If you're not convinced this man is evil, look at this picture...
So Columbus Day is next Monday, and maybe I'm confused, but it appears that many companies are OBSESSED with Columbus and all of his glorious achievements. I mean many of them put out magazine ads and TV commercials encouraging us to "celebrate" the day at their stores... so why else would they be celebrating it with massive deals and discounts on products? To make money of course.
What exactly are these companies asking us to celebrate though? Well yes, he is credited for "discovering" America (which he thought was the West Indies), but was he not responsible also, for killing and enslaving numerous indigenous peoples without any legitimate reasoning? This brings up the issue of "false consciousness" and how that is used to encourage our consumer-based behaviors. Beginning at an early age we are taught to glorify Columbus. Don't we all know the "1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" rhyme? For those that never truly consider the numerous horrible acts that Columbus committed, this prescribed notion of Columbus as a hero has seemed to dominate most peoples' average perception of him. Advertisers then use this perception as a means to promote their products through weekend sales and what not. Often commercials sport American flags and other U.S.A regalia/symbols in order to connect the celebration of Columbus day to a celebration of nationalism. Essentially, companies are trying to spread this false consciousness that it's a celebration of America, when truly, they are only concerned with making profit. It seems that companies don't even consider the idea of promoting the Day as an ethical dilemma because they only care about profits. Though debate about whether or not the holiday should exist is on the rise, more than likely the advertising world will have enough power to keep the outcome in their favor, at least for a while. Furthermore, one must even ask what type of programming, such as in TV, would take a stand against Columbus Day when more likely than not, their sponsors and the advertisers for their channel benefit greatly from the "celebration"? Perhaps when protesting Columbus can be commodified....
Trevor, great post and a good use of this theory. I agree with you that Colon has been totally decontextualized from his actual history: and instead has came to stand as a symbol for many other abstract ideas such as "discovery" and "Italian-ness" (note the color of the Empire State Bldg this weekend)
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