole idea that if you work hard enough you can get the thing you want. Now the Cadillac commercial seems to be pretty far fetched were as the ford on does seem to have more of pull towards other political statements as well. Both commercials use the same type of language of opportunity, that if this commercial seems good enough to be true ill spend my money on the product no matter the cost. In the Cadillac it obviously refers the American upper class thus with the people shown in the commercial where as the ford one tries to take from a bigger pull by showing a less then pleasant scenery and also appealing to the African American community by casting a African American women for the commercial.
George Carlin basic argument is that America is owned more then it is free and that everyone is made sure that there is now opportunity for people to increase their class standing. This view is being similar to what Marx though because it all revolves around greed. The reason the so-called owners don’t want others to gain wealth is because they are afraid of losing their power.
I think the American dream is a bigger picture then you get to become a billionaire I think it has more to do with you succeeding in areas where in other places it isn’t possible. So yes, I believe it is obtainable especially for me, but sadly not for all. The only thing in the way of my American dream is really me and whether or not I choose to push through
The Cadillac commercial shows a modern home that looks very expensive. The commercial did not appeal to me because everything in the commercial looked out of my price range. I have worked hard my whole life and yet could never afford to even purchase the suit the man was wearing.
On the other- hand, the ford commercial was more appealing to me because I believe in entrepreneurship and saving money to. Maybe because the commercial was targeting a lower class of people. The vision of the dream that the Cadillac commercial as selling wasn’t targeting the lower class but those of wealth and power. Ford’s commercial used people of color and an urban environment, if you work hard enough you can afford this ford.
I do believe the “American Dream” is achievable but not easy. Yes, we can work hard but will we ever become equal? For me, the dream is to simple move out of the city and have some sort of financial freedom. I am currently working on my second degree and still live in the same 9-block that I was raised in. In order for me to succeed I need opportunity, opportunity that isn’t readily available for those who aren’t the norm or, privileged.
The car commercials were really interesting to me. The Cadillac commercial is all about the white privilege. Its shows this middle aged white man walking into his garage with a highly expensive car. It makes you think that he has an high paying job, because how else can you be a luxury car? This man has the stereotypical American Dream. If you work hard and keep your dream in mind, you can end up like this man with a good paying job and being able to spend the wealth on yourself and extra things. The Ford commercial I would say is the opposite. It portrays an African American talking about how she has put in hard effort on her dream and work, that its improving not just her, but those other human beings that aren’t so privilege as the man in the Cadillac commercial. In conclusion, both of these commercial opened up my eyes on the different views of the American Dream. The Ford one is viewed from an average workers point of view. While Cadillac man with a high paying job is at different stand point. As a government and society, its important to realize how different these commercials sent out their messages. The government should care more.
I do think the American Dream can be obtained in today’s society if we try and work hard for it. Accomplishing the American Dream is available to everyone and anyone who puts their mind to it can accomplish it. I have learned a lot about the American Dream lately because I recently took an English course on specifically the American Dream. I have seen my parents accomplish because they own a house and both have good paying jobs which is mainly what the dream is all about. Both of my parents went to college and they have allowed me the same opportunity to go to college and earn my degree to get a good paying job. There are many things that can get in my way of achieving this dream. In some jobs, they look for people who could be better at certain things than I am and there is nothing I can do to help that. All I can do is put my best foot forward and do everything I can to make myself the best I can be. Many people look at achieving the American Dream in different ways and we all want to achieve different things that are considered to be apart of the American Dream so we each have our own goals. It is not easy to accomplish them but all we can do is try our best to achieve them.
The American Dream, for generations, has been a goal that many Americans have tried to accomplish. Whether you have accomplished it or not, many will say it isn’t easy. The two car commercials give a vision of working hard to obtain the things that you want like the fancy cars in the commercial. These two commercials used two different types of job types. They make it seem like taking days off is bad and that you should work everyday of your life in order to get the big things. The two car commercials use two different races of people who have two different types of occupations. The white man had a brand new Cadillac, while the black woman had a ford. George Carlin’s basic argument about the American Dream is that the system blinds us all with the vision that “if we work hard enough and slave a bunch of hours everyday, we will eventually obtain the American Dream.” Max Weber and George Carlins’ arguments are similar in the sense that they both point out the thought process of an American who is fortunate but wants to prove that they are fortunate by working more and obtaining more money. The American Dream is possible to obtain, yet it is very difficult. In order to obtain this you have to know people and you must have a job that pays well. I see myself obtaining the American Dream within a couple of years because of my mindset and what I plan to do with my life. The only thing I see getting in the way of this goal is people telling me that I can’t do it and that I am a loser for thinking the way that I think.
The American Dream isn’t guaranteed by the basic definition that hard work will equal immediate success, which is what some, if not most people fail to realize. For an example, an individual attending college may pursue a certain career and after numerous years of hard work, leave the university and find themselves jobless. This isn’t to say that they did not work hard enough but that the idea of guaranteed success being unrealistic. There are also certain characteristics that may hinder this individual’s chance of success. Race for an example, can play a huge part in such a dream. While unfortunate, it isn’t uncommon for someone to be denied a job, despite how many endless hours of hard work they have put forth, all due to the color of their skin. The same result may occur according to their wealth should the individual not be as financially gifted as the average American or as well rounded in their education.
The American Dream is attainable to those that are either set up from it right from the beginning or lucky enough to find a loophole if odds are against them. There is no guaranteed success, as the statement seems to suggest and that’s what people fail to realize. Those that have such a strong belief that this “Dream” is flawless are most likely saying so due to the fact that they were set up for it right from the beginning. For an example a white, cisgender, wealthy, male may feel that this “Dream” is absolutely attainable by the simple definition that hard work will guarantee them success as he faces less problems against a POC, Poor, lower class, woman.
I learned the concept of the American Dream through my father, who grew up poor, but went on to work hard to get into college and graduate to become a software engineer. His lesson to me was exactly what most people know as the American Dream: If you work hard enough, you can achieve your goals no matter your circumstance. That being said, the Ford commercial represents my father’s version, while the Cadillac commercial represents another version. Cadillac’s vision shows a middle aged white man at his house in front of an in-ground pool who talks about hard work (specifically American hard work) is all it takes to achieve success. While the success he points to is geared toward the expensive Cadillac vehicle, his message also applies to the fancy home, and the two children spotted in the living room before he dons a very sleek suit and heads outside. Ford takes a different approach in order to sell to a more middle-class audience. Ford’s commercial portrays an African-American woman standing in front of a large puddle in a mound of dirt or mud, supposedly at a landfill. Her fashion appears more “blue collar” than the man in the Cadillac commercial. Her message promotes hard work rewards honest living, economic responsibility, and a sense of pride, in addition to mild success. Where the Cadillac commercial promises wealth when hard work is put forth, the Ford commercial advertises financial responsibility, for you and others, at best.
George Carlin’s basic argument is that the American Dream is exactly that, a dream. It’s not real, and it is used by the wealthy people in this country to get those with less money than them to continue to work hard so the wealthy only get wealthier and those who aren’t wealthy stay the same if they’re lucky. “They want more for themselves and less for everyone else.” And I whole-heartedly agree with him. I do not believe that the American Dream can be attained because, like Carlin said, it’s going to the same people it will always go to. My best experience with trying to “live the dream” is happening right now. I work at a minimum wage job, and almost all of what I make goes back to the University I work for (I work at Tully’s) in the form of tuition, textbooks, and living expenses. I don’t think the American Dream is attainable for me because it isn’t attainable for anyone. What I see in my future is the exact same situation that I started with: middle class. The only reason that I’m in college is to maintain that middle class standing and to not go below it, because it is so much easier to drop down than it is to climb back up.
Both the Cadillac and Ford commercial were suggesting that if a person works hard and believes anything is possible, they will achieve the American Dream. The American Dream to them seems to be the ability to buy materialistic items. The advertisements are trying to get people to believe that buying these materialistic items including their cars, that they are achieving the American Dream. George Carlin explains that the American Dream is just a lie told by those who own the government to stay in control and get richer as the average American gets poorer. He believes that the government just wants people who are smart enough to work but not critically think. His argument is incredibly similar to Karl Marx’s argument saying that the people on top shape the way the social classes are and that everything the people on the bottom do benefits those on top. I think in today’s society that the American Dream is attainable by anyone but much easier for others. Those born into rich families and stable communities have much greater odds of achieving the American Dream. I think the American Dream is something that is easily obtainable by someone born in the upper middle class.
Both car advertisement commercials signify the success that the “american dream” had on american people. The Cadillac commercial showed many key materials symbolizing the american dream and future car buyers. For example; the pool, nice house, electric luxury car and the family shown in the commercial were all representations of the american dream. Even what is said in the commercial, “You work hard, you create your own luck and you gotta believe anything is possible.” What’s being said in the commercial is that, if you work hard, you can also obtain all the wealthy objects that were portrayed. In the commercials, the vision the companies are trying to sell is, even with a family, the american dream is still possible for anyone who is willing to work hard. What George Calin is arguing in regards to the american dream is, “the wealthy owners of this country don’t want us to obtain the american dream.” Calin says this because, if every american citizens was able to achieve the idea of the american dream, then the upper class won’t become more wealthy. Calin and Karl Marx have very similar views, regarding to american life. Marx wrote about how the bourgeoisie (wealthy upper class) exploits the labour power of the proletariat (working class or lower class). Marx’s argument is, how are the proletariat suppose to live a happy life when the bourgeoisie continue to lower wages for them. In other words, Calin and Marx both portray one key fact, that the upper class don’t care about the working or lower class, as long as they keep making the upper class money, then nothing will change. When comparing the chances of obtaining the american dream from fifty years ago to today, it is very difficult to achieve. For instance, there are many more poverty-stricken people today then prior to the twenty-first century. One reason why I am in college is in hopes to achieve the essence of the american dream. One way that the american dream has got in the way for me is the way I procrastinate important tasks at hand. Even though the american dream is much harder to achieve, it is still not impossible.
The first time the American Dream was mentioned to me was in my 11th grade English class. It was explained as what the typical American strives to achieve. My teacher went on to say that this “dream” was one of the past. The American Dream is thought to be a 9-5 great paying job that can afford the nice house, car, and vacations in addition. But to the dismay of all Americans, this is a hoax. The car commercials put it exactly as it is, or at least the Ford commercial did. The Cadillac commercial shows a middle aged white man, who lets be honest is the most privileged of all, in his backyard with a fancy unground pool. He then strolls through his higher than middle class home to end up in his garage with a luxury car. He talks about how this is all due to hard work. Skip to the Ford commercial, and you get an African American women standing in front of what appears to be a landfill. Talking about how her hard work is bettering the environment for all people and her self. The difference between these to ads, his that Ford reached out to all the working people. Those who know the American Dream is something of the past, but strive for anything close.
