The Commodity Fetishism of “Beanis”: In Marxist terms, commodity fetishism is when the social relations between people are expressed as relations between commodities. In the case of “beanis,” it might be marketed as an absurd but must-have novelty item, concealing the labor and social relations involved in its production. The bean, traditionally a staple of working-class diets, and the penis, a symbol of biological determinism under patriarchy, are stripped of their material reality and turned into objects of humor or sexual novelty to be bought and sold, reinforcing the dominance of commodity culture.

Proletarian Labor and Alienation: The workers tasked with producing the “beanis” are alienated from the end product, toiling in factories to produce an object whose absurdity is designed purely for profit, not for any meaningful use-value. The product itself serves as a metaphor for how workers are alienated not only from their labor but from their own biological and social identities. The laborers making the “beanis” might find it difficult to connect with the idea of such an absurd product, reinforcing their estrangement from the purpose and meaning of their work under capitalism.

Gender and Class Intersectionality: The “beanis” could symbolize the commodification of both gender and class. By turning a traditionally humble food like beans into something sexualized or masculine, the product reflects how capitalist society markets even basic survival needs and human biology for consumption. The penis, as a symbol of patriarchy and masculinity, is here combined with the bean, a symbol of working-class subsistence, suggesting a parody of gender and class relations. In this interpretation, “beanis” might be sold as a joke for upper classes, mocking the very food that sustains the working class, while sexualizing gender relations in a way that strips them of any emancipatory potential.

The Ideological State Apparatus: Under capitalism, the ideological state apparatus (schools, media, entertainment) helps reinforce the values of the ruling class. The “beanis” might emerge as a viral sensation, propagated through mass media as part of consumer culture. It distracts the masses from their exploitation, turning them into consumers of meaningless, humorous objects rather than empowering them to question the systems of oppression. By participating in the joke, the proletariat unwittingly reproduces capitalist relations, consuming the very absurdity that mocks their class position.

The Spectacle and False Consciousness: Drawing from Guy Debord’s theory of the spectacle, “beanis” might be seen as an object that participates in the distraction of the masses. Through marketing campaigns, memes, and viral marketing, the “beanis” becomes part of the spectacle—an entertaining, shareable distraction that shifts focus from the real problems of exploitation and inequality. The proletariat, instead of developing class consciousness, engages with the spectacle of “beanis,” reinforcing their false consciousness by finding joy and humor in an object that symbolizes their alienation and commodification.

Revolutionary Potential?: Could “beanis” be reclaimed by the proletariat as a symbol of resistance? In a dialectical twist, the “beanis” might be repurposed by revolutionary groups as an absurd but potent symbol of the contradictions inherent in capitalism. Just as the workers have been reduced to producing absurd commodities, they might use the absurdity of “beanis” to highlight the farcical nature of capitalist production. Protests could involve waving beanis-shaped banners or launching beanis-themed boycotts, turning the product from a mere joke into a rallying cry for the overthrow of the capitalist class.