"Tyler Durden Went to the Birmingham School of Cultural Study"

    Please Reprogram my pseudo-intelligence because my fake happiness is killing my pocketbook 



    Disgruntled middle-class working men and women follow the rules of what is popular so they can buy things they don't need and dream of things they will never accomplish. Similar to a Marxist gaze, David Fincher's Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden recreates the road less traveled but newly adopted.

    Popularized by the Birmingham School of Cultural Study, a Marxist interpretation of why popular culture needs to be studied, reminds the masses that individuality is a far-fetched ideology that only helps a capitalist narrative. We are programmed to think the way we do so we can be turned into consumers at best and our pseudo-intelligence is merely a conduit for mass purchases.

 


    Switching from the Birmingham School of Cultural Study to the Frankfurt School of Cultural Study we can see similarities in reasoning when illuminating "Commercialism" and "Massification". "What is a duvet cover?", Simply put a duvet cover is a blanket. But, why do we call it that and why does it cost more than a throw cover? Is it in the name? Is it fancy so therefore it has to cost more and only those that are rich enough or cultured enough know the difference so it is therefore classy enough to buy? A cover is a cover plain and simple, but defining something for what it is doesn't illustrate the point Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is trying to make. The point of reference lies within the practical use of a product and the programming that takes place which in turn makes our wallet burn a hole through our pocket. We are programmed to think we need this fancy artifact so that it will make our lives better. But the truth is a wool coat or something made for better practical use would suit us better for the cold.

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