Chewing gum in the United States and Mexico: The everyday and the iconic

Chewing gum is a good example of a commodity whose 'value' is not confined to the sphere of economics. Gum became one of the first products to employ mass advertising and marketing expertise, even in the first decades of the twentieth century. Later chewing gum became associated with all things 'American', and was used as away of promoting 'American values', in sport, entertainment and even politics. Chewing gum assumed iconic status in the United States at a time when its sourcing and raw material (chicle) was largely unknown (or hidden) in Mexico, the chief supplier. The paper argues that consumption can, and often does, acquire primacy within production/consumption circuits,, when its use becomes seen as both necessary and inevitable. Products like chewing gum also point to complex cultural relationships, that can extend beyond national boundaries, and illustrate the way in which political economy is supported by fashion and taste.