Excerpt from
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Contradictions and Consumerism

        "If the good Lord had intended for us to walk, he
        wouldn't have created rollerskates." -- Mr. Willy Wonka

In a world of edible tea cups, chocolate waterfalls, and lickable wallpaper, Willy Wonka becomes the ultimate creator- a god of innovation in the world of mass production; it is thus perplexing that Wonka appears to be a mouthpiece which voices the many fears that arose in the 1950s and 60s of an increasingly commodified world. Indeed, director Mel Stuart seems determined to posit Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) as a pedagogical tool in which the evils of greed and mass media/consumption are revealed to unsuspecting children. The portrayal of children as the epitome of greed and decadence (with the glaring exception of the virginal Charlie Bucket) demonstrate the disintegration of innocence, and of the traditional role of youth as submissive to their elders. All of the "greedy" children in the film usurp the parental figures' power, who are consequently portrayed as spineless and powerless to stop the crazed, consumption-driven child. Thus, on a certain level, Wonka acts as the misanthropic teacher, who must eliminate the children one by one through his sinister trials of crime and punishment; Wonka disposes of the children he abhors for their greed and desire to consume, yet ironically it is Wonka who symbolizes the ultimate proponent of capitalism and mass production. As children's films often deal with the many contradictions of capitalism, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is no exception- Wonka condemns the instinct to compete and acquire in these children, yet remains impervious to his own participation in their supposed 'demise'.

In Mica Nava's "Consumerism Reconsidered", she references Adorno and Horkheimer's essay on "The Dialectics of Enlightenment" as the model for the easily manipulated consumer:

            They are deeply pessimistic not only about the power of the
            working class to resist control and indoctrination but also
            about the nature and quality of the capitalist culture industry
            itself, and their essay is relentless invective against this.
            Products of the cultural industry, like cinema, radio, and
            magazines, are distinguished from 'art' and are condemned
            repeatedly for their uniformity, falseness, barbaric
            meaninglessness, and much more.¹

It is interesting to view this model of the powerless consumer in light of Willy Wonka, as the film seems to be more skeptical of the wealthy or upper-classes in their inability to resist the indoctrination of mass consumption. Only the poor, working-class, Charlie Bucket has the moral qualms that distinguish him from the other "rotten" children; Charlie has a job, respect for his elders, and a genuine 'good nature'- all of which he is ultimately rewarded for at the end of the film with the gift of the entire chocolate factory. While all of the other children are televised on international broadcasts when they discover golden tickets, only Charlie remains 'untouched' by the television cameras that extend to the four comers of the globe. Therefore, it is Charlie who remains pure-not commodified like all of the other children; this is significant in terms of viewing which children wield power through their performances-it is Charlie who is denied access to the power of mass media (and its 'corruption'). By abstaining from greed, or what also might be seen as ambition, Charlie will be rewarded for maintaining the traditional role of the 'good' child, and subsequently, for maintaining the values that are now under duress from mass consumption.

In "Consumerism Reconsidered", Nava calls for a close examination of the potential power of the moment of consumption, as exemplified in processes of boycotts or selective buying: "people are not only not duped, they are able through their shopping to register political support or opposition. Furthermore, they are able to exercise some control over production itself, over what gets produced and the political conditions in which production takes place."² Nava's article is instructive in formulating this moment of power in consumerism that has often been overlooked by theorists, however it useful to consider Nava's position in the context of class. The power to buy assumes the luxury of having an income that allows you to be a discerning consumer; if like Charlie's family, you only can afford to eat cabbage water for a meal, the possibilities of selective buying is undeniably diminished. Thus, that moment of power is perhaps only for those who can afford to choose one brand over another, or to abstain from eating or buying a certain product-regardless of the cost. Out of all the children that visit the Wonka factory, it is only Charlie who is not allowed the unfettered freedom of choosing to buy Sluggworth's candy over Wonka's, or gum over chocolate. Charlie must wait for his birthday or special occasions, in which luxury is finally an option, to indulge in the chocolate. As Charlie gives the earnings of his paycheck to his mother, he is not allowed the power of the youth consumer to choose among the different products he is bombarded with everyday. This stands in direct opposition to the other four children, who not only have the means to consume, but completely usurp their parents' power by dictating what will be consumed.

Veruca Salt is the perfect example of this dictatorial power as she commands her father to transform his peanut-shelling factory into a chocolate-unwrapping factory in order to find her golden ticket. Thus, Mr. Salt halts his own capitalist enterprise to indulge his daughter's fervored desire to acquire a golden ticket; in this scene, it becomes clear that it is Veruca who controls the factory, and hence wields the power of a capitalist. Perhaps Nava needs to address this idea of class in the power of selective buying, so that a child like Charlie could too be capable of such a political act. Although it is interesting to note that when Charlie finds money in the street and buys a Wonka bar, after the contest was declared over, is when he finally finds the ticket. When Charlie receives the first two Wonka bars as gifts, he does not find the ticket, but when he purchases the candy himself with the sole intention of enjoying the chocolate-he is rewarded with the golden ticket. Perhaps this connects to the film's overarching theme of warning against spoiling your children, and the dangers of mass consumption; as Charlie finds the ticket by buying the candy himself (as opposed to receiving it), and without the desire to find the ticket- he is rewarded for his lack of greed and indulgence. The text is full of these subtle and not-so-subtle markers that indicate Charlie's path as the one to follow.