It's no longer news.
America - dying from consumption...
As I get older, I see the holidays for what they are - or rather what they have become. Retail sales, football, commercials, retail sales, marketing tricks, entertainment, retail sales...
I used to watch the morning news shows, I no longer do now. All that screaming and cheering in between breaks - people so happy just to be on TV. There is very little news - unless it is entertainment news - about celebrities and movies and record deals owned by the parent company, of course. Every aspect of life is hyped and cheered and people are so damned excited about everything on camera - all the time. They're so excited they can't wait to get to the malls.
I heard there were people camping outside one retailer since Monday - a man wanted a 3-D TV - from Santa, no doubt.
I've been manipulated by marketers all my life.
I used to wear Polo - still do - but I haven't bought anything new for years. I like preppy - horned rimmed glasses and stuff like that. The other day a friend showed me the latest Ralph Lauren mailing he received. It was all the 'Purple Label' merchandise. (I don't get out much - so it was new to me.)
Some of the product looks exactly the same as the ordinary label clothing - except for a couple details - the horse is different on the polo shirt, and I think Ralph's signature may be on the sleeve. I can't remember if the shirts sell for $295- or $395 - but the last time I bought a polo shirt, I think it was $65-. Like I said, they look the same to me. Lauren also showed 2 watches from $6600- to $25000-.
There is a lot of money out there. Can you imagine how the Purple Label customers laugh at the poor people camping out to buy a 3-D TV?
I suppose Ralph Lauren is only cashing in on Tom Ford's clients - I forget what the Prince of Santa Fe charges for a suit - I could buy a new car - budget of course - for the same cost.
The other night I watched a PBS piece on David Geffen. One of the richest men in the world. He made his fortune from entertainment - early on he managed groups such as Crosby, Stills, Nash. A "counter cultural" group at one time. Geffen helped Obama get elected. He also champions gay rights, gay marriage. The program hinted that he was responsible for Hilary Clinton not getting the nomination for president.
Big money.
The marketing of evil.
Tom Ford's house, Santa Fe.
Too depressing. I'm glad my new year's resolution last year was to buy no new clothes. I still didn't wear half of what's in my closet. (Well, honestly, some I can't get buttoned.) At any rate, I managed very well and when the new year comes I will buy what I need: some new underwear and a pair of walking shoes. And then maybe I'll extend my resolution another year and add cleaning out the closet as a second.
ReplyDeleteWe buy Faded Glory polo shirts at Wally World for $14.99 ($12.99 on sale.)
ReplyDeleteUpdate:
Oh, Wow!
From their site:
Faded Glory - Men's Short-Sleeve Solid Pique Polo Shirt, 2 Pack Value Bundle (Available in 20 Colors)
THIRTEEN DOLLARS!!!
Shipping? 97 cents.
DeleteTarget has some really nice polos and flannels an stuff for like $20 or $30 or so, if even that. And when they go on sale, they can be as low as like $7. They just don't have a logo on them, and that's what costs the most money.
ReplyDeleteBlack Friday makes me so sick. I do like college football games on holidays, but not the pros (I don't like pro sports in general). But I really think Black Friday shows us as a nation that literally WORSHIPs consumerism.
I, too, watched and mostly enjoyed the David Geffen show: up to his switch to movies: mostly it was so wonderful to hear Laura Nero again...&.to see the Vast change since that time....I don't enjoy much 'new' music...and no longer even own a cd player, except in the car. *sigh*. I've opted for the difficulty of silence. won't pay for cable, either.
ReplyDeleteMercury, the local thrift stores get clearanced out Target donations, marked as new and sold for little.
ReplyDeleteSanta Claus is the patron saint of consumerism (not to be mistaken for St. Nicholas). I wasn't raised in a religious household so Christmas was all about the presents and dinner. But mostly the presents. And afterwards? When you read those quaint old novels that feature boxing day? Yes, the day on which one returns the boxes of presents that weren't quite right, exchanging them for something one prefers, and buying more since it's half off.
Don't get me wrong, it can be good; my dad and I were at the store at the crack of dawn the day after Christmas about 25 years ago, to buy more tree ornaments since my mom really liked the one she had bought for $30. We ended up with several more and my mom has used them every year, well, until last year when she was in rehab. We have a really cute little feather tree to bring her. She had decorated it with little beaded santa heads and has it up all year.