Andy Warhol: No Amount of Coke Money
on Sunday, May 22, 2016Andy Warhol Money Quote saying wealthy buy the same stuff as the poor – so you can’t pay more to get a better Coca Cola. Andy Warhol said:
“America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest … A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking” — Andy Warhol
In this quote, Andy Warhol is commenting on the nature of mass consumption in American society. He notes that even the wealthiest consumers tend to buy many of the same mass-produced items as the poorest citizens. Warhol uses Coca-Cola as an example, pointing out that a Coke purchased by a rich person is essentially identical to one bought by someone living in poverty.
No matter how much money one has, it does not get you a qualitatively better Coke. Through this observation, Warhol seems to be acknowledging that America pioneered a culture where commonly consumed branded products are standardized, with the rich and poor alike enjoying largely similar goods.
The quote suggests mass production has leveled consumption in a way, with expensive tastes not necessarily correlating to higher product quality in all cases.
Birthday: August 6, 1928 – Death: February 22, 1987