Marchand. "The Parable of the Democracy of Goods."

The parable of the Democracy of Goods is "one of the most pervasive of all advertising tableaux of the 1920s." Marketing was used to show that all Americans could acquire the best goods no matter one's social rank. The middle class could eat the breakfast of the rich people (i.e. Cream of Wheat like the Biddle family of Philadelphia). Rich and poor would face such embarrassments as athlete's foot, bad breath, and body odor. They could use the same products to be cured of these ailments. The advertisements were displayed in "every man and woman's" reading material, the newspapers, not just the fancy magazines. Thus, although Americans could not "freely" choose their social status or politics, they could "freely" choose which product to buy.

Marchand. "Visions of Classlessness, Quests for Dominion: American Popular Culture, 1945-1960 ."

America as melting pot united during the second World War and was said to soon become a "World of Tomorrow" and the "American Pastoral." Instead, our popular culture became more homogeneous than America had ever known. Television became the ultimate mass "culture medium" and "served more to nationalize and homogenize" than any other aspect of American life. Blue jeans, TV dinners, family rooms, mobile Californians, housing developments, and suburban areas flourished. American consisted of the so-called "classless prosperity," or people with no class divisions and plenty of mass communications to tell them what they needed.

Barthes. Mythologies. "Striptease" and "The World of Wresting."

Barthes take an in-depth look at what most people would consider well known parts of American society. This is not always the case. Striptease, he states, is a contradiction. The woman is degraded but she is also disguising herself using art - elaborate costumes, make-up, dance, etc. These artistic elements that must be rehearsed and perfected ultimately "hide" her nudity. For many women, it becomes a career. Another spectacle in American society is wrestling. Barthes traces it back to ancient theaters. Anyone who thinks wrestling is a sport, like boxing or judo, is sorely mistaken. Like striptease, costumes and movement are used to demonstrate emotions - in this context, suffering, defeat, and justice. Both are used for entertainment and have been for centuries. Leave it to Americans to elaborate the theater even further.