The cultural relevance of the Bic Maxi lighter :: Culture Cultural Lighters Essays

The cultural relevance of the Bic Maxi lighter According to William J. Thomson, the natives of Easter Island’s â€Å"method of obtaining ï ¬ re requires considerable preparation of material and patience on the part of the operator. A pointed stick of hard wood is rubbed against a piece of dry paper-mulberry until a groove, is formed, which ï ¬ nally becomes hot from the friction and ignites the lint or ï ¬ ber thrown up at the end of the groove. This is blown into a ï ¬â€šame, and dried grass added to it until the ï ¬ re is sufï ¬ ciently established.†1 Society is still dependent on ï ¬ re today. If not for bare survival, ï ¬ re is used for some simple enjoyments of life: candle lights, barbecues, ï ¬ replaces, etc. But contemporary methods of obtaining ï ¬ re often simply require a ï ¬â€šick of the thumb. The portable disposable cigarette lighter is a very ubiquitous tool used by many of us who require a ï ¬â€šame once in a while. This paper will discuss the Bic Maxi lighter (ï ¬ g. 1 soon) a nd its relationship with some of western culture’s contemporary issues, mainly: branding, individual responsibility, the mainstream and ecology. It will illustrate the Maxi’s cultural relevance by presenting the implications of its belonging to the Bic brand, some background issues related to the Child-Guard mechanism, its popularity and omnipresence, and its impact on the environment. Will follow a discussion of the eminent disappearance of the Maxi as a product dependent on a socially deviant behavior. It is branded Although they are regarded by many as threatening to our health, destructive to our environment and corrupting our children, brands are an important part of the postindustrial commercial life.2 Many recent books have been chanting an anti-brand rhyme: Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation (2001), Franà §ois Dufour and Josà © Bovà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s The World is Not for Sale (2001), and most importantly, Naomi Klein’s No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies (2000). But still, brands are everywhere: â€Å"products, people, countries and companies are all racing to turn themselves into brands — to make their image more likeable [sic] and understandable.†3 Madonna, Canada, Starbucks, Martha Stewart, The European Union, Microsoft are all selling the greatness of being alive, surrounded by their music, culture, coffee, craft, money, software, etc. Historically, brands were â€Å"a form not of exploitation, but of consumer protection. In pre-industrial days, people knew exactly what went into their meat pies and which butchers were trustworthy; once they moved to cities, they no longer did.