@cuphall
When culture becomes a product, its original spiritual, symbolic, or community value is frequently subordinated to market logic. Traditions get simplified, exoticized, or stripped of context to appeal to consumers. Authenticity is replaced by “authentically branded” versions; sacred becomes souvenir; meaning becomes aesthetic.Examples abound: yoga reduced to fitness classes, indigenous art turned into mass-produced decor, festivals repackaged as Instagram experiences.Commercialization doesn't always destroy culture, but it reliably changes whose values it ultimately serves—from participants to purchasers.Related readings:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/668166
https://theconversation.com/how-capitalism-ate-cultural-studies-117896
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/15/commodification-culture-instagram-tiktok
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