1) topic 1: What We Are to Advertisers" James B. Twitchell's "What We Are to Advertisers" begins on page 163. He is writing about how advertisers try to understand who their customers are. Why is it important for advertisers to understand their audience's psychology? Do categories like the ones in the VALS2 + paradigm apply in the time of Covid? 2) topic 2 : Discussion 1: "Masters of Desire: the Culture of American Advertising" In Jack Solomon's essay "Masters of Desire," beginning on page152, he discusses the contradictory nature of advertiser's pitch to consumers. On the one hand, advertisers push elitism through connecting products to status while on the other emphasizing how one can fit in by buying the same things as everyone else. Why is this contradiction a part of American culture? Explain what Solomon means by "guilt ads" (page 160). 3) topic 3:Reflection #1: Thinking Critically About Consumer Culture Look over the readings, discussions, and your essay addressing American consumer culture. What do you takeaway from your analysis of this culture of consumption in this country? What key terms help you articulate this critique? How does your essay show your understanding of these issues? What tools do you know have and can apply in the future? 4) topic 4 : Discussion 3: "Men's Men and Women's Women" Beer Commercial. Most Interesting man in the world sits between two women in bar In "Men's Men and Women's Women" Steve Craig looks at television commercials and how they portray gender. Starting on page 167, he examines four television commercials distinctly targeted at men and women. How do advertisers target men and women differently according to Craig? What does Craig mean when he says "A threat to patriarchy is an economic threat" in the concluding paragraph on page 178?