Just What Is It That Makes Today’s America So Different? is based off Richard Hamilton’s style of collage. Specifically, the work that first inspired it was Hamilton’s Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? from 1956, which parodied advertising images (Usborne 112). Hamilton’s style was attractive because it has a clear voice about American advertising and what Americans are attracted to or reeled in to like. So many of the things that are advertised today or are represented in the media—celebrities, presidential candidates, luxury products, etc.—are represented outrageously. They’re presented in a bizarre way, much like René Magritte’s surrealist art. Therefore, using Magritte’s The Art of Conversation as the
