STOCKTON said:
Does going to someplace influence us? I agree, I met this foreign exchange French Girl, and she said she felt american because of Mcdonald's in France. Haha
Yes, something influences us, and what the girl experienced is McDonaldization at its finest. She felt "american" or felt as if she was part of the "culture" because of the McDonalds in France, so that shows you what type of cultural influence companies have and how they can dictate certain things to certain people. Now think about this for a second, whats the difference between the McDonalds in France and the one in New York? Are the Big Macs the same? Are the Logo's the same? Are the containers the same? Are the prices the same (or similar)?
Now I'll post up some excerpts from my essay, and hopefully this will answer a couple of questions:
Effeciency:
According to Ritzer, “Efficiency means choosing the optimum means to a given end” (43.) When this component is applied to entertainment, it comes in the form of faster downloads, smaller file sizes and in some cases, no restriction in choice. People are no longer required to drive to a video rental store to rent the latest DVD. As one author states, “Now, with high-speed Internet connections in many homes and the ability to compress a movie’s size, it takes only a short time to download a full movie” (Gordon 12.) With today’s technology, one can use the internet to stream or download the latest DVD release to their computer in a matter of minutes. This process is convenient for the consumer who no longer has to drive to a physical location, worry about availability, or stand in long check out lines. In instances where streaming or downloading is not an option, a person may join an online movie rental club such as NETFLIX and GameznFlix. These clubs send the movies to your home, do not charge late fees, and even provide the renter with self addressed stamped envelopes, which the renter may use to return the movies when finished. Due to their success, video rental and retail stores such as Blockbusters now utilize this method.
Now think about how frequent you hit the movies compared to how often you download or rent. Do you see how things are EASIER to get? However, does easier or faster always mean the best? Does MORE always mean BETTER? Think about your life and how efficiency applies to it.
Lets move on.
Calculability:
calculability is emphasis on things that can be calculated, counted, and quantified. According to Ritzer, “Many aspects of today’s quantity orientated society could not exist, or would greatly need to be modified, were it not for the modern computer” (67.) With today’s technology, sports fans can have the latest scores sent directly to their cell phone or palm pilot. Moreover, the consumer now has the ability to fill devices that fit in the palm of their hand with thousands of songs. With the invention of devices such as the iPod, and websites such as iTunes, consumers may select and purchase the songs they want without having to purchase a full CD and can do so in a matter of seconds via download. However, the music aficionado suffers because of this. Downloadable songs are usually in the mp3 format, and while they require less space than a song from an actual CD, they compromise the songs fidelity. Bernie Grundman, a mastering engineer who has mastered many Gold and Platinum albums stated, “At this point, I'm mainly hoping that people will still support normal CDs because the quality is so much better than [MP3] (Jackson.) Nevertheless, this format allows the consumer to have greater liberty in selection due to the ability to sample the music from an entire album on the fly without actually purchasing it.
How many of you have iPods or iTune accounts? Would you prefer having an iTune account where you can choose the songs YOU want or would you prefer to have no account but purchase a full cd just for two songs? And like I mentioned before, does more equal better? Yes, you can load your iPod with a gazillion songs, but what about fidelity? When you buy a cd from a store all teh songs are going to sound the same from cd to cd, but this sin't the case with mp3's. I can encode an mp3 and it will sound different from the one 206 encodes if I'm using different filters, codecs or altering the eq curve to compensate for loss of high frequencies. So think about the trade off you get when you buy more. In fact lets look at McDonalds. You can get a value meal for like 5 bucks right? But can't you also supersize it for 49 cents more? If you eat ALL of the supersized meal what happens to your body (over time?)
Predictability:
...emphasizes things being the same from one time or from one place to another. In each instance of predictability, the consumer, gamer or viewer knows what they are going to receive and never expects anything different. No matter where you are on the globe, you can always access your iTunes account and download songs if you have an Internet connection. In addition, no matter where you purchase your iPod, it may only be found in specific colors, is always the same size, and does the same thing.
Think about it, no matter where you are on the globe, if you have internet access you can hit your iTunes account, hit netflix, hit
www.siccness.net or check your email (if these aren't filtered), but you should get the picture now. Look at the big mac. Does it EVER change? Yes, unless you tell the guy at the counter no onions, but basically it's predictable. All big macs have three pieces of bread, two patties (or whatever the hell it actually is) mayo, lettuce, pickles, oinions, ketchup and mustard (I think) but NO TOMATOES! No matter where you go the big mac is going to be the same, and when you order one you already know what you're going to get.
Control:
...is control, and it is the replacement of human by non-human technologies. A person wishing to purchase the latest video game does not need to go to Toys R Us to purchase it, nor does one have to stand in line to purchase tickets for a music concert. These items can be paid for by using an automated credit card over the phone or by using a credit card online. When control is implemented, workers are also removed from dangers such as robberies and assault. Moreover, companies save money due to less human error, smaller payrolls, no employee insurance, and less theft. In addition, control offers a faster way of actually making purchases due to automation. Web based companies such as GameFly require memberships, and the process of joining is easy and takes no more than three minutes to complete. Once membership registration is completed, customers are allowed to purchase, rent, and download games and often receive incentives for signing up.
Non-human technology has replaced humans. Instead of hitting up Toys R Us you can hit their website, fill out the info and have the item shipped to your crib. The means of ordering doesn't change from Toys R Us to Toys R Us and think about human error for a bit. Do you have people actually processing these orders or is it all automated (e-commerce), with a tech guy here and there to keep the computers running? Yes, you still have the workers in the warehouse picking up the orders, but how long will that last?
Pay attention to this:
McDonaldization has been a major contributor to capitalism, and because of this, many countries, companies and cultures have sought to create more ways of implementing it more efficiently. However, faster is not always better, and more is often less. When downloading movies instead of going to the actual theatre, you may miss out on quality time with significant others or family members.
Pay attention to the words in bold and think about it. The companies want revenue right? They want your money right? At what cost? Think about the time your parents took you to a game or movie, and think about the last time you took your kids (if you have them) to the movies. Do you see how capitalism is cutting into family time?
Soak this:
When one objectively views McDonaldization, how it is implemented, and the results it is capable of achieving, one may start to feel as if companies are leading them to live and purchase according to the standards set fourth by the companies. This may lead to one feeling isolated or feeling as if companies have destroyed all sense of individuality.
How many of us are slaves? :dead:
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