During the exploration of the American Dream, I myself find myself exploring options trying to live the truthful American Dream the way other Americans do, and did for many years. During grade school, the teachers, advisors, even janitors promoted college. For many years the truth behind the American Dream consists of average American workers in large corporations and steel mills living paycheck to paycheck to provide for there families. My view of the American Dream has always been going to college, getting a degree or a masters degree, and chasing my dream as a State Trooper. My American dream has always been consistent and will continue to be worked on daily throughout life. During the Ted talk with the stand up promoter, he discusses the American Dream and the politics behind it. He believes that the government does not care about the health or wealth of the people, he discussed that the government including the judges, senators, wall street folks do not care about everyday people. He also believes that they are only trying to take more money or profit from our everyday paychecks to pay for taxes and give the officials more money. From a political standpoint, I see the reasoning behind the decisions he has made in the discussion. People are greedy and only want what’s best for themselves. For the government to take more money then deserved or needed is sadly, but rationally typical from the people that run our government.
The article had mentioned that ‘hard work=wealth/success’ I feel that this is true in some cases where if a student goes to college and studies hard enough, hard work CAN equal success, but in some cases where if someone grows up in a place where they can’t attend college and only work @ a low paying job, they can still work hard but they are most likely going to be stuck at a lot lower of a wage compared to someone that would attend college and ‘work hard’. The American Dream is the idea that working hard will get you somewhere in life, but I feel that the American Dream is too much of a general term, because not everyone’s dream is to become a famous millionaire, but some people may value family and friends more than money, which would result in them working less, which some would say those people did not achieve the ‘American Dream’. The Cadillac commercial regarding why we work so hard is basically mentioning that we work so hard so we can have material things, instead of taking a month off in August and spending time with family or other things, we work hard so that we can get materialistic things and show off our wealth, and our achievement of the ‘American Dream’. At the end of the article, I agree that there are different variations of the ‘American Dream’ for example, as I mentioned before people value different things so saying there is just one dream for everyone, would be false.
This has been so helpful! I teach a course on design theory which begins reading William Morris. Our second reading was from Monoculture by FS Michaels. Not sure how I stumbled upon your post, but it correlates beautifully! I will share it with my students.
Many thanks!
Ahhhh, nice! Glad to be of help. Hope your students enjoy!
I added a link to your blog on mine (issuesxyzed.blogspot.com). This is amazing too: Requiem for the American Dream with Noam Chomsky. Thank you!!
The great “American Dream”, I can honestly say that I would love for this “dream” to actually be attainable. Not to say that there are not Americans who have achieved their idea of the “American Dream” however I believe that this success is not the case for many. The concept of the American Dream provides this idealistic notion that if you work “hard enough” (whatever that may mean) you can actually achieve the great American Dream. I’m sure that there are countless immigrants who at one point in their life, heard this dream mentioned to them. Of course living in a third world country with little resources for advancement the idea of working hard and becoming successful sounds like a great idea, but what happens when these immigrants arrive. They are faced with the harsh reality that “working hard” to achieve this dream means working forever and probably not even getting close because in the United States working “hard enough” unfortunately isn’t enough to secure the upward social mobility that many Americans and immigrants desperately desire.
Becoming a successful American and achieving the American Dream can be specific to each individual. For some immigrants and families who grew up in poverty stricken neighborhoods achieving the American dream of being wealthy will probably never happen, they simply aren’t equipped with the tools or means for such extreme success and wealth. However I do believe that smaller goals such as one day becoming homeowners or moving out of these poor neighborhoods or even having their children graduate college may be a way of achieving their own version of the American Dream and I personally feel that this is okay. For the reason that the truth is, American who are born into poverty never really make it to the pent house on the upper east side, because its just becoming harder and harder to achieve the desired American Dream.
I can say that I would love to be a wealthy American one day because I am a hard worker and I will have a college degree. Unfortunately this is not likely to happen for me, I come from a lower middle class family with immigrant parents who have instilled the “hard work pays off” morality in me since I can remember. However this doesn’t guarantee my wealth in the future, but I can say that I will consider myself successful in my personal definition of success when I obtain a secure career and future for myself and hope that my children make it farther than I do within the scope of the American Dream.
“The American Dream” is and always has been a romanticized ideology which America and Americans use as a foundation to believe that this is truly “the land of opportunity.” My mother and her family once thought that the streets in America were literally paved with gold before they migrated here from Jamaica in the 70’s. From a Marxist standpoint, “The American Dream” can also be thought of as a capitalist social construction to influence members of the working class to work harder and longer and make even more sacrifices to bring this dream within reach. What makes The American Dream so irresistible is that it has been attained before. Jay Z used to live in the projects as a drug dealer and is now the founder of Roc Nation. People go from “nothing” to “something” all the time. What the American Dream perpetuators will never publicize and advertise is that for the great majority of us, the dream is actually a game, as David Horsey depicts. Players with the most privilege will win, running circles around you before you even hear “go.”
In the first commercial, a middle class white man is looking at you, telling you that you can have all that he has (a beautiful pool, a beautiful house and a beautiful car) if you rest less and work more. He adds the unofficial stereotypical tagline of The American Dream, “you work hard, you create your own luck, and you’ve got to believe anything is possible.” He is also sporting a Cadillac, which has been a dream luxury vehicle for decades. The whole commercial is an advertisement of The American Dream and that is what causes viewers to pay attention. They begin to fantasize about all that they could have, whether they will ever actually obtain it or not. He even goes on to tell you that all of his stuff is “the upside of only taking two weeks off in August.” What he fails to mention is that there are plenty of people who never take a break from work and still make less than what he and others of his class status make annually. The man who can afford to take a break from work is ultimately encouraging you to overwork yourself and have blind faith in something that was never formally promised to you and maybe, just maybe, you will own a Cadillac one day.
The Ford commercial plays on the exact opposite approach to what is ultimately the same goal: to sell the car. They use a working class African-American woman, who stereotypically is on the opposite end of the privilege scale. Instead of showing her in a beautiful home, they show her at her “dirty” job of collecting restaurant scraps and manure from zoos to grow higher quality produce. She is a working class woman with a working class job and she still owns a Ford. Instead of trying to influence a fantasy in the minds of viewers like Cadillac, they present reality. This reality is not in its grittiest form, but it is reality nonetheless. Instead of playing on The American Dream, it seems that Ford is really focusing on the fact that this woman is an average American, just like you. She is not portrayed as a woman who is overly privileged or wealthy and she is still able to afford a Ford. The Ford commercial makes their product much more tangible in this sense. Instead of translating the message of pushing yourself more and more, Ford tells viewers that you don’t need to be a middle-class white man to have nice “stuff.”
The first time I learned what the ‘American Dream’ was and what its significance was, in high school in my English literature class when I had to read “The Death of a Salesman.” The conclusion of this book made me believe the “American Dream” is an unattainable goal that leaves men, women and children devastated of failure. Today, as a college student and an aware individual living in todays society I view the “American Dream” as an unrealistic guideline to determine ones success or failure. The “American Dream” describes the upward social mobility one can attain by working hard, however, there are other factors such as one’s environment, social class and economic situations that prevent individuals from reaching this dream or even having aspects of this dream in their horizon. I believe the “American Dream” does not apply to everyone, especially to the individuals who do not have a stable structure such as a steady income to progress leaving these individuals stagnate.
I agree with George Carlin’s “Selling the American Dream,” he explains the American Dream is a way to put hard working individuals on a pedestal, while other factors such as the government conspire to make sure these individuals are constantly working these long work weeks with the false hope they will one day achieve this dream that isn’t real. I agree with Carlin’s point of “control” on people in our society by the “wealthiest” who have an even greater control on media and politics which manipulate people into believing they have a choice and they are the only one in “control” over their lives and their own success or failure is the determining factor of how an individual views oneself.
The idea of the American Dream is an interesting one, as it stresses that with just enough determination and effort, any one can be successful. It is this same belief that has brought millions of immigrants to the United States in search of opportunities that may not have previously been available to them. In this country, success is certainly attainable. There are many great examples of people who were born into poverty with many obstacles ahead of them, and were still able to make it out. The concept of the American Dream, that hard work=wealth/success also sells the idea that poverty is a result of not working hard enough. This is simply not the truth. The issue is systemic and if you don’t fit the description, it’s that much harder for you to achieve this “American Dream.” The road to the American Dream is a game in which we do not all begin on a level playing field. It begins with the upbringing of our children. A child who lives in a fairly wealthy neighborhood with his mother, father, and siblings will have a much different experience than a child who lives in the ghetto, in a single-parent home, and is forced to attend a failing, inadequately-funded school. It is human nature to do what is necessary to survive and, in neighborhoods like these, it may begin to seem cool to join a gang or to sell drugs just to get by, rather than attending school where you won’t get the attention nor the education that you deserve. This of course is not the case everywhere, but it does give a glimpse as to how differences in your environment can affect your upbringing. I grew up in Jamaica, Queens. I grew up with both parents and two brothers. My upbringing, compared to a lot of the people around me, was a great one. My family never had to struggle and my brothers and I were never denied anything we needed. With two working parents, we all did what was convenient and attended local schools. Personally, I felt school was easy. I always considered myself a big fish in a little pond and teachers took notice. I knew that, unlike some of my peers, I’d end up in college, on my way to a degree and eventually on my way to a great paying profession. However, the atmosphere was completely different arriving at Hunter. I expected a big transition in workload, the diversity of my peers, and in my environment. My goal was to be a doctor and, arriving at Hunter, I would be taking my first chemistry, calculus, and statistics classes. I was never given the introduction/experience I needed in these subjects at the high school 5 minutes from my house. It was difficult getting accustomed to my environment and my classes, and it was difficult feeling as if I didn’t have the vocabulary or the proper social upbringing to keep up with my new peers. I ended up changing my mind about what I wanted to do in life, as I realized I simply had not gotten the proper training as many of my other peers had, and I lost the passion I once had for it. Perhaps it was for the better, as I have recently declared my major in a field that I am truly passionate about, but I do wonder if I had attended a school in a neighborhood where the property taxes were a bit higher, might I still be on my way to becoming a doctor. I do believe in hard work, and I know that anything is possible for anyone, but I also know that if I was placed in a different situation growing up, my transition into college and onto the pre-med track would have been a bit easier, and a lot less stressful. From your own experiences, or those that you hear/read about, you begin to take a better look at things and realize there’s already a set system, or cycle rather. The road to the American Dream is a game worth playing, but if you will admit that there is a such thing as the American Dream, and it is attainable, you must also recognize that the playing field is not a leveled one. In my opinion, the idea that you can be successful, it’ll just be twice as hard for you as the next person, is not a dream worth being sold. In order to brag of a true American Dream, there is a broken system (or rather a perfectly operating one) that must first be addressed.
