The Presentation of Self in Contemporary Social Life by David H. P. Shulman

Author:David H. P. Shulman [Shulman, David H. P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781483319445
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2016-04-28T00:00:00+00:00

Las Vegas Casinos as “Cathedrals of Consumption”

Large Las Vegas casinos illustrate themed cathedrals of consumption. Moving away from a more abstract sense of images and themes, let’s consider this concrete physical structure as an example. There is a certain “psych-itecture” at work in designing sets that persuade patrons to gamble. Returning to the dramaturgical discussions in earlier chapters, the front stage setting impacts the audience’s perceptions. The casino is a themed dramaturgical set on which front and backstage performances occur. The spaces there have meanings and comprise stimuli intended to produce a range of responses in patrons. Many Las Vegas casinos are simultaneously playgrounds and mazes. The atmosphere is euphoric, noisy, sometimes a bit risqué, and built to accommodate all sorts of personal preferences for spending money. There are no clocks or windows to distract people. Patrons are served free alcohol. No stunning artworks, posters, or televisions are near games to lure people’s attention from gaming. One exception is television showing sporting events for sports betting. There are no empty banks of seats away from gaming unless the seats accompany group betting like in sports books or variations on bingo games. The atmosphere is loud enough to make the setting undesirable for hanging around to have conversations.

A question to ask in any setting is what information is available to me here? How is information designed for patrons? No strangers are supposed to access the backstage, where staff members focus on observing and managing work to serve customers in the “front of house.” Slots and video poker machines have nice bright colors and big numbers always showing how much someone could win if they play. Sometimes they have colorful placards hanging on the top of them that show off a compelling fantasy theme. There are linked slot machines with combined jackpots that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. People get paper slips and use poker chips as part of gaming and as a form of psychology that obscures the money involved. Bright lights and themes adorn machines, from slots themed after make-believe fantasy characters to game show and celebrity themes. Attractive servers approach customers in skimpy outfits, which work for male patrons as a fantasy landscape to accompany their gaming. Undercover security monitors observe for any untoward activities, enabling the business to continue uninterrupted. Casino design allows people to follow their gambling preferences in choosing what games to play and in what surroundings. They can make themselves more front and center by choosing a gaming activity where they play in front of others, such as poker or craps, or they can disappear into aisles to gamble.

High-end casino gambling was historically associated with elites who would dress up. Casinos like the Borgata Hotel and the Wynn offer opportunities for this high-end action of consumption. Erving Goffman (1967) coined the term “fancy milling” to describe where the action is for people in consumption, in people enjoying getting to be big shots by displaying an association with opulence to others. He wrote,

Adults in

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