this week I learned – Chemistry in the Kitchen

MACBETH

AND BABY BOOMERS

1950’s and Today

I have been taking notes in class to understand post war America, and what really when down in the 50’s. This week while Ms Willemse was giving us the rundown of boomers, something really stood out to me. The fact that for the first time ever people began to market things to the kids, because of the booming economy, and booming generation, company’s were able to make things look really attractive to the kids, instead of their parents.

Most company’s focused all their marketing attention towards baby boomers because they enlarged the economy, and had the most to spend. Many company’s still provide specific marketing towards boomers, even though they are 55-75 years old now. Companies do this because boomers even though old, still support most of the economy. On average many boomers buy plenty of things that are not of importance, and purchase many things for grandkids, and family members. They also purchase things that bring them positions of power if they can, super cars, big houses, spa retreats, fancy clothing, and lots of jewelry. Many of these purchases would be brought to a minimum if marketers slowed the output of boomer oriented products, this is where I can tie it into Macbeth. I was very interested in the way that Macbeth is manipulated in Act 1 Scene 7, and used that information for my TWIL last week, and for this week I would like to use the same information, but shape it towards a different concept.

Macbeth

When Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth, she’s really just changing her marketing solution. She making the murder look more appetizing to Macbeth, so that he thinks he has no other option, which really is what good marketing’s all about.

You have to sell your product so that people believe that nothing else will do the same job, or do a better job. Lady Macbeth does an excellent job at marketing to Macbeth, which makes the audience believe that this wasn’t her first rodeo, but it doesn’t end here.

In Act 3 scene 1, Macbeth uses this power to his benefit. He has hired 2 murderers to kill Banquo and his son, but he doesn’t want the blood traced souly back to him with no reason, so he convinces the murderers that Banquo is this terrible person that deserves to die, and by the end of his marketing, he has them sold.

In this scene Macbeth uses Lady Macbeths tactic of selling to the audience to achieve a reason for killing Banquo.

I decided to express this connection between marketing to baby boomers and the killing of Duncan and Banquo through the creation of an add!

This is an example of an add that originates from the 1950’s era. I decided to use this add as the template for my add!

Macbeth and the Berlin Wall

PLP 11 took their first lecture this week, with head held high as information was dumped upon them, and their fingers scrambled to clean it up. Learning about the war is a challenge especially since so much information about dates and events are being thrown up in the air, it is literally a scramble to catch it all. Though this post is made to connect things I learned about WW2 and Macbeth, which I have yet to mention. We are also learning about Macbeth in this unit. Hot off finishing act one, I am ready to make some connections when one hits me right between the eyes. In Macbeth, (spoiler alert) king Duncan is the subject to killing. Thane of glamis and cawdor, Macbeth is told he is going to be king by 3 witches. Macbeth believes these witches with prompting from his very masculine wife, lady Macbeth, and they begin to plot. King Duncan is only killed for his title. For the fact that if dead the title would go to Macbeth, I assume. This made a connection to the Berlin Wall, a funny and questionable relation, I agree but hear me out.

Berlin Wall

When the allies became the “victors” of WW2, they obtained Germany and “nurtured” it back into the economic state it needed to be in, Instead of just turning their back on it.

Though they second the allies were conquering land the Russians came soaring into Germany on a direct course to Berlin. They wanted Berlin for the title, and the power obtained with it. The allies close behind, but just not fast enough then lost all hope at obtaining the full power of Berlin forever. They split the title and power, and became power hungry, and enemies.

Macbeth

This connection ties the fact that lady Macbeth talks Macbeth into murdering king Duncan for the title, as the allies and Russia are talked into splitting the power, just for the title.

This feeling of nothing being better then you are, or no one being higher then you are, lead both of these situations right into the dirt. Because the allies couldn’t let go of Berlin and the fact that the Russians would have soul occupation of it, partially lead to the Cold War, and becuase Macbeth is told that the only way to be manly, or the only way to be strong is to kill the king, he is walking right into his own death – because that’s what they think the better person would do.

Today

It’s funny when you think about the role that society, and it’s norms play on our decions and you can see in this example clear as day that these situations would not have happened would either of them thought it manly or strong to back down. You can see this throughout time.

When your masculinity becomes something of question its a fight to get it back. Take for instance my brother, my dad and I biking up Mt. Seymour. I harassed them to continue biking, but they only listened because they didn’t want to be the lesser biker. They didn’t want anyone being better then them! Of course no hard feelings, and I barely even noticed it, but its just something to think about!

I choose to express my further knowledge in this topic in the form of a timeline of masculinity! Enjoy!

Tag: this week I learned

This Week I Learned (Week 2)

This Week I Learned (Week 1)