After carefully thinking about the American Dream and all it entails, I firmly believe that it is not attainable. I do not believe everyone has the same opportunities. There will always be a set of people with an advantage over the other. The American Dream is a topic in every conversation and many people are not aware of it when they speak yet they have the idea that you can go from nothing and become something. To certain extent that is true. If you work and do what you are suppose to do then you get what you work for. However, I believe that just because you have your mind set on that white picketed fence home it does not mean you will ever get to live in it. Robert Merton, in Social Structure and Anomie, speaks about social mobility and illustrates it with the idea of an “office-boy-to-president” stereotype which is often present in social media and popular culture. Pop culture via artist such as Drake, where he sings “started from the bottom, now we’re here”, gives people the hope that if he could achieve the American dream or the top (when he was in the bottom like I am), then I can too. Kanye West’s hit song Gold Digger also makes mention of the American Dream when in his lyrics he says “He got that ambition baby look in his eyes…This week he mopping floors next week it’s the fries.” The mentality behind these songs hints that if you work hard you can achieve your dreams. Yet, the American Dream is flawed because we need to consider all of the factors. This mobility is what people want but it is just not realistic in this society. Bottom line – Not everyone can make it, and it is not their fault!
For example, if you are an undocumented immigrant and come to this country you cannot achieve the American Dream because you are not properly documented and you do not have the opportunity to fix that situation, instead you fear deportation. Another scenario is if you are an ex con and decided to better your life and go to college, there is a chance it will be extra difficult for you because you cannot apply for financial aid. Let’s consider another case; if you are a child of a single mother in a “bad” neighborhood, for lack of a better term, it is going to be harder for you to get the education you need because the more qualified teachers and staff are working in “better” schools. The American Dream is a farce. Personally, I never strived to achieve the American Dream because it is not my goal in life. Once society finds a way to help everyone evenly in a fair way, then we can all say we can achieve the so called “American Dream.”
The American Dream is a goal that everyone wants to accomplish, but not everyone reaches. The American Dream is getting harder and harder to accomplish. Many people have the image of having a white picket fence, a house with a front lawn, a car, and etc. But a few actually get to experience these accomplishments. The Cadillac commercial shows a wealthy white men in a luxuries house. He does not struggle with everyday life. It emphasize that if you work hard, you too can be in this position. The Ford commercial also emphasize on the American Dream. It shows an African American women who helps her community by working with manure. You notice that she does have her own place, but not as beautiful in the Cadillac commercial. In my opinion both ads have the same vision, but one had progressed more. Race can become an obstacle to achieving “The Dream”. The Cadillac commercial shows that if you continue to work hard, you are able to have the same luxurious lifestyle. In the Ford commercial it explains that if you continue to work hard you can experience The American Dream, having a house, having a car, but it may not be a luxurious lifestyle.
But let’s be realistic here, I still believe “ The American Dream” still exist, but it based on luck. Personally many people come to America thinking if I work hard I will have a better life. Everyday people sacrifice their sleep by working two or more jobs in order to survive, but they are still struggling. Race and Gender, Class plays a part. People may get a lower wage because of the color of their skin. Females are more prone of getting lower wages than men.
How can the American Dream be attain? It’s all about luck! I always hear stories how people come to the U.S wanting a better life, but it never happens. Working long hours at work, and still worry about how the rent if going to be paid, or not having enough food supplies.
The American Dream, in my view, has only been a dream dreamt by those who need to dream about it, versus those living it or those who have a real chance of obtaining enough consistent economic power in order to have real access to wealth and autonomy. I believe the American Dream was invented (by the wealthy) in order to keep the poor and middle-class citizen dreaming, meaning not being awake and aware of the realities which they live with every day keeping them slaves to the wealthy, American system of Capitalism. Just like comedian George Carlin says the system of elites needs people who are dumbed down yet only smart enough to be paper pushers and not ask questions and supply them with a new generations of lesser-educated, exploitable citizens.
I thought the “Why do we work so hard” car campaigns for Cadillac and Ford Dreaming was very clever, as these media mind controllers often are: pushing on trigger buttons of status and guilt of wanting “free time”. It was interesting how the ad for Cadillac showed the big modern house, skinny White wife and kids as a part of this attainment – it was the path the actor traveled through on his way to the Cadillac. It’s not even too subtle. I thought the ads had racist elements to them. The one about Ford, was especially distasteful to me, with the actress’ emphasis on the word “manure”. She utters it more than once in stating what she does and I found it especially disturbing as the description of the overall nature of what this Black woman did for a living was essentially collecting waste, though they did spin it as a noble profession, but when you really think about it they made her into no less than the janitor picking up excrement. It’s despicable, really, and heartbreaking because I bet that no one really cared enough to deconstruct the message this way for other than what the aimed “dangling carrot” – the car. We are still so blind to the tricks used by media, which do seem to all too easily coax us into materialities, which create for us even more debt. The whole American Dream is bogus!
Do I believe that I can attain the American Dream? No. I don’t. Why? Because I am AWAKE and chose not to waste my time salivating over the mirage corpses created by White, straight, men for the consumption of the masses, all so that the masses can be distracted long enough (whole lives) for the leeches not to be detected on our collective body sucking the life out of us until it’s time to die.
I don’t want the American Dream. Perhaps it has rejected me first and this why I hold the views that I have towards it. I can accept that. If that rejection is failure then I celebrate it as the emancipation of my agency and autonomy to craft out my own dreams to strive for: love, acceptance, joy, friendship. Those are just some of my (American) dreams and my (American) realities.
The so called “American Dream” as the synonym for wealth, honor, education, success, and progress is used by many of us want to give a name for their wishes and hopes. Unfortunately this dream has become a nightmare in which one doesn’t even know if one is awake or asleep. In the effort to achieve this dream, one might work 2 full time jobs, buy groceries at the 99 cent store and resort to using food stamps, (that is for those that have the correct documentation), one can get muscles spams from working really long hours, one can’t sleep at night because one has to pay rent but one also really want that iPod…the iPod that in some sense gives us a whiff of what “success” smells like. Many risk their lives crossing rivers, and ducking bullets so they can jump that white picket line that surrounds the American dream, with its trees full of fruit, those white houses with big backyards and smoking grills. They don’t know that what awaits them is a life full of picking of trees, of painting houses, and cleaning those grills, just because they were born on the wrong side of town, with the wrong skin color, with the wrong bank account. They don’t know that this whole idea of the success of the American dream, is only for those for who already were born into “The American Dream”, that this idea of the american dream has a very precise skin color, a very precise language, a very precise gender, a very precise class that is guarded with tooth and nail, and that those that hold the whole of the “American Dream” will stop at nothing in order to keep their bank accounts full, and their power intact. the American dream is just that a dream, a mirage.
I believe that there is still a sense and belief in America that if you work hard you will achieve the American Dream. While I believe to some extent this is true, I also think certain people have set backs that can prevent them from obtaining the dream. For example, I started working in my company about a year ago and achieved many advances throughout my course of a year which gave me opportunity to land another job in a related field. I think the American Dream has changed significantly throughout the course of time. What was once the dream to work at General Motors during the Industrial Revolution or land a simple blue collar to white collar job, raise a family in a house and live in the middle class isn’t evident in today’s society anymore. From what I’ve seen living in New York City my whole life and pursuing a job in the fashion field, the American Dream is no longer to have a simple job with a simple income and live well. The middle class has changed and increased significantly through generations and that wouldn’t be enough to live anymore, especially in New York. Social Media has taken over greatly now. I’ve gone to interviews that look at my follower count on Instagram and Twitter as a means to whether or not they’ll hire me or not. Who you know and who you can network with is just as significant as a college degree these days in my opinion depending on the field you choose to work in. While the American Dream still exists as an idea, I believe the concept of it has changed.
The Cadillac commercial engages with the idea that the American dream is built on completion and hard work. The Ford commercial engages with the ‘American dream’ by emphasizing a sense of community, entrepreneurship, a duty to our environment, and also working hard. Cadillac is selling the vision of being ‘better’ than the competition and having enough wealth to live a luxurious life and afford an electric car as a status symbol. Ford is selling the dream of ‘saving the world,’ being a successful entrepreneur, and making a difference with the electric car as a ‘green’ symbol. The first ad totes the image of the older white male businessman who works constantly and has a’ takes no prisoners’ attitude that helped him become the polished wealthy man he is now, his younger and attractive (presumed?) wife seems to be another symbol of his wealth just like the car or pool and if the buyer chooses this car all these wealth symbols will elevate him to the status of the business man. The Ford ad goes in what they likely considered to be the opposite end of the spectrum with a younger African-American woman who is a part of the working class to subtly show potential buyers that owning this car is definitely within their reach if it within her reach.
George Carlin’s basic argument about the American Dream is that it is unattainable to the vast majority of Americans who so heavily depend on its myth because the very people who tell them to strive for it actively continue to prevent it. He talks about how the people that truly run this country, the supposed epitome of what the American Dream can do for you, work to ensure that their money and success stay with them and that it only increases. While doing this, they try and convince all the working class, and even some middle class, people that they too can do the same thing and end up in the same position if they only try hard enough. However, this is impossible in reality because the people in charge have an extended interest in keeping those same workers in the position they are currently in, in order to help themselves get even richer.
This is very similar to a lot of what Karl Marx wrote about. Marx wrote about how the bourgeoisie exploits the labour power of the proletariat. The bourgeois is never truly interested or invested in the needs/ wants of the proletariat, they only care that they can perform their labor and continue to work for them while they own the means of production. It is vital to the bourgeoisie that the members of the proletariat stay right where they are and continue to do what they do. Just as Carlin talks about, it is incredibly important to the bourgeoisie that they keep the members of the proletariat satisfied with their salaries and benefits and make them believe that they are working to something more, but they instead only care about them continuing to work for them. It is important that they do not receive any higher education or take part in any critical thinking because it is a threat to their own position.
