Commodity Nostalgia & Consumerism in the 20th Century

At its core, Toy Story is about toys. Irrespective of the various themes of friendship, love, new beginnings, jealousy, and growing up that Pixar pushes to incorporate in their narratives, the films are tied to consumerism. 

Herhuth (2017) builds on the idea that due to the nostalgia associated with the specific toys and technologies that we associate prior to the digital age in Toy Story. The viewer will inevitably compare the commodities of the analog era and the digital age. As toys are consumer items, these films give us a way to examine them as both commodities and cultural artifacts. This film’s release marks a distinct shift in consumer practices in the 20th century as commodity fetishism expanded into all aspects of cultural life (Herhuth, 2017, p. 63). Consumer practices are passed down through generations as we see in the films, when the toys move from one owner to another all the while carrying their respective cultural and social meanings, even as they encounter modern toys. 

The intimate role that toys play in our lives is the premise of Toy Story and according to Herhuth (2017) is reflected in the nostalgia of the film as it mirrors the changing digital culture. 

 Depictions of obsolescence in animation is shown thematically in Toy Story and overconsumption is further condemned in WALL-E. In her chapter, Cortez (2012) discusses the meaning that we infuse into objects outside of their obvious economic value. 

The video here analyzes Toy Story using a Marxist philosophy and looks at how Pixar perpetuates consumerism in it's films. 

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^{Screenshot: Toy Story 2 film/ Disney Plus. Copyright Pixar}