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This paper examines the social construction of the new wakefulness-promoting drug Modafinil (brand name Provigil) in the British press. Key themes in this newspaper coverage include the potential 'uses' and 'abuses' of this drug in relation to: (i) medical conditions; (ii) lifestyle choices; (iii) military operations; and (iv) sporting competition. The British press, we show, play a dual role in reporting on these trends and developments: on the one hand constructing this as something of a 'wonder drug' in relation to the treatment of a number of medical complaints or conditions, on the other hand articulating and amplifying a range of cultural concerns and anxieties about the non-medical 'uses' and 'abuses' of this drug, both now and in the future. These issues, it is argued, are best interpreted in terms of media concerns over the pharmaceuticalisation rather than the medicalisation of everyday/night life. The paper concludes with some further thoughts and reflections on these issues, including the potential reworking of notions of 'pharmaceutical Calvinism' and the 'elective affinity' between this 'smart' new drug and the spirit of (bio)capitalism.

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This article revisits Campbell's (1987) The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism thesis in the light of new intersections with sociological issues of embodiment and emotions. A variety of themes and issues are raised: the persistence of mind/body, reason/emotion dualities in the consumption literature, the importance of `disappointment' in consumer culture, external factors which mediate the consumption experience, and finally the interpretation of both Romanticism and romantic, interpersonal relationships. A largely disembodied and socially disembedded account of consumption and emotion is on offer here, the implications of which extend far beyond the limits of Campbell's thesis to debates on consumer culture and the sociological enterprise in general. In making these claims, we highlight the need for a `passionate' sociology which would in turn integrate embodiment and emotions more fully into the consumption agenda. These key themes are discussed, with some sociological pointers for the future, in consumption and beyond.