It is because of this that the American Dream is not truly attainable to the vast majority of Americans today. It is crucial to the functioning of capitalism in America that some groups of people stay at the bottom, performing the jobs that actually get things done, and the people in control of those jobs have the ability to keep them there. It is not just a matter of hard work, it also has to do with privilege, opportunity, advantage, and position.
After viewing both commercials, one can see the disparity in society between the minority and the majority. The hubris and patriotic tone of the white man in the Cadillac commercial cannot be ignored as he lists the achievements of Americans and how the country surpasses others. While this could have been an attempt to make one feel “proud to be an American”, it comes off as arrogant. The commercial opens with him standing in front of his accomplishment, a big pool and backyard. He walks through a lavishly decorated house, showcasing more life trophies as he continues to list more achievements by America. Perhaps I am biased as a minority, but I feel like the Ford commercial polarizes audiences into haves and have nots or the majority and minority. One is either nodding in agreement or one is repulsed or wistful. Most notably, I don’t recall hearing anything about working hard, just name dropping and the end result of having done something. There were no personal examples of the man’s hard work and without them, one would assume that the speaker had a relatively easy climb up the economic ladder into the world of the upper class. For some people who are born into wealth, this is their convenient and lucky reality. The Ford commercial is vague and is a message for a specific audience, whereas the Ford commercial is inclusive and clearer in terms of what was done to succeed.
In the Ford commercial, a black woman expresses her wish to help her community and then gives examples of how she works hard, one of which is gathering manure from zoos. Physical labor and dedication is not only easy to relate to for the working class, but is also the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of working hard. Putting in effort and overcoming obstacles to change something is true hard work. As the Ford commercial progresses, one watches the woman also progress from standing in mounds of dirt to getting into a nice vehicle. This is a true starting-from-the-bottom, American Dream story. All the while, she speaks of her attempts to create the positive change that she wants for the world. One must note that there is emphasis on the word “try”. This is a subtle nod to the struggles of minorities who try to succeed in a society that doesn’t support them. The black woman in the Ford commercial speaks of the hard work she performs but at the end, she steps into a sleek car, just like the white man in the Cadillac commercial. This goes to show that while struggles as a minority are inevitable, they are not unconquerable. The Ford commercial shows growth and success, which gives a much more positive message to the public instead of a minute of bragging and materialistic showboating in the Cadillac commercial.
In todays society the american dream is a goal that all Americans want to achieve but it is something that is getting harder and harder to obtain. People want the big house with the front lawn and the white picket fence but with todays society you want more in that house. In the Cadillac commercial it shows you a a two floor house, a backyard with a pool, a front lawn, a garage, a huge kitchen and living room with nice appliances, while looking at all of this nice eye candy things the guy is telling you about how far hard work has progressed America so much. With hard work and with your own luck you are able to obtain everything you see within that commercial while the Ford commercial is more realistic to the viewers. The ford commercial shows and tells the viewer about why is it americans work hard and how it actually impacts their surroundings. the Cadillac commercial sells you the idea if you just keep working hard you are able to obtain all of this some time in your life and it is rue but realistically its not as possible anymore. The Ford commercials viewpoint of the American dream is that if you just keep working hard that anything is possible. Both commercials target different races, class and genders. In the Cadillac commercial you see a male actor that is well known portraying as a family man in the higher social class in America talking about how hard work can get you all of these things while in the Ford commercial it portrays a african american female talking about why is it that they work hard in life.
In my opinion i believe that the American dream can still be obtainable but the dream has changed throughout the years. The way i see the American dream is how they display it in the cadillac commercial, not the message they are trying to tell us but all the eye candy they had displayed in the commercial the pool, the garage, the scenery, huge spaces, walking closets etc. Back then the american dream was something simple as a house, a front lawn and the white picket fence. Everyone has a different view of what the American dream is and for me its just living out my life comfortably with my family in a apartment or house. I would want to have everything they show in the cadillac commercial and its a goal i have in life but its not realistic to me, a goal like that is something more optimistic. I don’t believe that the american dream is dead but i do believe to attain the american dream is starting to become more and more difficult for people today.
I do not believe obtaining the American dream is possible. Working at Toys R Us Time Square as a Maintenance person busting my butt cleaning after uppity guess and tourists for three years . I started there making $8.50 an hour and ended making $9.20 an hour which I could not make it through two week with that little pay while trying to survive. In conclusion no matter how hard you work you will not live the American dream working a menial job such as retail.
The American Dream has and I think always will be one of the most difficult things to attain as a minority of the United States. It’s of course very much easier for someone outside of the minority stand point to attain things without a problem in this country. Even though its claimed that “we all have the same privileges”, I honestly don’t think so. If that were to be the case, minorities wouldn’t have to fight so hard to get to where they would want to be. It’s a much harder trail that we as minority have to go through. We have to face people that won’t even dare give us a second look because of the color of skin, what we sound like, what we look like, and the person that we aspire to be.
Being that I’m considered a minority, I believe that its going to be much harder for me to attain my “American Dream”. I say this because I am 1) a Latina and 2) I come from a low income household. For many, this is frowned upon. We shouldn’t have to worry where it is that we come from. We should all be able to hold our heads up high and be proud of where we came from, and the trials we had to get to where we can get to. But the biggest problem with that lies with the idea that being a Latina alone is already not in your favor. Not having the funds to go where you should to attain the “best” knowledge is also not in your favor. So the odds are you have to fight 20 times harder than the next person. Will it be easy? Of course it won’t be, but that doesn’t mean that one has to stop because it’s so hard. You push through and keep going, that’s one thing that will shine hard that can potentially prove to someone that you are just as worthy as the people that can attain their success much easier because of the Privilege that is provided to them.
The reason why it’s so easy for some to feel so strongly about the American Dream is because they have lived in a world where such a dream was possible for them. Whereas some people that grew up in a different upbringing couldn’t even dream of “The American Dream” because when you’re not exposed to certain things you don’t even know if they are out there, you don’t know if its even feasible. Different people have different access to this dream, for some it might be easier because they can get into a specific school much easier than someone who can’t afford the same school. Just that specifically separates them into two paths. There is way too many things that factor into the steps to accomplishing a dream and each person’s road is different and has different speed bumps. No one would ever admit that they’ve gotten handouts in life, otherwise that would diminish the whole image of a person that works hard deserves what they have. There’s nothing wrong with having a certain privilege over someone else, that’s just the hand that you were dealt but it becomes wrong when you can own up to the fact that you are in this position or this situation solely based on something that you had no real control over. We live in a world where its not just a choice, its not just a “if you want it, go get it.” There’s a lot of underlying factors that play into the choices an individual is able to make about their life. I believe that most of us would choose the successful life but when reaching that goal is not equally difficult or simple for everyone in a society it gets difficult to understand where you are lacking and someone else is succeeding. I don’t think the American Dream is easy to accomplish by everyone for the simple fact that I don’t feel we can all compete for the same prize but the rules of the game are different for each player. Being from Europe I am not one to chase after the American Dream because I am a part of the group that would want to live a life where I take the whole month of August off and go to cafes after work so I’ll be chasing a different dream.
Both car advertisements are very similar. The vision that they are selling is that one has to experience many trials and tribulations to live in luxury. The perception of the American Dream is that rags to riches perspective are a standard for purchasing an automobile. The language that these ads are using is stereotypically examples between gender race and class and branding. The middle class white man has a nice house, does not struggle with everyday life, works in corporate America, has a stable job and drives away in a Cadillac. Meanwhile, the working-class black woman has to work hard to sustain a green environment. Eventually, she drives away in a Ford. Both cars are in fact electric cars and serve the same purpose for the mode transportation. Does it really matter what the labels resonate with the buyer? It is because of social construction people are subjected to conform and follow the standard normative.
George Carlin explains why people are very limited to their own life decisions. He states that the government controls everything. Hence, the people who work in Corporate America have everything and do not have to struggle. Meanwhile the working class and below are stigmatized hierarchy. Carlin’s makes a similar argument with Marx. For instance, Marx separated white men and white women. Men work in the public sphere while women work in a private sphere. It is an infinite circle that is the standard for relying on hierarchy and patriarchy.
The American Dream has been removed from the working-class dictionary. Working-class has been struggling for a while now. It is solely based on politics cutting your dream short. Which gives the buyer false hope of assimilating in white society. Most of all what gets in the way of me of being a success is labeling, expectations and cultural differences. Most of all what bugs me is that we as a whole society still live embrace the issues of the second millennium. As the world evolves with technology, our brains should be recalibrated with removing stereotypes and social standards to live in harmony.
I know some people who are so proud to call their self-workaholic. I use to wonder how can some body love getting home dead beaten from 12 hrs of work, not see their children whole day and than work some more hours before going to bed. I realized it is just their way to escape reality that they are being exploited like slave in this society ruled by capitalist.
Is the American Dream attainable? In current day society, No. Maybe when the American Dream was first established and things like education and hard work were of value the American Dream may have been attainable. But being as money has become the sole means of determining a successful versus unsuccessful ends, the American Dream has turned from a dream to less than wishful thinking. Yet it is something even us Americans are some what unconsciously fighting to reach. The idea of the American Dream effects me personally because although I am aware of the statistics I am contingent on moving up in the social and economic ladder. Before education was a means for reaching an end goal of success but now we aren’t even paying for knowledge. Instead we a paying for a piece of paper that shows “our worth”. We are indirectly sold to the ideas of success through media depictions and the constant fight to be better than the next person. It becomes almost shameful to think that many college students ( including myself) are basing our career choices on the income associated with that particular career rather than just wanting to becoming a doctor because we have a passion for helping people for example. Not realizing that we are merely escalating an already degrading concept. Culture is being stripped from Today’s society because even if we loved art for instance, we are less likely to major in art and become artists because there is no money in that field. We are almost being taught to become and remain consumers rather than innovators. And although I know that, it’s seems almost impossible to live any other way, without be casted as deviant in today’s society. All in all the American Dream an never be attained because it’s not our dream we are chasing.
