Edward Norton and IKEA

In Fight Club, Edward Norton seems to obsessed with IKEA furniture and their magazines, he even has some of the magazines located in the bathroom. He is a symptom of consumer culture because like most Americans, Norton latches on to a product and doesn't stray from it. It's all about the brand and once people get in their comfort zone with a certain product, they don't want to go out and try another. It's like when your in high school and playing basketball, the only brand of shoes you want is Nike and if you get anything different than Nike, you become uncomfortable. Or when you use one kind of shampoo or face wash. You always go back to the store and buy the same exact kind because if you had to get something different, it would take a while to become use to the idea of using a different product and that is why I think that Edward Norton is a symptom of consumer culture. He is used to his pattern of only buying IKEA furniture and IKEA furniture only.
Fight Club only shows Norton buying the furniture over the phone rather than going into the store and purchasing it. I think the reason for this is because in America today, we would rather get things the quick and easy way and if that means avoiding human interaction than so be it. When you go into the store to purchase products, it is inevitable that someone will ask you if your finding everything alright, then you have to worry about the crowds and the lines, then when you finally get to the check out, you have to deal with a high school drop out that can't punch the products into the computer. By ordering over the phone, Norton only has the chance of dealing with one stupid person rather than a bunch of them and I think that is why he chooses to order over the phone instead of going into the store.