It should be admitted that contemporary society faces a number of disorders that are not related to medical conditions. Although the term “disorders” could be arguable, the fact that many phenomena have a negative effect on people is certain. For example, large megalopolises brought an illness, recently acknowledged, which is obtrusive shopping. The desire to purchase goods in surplus quantities can be considered as an uncontrolled mania and a serious neurosis.
As a related theme, William Severini Kowinski specified another problem of the citizen of modern society, which is Malaise. Malaise is the author’s created term for the sickness felt by customers as a result of being in a mall. Being a chapter in his book “The Malling of America: An Inside Look at the Great Consumer Paradise”, Kowinski in an ironic way addresses the possible causes and symptoms of Malaise, stating that malls indirectly affect people.
The author, in a seemingly satirical way, starts by pointing out to the symptoms of his detected mall disease-Malaise. The assumption of his irony is obvious through the usage of doctor-like diagnosis, which is similar to drug advertisements on TV. “Does the mall make you tired? Set your nerves on edge? Do you find it difficult to concentrate? Do you sometimes wonder if you are really as safe as mall management would like you to believe? If you are a parent, do you fear for your children’s ability to survive outside comfort control because they spend so much time in the mall?”
Kowinski then shifts the tone of the narration to more serious, presenting several reasons why people feel particular “uncomfortable” symptoms. One reason is the similarity of most of the malls, so people start feeling lost and disoriented. Many excerpts of interviews emphasize other mall features that annoy people. The combination of the mall features and the shared symptoms is followed by the so-called “Zombie effect”. The Zombie effect can be summarized as the loss of time and space in a seemingly friendly environment, with an abrupt awakening and alienation. The author compared this effect with the resulted of watching television, which is the same case to some extent.
Nevertheless, the author acknowledges the necessity of the malls as places for buying good. However, the waste of time, where people might spend most of the day even after buying what is needed, is a serious problem. As a possible cause of such phenomena, the author refers to the Zombie effect as a consequence of Mallaise. The customers or Zombie Effect sufferers, as referred by Kowinski, are the victims in his work. They are the victims of the cultural impact of the hypnotizing world of consumerism and its main guide – the television.
The points made by the author are clear, and the arguments for such specific outline of malls can be seen in the author mentioning his first experience of Mallaise. At the same time, the main reason for building malls is not apparent through the chapter. The most anticipated outcome of building malls is forcing the customers to buy more not to stay longer. Thus, the main reason why they spend so much time in the malls was not explained by the author.
In constructing the theme of the chapter “Mallasie: How to Know If You Have It”, Kowinski chose a winning approach. This approach, although stated as playful and ironic, is similar to the previously mentioned drug ads. The commercial list many symptoms from which the viewer will certainly find the closest to the one that he/she has. Omitting throwing up, tumbling of the stomach and falling down as symptoms, the malls do have certain characteristics that appeal to the customers and promote buying. The author indeed provides a serious problem which is the desperation felt, when the mall even when hated is the only place to go.
At the same time, the chapter does not put any blame on the customers themselves. The problem of consumerism is an existent issue in contemporary society. It can be said that malls take advantage of that issue by indulging the customers’ caprices. Replacing the mall with separate shops, especially if they are located on the same street or area, we have the same issue. Pointless wandering from shop to shop, the same clerks who “don’t know anything more about a book that what appears on the computer stock list” and the same alienation after a day spent purchasing goods. If so, then the mall is nothing more than a closed street of shops with a roof. Thus, malls with “the feeling of continuous featureless space” are more of an outcome of the main problem which is consumerism and people’s feel of satisfaction buying all and sundry.
In general, Kowinski’s work is amusing to read. The title of the chapter served its purpose perfectly, which is associating oneself with people whose experiences were described. In that sense, asking if you have “Mallaise”, a definite answer will follow. Of course I do… who does not. On the other hand, if claiming that the whole generation suffers from consumerism, there will be a hard time finding out what is the outcome of the other. Consumerism or Mallaise?