We all want to believe in the American Dream and that anyone who lives in this country is able to succeed economically, no matter their race, gender or ethnicity. Unfortunately I believe there is no such thing as an American dream. In the past immigrants have moved into the United States to gain a better life for themselves and their family, which in a sense developed this idea of an American dream. Times are different now, life is more complex and achieving success has become more of an unreachable goal for many of people. Today the dream has been crumbled into a lifestyle where people slave themselves to their employers for low wages and limited opportunities. Some may ask whether the American Dream is dead or not but I believe it has never really existed. Maybe for immigrant fleeing from their homeland the dream may seem very real, but for everyone else it just a systematic idea to keep people from protesting against their living circumstances. Instead of blaming society for failing them they blame themselves for failing the American dream.
I find it unique that the United States has built this story coexisting with a meritocracy ideology that is the American Dream. An example is given in the post with the two car commercials. While they are both targeting different audiences, the aesthetic of both are correlating hand in had with everything the American Dream stands for. Work hard, get a good job…but not just a job, a career, have a more than comfortable place to live, and a nice car to drive. Everyone can see their life playing out in this way like a screenplay. What other nation have something like this? It truly is absurd but kind of genius that this propaganda of the American Dream is still so effective today! It has been such an effective tool for people in powerful situations, such as Donald Trump. No other country would listen to him as a serious candidate because what he appeals to is this ideology; that America is AMERICA, the American Dream exists, and we are a nation of great individuals. Unfortunately, people strongly want to believe these things themselves that they are blinded by his absurd support of the dreams existence. They have been told this lie since they were children that if they are good people and work hard they can do anything. At least that is my naive hope for the reason some Americans support Trump. I don’t believe the American Dream is realistic in anyway for my own personal beliefs. To me it is a tactic, a distraction, a tool used by media and politicians. And often an ironic joke between friends when they are complaining about working their life away but they are moving further and further away from where they want to be. That might not be the American Dream, but the American reality for many individuals.
How do the two car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream? What vision of the dream are they each selling?
In the first car advertisement, the ad reveals a wealthy white middle aged man who sells the American Dream. It becomes clear that in order to achieve the American Dream and have an in ground swimming pool, a big mansion and brand new 2014 Cadillac car, you need to work yourself to the ground. He says “Other countries. They work… they take August off”. and in order to get those high luxury items he says that he only takes two weeks off in August. He praises America for being hard working people who do it all to get the high end items that he shows to own in this commercial. On the other side, there is another commercial that undercuts Cadillac is Fords Answer to Cadillacs commercial. Even though they both have the same kind of camera shots, in this commercial they shoot a middle aged dark skin woman. It seems as though this commercial recognizes that with hard work there is progress that takes place in order to get the luxury items you want and this progresses with the lady changing from her work clothes to a fancy suit and going into her Ford car.
Having a American Dream can be a lot of hard work overall it takes a lot of time, but everything is possible in this world with a lot of struggles a lot of things can be accomplished. For example for the car advertisements they want to persuade people to don’t give up for the dreams because nothing it’s impossible. It seems that a person with education and a job be successfully but not rich. Some of the symbols that they are trying to motivate for potential car buyers are that materialistic things such as a house a car can be an American people Dreams. While others considered that happiness is love and a family even if they are not well economically they are happy. What really caught my mind was the commercial with a Cadillac, and a Ford which it’s very clear to see that inequality it’s always out there. The exploitation these days in all the jobs still exist which it’s very sad because there shouldn’t be race or class involved in it . Personally I believe that hard work always pays off and the way that people manage their money can lead into a big success or not.
The idea of being able to attain a better life through hard work, ambition and grit is a distinctly American perspective. It is a concept that evolved from the ideas of Manifest Destiny and American exceptionalism. I do not think that it is inherently evil. I think that it was able to develop and subsequently inspire so many people to migrate here because in fact most other societies had stratified class levels that prevented upward mobility based on chaste to which one was born. In America, a newly formed republic, those old world rules were not as applicable.
So yes I think a version of the American Dream can be achieved in today’s society. I think though that the system is extremely flawed and as in any other place those born into the bottom tier of the social-economic system or those unfortunate or unlucky enough to slip through the cracks can be lost. The corruption of the concept of the Dream is not in that a better life cannot be achieved but that it can be done on ones own without the assistance of friends, neighbors, family and the government. The fallacy is that those born into wealth somehow are better people because of it, the absolute blindness to what privilege at birth can mean. Ayn Rand’s Objectivism philosophy certainly feeds into this thinking and at its core I think attempts to undermine the progressive spectrum that each younger generation views the world through.
I think that I am certainly lucky to have been born here, at this time with the family I have. I think that the American Dream means second chances and the availability of resources to pursue the eduction that allows one to create a life for oneself. I think the price for that; because none of it is done in a vacuum without a helping hand or several is that one than give back to their community, that one not forget about the assistance they received and that success is based to a large degree on luck. So I am working towards building a life that I can be proud of. Of being able to leave a legacy that hopefully leaves the world a better place then I found it. I’m not there yet. I might never be but that I can keep striving for it. So while my concept of The American Dream might be different from others – I do believe it exists and that once as an individual we get to that place we must than help others get there as well.
Both Advertisements sells you the idea that anything is possible. The first commercial uses an excess of consumerism to prove a point that Americans can work hard to push themselves to achieve the ‘‘American Dream’’. In this case, they present a white man who claims he only takes ‘‘two weeks of vacation in august’’ and due to his hard work, he has money to afford what he wants, like a lovely house and a nice and expensive car. This man mentions that ‘‘you create your own luck’’. I agree with him in way but not in the other. For example, one may say that you can create your own luck when you get an education and have a job. That would definitely open up doors for you but that doesn’t guarantee you that you will become rich or that you will have enough money to afford a Cadillac and the luxury they show on the commercial. We live in a capitalist society in which the owners of the means of production are more than willing to continue exploiting the working class with hard work and low wages. Also, we all know that there are better opportunities in the job sector for those with access to high quality education, for the rich.
By the opposite, the ford commercial is a parody of the first one that also indicates that hard work pays off but it does it in a different way. They show an African American woman who belongs to the working class and she is more concern of the environment where she lives than being a potential consumer of expensive cars.
I really loved the car commercials in this post. I showed them to my Race, Class, and Gender in America course a few weeks after viewing it in class. The commercials and the messages they suggest are powerful. The Cadillac commercial right away suggests white privilege to me. This man, who clearly has a high paying job, which allows him to spend money on this type of a car, seems to have a skewed idea of the reality of the American Dream. He seems to think that if you work hard, you are guaranteed to get a great deal of money and be able to afford to spend your earnings on extra material items. It also shows that whatever you earn should be used for your personal gain and not for the good of the people or the world you live in. At least this is how I perceive the commercial.
The Ford commercial is quite the opposite. It portrays a double minority, a black female, working hard, yet living in a modest home. Her job is one that seems to work toward benefitting the environment and society as a whole, starting with the city where she is located. She is proud of her efforts and also practices what she preaches by driving an environmentally sound car.
I found the commercials to be intriguing. Ford’s response to Cadillac was bold, necessary, and well done. It displayed what the idea of the American Dream is at the top of the social and economic hierarchy and the view of it is from the average American, which greatly differed. I think it’s important for society and more importantly, the higher-ups, to recognize that.
I’m glad you liked them…and glad to know you are sharing them with others. There’s so much going on these commercials – so much sociology happening all around us all the time! Media provides some of the best examples of this, which is why I created this platform, so we could have these kinds of conversations. Keep up the good work and keep talking!
I think George Carlin was basically saying that it’s hard for the average person to experience and obtain the “American Dream, ” as this dream usually come true for the rich and powerful who owns this country. George Carlin was also saying that those big corporations and companies make rules and are always thinking of ways to keep the average worker from achieving more. The aim of the rich is to enjoy the American dream, and at the same time find ways and means to stop the average worker from figuring out that they are being exploited. People may view and interpret the “American Dream in different ways, but I am thinking that for the average person it would be gaining a reasonably education, land yourself a great paying job, so that you and your family can live comfortable and be able to afford the necessities in life. Often times people will complain that they work so hard and still are not able to meet and fulfill all their financial needs and obligations, that’s because they are not being paid fairly for the work they do.
I think Carlin and Marx see eye to eye in terms of the wealthy wanting more for themselves and paying less to the hard working class people.
when listening to George Carlin his basic argument about the American dream is simply it cannot be obtained. the owners or the ruling class he says is a big club and we are not invited to it. they want us to believe in the American dream so we stay hard working. he says they don’t want people who are capable of critical thinking they just want people who are obedient which is why our educational system will not improve. also we do not really have a choice when we elect a president. yes we have the illusion we are electing someone but the reality is we are choosing between the people that they wanted to begin with. After listening to Carlin’s argument a couple times i think it was pretty obvious that hi ans Marx share some of the same ideology. they both know there is a ruling upper class that can frankly not give a shit about anyone else. they will do anything they can to keep power also known as bring in more money.
Speaking of the American Dream every individuals see it in their own way. They all might have similarities, but everyone’s dreams are different. Some find the American Dream is to just have a simple job and make ends meet, where others it might be the more of a full fledge career. Based on my person experiences I have and continue to the live the of my American Dream despite all the trials and obstacles I have faced. Since I was born things were not in my favor. Going through the foster care system and my brother and I fending for ourselves and yet there was never a minute where I thought living the American Dream wasn’t possible. By my definition of my American Dream it is to live a life where I could find work, continue my studies, my family, and be happy. Even though these seem like all positive things in anyone’s American Dream has to have obstacles and make you work for it otherwise it wouldn’t be as special as it is. Although now as a twenty year old woman I find myself working fifty hours a week, full time student in college and still trying to have a life. This is what I have always wanted to be in school and get the higher education. Every time I turned around it was another type of challenge where I may have been homeless or broke or sick, but my American Dream has come true and is continuing to come true; I am alive, working hard, and doing it all on my own.
From watching these videos about the American Dream, you can get the idea of “work hard, play hard.” Every country has a different view on how to spend money. Americans love to spend money on materials, such as a car. Other countries stroll to the market to buy locally grown food.
It was pretty interesting to see a white guy for the Cadillac commercial and a African American woman for the Ford commercial. This represents social inequality. Those two videos show that white people have it easier to accomplish their American Dream over African American people.
I agree with both car commercial that anything is possible if we work hard.The first commercial portray how success starts from the bottom.The second commercial also portray this message that anything is possible regardless of race or gender. I believe that the American dream is different for everyone one for my family and I the American dream would be good jobs, education ,house and happiness among each other.For some it’s about wealth,cars and more wealth.I agree with George Carlin video when he says that politician are only exploiting the poor so that they could fill their pockets and become more wealthy. I think the American dream is definitely possibly but we have to work really hard to achieve it.Maybe it was much more easier in the 70s and 80s to achieve.But then again is the American dream possible for anyone? especially in this century or only possible for people who are born into it?
