D#9,HW#4, Annotated Bibliography

Staff. (2006, November 17) Sony’s PS3 makes US debut to long lines, short supplies.
USA Today. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-11-17-ps3-debut_x.htm

I found this article in USA Today. The author didn’t really a bias, although the report focused on the rowdiness that ensued in the lines waiting for the PS3. So perhaps the author is showing that the crowds for these toys gets out of control, or that the situation itself is ridiculous. I would use this story in two ways. First, it illustrates how popular the PS3 was. It talks about how long people stood in line to buy it. Second, it interviews people’s reasons for doing it, so perhaps I can use those and try to analyze them through a psychological angle. Because I can’t find primary sources, this might be the closest I come to hearing directly from consumers why they stand in line. This is a good source for real life examples.


McKeand, D. (2002). Cabbage Patch Kids. The St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture.
Gale Group. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100197

This article talks about the popularity of Cabbage Patch Kids in the 1980s. It is a good article because it talks about how this toy is the first “personalized” or individualized toy—no two alike were produced. It also talks about how the back story (the history of each doll) added to its popularity. This relates to another source I have about how toy companies can create their own buzz and frenzy. This article states that the back story added to the popularity of the toys. The article actually came from an encyclopedia, which implies it’s a good source, but… it’s an encyclopedia of pop culture. However, the author presents a very balanced view about the dolls and talks about some parents’ objections to Cabbage Patch Kids. I’ll most definitely use the Cabbage Patch Kids as an example of a super-popular toy and the beginning of the lines.


How consumerism affects society, the economy and the Environment.
Retrieved July 12, 2007. http://www.verdant.net/society.htm#howaffects

This article is fascinating because it talks about how immigrants aren’t affected by consumerism until their second generation. This seems to imply that it’s a learned behavior. The article as a whole is anti-consumerism and says that we don’t need the things that are forced upon us, yet we still buy them. The article says that commercials (advertising), the status (you’re cool) that you get when you own them, and the fact that everyone else has one are the things that drive consumerism. While the article is interesting, it is on a site that is totally anti-consumerism. This is this author’s philosophy. Like the previous source, the author seems to be politically “out there” and angry at society. He seems to be writing to change our minds about the things we buy, to be persuasive. Although this isn’t a reputable source (like a newspaper), it’s another presentation of an idea that’s counter to my own. I would use it to show another perspective.