Twentieth century capitalism might just fit Veblen's description of "a consistently warlike habit of life." In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the search for the golden ticket is satirized in terms that imply the degree to which some Americans will go in exercising their right to the commercial pursuit of happiness. In one scene, a detective tells a woman that her husband's kidnappers are willing to return her their captive in exchange for a ransom her only box of Wonka bars. A troubled expression comes over her face, and she asks how long she is allowed to think about it. Later, when Charlie finds the golden ticket, the crowd rushes in on him so violently that a bystander shouts, "Easy! Don't kill the boy!"

The nationality of the characters and even the setting remains unclear throughout the film, except in instances involving the Beauregardes and Mike TV, who are clearly described as American. In this film, America is represented by a used car salesman and a child addicted to television. In this clip, Charlie is watching a news report about Violet Beauregarde's having found the next golden ticket. The newsreporter establishes that dreams can happen "right here in America," and the scene focuses in on the used car lot of Sam B, the average American whose daughter's dreams have just come true in the shape of a golden ticket.

While the announcer tries to describe Mr. Beauregarde as "a community politician and a civic leader," our representative of the American dream takes over the microphone to advertise his latest sale on cars. Veblen's theory implies that America is characterized by even more rigid boundaries than a caste society because mobility in America relies not as we would wish to believe on ideals, but on money.