I agree with all videos because they all make a point to show that the american dream is phony per say. what i mean by that is that when you go to other countries our version of working hard and their version of working hard is completely to different methods. They go through lengths and miles to achieve the same prizes Americans usually stroll to get. its more of false advertisement if you ask me.
I agree with George Carlin. The owners of the country uses american dream as a way to make the country look good and proper in front of the world. I am not saying that america is the only country where everything is planned by few individuals but people from other countries come to america thinking to achieve those dreams. In reality, people are still working just as hard as they do back in their country and still struggle to provide their family the basic and additional needs.
Note: This is for the SOC 201 class (not for SOC 333)
The two car advertisements engaged with the idea of the American Dream by showing that their hard work will lead them to get a better car and life. The Cadillac commercial showed that in order to get the American Dream, people need to work hard, create their “own luck” and believe that everything is possible. If applied to present, one may ask “well how will I create my “own luck” if I am working at a 9-5 job that pays little? Do I believe that one day I can move up? People these days do not have a free will to create their own “luck.” It’s not that simple to get the American dream here in today’s society.
The Cadillac commercial introduced the white man who appeared to be living the good life even if he is on his “two weeks” vacation. This commercial attracted more to the white suburban population by hiring a white actor. The norm of their suburban society is that a white male will lead people to goodness, promoting that we are leaving in a white and male dominated world. The result from watching this commercial would have the buyers think that if the buy a Cadillac, then they can rise above to get the dream.
On the other hand, the Ford commercial not only stated the similar “work hard” and “believe it’s possible” speech, but added that we must “try” to make the world better. Not “do”, just “try.” The commercial attracted middle and lower class buyers who are not ready to make a bold move, but by trying, it can help. Compared to the Cadillac commercial, this one is more relatable to the middle and lower class due to the essence of race, work and the understanding of their free will.
Ford commercial showed an African American woman, who worked at urban farming. Majority of today’s society are African American based which the commercial has attracted. Instead of talking about “vacation hours”, she talked about how she collected trash in order to produce better soil, to “make a better world.” This video promoted the actual idea of the American Dream that through working hard, you can achieve to make life better. It is more relatable to the first one because the Narrator attracted female and African American demographics, which are much larger than the whites in general. While the first showed a white man being too prideful, the woman was more concentrated in helping the environment.
We don’t have freedom of choice because we are all owned by the Owners of America, according to George Carlin. I agree, with the rich and their connections to stay wealthy of course they want more for themselves and forget about the middle and poor class. I doubt there would ever be a change in this soceity because an abundance of us are blind by the truth. The American dream is working hard to become sucessful. Working hard do not guarantee that American dream. I graduated with my Associates Degree and attending school for my B.A. I thought I could at least get a job in my field since I’ve done some internships. However it is a struggle, these jobs want you to have an amount of experience. Sometimes its not even about the experience as long as you have a connection inside you’ll be able to get the job. Many people do not have to work as hard as the next person to be successful. Some times you just have to really do what you like and be grateful. This inequality between the rich, middle and poor would always be a problem.
I believe the American is not dead but redefined. What is the American dream some might say it is the stigmatized version of the two kids, one boy and one girl, a big house, white picket fence and a dog. I believe the American Dream what we make it to be and not what others portray it to be. Others might disagree and say it is about making it big in society moving from one class to another. This is when social mobility comes into play. Social mobility is the movement of an individual/ research concentrates on the extent and patterns of vertical movement up and down the occupational structure. I totally agree with George Carlin; the rich and powerful individuals of the world do not just run it, but they own it as well. Everyone is placed into a class category called the haves and the have nots. The rich and famous are profiting from you and I; the have nots. The notion of The American Dream that is being portrayed by the rich is nonsense majority of them obtain their wealth through birth or inheritance; not through hard work. Most of them don’t even know what hard work is to say the least. Everyone is trying to sell you a dream like the two car commercials for instance, the only difference is their dream is not necessarily your dream, I believe everyone is in title to create their own dream.
The video in my opinion is the dirty truth rather we as Americans want to accept it or not. George is speaking on real social issues we that we are facing today such as being able to collect social security, pension, etc.
The Cadillac commercials seems to give the idea if you buy a Cadillac you are living the American dream in the commercial you have your typical American family in a nice house wife, children and a all American father dressed in a suit as if he work for corporate America.
In the ford commercial seems to give the idea anyone can be independent and achieve there goals and look important by using a African American female in different scenarios.
The two car advertisements engage with the idea of the America Dream by putting material things on display. They are selling the vision of the American dream that consists of a family, house, car, and career. The ads subtly exploit issues of race, class and gender because their advertisement is geared towards a particular type of potential car buyers .I think the American dream can be attained in today’s society but it is based on once social group that would make the dream harder to achieve. I do believe the American dream is attainable for me, because I believe in social mobility. Even if one is born in a lower or middle class, I believe they can work hard and receive an education and credentials that would enable them to attain the American dream. I don’t see anything getting in the way of my success because I believe with hard work and determination, one can be successful.
Dear professor I have now posted three comments but the computer says the third one will not be published (despite it had said my comment will be modified) because required fields are marked
I have one comment here for you on this post. that is fine./s
Selling the American dream commercial did point out the main idea,,which is to work hard and you will get it..The american dream can be different for you, myself, and others.. While some may believe that the american dream is being able to afford expensive things others may feel that having a roof over there head, food ,and being able to live comfortably is the american dream…am i living my version of the american dream absolutely not. will i get there, i hope so..now i see my situation as a bad wave yet eventually it will clear out.
George Carlin is correct with what he is saying.. the american dream is just that a dream. but it can happen of you work hard..what do you think you will get anywhere in life by just staying there and not moving, no!! you have to work move network and just do your best, thats all you can do.work hard to hopefully get there.
Whats getting in my way to not achieve success,, good question, I would defiantly say money lol, to buy houses and resell them..with real estate I believe its the only ticket to be successful. I feel that the government should offer programs to Americans on how to succeed and offer some forms or methods to people who want to make it,,but thats only a dream
I agree with George Carlin. The American Dream is an illusion. Maybe in the beginning, when the U.S. was still being colonized and it needed workers to make it better, those who were white-men found there beginnings to wealth. However, those of different races and gender could not acquire wealth. When racial inequality was out-lawed and everyone supposedly had a fair chance for wealth, that was not true because the education, opportunities, material resources compared to those who have money and resources were still unequal and therefore achieving wealth was not realistic. Currently, the American Dream is still used to brain-wash us to become workers for meager wages. We are happy to receive a paycheck and be able to pay our rent, bills, and expenses but what are we left with? Hopefully you could save money for your kids college fund, maybe a vacation once every 5 years;. It’s not fair when you compare it to those who have ridiculous amounts of money that just sit there. It’s depressing to know you work hard and you don’t have enough money and feel poor all the time. It’s not fair for people to have so much money while other people in the world die of starvation and poor living conditions. Something is wrong with the world if these things can occur. Do I believe I will achieve wealth in my life-time if work hard? I don’t think so. Hopefully, I will make just enough to put my children through college and live being able to provide food, clothing, and shelter without public assistance. I was not born into the wealthy family with the right skin color to succeed in the American Dream.
I don’t agree with Karl Marx theory on class and status. Marx mentioned that if people live in a communist society there are less violence because everyone has equal amount of wealth. I totally disagreed, not everyone has an education, skills and potential. America is a place that give people a lot of opportunity to achieve things. If you work hard, has financial knowledge such as investing in stock, mutual fund, pension plan and real estate you might not be like the top 1 percent which is the very wealthy but you can be comfortable in life,
I agree with Max Weber theory of social stratification which include, class status and party. In fact, American are living in this type of society where there is upper class, middle class and lower class lifestyle group of people,.
I’m not sure what you mean by you don’t agree with Marx on the issue of class. What precisely don’t you agree with? What is your argument and on what evidential basis are you advancing a counter-argument?
I personally believe that obtaining the American Dream is difficult today however it is possible. In both commercials it shows that hard work is important in order to get to where one needs to be. However, both commercials showed me that race plays a factor to how hard one should work in our society. For instance, the Cadillac commercial opens up with a white man in front of beautiful pool, in his lavish house, with his nice family as he goes on about what Americans accomplished to be successful pretty much by using and coming up with different technologies. On the other hand, the Ford commercial shows a black woman standing in front of a dump because she collects waste and manure to make a difference in our environment. Overall, the differences in the commercials show that minorities are the ones that do more of the labor work and whites are the ones with better jobs. Even though the black woman in the Ford commercial was able to look nice at the end of the commercial by driving off in her new car, it proves to me that minorities have to work ten times harder in order to get a taste of a white man’s accomplishment. In addition, George Carlin has truth in what he says about owners demanding more from the poor in order for them to be richer. However, I believe it’s possible for one that’s poor to climb their way up. It won’t be easy and it won’t happen over night. Patience and determination is key.
I agree with George’s Carlin’s message. He starts off saying that “education sucks” and that it will never be fixed and that there is a reason. His reasoning, in my opinion, makes perfect sense. I agree with his viewpoint that big companies are who and what control us. By making education suck these companies have the power to keep us (middle and lower class) at a stand still. I agree that the only place we have in this society is to be “obedient workers”. There are such few opportunities for people to rise and grow in today’s society and it is more than a coincidence.
While I believe that both the Ford and Caddilac commercial deliver a similar message I do feel that the Ford one comes off a little more positive. In the Ford commercial the actress is saying that anything is possible and the American Dream is possible but in regards to another issue. Her main concern is improving America as a whole. In the Caddilac commercial the actor’s point is that anything is possible as long as you work hard, however, his main goals are the white picket fence typical ‘American Dream’. The Caddilac ad also implied that others don’t have what he does simply because they are lazy and don’t want to work hard. It is ‘interesting’ that the woman who is concerned about world issues is a black woman and not a white man like in the Caddilac commercial.
