Flattening of Experiences

In class, we're reading White Noise by Don DeLillo which is a novel that follows themes such as consumerism and media obsession and dependency.

Courtesy of TinyFarmBlog

One particular quote that stuck out to me was in Jack's description of the supermarket, a reoccurring location. As he's observing everything around him, the exotic fruits and P.A. announcements, he says, "Everything seemed to be in season, sprayed, burnished, right" (36).

What this speaks to is the flattening of experiences. This can apply on a global level, but I'll be focusing on the U.S. It's the idea that, no matter where you go, you will find the same products (Goldfish, Oreos, etc.) and fresh produce is sold no matter what time of year. You can buy raspberries in the dead of winter.

Because of this phenomenon, things that made certain areas of the U.S. unique - like the grapes in California or the citrus in Florida, are no longer unique to that area. Everyone can get oranges all the time and we're all eating grapes no matter if they're native to our area or not.

When something is no longer in season, the U.S. has another country growing that crop and shipping it over to us. Growing consumer demands for certain products has led the U.S. to rely on other countries for the their produce but, in the process, I see our country losing some of the characteristics that make it unique.

If we look at a map of the U.S., the wide array of different landscapes divides the country into quite dissimilar pockets of American culture. Living in Denver used to be wildly different than living in Boston, for example, because what products were available, among other things. The landscape differences have stayed the same but consumer habits have flatlined all over the country, leaving us with one "American" experience wherever you travel to.

Does this enhance our identity as Americans, living in a "melting pot", or does it erase that image?