In today’s political climate, it feels as though we are all competing to “raise social consciousness” or, in colloquial terms, to be the most “woke.” Among a large portion of people, this is viewed as a good thing: it is important to become socially aware of topics that we have previously neglected in modern society. However, in America specifically, the popularity of wokeness can mean one thing: commodification. Being “woke” becomes equal to buying the next “The Future is Female” shirt, and affirming your awareness becomes the same as purchasing some form of Pride merchandise and labeling it activism. America’s capitalist society creates an environment in which activism becomes one-dimensional and socially obligatory for people and companies. The problem with commodified wokeness is that it fails to rewire the social landscape in the way that the original activism truly intends. With this in mind, people and companies should work towards not only displaying their activism through consumption, but also through their actions, principles, and practices.  

In American society, we must interact with the realities of capitalism everyday. Though it may be difficult to see, it infiltrates all aspects of social life. That includes activism. One of the most famous examples of capitalism affecting activism is a 2017 Pepsi Ad featuring Kendall Jenner. The commercial features an ambiguous protest, depicting activists working hard in the face of a challenge. At the end of the commercial, the protestors come face to face with police officers. Kendall Jenner approaches in slo-mo, Pepsi in hand, and offers it to the police, to which the protestors respond in great joy as if she had just caused world peace. The commercial abruptly ends with a reminder from Pepsi to, “Live Bolder. Live Louder. Live For Now.” 

The problem with this ad is not that it is attempting to sell Pepsi, because that is the true purpose of advertising. The problem with this ad is that it is using activism to promote a product. It is inserting an American product into a narrative of activism, of change, thereby equating buying Pepsi to creating peace.  

This commercial is an example of a larger problem: activism through consumption. Sorry Kendall Jenner, you can not just buy a Pepsi and assume change will come. Aligning activism and “wokeness” with the consumption of a product leaves people thinking they have finished the job, when in reality, there is so much more to be done.  

There is a point to be made in favor of this activism. Isn’t some activism better than none, regardless of motivation? While the answer is contested, it is important to know that activism done for profit sometimes fails to make concrete social change. Though some companies carry out their messages of activism, many fail to practice what they preach. For example, L’Oreal Paris posted in 2020 regarding the Black Lives Matter movement stating that, “Speaking Out is Worth It.” This caught the attention of followers and previously employed members of L’Oreal, specifically trans activist and model Munroe Bergdorf. Munroe Bergdorf became the first trans member of the L’Oreal #TrueMatch campaign in 2017. However, following rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia later that year in which an anti-racist activist was killed, Bergdorf posted commentary regarding racism and broader white supremacy in this country. Following the posts, L’Oreal promptly dropped Bergdorf from the campaign. In 2020, when L’Oreal “spoke out” regarding racism, Bergdorf was quick to comment that just three years earlier, they had ended their contract with her after she had done the same thing.  

Munroe Bergdorf’s experience is a potent example of companies failing to practice the change they preach about. Activism is nothing if it is not accompanied by changes in behavior, policy, or social understanding. Bergdorf’s experience is just one of many examples of the threat commodified wokeness poses on a capitalistic society that is susceptible to shallow acts of change.  

Purchasing makeup from L’Oreal following their activism can make certain consumers feel as though they are making a difference. This fantasy is another threat that is posed by commodified wokeness. You cannot purchase social change. You cannot buy equality. The problem is, these posts make you think you can.  

According to Pew Research, 46% of Americans in a 2018 survey think that social media makes people believe they are making a difference, when they are really not. Though social media may aid in cultivating awareness for the issue, it does not confirm that change will be made, nor does it always specifically outline avenues for change for the average consumer.  

As Pride month has come to an end, it’s important for consumers to keep in mind that for some companies, LGBTQ+ activism is not a year long commitment, and rather just an attempt to make more profit.  In addition to that, the activism, without a positive effect on the reputation of the company, will not be followed through.  Bud Light serves as an example of this, as its campaign with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney was met with severe backlash this past June. Right wing celebrities and political figures objected to this campaign, so much so that Bud Light’s owner Anheuser-Busch, came forward and stated that the company never wanted to spark a conversation of division.  Dylan, a transgender woman, who was supposed to be embraced through this campaign was publicly shamed, ridiculed, and humiliated, even stating that the company’s failure to publicly stand with her has amplified the customer backlash. 

All of this evidence of commodified wokness is not to dismiss actual efforts made by people and companies to make an impact. Rather, this evidence is meant to remind people to be very mindful of what they are being sold. Who benefits from the likes on a “woke” social media post? And are the companies posting these messages following through with their statements? In modern American society, it is on the consumer to determine which companies to support and to not support. It is on the consumer to not limit their activism to purchases, and to attempt to make change in fruitful ways, ways more impactful than just a can of Pepsi.