I have always understood that other individuals would view the American Dream differently, but I never really gave much thought to whether it was a realistic goal or not despite the varying perceptions. I always believed the American Dream was working hard to achieve a somewhat perfect life. This perfect life would consist of a stable and well-paying job, a complete family and no financial burdens. I believe my perception of the American Dream is somewhat attainable. I say this because I am aware of today’s job market and the increased cost of living. I believe it will be harder finding a stable, well-paying job and I do not believe that I specifically will be able to live free of financial burdens as I already have numerous school loans and plan on taking out more to finish my schooling. While I may have trouble attaining my American Dream, that won’t dampen my spirits. I will continue to work hard for what I believe I deserve within realistic terms of today’s living standards.
While both the Ford and Cadillac commercials reinforce the idea of hard work resulting in something bigger than you, they send stereotypical images. These stereotypical images I am referring to are in regards of the person selected to star in each commercial. While the seemingly well-off white man stars in the Cadillac commercial asking why we work so hard, he is shown living a seemingly lavish lifestyle. On the contrary, the black woman starring in the Ford commercial is filmed doing her job which entails manual labor. While I can appreciate Ford’s idea of showing a black woman working hard to create a better future for our society, I believe both commercials reinforce stereotypical ideas that are too often used when referring to the future a white man will have in comparison to a black woman. For me, both commercials appeal to me because they are promoting hard work but I do not believe the way in which each was done was very appealing in terms of gender and race. Similarly enough, the cartoon shows the various trials and tribulations the black community has had to overcome in order to achieve the American Dream. It shows that whites have had fewer obstacles preventing them from achieving their goals.
George Carlin exposes much of what many Americans deny or ignore. The truth is that they want to control what we are exposed to in fear that we become too educated and can see through their plans for our society. They are selfish and demand more from the poor in order for the rich to obtain more. They hope that Americans will continue to blindly follow their leadership and allow them to rule this country and rob them of their hard earned money.
I do feel like any dream is attainable. The amount of effort that you put into your work can help you grow. The two advertisements explain two individuals about “why they work so hard?”. Hardworkers it seems are basically considered as crazy because we work hard to live a more better life. While observing the videos you will notice that the two people are living comfortably and at the end of the video, they have cars that some people would love to afford. It can possibly have others question if they are working hard? The reason as to why I say this is because most people do work hard but do not have the same lifestyle as the people shown in the advertisements. What is really “The American Dream”? Is it having a lot of money and living the luxurious life. We all work hard because being lazy is not going to get you anywhere. I agree with George Carlin in his video where he states owners hire obedient workers that accept lower pay and longer hours. A person who has great wealth and status does not want to compete with other people like themselves, they want more and more. Is the American dream a competition to be better than others and flaunt all the upscale materialistic items. I think so, in my opinion I look at the American dream as a Hunger Games battle. People battling each other out to reach success and not care about what they have to do to obtain it, even if it means hurting another persons growth.
The American Dream is a farce! To attain these materialistic things that we are taught since we were children- that this is the way of life, is terrible. I started working at the age of 14. I live in a studio apartment, I am financing a 2009 Toyota, and I am in debt. The American dream that I live, is the one that puts them (the wealthy) to bed with a smile on their faces at night. That is, for the top 4% that is wealthy to stay rich and for the middle class and impoverished to stay poor. At the rate the rich are going- there will be no middle class, soon there will be a society of only rich & poor (haves and have not’s…) Keep dreaming!!!
I believe that any dream can be attained when the dreamer has the necessary tools for success. The bigger question is how does one define the American dream today? I believe that the “white picket fence, husband wife, 2 kids and a dog” American dream has been altered tremendously. Many Americans today cannot achieve that so called dream because they can’t even be assured that the years they have invested into a job will pay out their Social security upon retirement. Children cannot achieve the American dream because they are boggled down with student loans they accepted just trying to attain the “American dream”. Parents cannot keep jobs long enough to secure a safe and secure life for their families because of pay cuts, layoffs, etc which are at an all time high. The American Dream in 2015 is like a hamster on a wheel. Everyone runs the same race everyday trying to get to an unattainable place in a very polluted society. And we are going nowhere fast.
I totally agree with you Jamie the “American Dream” is subjective and according to the individual opinion on how they define success. The only problem is people are not basing their success from their own judgment but on the reality of others such as celebrities that may not be attainable to that specific person. That’s when the disappoint and reality of the individual kicks in, when what they thought was the “American Dream” did not become reality for oneself but the reality of others.
I just want to add that also the lose of the “American Dream” can be due to the fact that some pressures are not made on their own, but already determained before birth. A lot of times families make ideas/ plans for what they want their kids to do and some people try to live up to those planned ideas for family’s approval, although it isn’t attainable due to srmstances.
The two car advertisement engage with the idea of the “American Dream” by stating that Americans want it all. They work not for the satisfaction of themselves but for the satisfaction of materialistic things to prove that they have made it. Afraid to take time off from work because they want to maintain the “American Dream”. Leaving the audience to think if they work hard enough them too would have the “American Dream” which would include the house with an outdoor pool, wife, kids, a successful job with a nice car to match. To compare the two commercials the first one clearly shows that the Caucasian man was living the “American Dream” the African American lady not so much because she did not have the husband, kids and lavish house to prove it. It could be an issue of race, class or gender according to how you view it.
George Carlin on the other hand is saying that the world is divided into two groups people who run the country otherwise known as the owners and everyone else in society. I am not sure if the “American Dream” can be attained but I sure do hope so. My way of attaining the “American Dream” would be the traditional way by going to school and getting a great job that would allow the American Dream to be possible. Only two things could get in the way of me attaining the “America Dream” society or myself and I hope none of them get in my way, that’s if the “American Dream” is still attainable.
Both commercials engage in this notion of the American dream one which the results of your success is steamed from hard work. I found very interesting that in the first ad commercial the guy says “you work hard you create your own luck and you got to believe anything is possible” and If you work hard you could have all the “stuff” he referred to in the video. While in the second ad video the women says along the lines the same thing but she adds “you try to make the world better”. This an important aspect to notice because the whole idea of creating your own luck is highly unlikely. These ads make the potential car buyers believe that if you are lucky enough and you work hard then you can afford a huge house and expensive clothing. They make it seem simple. When In reality to attain the American dream involves more than hard work, yes it is a factor, but it is not the only one. Many people work constant hours in jobs and their position seems to stay stagnant. These ads also exploit issues of race because in the first ad a white male is seen dressed very fancy suit and all assets he contained clearly showed he is in the upper class. Also these two ads defer in the aspect that the first ad basically sends the message that we work for material possessions while in the second one it send the message of working to make a difference. The first ad sounded very individualistic in the sense that his personal belongings seemed to be a priority while the second ad showed signs of collectiveness in putting helping the world before your own personal desires.
In the George Carlin video he says that “the owners “of this country they want more for themselves and less for everyone else. That those on the top are the ones that really get a say on how everyone chooses to run their lives. I do believe that the American dream still exist but not in the same sense that it existed when this notion was first created. It does have its faults but I believe that it is still real.
How do the two car advertisements engage with the idea of the American Dream? Both car advertisements talk about how working hard is what gets us where we want to be rich, with a car, home, good medical care, and so on. The American Dream is associated to hard-working. Thus, sending the message that if you are poor is because you choose to be poor and lazy. What vision of the dream are they each selling? That Caucasian Americans are the only ones that work hard. What kind of language and symbols do they employ to motivate potential car buyers? They use “working hard” and “hard working” often in their messages. And they use a Cadillac and Ford’s car to represent the American Dream, to have that car. How do the ads subtly (and not so subtly) exploit issues of race, class, and gender? The first ads present a Caucasian guy with his own home. Caucasian people are known to have more money and I guess seen as more hard-working than any other race. Second, he is a man, men are known for being the “stronger” gender. Females do not make the same money and it sends the message that females do not work as hard as men. In addition, they are considered weaker, slower and unreliable. The Second video shows an African American surrounded with dirt indicating that this is what she works for. She looks like she works on a farm, and at the end of the day, she dresses up to ride in her car. It makes the Caucasian people more hard-working than minorities. While the Caucasian guy has a home with a pool and car, the African American seems to just have the farm business to make rich soil and her car. Thus, making Caucasians appear more productive than African Americans and even any other minority.
What is George Carlin saying about social groups in the United States? George Carlin is attacking the social groups, and so on for being so materialistic in their attempt to have it all and keep the unfortunate poor. Do you think the American Dream can be attained in today’s society? It can only be obtain if you are Caucasian. Very little can minorities obtain from the American Dream today. If so (or not) comment on your own experience trying to “live the dream.” Do you think it is attainable for you? What do see potentially getting in the way of your success? It has been very hard to live the dream. It makes it harder where you are categorized by race, gender, and class already by your own government. Stereotypes and discriminations prevents anyone from obtain the “American Dream”. Attainable, it is still to be seen.
I agree with you that the first ad seems to send the message that in some way or another they are superior then minorities and that their envision of the american dream is not imagined the same way as minority but not only does race pay a part but also how they are stratified in society.
The Cadillac and Ford commercials show all things are possible in terms of attaining the “American dream”. Nice cars and a big house were used to indicate what people can achieve if one works hard. George Carlin suggest the “American dream” is an illusion due to the “owners” of the world being the ones with power and decision making. He states that no one really has the freedom of choice. Everyone has a different perspective on the “American dream”. I am working two jobs and going to school full time while caring for a three year old to live comfortable, pay all my bills, and provide for my family. Obstacles are present every day. The low amount of job opportunities for competitive individuals could potentially get in the way of my success.
I agree with Mr. Carlin that the world is controlled by the wealthy and big business. Depending on what ones belief of the “American dream” is, it can be accomplished.
I absolutely agree with George Carlin. His jokes were harsh, funny, and truthful. The rich and powerful people in this country do not just run it they own it. All the media and news that we see is chosen by them (EVEN RADIO STATION THIS IS WHY YOU HEAR THE SAME SONG 10X ON (2)DIFFERENT SATIONS IN 1HR). The U.S. is opportunistic to a scarce amount of people, freedom is ideal but were are forced to act and behave how the hierarchy wants us to.
“It is called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” > George Carlin
Two commercials depict the ways in which people work hard in order to achieve the American . However some peoples ideas of the American Dream is different from other people.Probably buying a car and a nice house and having a job that allows you to take care of all your financial needs.However it is very hard.especially if you dId not come to the U.S. with a green card. Take me for instance, when I came to this land of opportunity I did not have mine at first and it was very hard to survive.I felt like I had gone ten paces backward before I could move forward.This is due to the fact that I had to do meaninial jobs such as cleaning people,s houses. thus making enough for rent and food so how much could I save to attain this American dream?
