The Cult of the Mac

            I enjoyed reading “The Cult of Macintosh” because I was able to relate to many of the ideas and rituals associated with consumption culture.  This article cited Boorstin’s description of so-called consumption communities: “in consumption communities, Americans’ sense of unity and commonality is increasingly more likely to be based on common consumption patterns than daily interaction due to living in geographic proximity to one another.”  I agree with this statement, because I think that many people associate with each other based on what they buy.  For example, my Dad is a big runner, and he buys a specific type of running shoe.  When he sees other runners with the same shoe at a race, he will strike up a conversation with them, and the shoe brand serves as the platform for this type of consumption community. 

            I really liked reading about the different brands that are considered “cult brands”.  It got me thinking about what brands I treat as “cult brands” and why I place a higher value on certain types of entertainment or brands and not others.  Although I have a MacBook Pro laptop and an iPod Classic, I wouldn’t call myself a member of the cult of Mac.  I know people who are obsessed with Apple products, and I am not one of them.  Even though I really like my computer and iPod, I am perfectly satisfied with these gadgets and I don’t see a need to constantly update my iPod every time a “better” model comes out.  A lot of my friends have iPhones, and they update their iPhone with each new model.  I just can’t see myself doing that because I’m not a member of the cult of Mac.  I don’t have unquestioning faith in Apple products, even though I am perfectly satisfied with the Apple products that I own.

            This essay made me realize that the Mac and its dedicated users constitute the equivalent of religion.  I find it fascinating that basically all aspects of religion are covered by the true believers of Mac products.  I also found it slightly funny that the distaste of Mac users for non-Mac products was referred to as “the existence of one or more Satanic opponents.”  I understand how exaggerated that sounds to someone who isn’t familiar with Mac fanatics, but I completely understand how “Satanic opponents” could be used to describe other technology companies in the eyes of the members of the Cult of the Mac.