Abstract
The chapter focuses on the consumption motives and marketing strategies of a specific category of contemporary magical substances, that is, the expanding range of vitamin (and mineral) products. The consumption of these products—located ambiguously in the demarcation of ‘medicine’ and ‘nutrition’ (symptomatically also characterized as ‘protective foods’)—has increased very dramatically in the Western world during the last two decades. The trend is most articulated among the educated middle classes whose diets are hardly characterized by nutritional deficiencies. Thus the grounds for the consumption boom must lie elsewhere, indicating other kind of motivational factors. On the other hand, even though the marketing strategies of these products cannot be conceived of as the manipulative force causing the increase in consumption, the advertising arguments promoting the use of vitamin products may be analysed as (implicit) reflections and interpretations of the actual motivational factors.
The analysis of these advertising arguments—related to the historical roots of nineteenth century patent medicine advertising—acts as a starting point for the interpretation of the motivational factors of consumption (of these products) then contextualized in the changing meaning structure of ‘food’—broken down into four dimensions: fuel, poison, medicine and (oral) ‘pleasurable’ (corresponding to the German term Genussmittel)—as it has evolved from early twentieth century to the present configuration. As it appears, the tendency manifests a shift in the meaning of ‘food’ giving an ever more emphasized role to the duality of medicine/poison. This tendency is expressed not only in the ‘nutritional scientific’ discourse—especially in its mass mediated versions—but also within two other related (and more recent) discursive lines: ‘environmental’ and ‘fitness & beauty’ discourses, as I have named them.
The interesting point is, as I am arguing in this chapter, that the motivational disposition towards the use of vitamin products fits well with the behavioural patterns outlined by these three discursive lines. Whether these products are used as substitutes or supplements, their specific magical character appears to lie in their future orientation and specifically in their supposed efficiency in keeping the evils to come afar—in the last instance, postponing not only ageing but death itself. In this respect the use of vitamin products resembles the more traditional case of talismans and amulets protecting against the evil eye (mat occhio) etc.
Who wants to live forever …
Freddie Mercury (Queen)
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