Are we all consumer whores?

So, we were talking about advertising and American Consumerism in AIS, and it got me thinking: "Have they gotten to me?" So I looked around my room and kept a running tally of everything that I had seen an ad for that I owned. Final tally: 52 that I had seen ads for out of 71 total, more than half. I found it kind of scary, especially after reading "The 6 Weapons of Influence." I think it would be interesting if perhaps everyone else in the class was to do the same. Let's see how good advertising really is!

Kane?

So we watched "Citizen Kane" in class the other day. Good movie, very deep. Lots of interesting angles and symbols.

But what does it have to do with "The Great Gatsby?" I mean, I understand the obvious connection between the crazy, declining millionaires, but beyond that, what is their connection? The two tales are of very different subject. "Gatsby" is a tale of longing for a person, of a relationship that Gatsby could never have. "Kane" was about a millionaire who was happily married not once, but twice. Kane longs for his childhood, which was taken from him. Gatsby longs for Daisy, with whom he screwed up his relationship.

I just don't really understand why the connection. We usually avoid the obvious and dive in to the subtle, but the only connection I see is obvious... any help B'Oconnolos?