I believe that living the American dream can be met but hard work cannot put you there. Working smart and investing in stocks and bonds is the key..Hence one day I may be able to live the American dream, and I already have an affordable car.I will just keep dreaming for now.
Both these commercials portray examples of what society has deemed to be the “American Dream.” George Carlin expresses that companies control our thinking and work towards the dream, this I have to agree on. Based on my interactions with people, many think that the american dream is an illusion because they see it as this corrupt belief due to companies and big business input on the dream. My opinion is that anybody can achieve anything that they work towards and so can I. The obstacle for that would set me back would be networking. My networking circle is very small and I can overcome this obstacle by expanding my social circle. Now to conclude my statement, I think the American Dream varies from person to person because everybody possesses different dreams and there shouldn’t be just one definition of the American Dream. Overtime people and situations change, so will people’s idea of the so called American Dream.
The two car advertisements portray an image of what an “ideal” American dream should look like. Both commercials show lavish houses with all the amenities for recreation. Another important message that the two advertisements convey is that anything is possible if people are willing to work hard to achieve their goals. It shows us that the dream of buying a nice house and a luxury car can come true if we are willing to work hard. I feel that these commercials give a sense of hope to all those individuals that are working hard and feel like they are not getting anywhere. These commercials clearly convey the message that regardless of what race, class or gender an individual is, achieving the American dream is possible with hard work. George Carlin basically states that big businesses and companies are controlling individuals for their own success and profit. I believe that attaining the American Dream in today’s society is more difficult than the past because of the limited number of opportunities and the increasing amount of competition. Also everyone has a different perceptive of what an American dream should look like. For some people it’s buying a big house while for many it is merely earning enough to support their children and family. I think that attaining the American dream is possible, but it will require a longer amount of time and good education along with hard work to achieve it. The obstacle that I see getting in my way of success would be the number of opportunities available out there is terms of jobs because there are so many qualified applicants with only a limited number of seats.
George Carlin was theory of the American Dream being false is something that many people are indenial about. I believe his main point was the “American Dream” being a dream of the past and now in the present doesnt exist or have the same definition. The american dream is now being part of the survival of the fittest. The house with the white picked fence is almost impossinle to achieve with the reality of economic decreases, job loss and loss of home ownership. Even when getting an a education as society potrays as a way of better life the results are slowly prosperus. It doesnt matter how well you prepare yourself or how hard you work if you arenta apart of that high class level you wont have much choices or control of your future due to social changes and structures. The American Dream now is to obtaining the best deal you can get and being thankful for what you have.
I agree with Mr. Carlin pertaining to his comments in the video. In American society the only thing that really matters and forces decisions is the almighty dollar. Political groups do not listen to the needs and wants of minority groups they only appeal to what is most favorable to them in helping them to line their pockets with more money. He also has valid points pertaining to political figures. It seems that these political figures do just enough to get votes and once they have the votes they push their own agendas while in office until it is time again for reelection. But I do feel that the “American Dream” is unobtainable only because there is no clear cut definition of what it is. One person’s perception of the “American Dream” may be different from another’s therefore they may be striving for two completely different goals.
My idea of the ” American Dream” was slightly different from what they commercials portray. I agree with alot of what George Carlin said because it seems like American is mostly ran by politicians and big business. These politicians and business feed us information they want us to know and try to teach us skills that are beneficial to them. Growing up it seem to me the “American Dream” was to go to college, get a good job, get married, buy a house, buy a car, etc.. I guess the “American Dream” changes over time or is what we are lead to believe at that time.
These videos sure gave me a reminder of whats going on in the American advertisment society. Cadillac video had me on the floor laughing, can they be more obvious of what they are trying to portray. An American car, an American garage. Very appealing to the entrepreneurs and the ones who are trying to achieve the American dream. Example,
A family a house with a white picket fence. The Ford video is basically saying they care about the earth and if you care, you will also purchase there car. With that video I had to reply it three times, to make sure I understood what was going in the video.
What I found most striking about the videos selling the cars, is that they find a way to connect with people first, then they push the product to the consumer, for example in the Cadillac commercial, the whole idea behind the commercial is that many things, including innovative companies, music bands, etc. All have their starting point in a garage, meaning that it’s possible for the average person to become successful from working in their garage or at home. The commercial then tries to persuade consumers that the car is something innovative that they can have come out of their own garage. I think these commercials appeal to the average American person as well as individuals who are trying to live out the so-called “American Dream”. The commercial is very inspiring, in the sense that it shows that all these great companies started small but with hard work they all become major companies in America. The symbols in this commercial were all the companies’ mentioned. George Carlin is my favorite comedian of all time. In this short segment, he’s explaining how big rich companies control all American people, and that these companies like to keep us controlled in order to make their own gains and profits. First off, the American dream has no one single definition, so yes I do think its attainable depending on what the person views the dream to be. My goal in life is to be comfortable, and for me that means to be wealthy. It is taking longer than I expected, but at the same time I have not worked hard enough for it, but I know one day it will come. The only obstacle I see that could potentially get in my way is myself, we all have the ability to become wealthy, its just takes hard work, dedication, and patience.
I think what George Carlin is trying to say that no matter what social group an individual falls under the “owners” of the country do not care about them and their rights. The “owners” of the country have their own club where they are in power to make choices. He defined the owners of the country as the wealthier people controlling everything, who own top businesses, land and corporations. These “owners” use politicians to give individuals the idea that they have freedom of choice. I do not think that the American dream can be fully attained by all individuals because most people are not being properly educated in school. The “owners” of the country are in charge of what they want society to be exposed to. They do not want anyone who will be too smart to speak out against them and discover that the social system is not helping the American people.
The American dream may be attainable to me because I am educating myself more each day about the type of social system that is runned by this country. People are not aware of so many things that’s going on in this country but I am. I believe that I can be successful to my own extent but the “owners” of this country will continue to do whatever they can to get what they want. It will be very hard for any individual to compete with the “owners”.
In the video “Anything is Possible”, it promotes an African American female who is conscience about protecting and preserving the environment. Her “ideals” about the environment is portrayed through her lifestyle. She is “educated” to understand that growing her own produce and using her “environmental friendly” car is beneficial to the environment. However, in the video “The American Dream” ,by George Collins , is a contradiction to the message supported by the first video. Collins speaks about the government not wanting people to be “critical thinkers”, or “highly educated” but instead they want “obedient workers”. The government does not want you to think about making the environment a healthier place because they want to employ you to work at the same landfills that deteriorates the environment for a profitable cost.
The Ford video resonated with me the most. Ford is marketing this product to lower middle class, Black, urban dwellers who work hard and want more for themselves and their communities. I am reminded of a TED film of Majora Carter as she stated “As a black person in America, I am twice as likely as a white person to live in an area where air pollution poses the greatest risk to my health.” I think its safe to say that this product is being marketed to black people.
http://www.ted.com/talks/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal
The first video portrays the idea that many economically successful people came from the bottom, as the videos portray from the garage. This tells the viewers that if you work hard enough you can afford to get this car. The second video goes along the same lines, but emphasizing that minorities such as African American can also afford a technology driven and environmental friendly car and that not only white Americans can live that type of life. Lastly, the last video contradicts the other two. The word “real owners” called my attention. Sincerely, human beings are never happy. Didn’t we want capitalism and new economic systems long years ago? And now that some people made it to power we want to change it. We will never be happy and we will keep changing socioeconomic systems because we will hardly find one that pleases our desires. Unfortunately, we have created the monsters or “the real owners”.
Prior to watching these clips my perception of the “American Dream” was getting married, having children, living in a nice house etc. However, after watching these videos I was faced with three different perspectives on the “American Dream”. The first video made me feel that anyone can have the ideal “American Dream”. In other words, you don’t have to be born rich to be rich. The second video illustrates the idea of working hard and that anything is possible. The third video depicts that the “American Dream” does not exist. At this point I am confused when it comes to understanding the “American Dream” because each video has a valid point.
I agree with you and I am also confused. I think we make the American Dream what it is. Also, this whole is subjective because there are many immigrants like myself that find America a great place of opportunities.
I find it amazing how the capitalistic US would sell the American Dream actually portraying an African American female whom is stereotypically the complete opposite of who the “American Dream” is actually modeled to incapture. African American females have often been stereotyped in the media as weak and subservient laborers.This woman was actually marketed of course to attract as many generations of individuals that could relate to her as possible, to sell that car. Her work attire in the beginning of the video was addressing the blue collar working class individuals, her interests in the environment was to reach the environmentalists and agriculturalists in society and her attire in the final segment of the video was aimed at the entrepreneurs and corporate America. All of this of course to reflect the “democracy” and individualism that this country is built on which allows anyone to achieve the “American Dream”, where anything is possible if you are willing to work hard enough to achieve those dreams.
No doubt, the car commercial is appealing, but what grabs my attention is the idea behind the commercial. What is captivating about the video is that, it states the names of the different companies that started at the bottom and eventually made it at the top which sends a message that hard work paid off. The video is simply showing that most things or most people started at the bottom with nothing but with hard work, one can reach to the top and become wealthy like Disney for example. Not to mention, a car like Cadillac it most definitely appealing to the audience of rich people. By choosing the correct words, it can lure the audience or potential car buyers. With this video that is selling the Cadillac it chose the language carefully by mentioning the rich companies that started in a garage but is now on top. Then it shows that Cadillac also comes outs of a garage therefore it is a rich car. Since the companies that were mentioned are in America, anyone can drive an American car and live the American dream. That was a smooth transition.
On the other hand, George Carlin is bashing the wealthy company and bureaucrats or the social groups for being greedy, selfish, and in control of the wealth of America and neglecting the poor and lower class people and preventing them from attaining the American Dream. Personally, I do think that the America Dream can be attained in today’s society but it won’t be easy. From my own experience as an immigrant, a single mother, a college student, I am trying to attain this America Dream that I heard so much of but it is hard. I think it is attainable for me because I believe in hard work but jobs are not available like it used to be. The fact that I choose to go to college to earn a degree and will go on to graduate school is a start to catch the dream. The recession has shattered many dreams whereby it shows difficulties in many ways, for example there is not enough jobs because of outsourcing, student loans is piling up, etc. Yes, it is difficult but not impossible. The only barrier that would prevent me from successfully attaining my dream is employment in New York City but all is not lost, if moving will allow me to “live the American Dream” then I am willing to make the move. For where there is a will there is a way. After all, success comes through hard work and the American Dream is all about success and prosperity. This prosperity is achieved through hard work.