The Values of The Kendall's Material Culture and The Increase in Merchandise Selling in United States

The year 2016 was characterized by a growth in celebrity merchandise culture. Renowned celebrities such as Kyle Jenner, Kanye West, and Beyonce Knowles launched Kylie Cosmetics, Yeezy Line, and Ivy Park merchandise lines, respectively. At the top of this trend was President Trump’s Make America Great Again merchandise that was popularized during the 2016 Presidential campaign. It was interesting to see popular stores such as Kid Rock announcing their decision to add Trump related merchandise in response to overwhelming demand (Khan, 2017). While drawing from the concept of material culture as highlighted in the work of Kendall (2016), it is arguable that the celebrity merchandise cultural fad is here to stay. This argument is based on the realization that technology has taken a central position in propagating material culture.

The concept of material culture is responsible for the popularization of celebrity merchandise culture. Kendall (2016) material culture covers tangible creations such as fashion items that are created, accepted and shared by members of a particular society. Typically, material culture is shaped by nonmaterial components such as values, norms, language, and symbols. For example, the Trump-related merchandise was popularized by the values and expectations behind the historical concept of American dream (Khan, 2017). This example is advised by the reality that Americans consider their country as a land of opportunities where every hardworking citizen can achieve relative success in their respective areas of trade.

Material culture is turning celebrity merchandise culture into a cultural universal of some sorts. Kendall (2016) defines cultural universals as broadly accepted customs or values that differentiate a specific society from other societies. For example, the celebrity merchandise culture is almost becoming a cultural universal that defines the contemporary American society. Lea-Greenwood (2013) supports this example by arguing that fashion retailers such as Nike and Adidas have perfected the art of using celebrities as their brand ambassadors. Based on the success of celebrity endorsements, leading celebrities have realized that they can as well launch their own fashion lines. This argument underscored by the Jenner, West, and Knowles example discussed in the introduction paragraph. Going forward, celebrities will continue to leverage their influence to draw new proscriptive norms that will likely continue to shape consumer habits in receptive societies such as the United States. This argument is supported by Kendall (2016) position that proscriptive norms are a set of unwritten rules that shape human behavior in a society.

Technological advancements have also accelerated celebrity merchandise cultural fad. Kendall (2016) indicates that technological advancements such as social media, online payment gateways, and online shopping carts have made it easy for people to access and share information about popular cultural trends. For example, leading celebrities such as Jenner, West and Knowles are using social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat to reach out and influence the purchasing habits of their fans. Actually, social media has become more of a culture by itself. This argument draws from Kendall (2016) argument that culture is the “… knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person and from one generation to the next in a human group or society” (p. 89). The influence of modern technology as a cultural tool will likely grow as the general populace continues to embrace technology.

Going forward, it is justifiable to argue that celebrity merchandise cultural fad is here to stay. Technological advancements and growing reception of new cultural trends will continue to fuel the growth of celebrity merchandise culture. As a popular cultural universal, celebrity merchandise culture will continue to influence the type of fashion, food, and car brands patronized by Americans. Celebrities will defiantly be at the centre of this popular cultural fad.