Crap. We all have it. Filling drawers. Overflowing bins and
baskets. Proudly displayed or stuffed in boxes in basements and
garages. Big and small. Metal, fabric, and a whole lot of plastic.
So much crap. Abundant cheap stuff is about as American as it gets.
And, it turns out these seemingly unimportant consumer goods offer
unique insights into ourselves--our values and our desires. In
Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America, Wendy A. Woloson takes
seriously the history of objects that are often cynically
dismissed: things that are not made to last; things we don't really
need; things we often don't even really want. Woloson does not mock
these ordinary, everyday possessions, but seeks to understand them
as a way to understand aspects of ourselves, socially, culturally,
and economically: Why do we--as individuals and as a
culture--possess these things? Where do they come from? Why do we
want them? And what is the true cost of owing them? Woloson tells
the history of crap from the late eighteenth century up through
today, exploring the many categories of crappy things, including
gadgets, knickknacks, novelty goods, mass-produced collectibles,
giftware, and variety store merchandise. As Woloson shows, not all
crap is crappy in the same way--decorative bric-a-brac, for
instance, is crappy in a different way from, say, advertising
giveaways, which are differently crappy from commemorative plates.
Taking on the full brilliant and depressing array of crappy
material goods, the book explores the overlooked corners of the
American market and mindset, revealing the complexity of our
relationship with commodity culture over time. By studying crap,
rather than finely made material objects, Woloson shows us a new
way to truly understand ourselves, our national character, and our
collective psyche. For all its problems, and despite its
disposability, our crap is us.
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