https://www.irrgang.dev/tags/criticism-of-consumerism/ Recent content in Criticism of Consumerism on IRRGANG.DEV Hugo -- gohugo.io en-US © 2026 Dennis Irrgang · [Legal notice](/legal-notice/) · [Privacy](/privacy-policy/) Sat, 14 Jun 2025 13:55:27 +0000 https://www.irrgang.dev/the-end-of-authenticity/ Sat, 14 Jun 2025 13:55:27 +0000 https://www.irrgang.dev/the-end-of-authenticity/ <div class="lead text-neutral-500 dark:text-neutral-400 !mb-9 text-xl"> <strong>An essay on the quiet disappearance of cultural design and the “race to the bottom”</strong> </div> <h2 class="relative group">Introduction: When products still told stories <div id="introduction-when-products-still-told-stories" class="anchor"></div> <span class="absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100 select-none"> <a class="text-primary-300 dark:text-neutral-700 !no-underline" href="#introduction-when-products-still-told-stories" aria-label="Anchor">#</a> </span> </h2> <p>There was a time when you could tell <strong>where a product came from</strong> just by looking at it. Italian cars were beautiful, eccentric, often unreliable, but full of charm. Japanese cameras were minimalist, pragmatic, precise. German kitchen appliances were heavy, robust, and functional. Products were <strong>ambassadors of origin and attitude</strong>. They bore a signature, a cultural semantics, sometimes even an ethic. A toaster could be “German.” A radio could seem Italian. A camera from Japan not only had functions, but also an implicit value proposition.</p>