Paris Hilton as the 21st-century zeitgeist of America

When it comes to summing up the status quo of the present-day, the word “trend” or “mainstream” may come to mind. However, the Germans had originally devised the word, “zeitgeist,” which is defined as the general sociocultural tone of an era, or “the spirit of the times.” Imagine American society decades or centuries from now. What would be the zeitgeist of today’s American society? Although many things can fit as an appropriate answer to this question, there is one single object (or in this case, person) that can, unfortunately, represent America’s present-day society: Paris Hilton. The American socialite probably appears just as often in the news as any other concern of today’s society such as international warfare/terrorism, epidemic diseases or environmental issues. More likely than not, the image of Paris Hilton will live on even centuries later from now because the heiress so easily portrays the supposed highlight of present-day America: consumerism.

The concept of “zeitgeist,” is constantly changing – making it quite similar to design. Design is constantly changing, and the change is based on how previous design has been effective or ineffective in society. For example, with today’s society’s increased awareness of people’s physical handicaps and disabilities – at least compared to the level of awareness that was present a century ago – designers have since altered designed items that were once only adaptable towards the non-handicapped population. For example, what was once a normal stairway in a train station [see left image below], is now a revamped and improved design of a stairway/ramp that is accessible for any person – handicapped or not.

(Left: Personal photo)
(Right: http://gtrcontracting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/fail-owned-stairway-fail1-150x150.jpg)

All designs, like zeitgeists, hold places in history where future designers can refer to, learn from, and even improve. If Paris Hilton’s position in the zeitgeist of American society could be portrayed as an object in the history of design, Ms Hilton would be comparable to the design of a stairway that heads directly into a wall [see right image above].